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Post by Karl Welteke on Nov 21, 2013 17:58:06 GMT 8
THE US NAVY CONTINUES IT’S SUPPORT TO HELP VICTIMS OF THE TYPHOON HAIYAN/YOLANDA. U.S. Seventh Fleet Media Update for November 20, 2013 Posted: November 20, 2013 By U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs USS Ashland and USS Germantown arrived this morning and are in vicinity of Tacloban. We continue to see encouraging signs that ground routes are opening significantly for delivery by trucks instead of helicopters. Ground transportation is much more efficient and can transport a greater load of supplies over the long term. Over the first few days during our initial emergency response a vast majority of transport was carried via helicopter, while now we see almost 90 percent of relief supplies going by truck. Flight Hours Flown: 135 hours flown yesterday for 792 total Water Delivered: Still calculating for 20 Nov. Food, medical and dry goods delivered: 22,000 pounds yesterday for 345,000 pounds total Passengers transported: 147 yesterday for 889 total We are concentrating a majority of our remaining efforts in Samar/Guiuan, which continues to be the hub for supply transport. We are flying a number of missions to transport Republic of Philippine police, military and emergency personnel but a majority of supplies are now being carried by truck. South of Tacloban in the Leyte Gulf/Tacloban area we are focusing about 35 percent of our efforts. In Ormoc Bay we have seen almost all roads back open and supplies being carried by truck. Helicopter transport has not been needed to a great extent there. USS Freedom (LCS 1) is en route to deliver supplies to support Operation Damayan. She has one helicopter onboard. All support the U.S. Navy provides is part of the broader U.S. Government effort to support the Philippines’ request for humanitarian assistance. These pictures are all from the 17th Nov. 2013 except one is from the 16th Nov. Y94 Y95 Y96 Y97 Y98 Y99 Y100 These pictures came from the Commander U. S. 7th Fleet Flickr Photostream account: www.flickr.com/photos/us7thfleet/Or the Operation Damayan set: www.flickr.com/photos/us7thfleet/sets/72157637684402706/
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Post by Karl Welteke on Dec 1, 2013 12:47:40 GMT 8
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Post by Karl Welteke on May 19, 2014 17:18:19 GMT 8
A NEW US-PHIL DEFENSE AGREEMENT APRIL 28, 2014 This is the URL source but the whole article is copied in this response here: www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2014/0428/US-Philippines-boost-military-ties.-Why-now-video The Christian Science Monitor US, Philippines boost military ties. Why now? A new defense agreement will strengthen the US military presence in the Philippines, a former US colony. The move comes amid tension in the region over China's claims in the South China Sea. By Donald Kirk, Correspondent / April 28, 2014 X289 President Barack Obama, left, and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III participate in a bilateral meeting in Manila, the Philippines, April 28, 2014. Obama said a 10-year agreement signed Monday to give the US military greater access to Philippine bases will help promote regional security. Carolyn Kaster/AP Manila, Philippines The US and the Philippines signed a 10-year defense agreement Monday with the potential to significantly increase US military forces in the country. After two years of talks, US and Philippine negotiators came to terms on an arrangement that supports President Obama's "pivot" of US military strength in Asia at a time when China’s expanding military presence has raised tension throughout the region. The United States – which long maintained major bases in the Southeast Asian nation – has been barred for more than two decades from any permanent military presence in the country. Under the new agreement the US military will be able to send ships and planes to Clark Air Base and the Subic Bay Naval Base, former US bases now owned by the Philippines, for both commercial and military use. Mr. Obama, on his first visit to the Philippines, called the agreement an “important new chapter” in the two countries' relationship and sought to counter criticism that it might add tension in the South China Sea, which China claims in its entirety. The pact's purpose, he said, is to promote peace and stability. “Our goal is not to contain China," he said in a joint news conference here with the Philippines' President Benigno Aquino. “Our goal is to make sure international rules and norms are respected and that includes in the area of international disputes.”
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Post by Karl Welteke on May 19, 2014 19:50:59 GMT 8
SUBMARINE USS CHICAGO ARRIVED MAY 9, 2014 IN SUBIC BAY This report is copied from the former US Naval Base Publication SUBIC BAY NEWS. Here is the URL: subicbaynews.net/?p=8615X290 this is the heading of the present publication! This is interesting history by itself!!! X291 this unique image of the submarine came from the submarine Facebook page. This article is pasted here from the above publication: US Submarine Wows Subic Visitors and Residents By Publisher on May 9, 2014 Subic Bay Freeport – The US Submarine USS Chicago arrived here this morning afloat, to the awe and amusement of both visitors and residents in the area. Arriving at a time while a summit of Philippine advertising executives from all over the country is ongoing in the Freeport, the submarine provided a treat to the delegates who have never seen one all their lives. USS Chicago (SSN 721), a Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine, is on a routine port call that highlights the strong historic, community, and military connections between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines. This visit will allow the ship to replenish supplies as well as give the crew an opportunity for rest and relaxation. The USS Chicago is part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and is home ported in Guam. The Chicago is commanded by Cmdr. Lance Thompson and crewed by approximately 135 sailors. Measuring more than 360 feet long and weighing more than 7,000 tons when submerged, Chicago is capable of supporting a multitude of missions including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Despite pocket rallies in Metro-Manila protesting US military presence in the country, especially with the recently PH-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), residents of Olongapo, Zambales and Bataan welcome the agreement, mainly for economic reasons. Visits of US vessels infuse millions of pesos in the local economy by the servicemen’s spending as well as from the services and supplies the ships require that are sourced locally. With China’s unabashed aggression in occupying Philippine territories in the West Philippines Sea, the importance of PH-US alliance have become more pronounced and imperative given the country’s lack of military equipment and capabilities that China seems to be taking advantage of. (VVV)
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Post by Karl Welteke on May 20, 2014 7:47:53 GMT 8
US NAVY SHIPS HAVE BEEN VISITING SUBIC BAY EVER SINCE 1993 AFTER THE BASE CLOSURE with or without the recent PH-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). See our related thread with news about Subic Bay and mostly about the former US Naval Base: corregidor.proboards.com/thread/1541/subic-bay-sbfz-naval-baseSince I live in Subic Bay I frequently have reason to visit it to take advantage of the now civilian services available on the former Base and now the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ), managed by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA). I can’t remember one visit to the ex base I have not seen at least one US Naval ship in port. True in most cases they would be Naval Logistic Ships, Naval Research and or Intelligence Ships, all of the Military Sealift Command (MSC). I believe, my last ship, the USS Beaufort ATS-2, perhaps was the first ship that returned to Subic Bay in 1993. The skipper for this visit was my friend, Commander Lee Langston. He left a hat with the VFW 11447, Subic Bay, which I am still trying to get into my procession. Christmas last year there were 5 to 7 MSC ships in port plus two Philippine Navy ships. Here is a picture of Dec. 26, 2013 Y266- It is a day after Christmas and Sailors enjoy a break, 2013-12-26. US Naval Ships of the Military Sea Lift Command (MSC) are in port at SBFZ or SBMA the ex Subic Bay Naval Station or Naval Base during the Christmas Holidays. Two white painted ships, also of the MSC Service, are also here. Not shown (bad quality image of mine) is the newest Philippine war ship which was behind those two logistic ships. Another Philippine War Ship was anchored out.
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Post by okla on May 20, 2014 8:38:31 GMT 8
Hey Karl....I, of course, do not claim to know very much concerning the Chinese claims,etc toward that small islet/shoal/etc area located in the South China. Still, after perusing my maps, etc of the area, I can't for the life of me see where China can make anything close to a legitimate claim on those desolate rocks. They are strategically located, but any Elementary School Geography student can, plainly, see that the logical Nation to make claim to them, is obviously the Republic of the Philippines. The folks up North seem to really be feeling their "oats" these days. I just hope that they don't plant their flag there and dare anybody to do anything about it. A kinda scary situation could arise there in the region. Cheers.
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Post by Karl Welteke on May 20, 2014 9:52:49 GMT 8
PHILIPPINES TO SPEND P1B ON NEW NAVAL BASE So says the Philippine Daily Inquirer, here is the URL: globalnation.inquirer.net/104602/ph-to-spend-p1b-on-new-naval-basePH to spend P1B on new naval base Site near Panatag Shoal where China is driving away Filipino fishermen (part of the article). X293-- this picture came with the article and the name does not jive. I assume this is the Panatag Shoal; the article is talking about but could be at a different location. (Description by Karl). By Allan Macatuno Inquirer Northern Luzon 12:03 am | Saturday, May 17th, 2014 SUBIC, Zambales—The government will spend P1 billion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ modernization fund to build a new naval operating base in this town, Mayor Jefferson Khonghun said on Wednesday. Khonghun said the construction of a pier, warehouses and housing facilities for the naval base would start this month in a 500-hectare area in Barangay Cawag. The site of the proposed base is near the shipyard of the Korean-owned Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. Ltd. Philippines and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. “Local government officials are very supportive of this and we’re fortunate to have a naval base in our town,” Khonghun told the Inquirer. He said the Subic town council on May 7 passed a resolution endorsing the project “without any objection.” He said the proposed pier would be designed to accommodate “big and modern ships” of both the Philippine and American naval forces. Last to know Khonghun said Philippine Navy officials had been coordinating with him about the construction of the naval base. The site was identified three weeks before the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement was signed by Philippine and American officials last month. “We (local officials) were the last to know about the project because the AFP had to secure first the necessary approval of all concerned agencies,” Khonghun said. He said members of the AFP’s engineering brigade were scheduled to visit the site this month for the initial preparation of the construction of facilities. Before retiring last month, Vice Adm. Jose Luis Alano, Philippine Navy flag officer in command, wrote Khonghun to confirm that the Navy had identified an area in Barangay Cawag for the establishment of the naval operating base. Alano’s April 14 letter said the new site was close to the Hanjin shipyard and would cover private property that the government would buy. The letter also sought coordination and support from the local government. Strategic site “The site for the new naval base is very strategic because there are passable roads leading to it. Besides, it is near Bajo de Masinloc (the disputed Panatag or Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea), so it will provide security to our local fishermen who were previously driven away by Chinese coast guard personnel,” Khonghun said. He said Subic officials had met with Navy officials several times since April. Local officials, he said, supported the construction of the naval base “after considering national security and weighing the economic benefits” of the project. A memorandum of agreement between the AFP and Subic officials would be signed next month for the construction of the base, Khonghun said. Roberto Garcia, chair of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), earlier confirmed that a portion of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone would be used by the AFP as it establishes a base in the free port. Garcia said the SBMA would allow the AFP to use sections of the former naval facilities of the United States, including three wharves and ports and a portion of the old US naval air station. THE ABOVE INFORMATION CAME THRU A GOOGLE ALERT VIA A FRIEND who forwarded it. The Google alert included the two images below which seem to indicate where the construction is going to start. X294—The marked spot came with the Google alert and is located at the present Morocco Club Development. It does not seem logical to build a Navy Base in a large beach and resort development. Plus in my opinion that area is very shallow, so I have serious doubts about location indicated!!! The writing and lines in yellow are made by me, Karl. X295—This image also came with the alert and is just the zoomed area of the Google spot marked in the Google alert. The description in yellow is by me, Karl.
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Post by Karl Welteke on May 20, 2014 10:31:20 GMT 8
Hello okla, I’m writing from somewhere distance in the PI. Re the Red Chinese, they are sill the RED Chinese. Have we forgotten Mao, the million dead Chinese caused by him and the RED regime? Let’s not forget the Korean War, the RED takeover of Viet Nam and what about Quemoy. What about the enslavement of all of Eastern Europe by the RED Army. Cheers, back to you.
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Post by wwalker on May 20, 2014 10:53:15 GMT 8
Interesting stuff regarding the contemperary tensions in the Far East. There is no doubt that these little islands (Spratly and Paracels) are hotly contested specks on the map. Not only does this encompass the Philippines but also Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore. Google the latest news in Vietnam and you will find they are protesting Chinese encroachment in the Paracels. Hundreds of Chinese are leaving the country in fear for their safety and protesters have burned some Chinese factories leaving some dead.
A new book hot off the press titled: Asia's Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific by Robert D. Kaplan talks about the intricacies of the geopolitics in the South China Sea and how the balance of power in Asia is being played between China and the United States. Not only has the Philippines opened their waters to the US, but so too has Vietnam and Singapore. This is stuff you don't hear about in the mainstream media here stateside, but I think it is going to be talked about more in the near future as things seem to be getting more tense and lines are beginning to be drawn.
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Post by Karl Welteke on May 20, 2014 11:28:38 GMT 8
SPOTTING RED CHINESE SHIPS AT THE SCARBOROUGH SHOALS STARS AND STRIPES reports thus, here is the URL: www.stripes.com/news/blue-ridge-encounters-chinese-ships-near-disputed-isle-1.282222X298-- This image came with the Stars and Stripes article. YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — A USS Blue Ridge-embarked helicopter photographed two Chinese navy ships May 5 near the site of a heavily contested shoal that has sparked a months-long standoff between China and the Philippines in 2012. The Navy’s photo release of two Chinese Navy ships near Scarborough Shoal sparked some online news outlets to label the encounter a confrontation, which 7th Fleet officials disputed Friday. USS Blue Ridge, the Japan-based 7th Fleet’s flagship, transited without incident near the two ships, Navy officials said. All parties acted professionally, said 7th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. William Marks, who is embarked aboard Blue Ridge. “There wasn’t any communication [with the Chinese] due to both Blue Ridge and its helicopter being a safe distance away,” Marks said. Hull numbers in the Navy photos indicate the Chinese ships were the destroyer Lanzhou and the frigate Hengshui. The visit near Scarborough was not a freedom of navigation operation, Marks said in response to a Stars and Stripes question. In 2013, U.S. ships conducted such operations on China, Iran and 10 other countries in order to assert navigation rights in waters that the U.S. and many other countries consider international, according to an annual Defense Department report to Congress. However, China’s views on what ships can do while transiting international waters differ from U.S. interpretations. China maintains ambiguous claims to about 90 percent of the South China Sea through its “9-dash line” map, which shows dashes surrounding most of the sea. The Philippines filed a 4,000-page brief in international court on March 30 challenging the map, though China has declined to participate in the proceedings. In 2012, a Philippine navy vessel attempted to arrest Chinese fishermen for taking coral and sea life from the Scarborough Shoal’s nearby waters, sparking intervention by Chinese maritime surveillance ships. The standoff continued for months and sparked protests in both countries. Scarborough Shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, but China claims the shoal and the nearby Spratly Islands based on historical discovery. The shoal, alternately referred to as Scarborough Reef, is about 430 miles from the Paracel Islands, where China and Vietnam currently have dozens of ships engaged in a standoff near China’s $1 billion deep water oil rig. On May 7, Vietnam released purported video of Chinese ships ramming and firing water cannons at Vietnamese ships there. China claims Vietnam is the aggressor in the waters near the Paracels, which both countries claim. Although both the Paracel and Spratly islands are mostly uninhabited, the energy reserves and fisheries in their nearby waters are believed to be extensive. slavin.erik@stripes.com Twitter: @eslavin_stripes X297-- In the Stars and Stripes News are other related stories, here is a capture of some other stories listed there.
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