Last week, a Royal Navy warship picked up and tracked two Russian along the Norwegian coast. HMS Portland monitored the state-of-the-art Yasen-class missile sub Severodvinsk and the Akula-class attack sub Vepr as they headed southbound from Russia’s Arctic bastion.

The Type 23 frigate shadowed the submarines as they surfaced separately in the North Sea, northwest of Bergen, on July 16 and 19. NATO and NATO-applicant forces took over tracking duties as the subs continued to St Petersburg for Russian Navy Day celebrations, which will be held on July 31.

The Yasen-class sub Severodvinsk with HMS Portland. The Yasen-class is a modern design and is reportedly difficult to track (Royal Navy)

One of the Royal Air Force’s new P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft worked closely with HMS Portland to hunt and track the submarines.

“The cohesiveness of Royal Navy, RAF and our allies’ capabilities ensures that we are capable of conducting and sustaining these types of anti-submarine operations in the North Atlantic,” said HMS Portland CO Commander Tim Leeder.

Training under way

Back home, the Royal Navy is busily training up Ukrainian Navy personnel to get ready for mine warfare. Britain is sunsetting its minehunting fleet and going completely automated with unmanned minehunting systems, so its Sandown-class minehunters are no longer needed. Two of the previous-generation vessels will be sold to Ukraine, and 80 Ukrainian sailors have traveled to Britain to train to operate them.

“The intensity with which the Ukrainian soldiers and sailors are training is something to behold. They work with the focus of troops who know they’ll be fighting in a war in just a few short weeks’ time,” said UK Armed Forces Minister James Heappey. “Delivering training that matches that intensity and focus is not straightforward. The Royal Navy and the British Army are working long hours and drawing on all their operational experience.”

Around Britain, more than 1,000 UK service personnel are involved in training Ukraine’s armed forces. In addition to specialized trainings for the crews for the Sandown-class, British Army units are providing basic training for thousands of recruits for the front lines.

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/royal-navy-tracks-russian-subs-off-coast-of-norway

Chevron Marine Lubricants is pleased to announce the launch of its Clarity Synthetic EA Grease 0, an anhydrous calcium thickened lubricating grease based on biodegradable synthetic esters that meet the parameters specified in the 2013 Vessel General Permit (VGP) rules for environmentally acceptable lubricants issued by U.S. Environmental Protection agency (EPA).

The high-performance grease is suitable for a variety of marine applications where an NLGI 0 EA grease is required, including rudder carrier pumps, slides, hinges, and propeller caps.
The grease contains antioxidants, corrosion inhibitors, and Extreme Pressure and Anti Wear (EP/AW) additives. The calcium thickener, together with the biodegradable esters, makes the product particularly suitable for lubricating heavily loaded bearings. It features excellent adhesion and water resistance and is designed for extreme applications in wet and corrosive environments, even at low temperatures.

“This is an important addition to our product portfolio as it expands our range of EAL solutions to meet customers’ requirements.” commented Martin Roessner, technical field specialist, Chevron. “Wherever the application involves a risk of contamination to the water, soil or channels, this new Clarity Synthetic EA Grease 0 is recommended.”

In addition to its many marine applications, the grease has universal applications in forestry, agricultural, and construction vehicles. It is readily biodegradable and is easily pumpable in most modern centralized lubrication systems.

Source: https://www.seanews.co.uk/maritime-events/chevron-marine-introduces-clarity-synthetic-ea-grease-0/

The Coast Guard recognized liquefied natural gas expert Ed Carr for his contributions to Coast Guard marine safety and homeland security missions during a ceremony at Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston, Tuesday.

Capt. Aaron Demo, chief traveling inspector with the Coast Guard’s Traveling Inspection, Training Support & National Center of Expertise Staff in Washington, D.C., recognized Carr with a Meritorious Public Service Award for supporting the Coast Guard’s LGC National Center of Expertise from 2014 to 2019.

During his tenure as senior vice president of the LNG division at Mitsui O.S.K. Bulk Shipping (USA) LLC, Carr bolstered the Coast Guard’s LNG ship rider training program and facilitated over eight professional exchanges, resulting in more than 2,000 hours of training for Coast Guard personnel on advanced LNG equipment, operations and crew requirements.

Additionally, in support of the merchant marine industry training program, Carr established and fostered five mutual training agreements with diverse groups of maritime stakeholders and developed an inaugural training approach with Korean-built vessels.

“Ed Carr built cohesive relationships between the Coast Guard and maritime community during a pivotal time when the LNG industry was experiencing tremendous growth,” said Lt. Cmdr. William J. Hickey, detachment chief, LGC NCOE. “His efforts honed the technical prowess of our marine inspectors and strengthened communication with our partners in the Marine Transportation System community.”

The Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service award is the second highest civilian award of its kind, and is used to recognize substantial contributions to Coast Guard missions and public safety.

Source: https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/maritime-security/coast-guard-recognizes-lng-expert-for-supporting-marine-safety-homeland-security/

India’s only aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya caught fire on Wednesday during a preplanned sortie for conducting sea trials off Karwar in Karnataka. A naval spokesperson reported that the fire came in control with efforts from the ship’s crew and with the help of onboard systems. No casualties were reported.

A board of inquiry has been ordered to examine the incident, a tweet by the Indian Navy mentioned.

The spokesperson said that the $2.3 billion warship continues to be off the coast and will be brought into the harbor. The quantum of damages is still unknown.

The aircraft carrier came to India from Russia in 2014 (January). It was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2013 (November) in Russia’s Severodvinsk and is now based in Karwar in Karnataka. The air wing comprises MiG 29K fighter jets and Kamov helicopters.

INS Vikramaditya measures about 284 meters in length and 60 meters in height, almost close to a 20-story building. The ship weighs approximately 40,000 tonnes and is the heaviest and biggest vessel in the Indian Navy.

References: Mint, India.com

A sightseeing boat and a water taxi collided on Thursday near Rotterdam’s iconic Erasmus Bridge, local emergency services said, and six people were “helped out of the water”.

Images of the incident on social media showed the collision between the two vessels, with the smaller water taxi being pushed under water of the Nieuwe Maas river.

ANP news agency reported that the six rescued were all passengers and the captain of the water taxi, which it said later sank. The agency cited a spokesperson for Rotterdam’s regional safety authority.

There were no reports of injuries. ANP reported that the passengers of the water taxi had been taken to hospital for observation.

Emergency services confirmed the collision and water rescues in a tweet and noted that water traffic near the bridge has been halted.

Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/passenger-vessels-collide-near-rotterdams-498210

A marine pilot lost his life on 18 July at the port of Yalova in Turkey after falling off from a pilot ladder straight into the water.

At around 1300 hours on Monday, pilot Cafer Kiribrahim was reportedly at the Ciftlikkoy anchorage area off Yalova. He was rendezvousing with a tanker named Alhena. Cafer’s pilot boat had come alongside the tanker and he transferred over to the pilot ladder. However, as he reached the ladder, he fell into the water, per local media.

A police response boat was able to recover Kiribrahim when he was unconscious and brought him to the shore, where he was treated by paramedics and then moved to Yalova State Hospital. Despite the doctors’ efforts to revive the pilot, he passed away.

References: Ocean Crew, TMZ.ng