Welcome to the CavasShips Podcast with Christopher P. Cavas and Chris Servello…a weekly podcast looking at naval and maritime events and issues of the day – in the US, across the seas and around the world. This week…The temporary closure of the Port of Baltimore has shippers scrambling to fill the gaps – Derek Miller of the American Association of Port Authorities will be here to focus on that aspect of the disaster that brought down the Francis Scott Key Bridge. And Xavier Vavasseur of Naval News joins us for some of the latest naval products being hawked to Mideast buyers, including submarines for Saudi Arabia.
Please send us feedback by DM’ing @CavasShips or @CSSProvision or you can email chriscavas@gmail.com or cservello@defaeroreport.com.
This Week’s Naval Round Up:
Houthi forces in Yemen continued to launch attacks against merchant shipping and allied warships in the Red Sea region and in the Gulf of Aden. The attacks, as they have since November, were from anti-ship ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial and surface systems. US Central Command forces also conducted several strikes against underground Houthi storage facilities in Yemen. Early on March 23, five missiles were launched against the Chinese-owned tanker HUANG PU operating in the Red Sea; while the first four apparently missed, the fifth missile reportedly damaged the HUANG PU, which issued a distress call but then signaled it did not require assistance after putting out a fire which burned for about 30 minutes. The HUANG PU reported it sustained no casualties and continued on course. The attack came even as the Houthis declared they would not target Chinese or Russian shipping in the area. There were no other reported hits or damage sustained during the week by other ships.
The US Missile Defense Agency and US Navy carried out an intercept March 28 of an advanced medium-range ballistic missile test target using an SM-6 missile. The complex test, held on the Pacific Missile Test Range near Hawaii, involved the destroyer JACK H LUCAS, first ship fitted with the SPY-6 radar, which is in the midst of Initial Operational Test and Evaluation, or IOT&E. Destroyer PREBLE launched the SM-6 Dual II missiles that successfully intercepted the target, which was launched from Kauai, Hawaii. Australia also took part, making, what US MDA said, was the “most robust participation in an Aegis test to date by Australia.” The Australian frigate STUART, as well as an Australian E-7 Wedgetail aircraft, tracked the missiles and provided targeting data.
Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel have begun training with the US Navy to operate Tomahawk cruise missiles, the Japanese Defense Ministry said March 28. The Japanese hope to complete the training ahead of their initial acquisition of Tomahawk missiles beginning in 2025. In January Japan announced an agreement with the U.S. to purchase 400 Block IV and Block V Tomahawks; the delivery already has been moved up to 2025 from 2026 because of what Japan called the “severe security environment.”
India and the United States held their largest-ever joint amphibious exercise in mid-March in the Bay of Bengal. Dubbed Exercise Tiger Triumph, the exercise included the amphibious dock ship USS SOMERSET with Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, destroyer USS HALSEY, along with a US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft and US Air Force aircraft including a B-52H bomber. SOMERSET operated with the Indian amphibious ship JALASHWA, the former USS TRENTON, and two other Indian Navy amphibious ships.
In new ship news, Brazil launched the submarine TONELERO at its specialized Itaquai submarine building yard on March 28. TONELERO is the Brazilian Navy’s third Scorpene-class attack submarine and the second to be built in Brazil under a cooperative agreement with France’s Naval Group. Underscoring the significance of the program, the launch was attended both by Brazil’s President Lula and France’s Emmanuel Macron.
And the US Coast Guard on March 28 commissioned the fast response cutter USCGC MELVIN BELL WPC 1155 at rainy New London, Connecticut. The Boston, Massachusetts-based cutter honors Master Chief Petty Officer Melvin Kealoha Bell, a native Hawaiian who saw service as a radio operator and codebreaker during World War 2.
