U.S.

Report to Congress on Arms Control Agreements

The following is the July 11, 2023, Congressional Research Service report, Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements.

From the report

Arms control and nonproliferation efforts are two of the tools that the United States has occasionally used to implement its national security strategy. Although some believe these tools do little to restrain the behavior of U.S. adversaries, while doing too much to restrain U.S. military forces and operations, many others see them as...

https://news.usni.org/2023/07/14/report-to-congress-on-arms-control-agreements

US Military Bolsters Defensive Posture After Iran Seizes Tankers

Credits: Zhao chen/Unsplash

The U.S. military is working with allies to send more ships and aircraft to the Middle East as Iran escalates its seizures of merchant tankers, reports Politico quoting the National Security Council.

“Today, the Department of Defense will be making a series of moves to bolster our defensive posture in the Arabian Gulf,” NSC spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

U.S. boosts military presence in the Middle East

The announcement comes after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary...

https://mfame.guru/us-military-bolsters-defensive-posture-after-iran-seizes-tankers/

Exploiting China’s Maritime Vulnerability

Credits: PLA Navy Photo

China’s antiaccess/area-denial (A2/AD) strategy is designed to give it the space it needs to operate unmolested in its near abroad. Its arsenal of missiles threatens any ship that enters its weapons engagement zone. As a counter, the Marine Corps has developed the concept of stand-in forces—strategically placed, light, highly mobile units that can “persist independently for days if needed and can reposition with organic mobility assets to avoid being targeted”, reports...

https://mfame.guru/exploiting-chinas-maritime-vulnerability/

Jeff Bezos: Enormous Yachts Aren’t Only For Russian Oligarchs

Credit: marcin-ciszewski-unsplash

Jeff Bezos Shows That Mega Yachts Aren’t Just for Russian Oligarchs, reveals a Barrons news article.

U.S. seized the pricey floating palaces of Russian oligarchs

Super yachts were all the buzz when the U.S. seized the pricey floating palaces of Russian oligarchs. Now, the attention is on an estimated $500 million vessel owned by one of America’s elite, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, according to reports.

The Bezos yacht was spotted sailing the North Sea a few weeks...

https://mfame.guru/jeff-bezos-enormous-yachts-arent-only-for-russian-oligarchs/

FBI, MI5 Issue Joint Chinese Espionage Warning

The director of the FBI and head of the United Kingdom’s domestic intelligence arm warned China’s continued “planned professional activity” of worldwide espionage poses an increasing danger to their countries’ national security, technological developments in aerospace and communications and long-term economic well-being.

“We consistently see that it’s the Chinese government that poses the biggest long-term threat to our economic and national security,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray at a...

https://news.usni.org/2022/07/06/fbi-mi5-issue-joint-chinese-espionage-warning

Tanker Owner Owes $44.6 Million Over 2017 Fatal Collision With US Guided Missile Destroyer

Tanker collision

On Wednesday, a US judge said the owner of an oil tanker has to pay the US $44.6 million due to its role in a collision that took between the 39,000 metric ton tanker and a US Navy destroyer in 2017 in Southeast Asia. The accident had taken the lives of 10 sailors and reportedly injured dozens more.

Paul Crotty, the US District Judge, found Energetic Tank Inc responsible for 20% and the US responsible for almost 80% in the 2017 collision between the Alnic tanker and U.S.S. John S. McCain.

The...

https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/tanker-owner-owes-44-6-million-over-2017-fatal-collision-with-us-guided-missile-destroyer/

Turkey Pursuing Talks with Russia While Stalling Sweden, Finland NATO Application, Panel Says

Rota based Arleigh-Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG-71) transits Bosphorus towards the Black Sea on June 26, 2021. Photo by Yörük Işık‏ used with permission

Turkey has no problem holding back approval of Sweden’s and Finland’s applications to join NATO while pursuing its own talks with Russia on opening Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea to allow the shipment of grain overseas, a panel of security experts said Wednesday.

Speaking at an Atlantic Council event, Pavel Popescu,...

https://news.usni.org/2022/06/09/turkey-pursuing-talks-with-russia-while-stalling-sweden-finland-nato-application-panel-says

5 ships subject to U.S. Treasury Russia sanctions

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFAC) has issued an extensive list of Russian entities and individuals subject to economic sanctions imposed in response to Russian actions in Ukraine.

Among them is Promsvyazbank Public Joint Stock Company (PSB) and 17 of its subsidiaries, including PSB Lizing (PSB Leasing).

OFAC also took action against five vessels that are owned by PSB Lizing. All five vessels were identified as blocked property in which PSB Lizing has an interest.

  • Baltic...

https://www.marinelog.com/news/5-ships-subject-to-u-s-treasury-russia-sanctions/

Philippines Reverses Course and Commits to U.S. Visiting Forces Agreement

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meets with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila, July 29, 2021. DoD Photo

MANILA – The Duterte administration has re-committed to the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) basing deal that would let U.S. forces operate from the Philippines after a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The decision to take back its pending notice with the U.S. government scuttling the security agreement was announced by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana during a...

https://news.usni.org/2021/07/30/philippines-reverses-course-and-commits-to-u-s-visiting-forces-agreement

Philippines Considering Addendum to U.S. Visiting Forces Agreement

USS Wasp (LHD-1) makes a port visit to Subic Bay, the Philippines in support of Exercise Balikatan 2019 on April 1, 2019. US Navy Photo

MANILA — The U.S. and the Philippines are set to reinforce a contentious agreement allowing U.S. troops to operate from the island nation as tensions with China remain high, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said during a pre-State of the Nation Address forum on Wednesday.

The Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) will likely be a major topic of...

https://news.usni.org/2021/07/21/philippines-considering-addendum-to-u-s-visiting-forces-agreement

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