ARETUM’s Post

The United States must renew its commitment to a strong, reliable American maritime capability to confront emerging threats. China’s aggressive shipping expansion poses significant challenges to the United States and our allies. Global tensions have highlighted the vulnerability of maritime supply chains, and our domestic waterways main a potential pathway for increasingly belligerent adversaries to cause harm. The Merchant Marine Act — commonly known as the Jones Act — is vital to defending American interests and sovereignty amid these complex challenges. June marked the anniversary of this bedrock law and the founding of America’s Merchant Marine. These institutions enable our nation’s industrial base and naval power to safeguard global supply chains, preserve military readiness and protect our homeland security. Great editorial! #AmericanMaritime #MerchantMarineAct #JonesAct

Given the blurred line between law enforcement and military operations, it is uncertain whether the current coast guard possesses sufficient situational awareness to assist in assessing and managing such complex scenarios .. To fully realize the policy, in addition to gradually upgrading the performance of coast guard vessels to better address high-tense situations, it is crucial to update coastal radar equipment systems. .. The coast guard should also establish systems for rapid deployment to target areas and long-term real-time monitoring of extensive maritime surfaces. That would effectively enhance the coast guard’s ability to track near, medium and long-range targets, thereby improving their promptness and capabilities in situation management. 🔗：https://lnkd.in/gx69E9YH

"On top of enabling American control over our supply chain, the Jones Act is also critical to maintaining our military readiness. Our armed forces count on barges to transport military equipment between U.S. bases on our domestic waterways and rely on tugboats to help Navy ships safely enter and exit U.S. ports. The Jones Act ensures that American vessels perform these critical tasks and also that the United States maintains a robust pool of trained mariners for the military’s critical sealift needs." "The Jones Act is a vital asset for protecting our people and infrastructure from bad actors by limiting foreign vessels’ ability to roam our inland waterways and allowing the Coast Guard to safeguard our nation’s waterways using taxpayers’ critical dollars more efficiently. Without the law, the Coast Guard’s already difficult homeland security mission would be even more complex at a dangerous time." https://lnkd.in/gFtU3xWD

News that a significant number of ocean carriers will no longer transit the #redsea isn’t shocking, but the results very well could be. Now that A.P. Moller - Maersk, CMA CGM, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company and Hapag-Lloyd AG have made this move, the ripple effects on the trade will be felt in longer transits and reduced capacity. A welcome result for ocean carriers (and their shareholders) as well are marine insurance providers, but a nightmare for shippers. Not to mention - the passage via the Cape of Good Hope is also strategically worrisome. #China and #southafrica are conducting naval exercises in the area. The seas have just become more dangerous, and #globaltrade has now, officially, been upended by acts of #terrorism. What’s to come will be fascinating. Will the Chinese owned and operated firms join in the pause? It’s going to be a brutal year.

"By renewing their support for the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, more commonly known as the Jones Act, Congress can bolster our economic and national security," George Landrith, president of Frontiers of Freedom public policy think tank. "In addition to providing cargo capacity for the U.S. military if needed, the law provides very clear benefits for protecting America’s homeland from terrorist attacks and from foreign powers using their shipping assets to engage in espionage," he writes in Defense Opinion. Read the full commentary at the link below: #JonesAct #USmaritimeindustry #NationalSecurity #China #USmilitary #BidenAdministration https://lnkd.in/efSdb5uF

From a great piece by Malcolm Davis: 'Australia cannot seek immunity through inaction. And we can’t expect support for stability and security in the Indo-Pacific from our American and European partners if we leave the rest of the world to others. '... Operation Prosperity Guardian is not a long-term deployment ashore with ground forces, and the requirement for the ADF to help protect maritime trade is clear. While the ADF should prioritise the defence of sea lanes in the Indo-Pacific, the reality is that an adversary can block trade outside this region and the effect is still the same. 'The government’s argument that this request falls outside Australia’s primary area of military interest reflects a failure to understand a globalised threat to a globalised world. 'While good strategy always involves making wise choices on employing limited resources to achieve policy goals, any inability to respond to multiple and diverse threats—from Houthi terrorists or the People’s Liberation Army Navy—implies that Australia needs to get serious about building up naval capability more rapidly'. https://lnkd.in/gXHBYyKp

The increasing attacks on merchant vessels pose an acute threat not just to seafarers and shipping companies, but also to the global maritime order on which modern economies are based. The Houthis’ attacks in the Red Sea have introduced a new threat to merchant shipping, writes Elisabeth Braw in a new report. “Western governments and the shipping industry will need to use means other than traditional military force to reduce the pain caused by the Houthis.” https://lnkd.in/dMWgdpZ5

The UK is to lead a new Maritime Capability Coalition alongside Norway to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to operate at sea. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps confirming the transfer of two Royal Navy minehunter ships to the Ukrainian Navy. New coalition will deliver long-term support to Ukraine, including training, equipment, and infrastructure to bolster security in the Black Sea. UK’s Defence Secretary Grant said:“These minehunters will deliver vital capability to Ukraine which will help save lives at sea and open up vital export routes.“ Norwegian Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram said: „Our goal is to contribute to building a lasting Ukrainian naval capability. In the further work, I hope Norway, as a sea-faring nation, can contribute with maritime expertise, new technological solutions and innovative thinking.” 🇬🇧 🇳🇴 🇺🇦 https://lnkd.in/efypdeQp

Several sources in the Middle East confirm to ShippingWatch that the first shipping lines have made agreements with the Houthis to prevent their ships from being attacked in the Red Sea. Meetings have taken place in the region to ensure that the rebel movement allows ships from specific carriers to pass through the waters unharmed. The first agreements were reached at the end of December. Most recently, analyst and CEO of Vespucci Maritime, Lars Jensen, suggested that this could be the consequence of the tense situation in the region. ”Rumors about these agreements have been swirling for a long time,” he says, adding that the agreements could have major consequences. #shipping #freight #oceanfreight #gobaltrade #geopolitics #logistics

The Council of the European Union launched EUNAVFOR ASPIDES. The objective of this defensive maritime security operation is to restore and safeguard freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf. “With the launch of EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, the European Union is responding swiftly to the necessity to restore maritime security and freedom of navigation in a highly strategic maritime corridor. The operation will play a key role in safeguarding commercial and security interests, for the sake of the EU and the wider international community,” said Josep Borrell, Representantive for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Operation ASPIDES will ensure an European Union naval presence in the area where numerous Houthi attacks have targeted international commercial vessels since October 2023. In close cooperation with like-minded international partners, ASPIDES will contribute to safeguard maritime security and ensure freedom of navigation, especially for merchant and commercial vessels. Within its defensive mandate, the operation will provide maritime situational awareness, accompany vessels, and protect them against possible multi-domain attacks at sea. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dcCytmSD #EUdefence #EUNAVFOR #ASPIDES #maritime #navy #naval #Europe #EU #security #defence #operation #RedSea