Friday 16 January 2009

Looking Lively With Russia's Black Sea Fleet

The Russian General Naval Staff has just told Tass that in the next few years there will be Russian naval bases for its warships at Socotra Island (Yemen), in Tartus (Syria) and Tripoli (Libya).

“The political decision on this issue has already been taken. It is difficult to say now how much time will be needed to create bases for our Navy in these countries, but undoubtedly it will be done in the next few years. Otherwise it will be impossible to fulfil the task of maintaining a regular naval presence in remote sea areas that protect Russia’s national interests, from both economic and military-technical viewpoints,” an official of the General Naval Staff explained.

“For an efficient response to existing and potential threats to Russia’s security it is necessary to station the Russian Navy on distant approaches and in remote areas. The base on Socotra Island is needed, in particular, for warships to ensure security of navigation for Russian civilian ships in the Arabian Sea and in the Gulf of Aden; analogous facilities [are needed] in Tartus and Tripoli for controlling and promptly reacting to the situation in explosive regions of the Middle East,” the official added.

Apart from this, a couple of ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet [how many fleets has Russia got? It's like them sending the 58th army into Georgia. ed.] are on their way to the Gulf of Aden. This is one of them.

'A meeting devoted to the planned voyage of the two landing ships with marines aboard was held in Sevastopol on Thursday.' U.N. Security Council Resolution 1851 to fight piracy allows the carrying out of air strikes against pirate bases in Somalia's territory with the consent of the country's government [has Somalia actually got a government? ed.], and the conduct of operations in its territory.

The Russian navy? There's a lot of it about.

1 comment:

banned said...

Socotra was the key island during Portugals initial 16thC. penetration of the East and was subsequently much fought over by the Dutch, French and English.

What happened to the 'twenty nation fleet, headed by America, to fight Somali pirates ' ?