KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A collision between a U.S. warship and an oil tanker near the Straits of Malacca on Monday has shone a light on a territorial dispute that has simmered between neighbors Singapore and Malaysia for nearly 40 years. The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain collided with merchant vessel Alnic MC to the east of Singapore, while heading to the … [Read more...]
Oil Spice: With $3 Billion Port, Malacca Eyes Slice of Shipping Giant Singapore’s Pie
By Roslan Khasawneh KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Once at the heart of the global spice trade, Malacca is pumping nearly $3 billion into an ambitious plan to put itself in demand in a different hot commodity - oil. The Malaysian state is reclaiming land along the Straits of Malacca to build a port that can handle the biggest tankers on the planet. The target: a slice … [Read more...]
Bunker Heist – Pirates Strike Product Tanker in Strait of Malacca
A Singapore-registered petroleum product tanker was hit by pirates late Saturday night while underway in the Strait of Malacca. According to the regional piracy program ReCAAP, a gang of eight armed pirates boarded the MT Ocean Energy at about 21300 hours on Saturday (May 2) as it sailed in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. The pirates ordered the vessel to anchor … [Read more...]
Modern Pirates, The Success Rate Of
*Red denotes a successful attack. Yellow marks an attempt This Google Maps mashup, brought to gCaptain's attention by wired's blog monkeybites, documents all known attacks of modern pirates over the pass year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFPeJ6XdfFo . This Youtube video, Maritime Terror, provided by Journeyman Pictures takes a look at Modern Piracy. Here is more … [Read more...]
MARINER WAKE UP CALL – China’s Growning Submarine Fleet
Experts attempting to understand the strategic aims behind China's aggressive military expansion have generally focused on Taiwan. But a new naval base points at Beijing's significant and growing interest in projecting power into waters far from the Taiwan Strait. The new underground base for submarines and comfortable facilities that would attract technically proficient … [Read more...]