Κύρια πλοήγηση και μετα-πλοήγηση
Η Ιαπωνία θα φιλοξενήσει την πρώτη κοινή στρατιωτική άσκηση με τις ΗΠΑ, τη Γαλλία
Η Ιαπωνία θα φιλοξενήσει την πρώτη κοινή στρατιωτική άσκηση με τις ΗΠΑ, τη Γαλλία
ΤΟΚΙΟ: Η Ιαπωνία θα πραγματοποιήσει κοινή στρατιωτική άσκηση με αμερικανικά και γαλλικά στρατεύματα στα νοτιοδυτικά της χώρας τον επόμενο μήνα, δήλωσε ο υπουργός Άμυνας την Παρασκευή (23 Απριλίου), καθώς οι ενέργειες της Κίνας στα περιφερειακά ύδατα προκαλούν ανησυχία.
Η άσκηση, που θα διεξαχθεί από τις 11 έως τις 17 Μαΐου, θα είναι η πρώτη άσκηση μεγάλης κλίμακας στην Ιαπωνία που θα περιλαμβάνει στρατεύματα εδάφους και από τις τρεις χώρες, ανέφερε η Ιαπωνική Δύναμη Αυτοάμυνας (JGSDF).
Έρχεται καθώς το Τόκιο επιδιώκει να εμβαθύνει την αμυντική συνεργασία πέρα από τον βασικό σύμμαχό του στις ΗΠΑ για να αντιμετωπίσει την αυξανόμενη επιθετικότητα του Πεκίνου στις θάλασσες της Ανατολικής και Νότιας Κίνας.
"Η Γαλλία συμμερίζεται το όραμα ενός ελεύθερου και ανοιχτού Ινδο-Ειρηνικού", δήλωσε ο υπουργός Άμυνας Nobuo Kishi σε δημοσιογράφους.
"Ενισχύοντας τη συνεργασία μεταξύ Ιαπωνίας, Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών και Γαλλίας, θα θέλαμε να βελτιώσουμε περαιτέρω τις τακτικές και τις δεξιότητες των δυνάμεων αυτοάμυνας στην υπεράσπιση απομακρυσμένων νησιωτικών περιοχών", είπε.
Το Παρίσι έχει στρατηγικά συμφέροντα στον Ινδο-Ειρηνικό, όπου έχει εδάφη, συμπεριλαμβανομένου του γαλλικού νησιού Ρεϊνιόν στον Ινδικό Ωκεανό και της Γαλλικής Πολυνησίας στον Νότιο Ειρηνικό.
Οι κοινές ασκήσεις θα πραγματοποιηθούν στο χώρο κατάρτισης Kirishima του JGSDF και στο Camp Ainoura στην περιοχή Kyushu και θα περιλαμβάνουν ασκήσεις αμφίβιας λειτουργίας.
ΔΙΑΒΑΣΤΕ: Η Ιαπωνία αναφέρει ότι κινέζικος στρατός πιθανότατα πίσω από κυβερνοεπιθέσεις
Την περασμένη εβδομάδα, ο πρωθυπουργός της Ιαπωνίας Γιοσιχάιντ Σούγκα και ο πρόεδρος των ΗΠΑ Τζο Μπάιντεν δεσμεύθηκαν να παραμείνουν σταθεροί ενάντια στην Κίνα και να εντείνουν τη συνεργασία, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της τεχνολογίας.
Η Ιαπωνία δήλωσε εδώ και πολύ καιρό ότι απειλείται από τους τεράστιους στρατιωτικούς πόρους και τις εδαφικές διαφορές της Κίνας.
Ανησυχεί ιδιαίτερα για την κινεζική δραστηριότητα γύρω από τα ιαπωνικά νησιά Senkaku, τα οποία το Πεκίνο ισχυρίζεται και αποκαλεί Diaoyu.
ΔΙΑΒΑΣΤΕ: Οι Φιλιππίνες διαμαρτύρονται για την απειλητική παρουσία της Κίνας στη Θάλασσα της Νότιας Κίνας
Η Ουάσιγκτον επανέλαβε τους τελευταίους μήνες ότι η Συνθήκη Ασφαλείας ΗΠΑ-Ιαπωνίας καλύπτει τα αμφισβητούμενα νησιά.
Η Κίνα ισχυρίζεται την πλειοψηφία της Θάλασσας της Νότιας Κίνας, επικαλούμενη τη λεγόμενη γραμμή εννέα παύλων για να δικαιολογήσει αυτό που λέει είναι ιστορικά δικαιώματα στην βασική εμπορική οδό.
Το Βιετνάμ, οι Φιλιππίνες, η Μαλαισία, το Μπρουνέι και η Ταϊβάν διαγωνίζονται όλα τα μέρη της δηλωμένης επικράτειας της Κίνας στη θάλασσα.
Ένα διεθνές δικαστήριο στη Χάγη το 2016 ακύρωσε τους ισχυρισμούς της Κίνας στη Θάλασσα της Νότιας Κίνας με μια πρώτη απόφαση, αναφέροντας επίσης ότι οι κινεζικές δραστηριότητες αποκατάστασης στα νησιά Spratly είναι παράνομες. Το Πεκίνο απέρριψε την απόφαση.
In race to find missing Indonesian submarine, carbon dioxide may be the enemy
SINGAPORE: As rescuers race to find the missing Indonesian submarine KRI Nanggala 402, the worry is whether this could be done before stricken crew members run out of oxygen.
But a naval expert said there is a more lethal killer: The carbon dioxide build up in the cabin could suffocate crew even before the oxygen is used up.
This comes after the Indonesian Navy chief said on Thursday (Apr 22) that during a power blackout, the submarine would have enough oxygen for 72 hours, or until 3am (4am Singapore time) on Saturday.
The navy has said that a blackout could have occurred when the submarine was carrying out a static dive, preventing crew from controlling it or executing emergency procedures to resurface.
READ: Indonesian navy searching for missing submarine with 53 on board; oil spill found near dive position
The German-made submarine went missing on Wednesday with 53 people on board when taking part in a torpedo drill in the waters north of Bali. Contact with the vessel was lost at about 4.30am, after it asked for permission to dive at 3am.
A total of 21 vessels, five planes and two submarines have been deployed in the search operation, authorities said.
Singapore’s submarine support vessel MV Swift Rescue will join the operation and most likely reach Bali on Saturday, while Malaysia’s MV Mega Bakti is set to arrive on Sunday afternoon.
READ: Missing submarine: Oxygen will run out in 72 hours during a power blackout, says Indonesian navy chief
Time is of the essence in submarine rescues, and senior fellow at the US' Hudson Institute Bryan Clark told CNA that the "most significant problem" was the build up of carbon dioxide.
"There should be absorbent material on board to pull carbon dioxide out of the (cabin) atmosphere, but that will eventually run out," said Mr Clark, an expert in naval operations and a former submariner.
"Oxygen can be generated by chemical candles on board, but carbon dioxide will suffocate the crew before the oxygen runs out."
Mr Clark said the power blackout will have an impact on how long crew can survive, as power is needed to run the fans that move air through the oxygen candles and carbon dioxide absorbent material.
WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED POWER BLACKOUT?
But what could have caused the power blackout in the first place?
Submarines that have gone underwater depend on their battery for power, and a battery casualty, like a fire or flooding of the battery compartment, could have caused a blackout, Mr Clark explained.
"Otherwise, because of redundant circuits and switchboards, multiple (equipment) casualties would be needed to cause a complete power failure," he added.
A torpedo explosion could also have led to a power blackout, said Mr Ben Ho, a naval analyst at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
"Throughout history, a range of factors, including structural defects as well as accidental flooding and weapons explosions, have been responsible for major submarine accidents," he told CNA.
"Given that the Indonesian submarine was reportedly conducting a live torpedo firing exercise, it is possible that one of these weapons exploded."
LOCATING THE SUBMARINE
If the submarine remains intact, it will be large enough to be located "relatively easily" using magnetic and acoustic sensors, Mr Clark said.
Magnetic sensors, similar to a mine detecting system, can look for the submarine's steel hull. Acoustic sensors include active sonars that bounce and detect sound off the submarine.
"But the area over which they need to search is relatively large and the sensors can only see over a small area," Mr Clark said. "The search can therefore take a long time."
Mr Ho said the active sonars could also find it difficult to sniff out the wreckage if the seabed is cluttered.
"By their nature, submarines are already difficult to detect during regular operations, hence the nickname of ‘silent service’ being bestowed on their community," he said.
"What more one that is possibly distressed and unable to communicate with the outside world."
READ: Vessels from Singapore and Malaysia to assist in search for missing Indonesian submarine
Rescuers are searching waters 96km from Bali, including near the dive position where an oil spill was found. The oil spill could mean damage to the submarine's fuel tank or a signal from its crew, the Indonesian Navy said.
The navy had said on Wednesday that the submarine could have fallen to a depth of between 600m to 700m, but the next day authorities said they could not confirm this.
The submarine was built to sustain pressure at a maximum depth of around 250m, an official said.
If the submarine is indeed stuck at depths of 600m and below, Mr Ho said its crew have a "virtually zero" chance of survival.
"The grim reality is that once a submarine exceeds its crush depth, it will implode from the tremendous water pressure being exerted on it," he said.
If this happens, it will be picked up by a listening sensor in the vicinity, he added.
EVACUATING CREW
Once the submarine is found, this is where Singapore's MV Swift Rescue could come in.
According to the Ministry of Defence website, the Republic of Singapore Navy launched this submarine support vessel in 2008, making it the first in Southeast Asia to acquire submarine escape and rescue capabilities.
The vessel, which can stay at sea for four weeks before needing to refuel, is equipped with a submersible rescue vessel called Deep Search and Rescue Six (DSAR 6). This is used to evacuate submarine crew.
The DSAR 6 is launched from the MV Swift Rescue before going underwater and docking with the distressed submarine.
"Submarine hatch mechanisms are common to almost all nations’ submarines to enable rescue," Mr Clark said.
However, Mr Clark warned that the "biggest challenge" is the orientation of the distressed submarine. "If it is lying on its side, for example, the DSAR 6 may not be able to dock to it," he added.
According to the navy news website Naval Technology, the 9.6m-long DSAR 6 can reach a depth of 500m. It is operated by two crew members and can accommodate up to 17 personnel.
When DSAR 6 resurfaces and is recovered by the MV Swift Rescue, the submarine crew would be transferred to a recompression chamber for treatment. The chamber can hold up to 40 people.
The MV Swift Rescue also has an eight-bed high dependency ward and helipad for further medical evacuation.
Singapore and Indonesia signed a submarine rescue support and cooperation agreement in 2012, allowing both countries to send resources and help each other if their submarines are in distress.
"Submarine rescue is a complex and multi-faceted undertaking by its very nature and having such agreements facilitates the process should it ever come to that," Mr Ho said.
"They usually entail cooperation on technical issues such as drawing up a common standard operating procedure, as well as the sharing of information and expertise."
‘We can only pray’, says mother-in-law of sailor on missing Indonesian submarine
BANYUWANGI, Indonesia: The past few days have been trying times for Mdm Yayak Dwi Ernawati, 46.
Her son-in-law, Mr Pandu Yudha Kusuma, 23 is among those serving on board the missing KRI Nanggala 402 submarine.
In an interview with CNA on Friday (Apr 23), Mdm Ernawati said: “We can only pray. We leave it to the officers to find it (the submarine). We hope he comes back home safely.”
“I feel that he is still safe, hopefully. Because they are all trained personnel … Bottom line, we still hope for the best.”
She described her son-in-law as a kind and responsible man. He married her daughter, Mega Dian Pratiwi, 23 only on Feb 24 this year.
Mr Kusuma, who joined the navy five years ago, is based in the naval base in Surabaya. His wife lives in Banyuwangi, East Java province where she works as a midwife.
READ: In race to find missing Indonesian submarine, carbon dioxide may be the enemy
Mdm Ernawati last spoke to her son-in-law on Monday morning. The latter said that he would be sailing to the waters off the Bali Strait.
“He asked for my blessing because he would be sailing … I said: ‘Be careful. You are the family’s backbone’,” she said, adding that Mr Kusuma has a younger sibling and a younger brother-in-law.
She said that her son-in-law has long wanted to serve in the navy as he comes from a family with military background. Mr Kusuma’s father is with the army.
The submarine went missing on Wednesday with 53 people on board when taking part in a torpedo drill in north Bali waters. Contact with the vessel was lost at 4.30am local time, after it asked for permission to dive at 3am.
A total of 49 crew members, one ship commander and three weapons specialists were on board the submarine, the defence ministry had said.
The military assumed that the submarine was currently experiencing a power outage. In that condition, the submarine could run out of oxygen by 3am on Saturday.
At least 25 Indonesian ships have joined the search. More ships from other countries are on their way to the scene.
Mdm Ernawati said she first heard about the missing vessel on Wednesday night via social media. Later that night, the wife of a commander notified them via a chat group.
“Initially, I didn’t believe it … We were all shocked,” she recounted. The official word from the navy confirming that the submarine has gone missing only arrived on Friday morning.
Mdm Ernawati said that her daughter is still in shock. The latter has largely kept to herself in the room.
“We, the family, are giving her strength to still believe that her husband will definitely return,” she said.
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