The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.Blogger Tips and Tricks
This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

U.S. drones are "fully accounted for"...[ 3014 ]



Iran Claims It Captured U.S. Drone

December 4, 2012, 10:03 a.m. ET// The Wall Street Journal

By FARNAZ FASSIHI

A U.S. Navy spokesman said all U.S. drones are "fully accounted for" after Iran's state TV said that the country's Revolutionary Guard captured an American drone. WSJ's Farnaz Fassihi reports. 
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 BEIRUT—Iran claimed that the naval unit of its Revolutionary Guards Corp had shot down a U.S. drone allegedly spying over Iranian airspace in the Persian Gulf.
Iran's English news channel Press TV showed 11-minute footage of two Iranian military officials inspecting a drone. It identified the drone as a ScanEagle, manufactured by Boeing BA +0.30% . The drone appeared fully intact as the camera zoomed on it from different angles.
But Cmdr. Jason Salata, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet in Bahrain, said that ScanEagles operated by the Navy "have been lost into the water" over the years, but there is no "record of that occurring most recently," according to the Associated Press.
The conflicting accounts leave open the possibility that Iran could have pulled the drone from the sea in the past and unveiled it Tuesday for maximum effect following escalating tensions over U.S. surveillance missions in the Gulf, the AP said.
A large poster showing a map of Iran and the Persian Gulf was in the backdrop of the ScanEagle, which was elevated on a tripod. A quote from Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenei, the founder of Iran's Islamic Revolution, read: "We will trample America under our feet."

Video

Footage of two Revolutionary Guard commanders examining what appears to be an intact Scan Eagle drone. It wasn't clear if that was the same drone Iran claimed to have captured. Footage from PressTV via YouTube.

Iran and Drones

If Iran's claim is found to be true, Tuesday's incident marks the third time that the Revolutionary Guards have targeted a U.S. drone and would offer a boost for the Islamic Republic at a time of heightened tensions with the West.
In December 2011 Iran said it forced-landed an RQ-170 Sentinel, a drone operated by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency from Afghanistan. In early November of this year, Iran fired on a drone flying over the Persian Gulf and said it had entered Iran's airspace. The U.S. denied that and said the Predator drone was above international waters.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad struck a defiant tone on Tuesday during a speech at an industrial complex in the city of Isfahan. He contradicted his earlier comments that international sanctions were hurting Iran's economy and said Iran was heroically "riding the wave of sanctions."
"Our enemies should know that our history is 10 times longer than theirs. It's possible that the enemy will take a few steps forward, but we will push them back to their own borders," Mr. Ahmadinejad said.
Write to Farnaz Fassihi at farnaz.fassihi@wsj.com
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