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.........

Friday, February 14, 2014

Battle for the Arctic?...[ 3612 ]

Battle for the Arctic? Concerns US ignoring resource-rich region as ice recedes


FoxNews.com

.
While the Obama administration focuses on hotspots like the Middle East and Asia some lawmakers worry the U.S. is ignoring what could be a critical battleground – the Arctic Ocean.
.
The permanent sea ice around the North Pole has been receding since the 1970’s. Countries are now staking their claims, whether it’s for oil, valuable shipping lanes or national defense.
“The Arctic is already in play,” said Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif. “We do know there are many countries that are trying to set their sights on the Arctic, and that’s going to be an issue.”
The biggest immediate concern, some say, is the need for more icebreakers -- vessels that can navigate the still-treacherous conditions. The U.S. Coast Guard has just two, and they have been busy. In 2012, the Healy escorted a ship to deliver oil to Nome, Alaska. And just weeks ago, the Polar Star was sent to the Antarctic to help free two research vessels stuck in ice. Both icebreakers are nearly 40 years old.
Russia, meanwhile, has 25 icebreakers. Six of them are nuclear powered.
Alaska Democratic Sen. Mark Begich is critical of the Obama administration for largely ignoring the Arctic, and the battle for influence happening there.
“It’s like they’ve never heard of it,” he said. “With the Obama administration we’ve had to push back pretty hard to convince them and show them why they need to invest in not only icebreakers, but forward operating bases for the Arctic.”
Begich still views Russia as a valuable ally, but one that could dominate the economic benefits in the Arctic if the U.S. doesn’t catch up soon.
But others say if oil and shipping lanes are what’s at stake, private industry -- and not taxpayers -- should bear the cost. A new icebreaker runs nearly $800 million. It even costs $300 million to retrofit an existing ship to be an icebreaker.
“I think the Pentagon hasn’t really proven the need yet,” said Bill Hartung, of the Center for International Policy. “Nobody is going to attack us from up there. If there’s issues getting to resources, I think we’re going to need some rules of the road and cooperative to deal with that.”
Complicating the push for more icebreakers is the timing and budget turf wars. The Coast Guard, which operates the ships, says they’re too expensive to absorb the cost. But the Navy doesn’t want to pony up the money, either, citing the Pentagon’s mandate to cut $70 billion in spending over the next two years.
Dan Springer joined Fox News Channel (FNC) in August 2001 as a Seattle-based correspondent
Αναρτήθηκε από στις
Ετικέτες

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)