Looks like a buffalo stance in boats
Note: This blog would like to say thank you to Thai Rath, a mass circulated Thai newspaper for information on this story
By Franky-this blog’s new national security journalist
Introduction: A Buffalo Stance
According to Thai Rath, Cambodia just gave Total, a French oil firm, rights to explore oil and gas in a track that is claimed by both Thailand and Cambodia. Thailand and Cambodia are countries that nationalism ferver has been heightened. Cambodia was once a colony of France-but relations between the two are very close. Thailand on the other hand is very America centric country.
Recant naval confrontations, have seen it being characterized as mostly “Buffalo Stance” of muscle flexing-show of force. The last major naval combat was the Folklands war, between Argentina and the UK-mainly over rich oil and gas track near the island. In that war, air power was the deciding factor-as the UK naval air destroied much of the Argentine naval force. However, the Argentine scored several hits with anti-ship missiles. The UK has since acquired very advance anti-ship missiles defense capabilities.
The Thai navy has failed miserably to learn from that war-and its ships are highly vulnerable to anti-ship missiles. But the Thai navy has invested a great deal in naval air power-equipped with cutting edge anti-ship missiles-such as advance Harpoon from the US.
The bottom line to this development is that the disputed track-is suspected to be a “Mother-Load.”
Situational Analysis:
- Thai Rath, a local Thai newspaper reported the French oil firm, Total, got the Cambodian OK to explore a promising oil and gas track in disputed area between Thailand and Cambodia-in the Gulf o Thailand
- Thai Rath called on the Thai government to look into the matter
- Nationalism fervor, while subsided in Thailand and Cambodia, can erupt at any moment
- Thais and Cambodia are at logger-heads over an ancient ruins site of Phra Viharn
- Thai government is trying very hard to use diplomacy after confrontation failed, and have turned to giving developmental aid to Cambodia
- Thai military have strong personal relationship with key Cambodian commanders
- Latest study and implementation on international treaty on sea-board area dispute have settled little in the past between Thailand and Cambodia
- Further study on sea-board characteristic has been delayed
- Many Thai gas platform are located in the Gulf of Thailand
- Thailand have shown a high degree of flexibility on resources development, having opt to joint developed the much contested rich area of Thai-Malaysian sea board
- Currently the Thai government is teetering between Nationalism and Pragmatism
Current Total Shareholder
88% Institutional shareholders of which:
- - in France 21%
- - in the UK 14%
- - in the Rest of Europe 21%
- - in North America 29%
Key Naval Comparative Points to Consider
- France has several bases in the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf
- At these French basis near Thailand, according to latest data, the French Navy maintains light forces
- It takes about 5 weeks for French main Naval forces to reach Southeast Asia-but the French have strong logistical support for the trip
- French Navy is structured for nuclear war and anti-nuclear submarine warfare, and weak in conventional naval combat
- Thai navy is strong on conventional naval warfare combat-with cutting edge training yearly training with US Naval forces
- Thai navy is strong in air combat, having an aircraft carrier, and is supported by the Thai air force
- Thai navy is weak in maintenance and many question the readiness of some naval aircraft-especially those associated with the Thai aircraft carrier
- Thai vessels are not protected with cutting edge missile defense systems
Thai Navy Overview:
The Royal Thai Navy is the navy of Thailand and part of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, it was established in the late 1800s. Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse (1880-1923) is “The Father of Royal Thai Navy”. Similar to the organizational structure of the United States, the Royal Thai Navy includes the Naval Fleet, and the Royal Thai Marine Corps. The Royal Thai Navy operates out of Sattahip Naval Base.
Thai Navy: Active in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Thailand:
The Royal Thai Navy operates in three Naval Area Commands: Eastern Gulf of Thailand (First NAC), Western Gulf of Thailand (Second NAC), and the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) (Third NAC). The RTN also has two air wings, located at Utapao (RTN First Air Wing) and Songkhla (RTN Second Air Wing).
Thai Navy: Close Relation with US
The United States Navy and Royal Thai Navy conduct the annual joint operation Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT). CARAT is an annual series of bilateral maritime training exercises between the U.S. Navy and the armed forces of Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Philippines.
Command and Control
The Royal Thai Navy is commanded by the Commander of the Royal Thai Navy currently Admiral Khamthorn Pumhiran, who was appointed in 2008. The Royal Thai Navy Headquarters is located in Derm Palace, Wang Derm Road, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Commander-in-Chief: Admiral Khamthorn Pumhiran
- Deputy Commander-in-Chief: Admiral Somded Tongpiam
- Assistant Commander-in-Chief: Admiral Nibhon Chagsudulya
- Chief of Staff of the Navy: Vice Admiral Rapol Khamklai
Surface Combatant Vessels
Aircraft carrier: 1
HTMS Chakri Naruebet (sister ship to Príncipe de Asturias and launched in Spain 1997) Spain can carry 6 Helicopters (S-70B-7 Seahawk or Chinook) and 6 AV-8S Harrier
Frigates: 10
- 2 Phutthayotfa Chulaok class – ex-USN Knox class
- HTMS Phutthayotfa Chulalok
- HTMS Phutthaloetla Naphalai
- 2 Naresuan (Type 25T) FFG – Chinese Jianghu-class Type IV
- HTMS Naresuan
- HTMS Taksin
- 4 Chao Phraya FFG – Chinese Jianghu-class
- HTMS Chao Phraya
- HTMS Bangpakong
- HTMS Kraburi
- HTMS Saiburi
- 1 Pin Klao Class (Cannon class) destroyer escort United States
- 1 Makut Rajakumarn Class (Yarrow Class) United Kingdom
Corvette: 5
- 2 Ratanakosin Class – US built PFMM type
- HTMS Ratanakosin
- HTMS Sukhothai
- 2 Tapi Class – US built PF103 Type
- HTMS Tapi
- HTMS Khirirat
- 3 Khamronsin Class – Thai built
- HTMS Kamronsin
- HTMS Thaychanon
- HTMS Longlom
The French Navy Overview
As of 2006, the French Navy is the largest naval employer in Western Europe[citation needed], including, among other things, the Marseille Marine Fire Battalion. The chief of the naval staff is Admiral Pierre-François Forissier.[8]
The Navy is organised in five branches:
- The “Force d’Action Navale” (“Naval Action Force”), surface fleet
- The “Forces Sous-marines” (“Submarine forces”), strategic nuclear deterrent fleet based at Île Longue
- The “Aviation Navale” (“Naval air force”), ground and sea-based planes and helicopters
- The “Fusiliers Marins” (“Naval fusiliers”, ground forces used to secure naval installations) and “Commandos de Marine” (amphibious assault and other special operations), collectively known as FORFUSCO.
- The “Gendarmerie maritime”, police operations and coast guard
- Note that the Troupes de Marine (“Naval Troops”), which comprise the Régiments d’Infanterie de Marine (the famous elite RIMa) are the modern name of the Troupes Coloniales (“Colonial Troops”), and are not part of the Navy, but of the Army.
French Navy: 1 Aircraft Carrier
French naval doctrine calls for two aircraft carriers, but the French only have one, the Charles de Gaulle. The order for the Future French aircraft carrier based on the design of the British Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier (under construction as of 2009) has been delayed several times for budgetry reasons, priority being given to the more easily exportable FREMM project ; the decision on whether to build the second carrier has now been delayed until 2012.
The navy is in the midst of major technological and procurement changes; newer submarines have been ordered as well as new jet fighters, the Dassault Rafales.
Currently (2009) major ships in service are:
- 1 aircraft carrier (Charles de Gaulle),
- 1 helicopter cruiser (Jeanne d’Arc)
- 2 amphibious assault ships of the The Mistral type
- 2 Landing Platform Dock of the Foudre type
- 13 destroyers (officially classified as frigates)
- 11 frigates
- 9 corvettes (classified as “aviso”)
- 4 ballistic missile submarines
- 6 nuclear attack submarines
- Aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle
- Training cruiser Jeanne d’Arc
- amphibious assault shipTonnerre
- Air defence frigate Forbin
Bases: In the Indian Ocean
As of 2009, the naval bases in use are :
Metropolitan France
- Frigate division of the French Navy in Toulon harbourToulon, home of the Charles de Gaulle, the tactical nuclear submarines, of a large part of the surface fleet and the special commando of combat swimmer : the commando Hubert.
- Brest, home of the part of the surface fleet tasked to protect the (FOST), the mine warfare force, the GEAOM (Training Squadron for Naval Officers), hydrographic and oceanographic fleet and a flotilla of patrol boats, intervention tugs, and training ships.
- Ile Longue (near Brest) home of the strategic nuclear arm of the fleet (FOST).
- Cherbourg, home of a flotilla of patrol crafts, intervention tug and mine warfare unit.
- Bayonne, home of three patrol ships and crafts for surveillance duty of the missile launch range of Biscarosse.
Overseas departments and territories
- The French Indian Ocean force based at Réunion.Regional presence bases :
- Fort de France, with surveillance frigate Ventôse (F733) and BATRAL Francis Garnier.
- Degrad des Cannes, harbours patrol vessels La Capricieuse (P684) and L’Audacieuse (P682).
- Port des Galets, hosts the fleet of patrol boats who police the large Southern EEZ, notably surveillance frigates , Floréal (F 730) and Nivôse (F 732), Austral patrol boat Albatros (P681), BATRAL La Grandière (L9034) and patrol vessels La Boudeuse (P683) and La Rieuse (P690).
- Nouméa, with surveillance frigate Vendémiaire (F734), BATRAL Jacques Cartier (L9033) and patrol vessels La Glorieuse (P686) and La Moqueuse (P688).
- Papeete, with surveillance frigate Prairial (F731), BATRAL Dumont d’Urville (L9032), high sea tug Revi (A635), patrol vessels La Railleuse (P689), La Tapageuse (P691) and Jasmin (P723).
On foreign territories
- LPD Foudre at Dakar.Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates’s first foreign forces deployed on its soil
- Dakar, harbours the landing craft Sabre, support of the temporarily deployed ships (6 ships in 2007).
- Djibouti the home port of the flagship of ALINDIEN, the French naval task force in the Indian Ocean, with Command and Replenishement Tanker Var (A608), 2 stationed frigates detached from Toulon, a detachment of commandos (commando Arta) supported by landing craft Dague (L9052)
Total Background:
The company was founded after World War I after the French Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré rejected the idea of forming a partnership with Royal Dutch Shell in favour of creating an entirely French oil company. At Poincaré’s behest, Col. Ernest Mercier, a graduate of the École Polytechnique expert in the electric industry, enlisted the support of ninety banks and companies to found Total on March 28, 1924, as the Compagnie française des pétroles (CFP), literally the “French Company of Petroleums”. Petroleum was seen as vital in the case of a new war with Germany. However, the company was from the start a private sector company (it was listed on the Paris Stock Exchange for the first time in 1929). CFP took up the 23.75% share of Deutsche Bank in the Turkish Petroleum Company (renamed the Iraq Petroleum Company), awarded to France as compensation for war damages caused by Germany during World War I by the San Remo conference.
In 1985 the company was renamed Total CFP. In 1991 the company name became simply Total. After Total’s takeover of Petrofina in 1999, it became known as Total Fina. Afterwards it also acquired Elf Aquitaine. First named TotalFinaElf after the merger in 2000, it was later renamed back to Total in May 2003.
Chart of the major energy companies dubbed “Big Oil” sorted by latest published revenue
Total operates in more than 130 countries and has over 96,400 employees.[2] As recently as 1992, the French government still held 5% of the firm’s shares, down from a peak of over thirty percent. [3] In the time period between 1990 and 1994, foreign ownership of the firm increased from 23% to 44%.
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