Sea

Ukrainian forces used drones to attack two oil tankers in the Black Sea, alleged to be part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ used to evade sanctions. The Gambia-flagged ships, named Kairos and Virat, were said to be empty and are now out of service.

Nearly a month after an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz crashed somewhere in the South China Sea, recovery efforts are underway, the Navy told TWZ. The two aircraft suffered mishaps within a half-hour of each other on Oct. 26 that President Donald Trump suggested could have been caused by “bad gas.” The exact cause of the crashes remains unclear.

“USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52), a Safeguard class salvage ship operated by Military Sealift Command, is on-scene conducting operations in support of the recovery efforts,” CMDR Matthew Comer, a 7th Fleet spokesman, said on Thursday. He provided no further details about the Salvor’s location, whether either or both aircraft have been located, or a timeline for recovery. In an email on Nov. 14, Comer told us that the “U.S. Navy has begun mobilizing units that will be used to verify the site and recover” the aircraft.

According to the MarineTraffic.com ship tracking site, the most recent position of the Salvor, dating back to Nov. 9, was just east of the Philippines island of Palawan in the South China Sea. MarineTraffic reports that the vessel left the Philippines on Nov. 8 bound for Guam, but it isn’t clear what its location is at the moment.

Given the tense and contested nature of the South China Sea and its proximity to China, there is likely a level of urgency to this operation to ensure these aircraft, or components from them, don’t fall into the hands of the Chinese. Beijing has a massive amount of assets in the region, and plenty that can handle some kind of recovery effort. The depths in the South China Sea are not that deep, either, making recovery operations easier. Like the U.S., China has foreign materiel exploitation, or FME, programs aimed at recovering weaponry for intelligence analysis and developmental purposes.

As we have written in the past about a Super Hornet recovery effort after one was blown off the deck of the supercarrier USS Harry S. Truman in 2022: “The F/A-18E is also filled with sensitive components, such as its AN/APG-79 active electronically-scanned radar, electronic warfare suite, identification friend-or-foe gear, and communications and data-sharing systems, as well as the software that runs them all. The Navy’s existing F/A-18E/F fleet has been in the process of receiving significant upgrades in recent years, too, as the service plans to continue operating these jets as core components of its carrier air wings for years to come.”

MH-60Rs are the Navy’s rotary-wing submarine hunter and are loaded with sensitive sensors, countermeasures, communications, computers and more that would be of high interest to a foreign adversary, and especially America’s chief naval competitor, China.

For all these reasons, the Navy dispatched the Salvor. It was purpose-built to conduct salvage, diving, towing, off-shore firefighting, heavy lift operations and theater security cooperation missions. According to a U.S. Navy document, it is equipped with: “a 7.5-ton capacity boom forward and a 40-ton capacity boom aft. A dynamic 150 ton lift is possible over the main bow or stern rollers using deck machinery and purchase tackle or hydraulic pullers. She can make a dynamic lift of 300 tons using the main blow rollers and stern rollers in unison.”

For diving operations, “the MK 12 and MK 1 diving systems provide Salvor divers the capability of air diving to depths of 190 feet. The divers descend to depth on a diving stage lowered by a powered davit. There is a hyperbaric chamber aboard for diver recompression following a dive or for the treatment of divers suffering from decompression sickness. For shallow underwater inspections, searches, and other tasks which require mobility, there is a full complement of SCUBA equipment on board.”

During a 2018 mission to recover aircraft shot down in 1944 near Ngerekebesang Island, Republic of Palau, the ship’s master offered some insights into its capabilities.

“The biggest advantage the Navy has with us on the Salvor is that we are standing by for them with a decompression chamber on board for divers, and we have heavy-lift capability,” Capt. Mike Flanagan, a civilian mariner and master of USNS Salvor, said at the time. “It’s just a robust ship. With our 40-ton-lift crane we can bring large and heavy objects off the bottom of the ocean.”

For perspective, Super Hornets have a maximum takeoff weight of 33 tons, according to the Navy. The Seahawks can weigh up to 11.5 tons.

Given its design, the Salvor has taken part in numerous recovery efforts, including the one after the December 2023 crash of a CV-22 Osprey off the coast of Japan last November, which killed eight crew.

As we reported at the time, the aircraft from the Nimitz crashed within a half-hour of each other on Oct. 26 as the carrier was operating somewhere in the South China Sea. The helicopter went down first at about 2:41 p.m. local time. All three crew were recovered.

Both Super Hornet crew ejected and were safely recovered when that aircraft crashed.

As we noted earlier in this story, the day after the crashes, Trump said that “bad gas” could have been to blame. Navy officials confirmed to us that they believed there was no “nefarious” cause to the crash. Last week, the Navy told us the cause is still being investigated. You can read more about the fuel issues in our initial coverage here.

The Nimitz was last spotted Nov. 18 in the San Bernardino Strait separating the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon to the north from the island of Samar to the south, according to open source investigator MT Anderson’s post on X. That’s about 420 miles east of where the Salvor was last seen. 

Last week, the Nimitz took part in a Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity with Japanese and Philippine vessels to demonstrate “growing regional unity and cooperation,” the Philippine military said, according to Newsweek.

That exercise sparked a warning from China.

“We solemnly urge the Philippine side to immediately stop provoking incidents and escalating tensions,” said the Southern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army, which oversees Chinese military operations in the South China Sea, on Sunday.

It is unknown how long it will take to recover (or demolish) these aircraft or whether the operation will even succeed. The Navy has promised to keep us apprised of its efforts. We will update this story with any significant developments.

Contact the author: [email protected]

The line where the sky meets the sea is calling to the new “Moana.”

The first teaser trailer for the live-action Disney film released Monday features star Catherine Laga’aia singing a few lines of her character’s signature “I Want” song as the footage offers glimpses of the island and people of Motunui, the demigod Maui, the seafaring Kakamora and Moana’s clumsy rooster Heihei.

“I am a girl who loves my island and the girl who loves the sea,” Laga’aia as Moana sings in the opening moments of the trailer. “It calls me.”

Fans of the original animated movie will recognize the scene of a young Moana playing with the ocean after seeing a seashell on the shore. Speaking of the 2016 film, Dwayne Johnson, who voiced the shapeshifter demigod and hero of men in the animated “Moana,” will also portray the live-action version of the arrogant trickster. You’re welcome.

Directed by Thomas Kail, the live-action remake will follow Moana, who dreams of being a wayfinder and exploring the ocean. She leaves Motonui in search of Maui and the Heart of Te Fiti to help save her people.

In addition to Laga’aia and Johnson, the “Moana” cast includes John Tui as Moana’s father, Chief Tui; Frankie Adams as her mother, Sina; and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala.

The trailer ends with Laga’aia triumphantly singing, “I am Moana.”

The animated “Moana,” with Hawaiian actor Auliʻi Cravalho in the title role, grossed $643.3 million worldwide during its initial run. Its follow-up “Moana 2” was one of three films released in 2024 that crossed the $1-billion mark at the worldwide box office. Cravalho serves as one of the executive producers of the live-action film, along with Kail, Scott Sheldon and Charles Newirth.

The live-action “Moana” will hit theaters July 10.

China’s first super-sized Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, has left port for its first sea trials. The Type 076 is unlike any other big deck amphibious warship design globally, featuring an electromagnetically-powered catapult to support an air wing expected to include naval versions of the GJ-11 stealthy flying-wing uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV).

Sichuan, which has now also been assigned the hull number 51, left Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai on its maiden voyage earlier today. The ship, which is currently the only one of its type, has been under construction in that yard since at least 2023. A ceremony marking its launch was held on December 27, 2024, and it was actually floated for the first time in its basin sometime afterward.

“This sea trial will mainly test and verify the reliability and stability of the power, electrical, and other systems,” according to a release from China’s Ministry of National Defense. Since its launch, the ship “has successfully completed mooring tests and equipment installation and debugging, and has met the technical conditions for sea trials.”

There had already been signs in recent weeks of significant new progress on the final fitting out of Sichuan, including the painting of full markings on its flight deck.

Another image, seen in the social media post below, had emerged at the end of last month showing what is very likely a red-colored catapult test ‘truck’ on Sichuan‘s deck. This, in turn, had pointed to the start of testing of the ship’s lone catapult.

Shipbuilders and navies around the world, including China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and the U.S. Navy, have long used weighted trucks to test catapults on aircraft carriers as part of their construction or following maintenance. 

The video below shows testing of the catapults on the U.S. Navy’s supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford using weighted trucks.

Overall, Sichuan represents a particularly notable development for the PLAN. Chinese officials have said the Type 076 displaces more than 40,000 metric tons (44,000 U.S. tons). TWZ has previously assessed that the ship is around 864 feet long and that it is some 141 feet wide (or 263 and nearly 43 meters, respectively). China’s previous Type 075 amphibious assault ships, of which there are now four in service, have a stated displacement of between 32,000 and 36,000 metric tons (35,000 to 40,000 U.S. tons) with a full load, and are just over 761 feet long and nearly 121 feet wide. Sichuan is also notably wider than other big deck amphibious warfare ships in service globally, including the U.S. Navy’s America class.

Sichuan‘s unusually wide flight deck is absolutely core to the design. Along with the ship’s two islands, this has long made clear the ship is heavily focused sustained flight operations. This will include fixed-wing types launched via the catapult at the bow end and recovered via some form of arresting gear.

There have been growing signs for years now that a navalized variant of the GJ-11 UCAV, also sometimes referred to as the GJ-21, will be an especially significant part of Sichuan‘s future air wing. Most recently, around the beginning of this month, pictures emerged showing a version of the drone with an arresting hook very prominently deployed. Last year, apparent GJ-11 mockups had also appeared at a test and/or training site right on Changxing Island in Shanghai, very close to where the Type 076 was being built.

As it seems, for the first time clear images of a GJ-21 in flight are posted and this one – based on the still installed pitots – has its tail hook down. pic.twitter.com/5h1nVZHzIe

— @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) November 1, 2025

Just this week, Chinese authorities announced that the land-based version of the GJ-11, now officially named the Mysterious Dragon, had entered operational service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). Any future naval versions of the drone could also find their way onto other big deck ships in the PLAN’s inventory, including its first catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which was commissioned last week.

Sichuan‘s air wing will not be limited to variations of the GJ-11 design, and is expected to include a host of other current and future crewed and uncrewed types. Various helicopters, as well as an as-yet unnamed crewed tiltrotor aircraft under development in China, which is now in flight testing, could be part of that mix.

The Type 076 design also has a well deck at the stern to support traditional amphibious assault operations.

As TWZ previously wrote about the overall significance of the Sichuan:

“The potential value to the PLAN of having a fleet of very large deck amphibious assault ships that are highly capable of large-scale drone operations as well as traditional amphibious assaults is clear. These ships could be used to launch and recover UCAVs like the GJ-11 and other types of drones to perform a host of missions from maritime strike to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). They could be used to provide additional ‘mass’ in support of the operations of larger carrier strike groups and help to free the air wings of flattops like Fujian up for tasks they might be better suited for. In addition, they could provide a lower tier of naval aviation support that could be employed independently.”

…

“Simply having more naval aviation capacity overall would give the PLAN added flexibility for various operations closer to the mainland, including a potential military intervention against Taiwan or defending its expansive and largely unrecognized territorial claims in places like the South China Sea. Type 076s could also help project naval and air power further from China’s shores, something that has also been a driving factor behind the country’s broader carrier ambitions.”

…

“The Type 076 could help provide support during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. Big deck amphibious warfare ships, in general, provide their operators with immensely valuable platforms for projecting both hard and soft power.”

Sichuan is reflective of a larger effort by the PLAN to significantly expand its capabilities and operational capacity, including for projecting power well beyond China’s shores and any regional contingencies. A dramatic expansion in the naval aviation realm has been a particular centerpiece of this modernization push, which traces all the way back to the 1990s. This is all further underscored by the increasingly strong evidence that China’s next supercarrier will be a nuclear-powered design.

Whether the PLAN’s current ambitions include plans to acquire more Type 076s is unclear. Putting to sea now is certainly another major step in the process of getting Sichuan into actual operational service.

Contact the author: [email protected]

As the UK is hit by cold and wet weather, many Brits are looking to escape the winter blues by booking a last-minute holiday abroad – and one travel expert has shared his top recommendations

The dreary, grey November conditions are prompting Britons to snap up last-minute breaks overseas, as sun-seekers desperately hunt for an escape from the winter gloom. For those yearning for warmth, there are loads of options for a scorching getaway that won’t empty your wallet.

Holiday-makers hunting for ideas might want to check out four suggestions from Rob Brooks, a travel guru and social media star with holiday firm On The Beach. Well-known online for dishing out money-saving travel tips, accommodation reviews, and getaway guidance, Rob has built up a massive fanbase on TikTok under the handle @Robonthebeach.

One of Rob’s latest clips was called ‘Where I’d go for a hot, cheap holiday.’

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Offering guidance to his 34k followers, he explained: “Here are the four places that I can recommend for this November if you’re after a last-minute migration to escape the freezing cold here. I’ve seen loads of people asking recently, ‘Where’s hot in November?'”.

“But I think the real question is, ‘Where’s hot and cheap this November?’ Because sure, Dubai is lovely, and Thailand’s boiling, but can any of us actually afford that on short notice? So I’ve gone through the booking trends, weather forecasts and our live pricing to find four places I’d actually recommend this November for a warm, good value escape.”

Discussing his fourth choice, Rob revealed: “Costa Blanca. It’s not blazing hot, but it’s that lovely kind of jumper in the evening, t-shirt all day kind of weather. This November is looking like highs of 23 degrees, no rain, and loads of sunshine. Benidorm, Alicante, Calpe. They’re all ticking over lovely in November, but way quieter and way cheaper than summer. You can still swim in the sea and sit outside for dinner, there’s just less crowds there.”

He went on: “Antalya in Turkey. Still properly hot there, around 25 degrees most days, and it’s even warmer inland. While you’re soaking in the sun, your mates will be back home scraping ice off the windscreen.”

For his following suggestion, Rob remarked: “Tenerife, still hitting 27 degrees most days on the south coast. There’s loads of sunshine and the sea’s definitely warm enough to swim in. For me as well, November is actually one of the best times to go. Quieter beaches, lower prices, but still that proper Canaries heat.”

Wrapping up his recommendations, Rob concluded: “The number one place I’d recommend, Sharm El-Sheikh. If you want actual summer in November, this is it. It’s still 30 degrees every day. The Red Sea is like bathwater, and it’s one of the few places you can get an all-inclusive, proper luxury place for under £500 per person.”

The clip proved a hit with viewers, amassing thousands of likes. One person responded: “Malaga is always perfect in November.” Another user posted: “Just got back from Madeira last night. Can’t believe this wasn’t on your list.”

After launch there was the question of how to fill the days at sea.

“In my case, you eat,” says Larter. “Honestly, I’ve never had, either before or since, such a sustained spell of magnificent eating.

“The stewards loved us. They’d bring these great trolleys of wonderful food, and they knew we’d eat it.”

With copious amounts of food available and an Ashes series to prepare for, the players had to keep fit.

“We’d have an exercise session in the morning, then there were badminton courts netted off for us. We’d shove weights about, and jump up and down and things like that,” says Larter.

The England management wanted to take things a stage further.

By chance, Dexter found that British athlete Gordon Pirie was on board. Pirie won 5,000m silver at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne.

“He was invited to organise us,” says Larter. “He turned up with his shorts on and decided the best exercise would be running around the boat.

“It’s quite a long way around one of those big boats, but I did what I was told.”

Not everyone in the touring party was as agreeable as Larter. Trueman, never shy of speaking his mind, had just bowled more than 1,100 overs in the English summer.

“Fred voiced an opinion which meant in no way was he running around,” says Larter. “That just wasn’t what we did to get fit. To get fit, we played cricket.

“Fred said he’d just bowled all those overs in the season, and he wasn’t going to run around a boat for anyone. The Gordon Pirie thing died off after that.”

For Larter, the trip was not just a first England tour, but a first time out of the country. On the upper deck he mixed with the wealthy travellers, lower down he encountered the Poms emigrating to a new life down under.

“We found the greatest reception came downstairs,” he says. “There were people emigrating or moving for all sorts of reasons. A lot of them were young, out to make new lives. It was interesting to meet them. There were more than a couple of decent bars and you could have a quiet pint.”

The journey was not a straight passage to Perth. Remarkably, England tuned up for a tour of Australia by hopping off in Sri Lanka to play a game in Colombo.

“We walked out on to the field and Ted Dexter said I would be opening the bowling,” says Larter.

“I marked out a run, ran in, and fell flat on my face. A real sprawler. I picked myself up, went back, came in again and did the same thing.

“I’d lost my land legs. They weren’t going where I wanted, because I’d been on the boat.

“Ted came across and said ‘what’s wrong?’. I said they don’t work! He took me off. Barry Knight had to finish the over.

“We were entertained and looked after by the British Army. They put on a big barbecue on the beach for us. How do you get to that from a small town in Suffolk? On the beach in Sri Lanka with all of these nice people. It was an eye-opener, just being there.”

China has frequently accused the Philippines of acting as a ‘troublemaker’ and ‘saboteur of regional stability’.

The Philippines and Canada have signed a defence pact to expand joint military drills and deepen security cooperation in a move widely seen as a response to China’s growing assertiveness in the region, most notably in the disputed South China Sea.

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr and Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty inked the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) on Sunday after a closed-door meeting in Manila.

McGuinty said the deal would strengthen joint training, information sharing, and coordination during humanitarian crises and natural disasters.

Teodoro described the pact as vital for upholding what he called a rules-based international order in the Asia-Pacific, where he accused China of expansionism. “Who is hegemonic? Who wants to expand their territory in the world? China,” he told reporters.

The agreement provides the legal framework for Canadian troops to take part in military exercises in the Philippines and vice versa. It mirrors similar accords Manila has signed with the United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand.

China has not yet commented on the deal, but it has frequently accused the Philippines of being a “troublemaker” and “saboteur of regional stability” after joint patrols and military exercises with its Western allies in the South China Sea.

Beijing claims almost the entire waterway, a vital global shipping lane, thereby ignoring a 2016 international tribunal ruling that dismissed its territorial claims as unlawful. Chinese coastguard vessels have repeatedly used water cannon and blocking tactics against Philippine ships, leading to collisions and injuries.

Teodoro used a regional defence ministers meeting in Malaysia over the weekend to condemn China’s declaration of a “nature reserve” around the contested Scarborough Shoal, which Manila also claims.

“This, to us, is a veiled attempt to wield military might and the threat of force, undermining the rights of smaller countries and their citizens who rely on the bounty of these waters,” he said.

Talks are under way by the Philippines for similar defence agreements with France, Singapore, Britain, Germany and India as Manila continues to fortify its defence partnerships amid rising tensions with Beijing.