Shahid Qandi: second Mowj-class Frigate?

The Iranian Navy 'destroyer' Shahid Qandi has docked at Tartous, Syria.
Is this the first we have seen of the supposed new Mowj? Iran: The Construction of the 2nd Mowj by Shahid Tamjidi Marine Industries
The military naval order of battle identified on 18 March 2011 included:
1 x Mowj Class Frigate (under construction)

Suez , Yuan Xiang: airmen sentenced, pardoned

At Banadir region court sentencing the men reportedly claimed approximately the following names and nationalities:

Andrew Robert Brides, a British aged 56 and born in Nairobi, Kenya.

Patrick Brougham Hubbard, US citizen aged 41 from Texas.

Alexander James Andrew, a British aged 22 originally from Edinburgh

Mathew Brown, has British national aged 32 born in London

Mark William Potgieter, a British aged 25, but originally from Kenya.

Alistair Macleod Davidson, both British and Kenya aged 46

The men left Mogadishu for Kenya's capital Nairobi aboard their two planes on June 26

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Suez, Yuan Xiang: all airmen pardoned

The president of the interim government of Somalia has pardoned all six men, who have not been officially named, involved in ransom money for the release of two vessels, the Egyptian-owned MV Suez and the Chinese-owned MV Yuan Xiang, two ships held ransom by Somali pirates, $3.6 million in cash on 24 May shortly after arriving by plane in Mogadishu.
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Suez, Yuan Xiang: the first ransom attempt

Ransom for the release of two vessels, the Egyptian-owned MV Suez and the Chinese-owned MV Yuan Xiang, two ships being held ransom by Somali pirates, $3.6 million in cash, was flown to the airport in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, landing in an unmarked plane which transferred its cargo to another unmarked plane, At least one of the planes operated out of Wilson Airport in Nairobi Both crews were immediately arrested. Three of those detained carried UK passports, another one has an American passport while two have Kenyan identities.. Matthew Brown, a pilot, and Andrew Oaks and Alex James from Nairobi-based security firm Salama Fikira, a Mauritius-based risk management consultancy. . Both ships have since been freed. A spokesman for Salama Fikira said: "The only thing I would say is: don't believe everything you read."
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Suez: carrying cement in bags, pays $2M ransom

1984 Egyptian-owned vessel released after ten months
8218720 SUEZ 3FXJ5 General Cargo Ship 17300 1984 162 Red Sea Navigation Co.
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Alvand, Kharg: Iranian navy ships Latkia-bound

Iran frigate DE 71 Alvand and replenishment ship 431 Kharg will passage the Suez Canal toward the Mediterranean Sea on February 21.
The two ships will dock at the Syrian port of Latkia, the first Iranian naval ships to pass through the canal since Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979.



71 Alvand
LENGTH 94.50m
BEAM 11.07m
DISPLACEMENT 1250 tons / 1540 tons (fl)
ARMAMENT 4 / C-802 SSM
1 / 114mm 55-cal. Vickers Mk 8 DP
2 / 35mm 90-cal. Oerlikon AA (II x 1)
3 / 20mm 90-cal. Oerlikon AA (I x 3)
2 / 12.7mm machine guns (I x 2)
2 / 81mm mortar (I x 2)
1 / 3 round Limbo Mk 10 ASW mortar
6 / 324mm ASW torpedo tubes (III x 2)
MACHINERY CODOG; 2 Rolls Royce Olympus TM-3A gas turbines; 2 Paxman 16-cyl. Ventura diesels; 2 CP props; 46000 shp (turbines) 3800 bhp (diesels)
SPEED 39 knots
RANGE 5000 / 15
COMPLEMENT 135
United Kingdom-built originally armed with nine Sea Cat anti-air missiles and five Sea Killer anti-ship missiles. The Iranian Navy has since replaced these missiles with Chinese equivalents.


431 Kharg
LENGTH 207.15m
BEAM 25.50m
DISPLACEMENT 33014 tons (fl)
ARMAMENT 1 / 76mm 62-cal. OTO Melara Compact DP
12 / 23mm 87-cal. ZU-23-2 AA
MACHINERY 1 set Westinghouse geared steam turbines; 1 prop; 26870shp
SPEED 21 knots
RANGE -
COMPLEMENT 248
Can accommodate Sea-King size helicopters

Suez: moved to Harardhere

MV Suez, ex Savastaki, carrying cement in bags, is in the waters of Harardhere The ship's operator has received a ransom demand of USD 4 million. more

Liberian-flag Elli hogged - broke apart

M/T ELLI (Liberia, 54880gt), Yemen to Suez in ballast, hogged severely in the Red Sea near Suez Canal. All 24-crew was taken ashore safely 28-August-2009. The tanker was towed and beached.
The former Howard Smith/RW Miller fuel tanker broke apart about 15 nautical miles from the port of Taufiq while awaiting a berth. The vessel was once known as Canopus before being sold to Liquimar of Greece in 1996 and renamed. Worldwide Green Tankers is said to manage a fleet of seven tankers. Brokers reported that the company purchased the vessel from Liquimar Tankers in December 2007 in an en bloc deal which included a sister tanker, the Frixos.

# Name: M T ELLI
# MMSI: 370298000
# IMO: 8420206
# Call sign: 3FND7
# Flag: Liberia
# Vesseltype: Tanker
# Width: 46 m
# Length: 230 m

THE CRUDE
TANKER 'CANOPUS', THEN AUSTRALIAN OWNED BY 'HOWARD SMITH P/L'.
BUILT IN KOREA BY SAMSUNG SHIPBUILDING IN 1986.
DRAFT................12.17 M..13.6 M SUMMER.
SPEED................14.3 KNOTS.
SISTER 'ERA'.CANOPUS SOLD TO GREEK INTERESTS
AND RE-NAMED 'ELLI'.