Free Republic

--- Fincantieri has gained a further important new order from the United Arab Emirates Navy for the construction of two stealth vessels, “Falaj 2”. The contract includes an option for a further two sister ships for the UAE Navy and technology transfer from the Company to a local shipyard. Two of the four vessels will be built at the Group’s Italian shipyards, with delivery scheduled in the second half of 2012. At 55 metres long and 8.60 metres wide the ships will be able to exceed 20 knots and accommodate a crew of 28. They will feature advanced stealth characteristics...

NEW YORK (CNN) — The United Arab Emirates seized a ship carrying banned arms from North Korea to Iran, diplomats told CNN Friday. The incident occurred in early August and was reported to the U.N. Security Council’s North Korea Sanctions committee, Western diplomats at the United Nations said. The diplomats did not disclose which country owned the vessel. It also was not immediately clear whether this was the first time such an incident had happened, or only the first time such a case had been revealed. A U.N. resolution passed in July imposes an embargo on the shipment of arms...