Submarine Mystery QOTW - 22 JAN 15

Background

Submariners derisvely refer to surface vessels of our own navy as "targets".  The put-down captures an ongoing rivalry between the fleets in a humorous manner intended to clearly distinguish skimmers from bubbleheads.  Proof of Molten Eagle's underlying and undiminished respect for our surface vessel navy may never have been better illustrated than with The Kingston Trio's rendition of Guthrie's  "The Sinking of the Reuben James".

This week's mystery questions includes both large targets as well as a sub, and sheds new light on the definition of Chinese skimmers. You can't make this stuff up.

Questions of the Week

1 - Australia is weighing the sourcing of RAN's new submarine fleet.  Japan has figured prominently in such discussions. Teruhiko Fukushima, an expert on Australia at Yokuska's National Defense Academy, referring to Australia's No. 1 trade partner, noted that the public would never approve of political actions that could seriously damage those ties. What country is Australia's number one trading partner?

2 - China's PLAN (People's Liberation Army Navy) is keenly interested in blue water operations and, since 1985, has acquired four (4) retired aircraft carriers allegedly for reasons other than design familiarity.  How many of the acquisitions are now active PLAN vessels? 

3 - What became of China's other aircraft carrier(s)?  

4 - The multirole Admiral Kuznetsov class Soviet aircraft carrier Riga was renamed in 1990. What was its new name?

5 - A former PLA basketball player alleges he had been chosen by Beijing to pose as a businessman wanting to acquire the ex-Varyag for use as a floating Macau casino. 
a) What else does he allege about the vessel delivered to China?
b) What auction price did he allegedly pay the Ukrainian sellers? 
c) What does he claim is the total costs of purchase and delivery?
d) What does he claim Beijing still owes him? 

ANSWERS: Thursday, 29 JAN 2015

Submarines are always silent and strange.