NORTHERN PORT CALL

ANS La Soumman 937

The Algerian training ship ANS La Soumman 937 made a recent port call in New York. NAUTICAL LOG was struck by its similarity to the PLAN Zheng He 81 and a little research showed that it had been built in the PRC for Algeria.

It also struck NAUTICAL LOG that the Officers and Cadets looked rather uncomfortable, surly and rather untidy with one Officers white cap cover unbuttoned at the back of his cap while some of the Cadets looked as if it was the first time some of them had ever worn a uniform cap.

The Algerian Navy uses army rank titles so it seems that the vessel is commanded by a Colonel, all very strange to a seafarer. Well one supposes that things have too start somewhere but this lot have a long way to go.

It is worth noting that the PRC makes contact and agreements with all these smaller nations who dream of moving up the ranks of nations from the third world to the first. With such agreements both diplomatic and military the PRC is building up a world girding collection of contracted nations all with ethnic Chinese living in them.

Good Watch.

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