War on the Rocks – Six weeks after the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran, what was the political object? Not the military means and objectives — those are the hammer, not the nail. The nail is: What condition in the world, what durable change in Iran’s relationship to the United States and its neighbors, were these strikes meant to produce? That question was never answered, because it was never seriously asked. The Trump administration confused the instrument for the purpose and then changed the purpose whenever the instrument produced inconvenient results.
Regent Squire Wing-In-Ground Effect Drone Demonstrator Makes First Flight
The War Zone – As it prepares for a potential future fight in the Pacific, the Marines tell us they are watching the progress of a wing-in-ground effect (WIG) drone concept that recently had its first test flight as a scale model. Being pitched as “the first ever Unmanned Surface and Aerial Vehicle (USA-V),” the Regent Squire is designed to conduct ISR, logistics, and combat search and rescue (CSAR) tasks in contested areas, the company states. It is also being eyed for counter-narcotics operations and anti-submarine warfare operations.
Flurry Of Navy Minesweepers Appear To Be Heading Toward The Middle East
The War Zone – The migration of U.S. Navy minesweeping assets west from the Pacific indicates preparations are underway for a major de-mining operation.
Practical, scalable and proven – Oceanus medium-sized uncrewed surface vessels
Navy Lookout – Zero USV’s Oceanus12 has moved from concept to credible operational platform, with a larger 17-metre variant now in development. For the Royal Navy, the question is no longer whether such vessels work, but how they might be integrated into operations alongside existing and future warships.
Naval Blockade Of Iran Now In Full Effect
The War Zone – Maritime restrictions have been put in place by the U.S. along the entire Iranian coastline, not just the Strait of Hormuz.
Russian Submarines With Anti-Drone Defences
Covert Shores – Two Russian Navy KILO Class submarines have been photographed in Kronstadt, the naval base in St Petersburg. The photo reveals details of their anti-drone (aerial drones – UAVs and surface drones – USVs) defences.
The Sicilian Expedition – Lessons From an Ancient Disaster
CIMSEC – Athens and Sparta serve as parables for the U.S. and China. While Athens offers lessons to the U.S. as a historic precursor, ultimately it was a foolhardy rising power that collapsed following a disastrous invasion of an island hundreds of miles offshore. Perhaps while the Taiwan Strait is no Ionian Sea and technological advances have long rendered triremes obsolete, this strategic warning is more relevant to China. Sparta, a status quo power like the U.S., simply had to await its adversary’s fatal misjudgment to invade Sicily–the rest is history.
Desert Storm Made the PLA – What is the Iran War Making?
CIMSEC – In January 1991, Chinese military officers watched CNN footage of the United States dismantling the Iraqi Army and experienced what one People’s Liberation Army (PLA) analyst later called a “psychological nuclear attack.” Desert Storm displayed every capability the PLA lacked, and China had no choice but to begin remaking its military from the ground up.
Two U.S. Warships Sail Through Strait of Hormuz to Establish New Route for Merchant Ships
USNI News – Two Navy guided-missile destroyers entered the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the first American warships to transit the strait since the U.S.-Israel offensive in Iran began on Feb. 28.
Mystery Launcher Appears On U.S. Navy Destroyer
The War Zone – The Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Carl M. Levin has received an interesting new addition to its aft upper deck.
With the Shield Or On It? – Aspides and the EU Aspirations for Sea Control
CIMSEC – Beyond the specific case of the Houthis and the Red Sea, the analysis points to broader lessons. It underscores the need to improve the efficiency of EU naval operations, particularly in high-intensity contexts, while also highlighting implications for NATO as it prepares to confront the practical challenges of sustaining protracted operations in littoral waters against a well-armed, land-based opponent.
UK forced to shelve legislation to return Chagos Islands to Mauritius
The Guardian – Officials accept that time has run out to pass law after US dropped its support for plan.
Navy to Inactivate Attack Boat USS Boise After $1.6B Repair Effort
USNI News – One of the youngest Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarines will be inactivated after waiting more than a decade for an overhaul, the Navy announced on Friday.
A Temporary Corridor Strategy For Hormuz
CIMSEC – The Strait of Hormuz does not need to be made safe to reopen global shipping. It only needs to be made governable. Even as the United States has begun striking selected Iranian military targets—including recent operations against military facilities on Kharg Island—the fundamental challenge in the Gulf remains unchanged: restoring predictable commercial transit through a contested maritime chokepoint without triggering a broader regional war. Attempts to eliminate every Iranian capability that could threaten shipping would require a prolonged campaign across the Persian Gulf. A more practical approach is to establish a temporary defended transit corridor, concentrating naval escort, airborne surveillance, shipborne helicopter protection, and a limited southern-shore defensive node into a narrow and defensible passage through the strait.
China’s dual-use ambitions could severely threaten America’s force posture
Breaking Defense – The Pentagon already closely tracks dual-use technology, but The Heritage Foundation’s Brent Sadler and Allen Zhang write in this op-ed that it’s past time to keep an eye on potential dual-use maritime infrastructure.
Royal Navy monitors shadow fleet vessels but Russian naval escort complicates boarding dilemma
Navy Lookout – Royal Navy warships and aircraft have been activated repeatedly in recent days to monitor Russian naval activity in UK waters, reflecting a sustained increase in traffic through the Channel and North Sea at a time of heightened tension over sanctions enforcement.
Navy MQ-4C Triton’s Fate Unknown After Disappearing From Flight Tracking Over Persian Gulf
The War Zone – U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone disappeared abruptly and unexpectedly from online flight tracking sites after declaring an in-flight emergency while flying over the Persian Gulf today. The uncrewed aircraft was also tracked rapidly losing altitude right beforehand, prompting widespread questions about its fate. This comes just two days after the United States and Iran agreed to a still very fragile ceasefire, which is heavily contingent on the reopening of the highly strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Philippine Navy develops prototypes of autonomous logistics drones
Naval News – The Philippine Navy is partnering with a local university to develop autonomous drone prototypes, supporting the country’s goal of building a more self-reliant defense posture (SRDP) amid rising security challenges.
Royal Navy demonstrates enduring skill deterring a Russian undersea operation
Navy Lookout – Specialist Russian submarines have been detected operating in and around British waters, prompting a coordinated response to track and deter potential threats to critical infrastructure.
Iran’s Asymmetric Counterair Campaign: Attacking the U.S. Air Force’s Nests and Eggs
War on the Rocks – On March 27, Iranian drones and missiles struck Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, destroying an E-3 Sentry, an airborne command center for U.S. operations in the region, and damaging multiple KC-135 tankers. It was not the first strike. Earlier in the month, an Iranian attack had already damaged five KC-135s at the same base. In the history of these aircraft, no enemy had ever achieved such a hit until Iran did both — within two weeks.
Russia’s massive Black Sea problem is worse than it looks
Naval News – On paper, the Russian Navy remains the dominant force in the Black Sea. But after ceding control to Ukraine’s uncrewed surface drones, it now faces a mounting crisis: its key base at Novorossiysk is increasingly untenable, unless Moscow is willing to absorb further warship losses.
UK navy foiled Russian submarines surveying undersea cables, defence minister says
Guardian – A British warship and aircraft tracked and monitored Russian submarines attempting to survey vital undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic, ensuring they abandoned their mission, the defence secretary, John Healey, has announced.
Pinning the tail on the Moskva: POPPY and the dawn of satellite ocean surveillance
The Space Review – In 1963, American reconnaissance satellites overflew a shipyard in Mykolayev, Ukraine, on the Black Sea, and photographed evidence of a new large vessel under construction. But it was not until 1965 that satellite photographs revealed it to be “an unusual ship,” in the words of a CIA report. Later that year, it became clear that it “was a helicopter platform, with either an ASW or amphibious assault mission.” It was launched in 1967 and began sea trial inside Soviet waters. This was a time when the Soviet Union was beginning to send its fleet further out to sea, challenging the US Navy, and any new large warship was of great interest to the Navy admirals.
Pentagon Adds to Pacific Refueling Capacity With New Philippine Depot
USNI News – The Pentagon plans to open a new depot in the Southern Philippines by 2028, setting the stage to expand Washington’s growing network of forward-based Western Pacific refueling hubs alongside upcoming sites in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
U.S. Navy Rehearses Wartime Repairs in Central Philippine Port
Naval News – The U.S. Navy rehearsed wartime repairs and maintenance on an amphibious assault ship at a port located within the central interior of the Philippines last month in an exercise designed to validate the service’s expeditionary sustainment capabilities in the Western Pacific.
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