Defense News – Navy destroyers are concentrated in the Middle East as U.S. forces conduct operations against Iran, according to U.S. Central Command — a move that puts renewed operational demands on a fleet that has experienced prolonged maintenance periods.
Review of Polar War: Submarines, Spies and the Struggle For Power in a Melting Arctic
CIMSEC – The countdown ticks forward, each second marching the Arctic ice closer to its liquid form. Some see opportunity in what will be left behind: new sea lanes, access to resources, and expanded commercial activity. Others see danger in a region where governance structures and territorial claims are outpaced by national ambitions. Is the United States prepared for the risks of a rapidly changing Arctic?
Author Kenneth R. Rosen confronts this question through more than two years of investigative reporting with military units, scientific stations, and remote communities in Polar War: Submarines, Spies, and the Struggle for Power in a Melting Arctic. Rosen argues that the United States has fallen behind evolving threats along its northern flank, hampered by decades of inadequate investments.
CMSI Translations #36: The First Joint Underwater Patrol: Starting with the China-Russia “Joint Sea-2025” Exercise
China Maritime Studies Institute – In August of this year (2025), deep within the waters of the Northwestern Pacific, an underwater patrol was reshaping the strategic landscape of the Asia-Pacific. The Russian submarine Volkhov and the Chinese Navy’s submarine Changcheng 210 came together in a joint formation for the first time, traversing the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea to complete a joint underwater patrol spanning more than 2,000 nautical miles.
Russians Painted Houses on Project 1331-M Ships to Protect Against Drones
Militarynyi – Russia’s Baltic Fleet has applied unusual camouflage to its ships to mislead drones equipped with artificial intelligence.
(Thanks to Alain)
Russia sends sanctioned ships to the Mediterranean, NATO monitors the “Syrian Express”
EuroNews – Four Russian ships, including a cargo ship and a tanker under sanctions escorted by a destroyer, entered the Mediterranean via Gibraltar on August 27, ending the first interruption of the Russian naval presence in the region since 2013.
(Thanks to Alain)
Rules for Navy uncrewed surface vessels make progress
UK Defence Journal – The Ministry of Defence is continuing work with the Defence Maritime Regulator to define how uncrewed surface vessels should be regulated and classified as the Royal Navy expands its use of maritime autonomous systems.
(Thanks to Alain)
Australia and New Zealand strengthen naval partnership
Naval News – The Royal Australian Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy have reinforced their enduring maritime partnership through the signing of Plan Tasman.
German Navy tests Israeli LORA ballistic missile
Defence Blog – The German Navy successfully completed a dual firing trial of Israel Aerospace Industries’ Naval LORA ballistic missile, launching the weapon from an operational German vessel and hitting its target with precision in both test scenarios.
(Thanks to Alain)
Chinese Next-Generation Submarine Developments Spotted In New Satellite Imagery
The War Zone – A Chinese submarine now taking shape at Bohai Shipyard has a number of significant features and offers new insights into China’s undersea ambitions.
Italy to deploy warships to protect shipping through Bab al-Mandeb
Al Jazeera – Italy will deploy warships to ensure safe passage for its commercial vessels through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said, adding that Rome would not wait for a joint decision from the European Union.
(Thanks to Alain)
U.S. Destroyer Practices Underway Refueling with Seahawk USV
USNI News – A U.S. destroyer refueled an Unmanned Surface Vessel earlier this month in the Pacific as part of the Navy’s latest development effort to hone at-sea drone sustainment.
Spanish Navy Names Navantia-Built Submarine Rescue Vessel Poseidón
Ocean News – Designed as the successor to the Navy’s rescue and salvage vessel Neptuno, Poseidón will become the service’s primary platform for underwater operations. The program was launched in response to the operational requirements associated with the S-80 submarine fleet, ensuring dedicated support and rescue capabilities for submarine crews throughout their operational life.
(Thanks to Alain)
Royal Navy’s autonomous submarine fires heavyweight torpedo in AUKUS trial
Navy Lookout – The test firing took place last week and, according to the UK government announcement, the weapon, developed jointly by the United States and Australia, was launched from XV Excalibur. The event is the first UK-US torpedo firing from an uncrewed undersea vessel.
AI ‘almost’ started a war between US, China
Deccan Herald – A Chinese vessel in West Asia was nearly intercepted by the US military after a “false” intelligence report claimed that it was carrying components linked to a nuclear weapons programme.
(Thanks to Alain)
U.S. Funding Subic Bay Shipyard Repair Expansion
USNI News – Washington is funding a project that will expand the maintenance and repair capability of a shipyard in the Philippines frequently used by U.S. Navy warships.
NATO allies foil Russian subsea cable sabotage plot
Defense News – Deep in Arctic waters near the remote Svalbard archipelago this spring, NATO allies caught Russian subs training to unleash a secret weapon designed to disable critical undersea cables without leaving any fingerprints.
Why Eurasia, Not the Indo-Pacific, Matters Most in Next Phase of Taiwan Deterrence
War on the Rocks – Washington is preparing for the right war, but in the wrong theater. For years, U.S. strategic thinking has centered on the Indo‑Pacific: the militarized atolls of the South China Sea, China’s churning naval shipyards, and the tense waters of the Taiwan Strait. Yet the next phase of competition will likely play out on the Eurasian landmass, contested through pipelines, swing states, and shifting alignments along routes that overlap with the ancient Silk Road. This is where China is building alternative trade and energy corridors beyond the immediate reach of U.S. military power.
Royal Navy patrol ships mark five years deployed in the Indo-Pacific region
Navy Lookout – HMS Spey and HMS Tamar have completed five years continuously deployed to the Indo-Pacific, establishing the RN’s first persistent presence in the region since the handover of Hong Kong in 1997. Between them, the two Batch II OPVs have now travelled almost 593,000km (320,000nm), undertaking a mixture of maritime security, defence engagement and diplomatic tasks.
Future USS Baltimore to Serve as U.S. Navy’s Elite Seabed Warfare Submarine
Naval News – U.S. Navy and General Dynamics are converting the future USS Baltimore into an elite seabed warfare submarine to succeed the USS Jimmy Carter.
China’s Warrior Scientists: Insights from Recent Operations Around Taiwan
War on the Rocks – All states should come to terms with the fact that China’s survey operations east of Taiwan are either a prelude to war or to the slow strangulation of Taiwan’s separate status. China’s fleet of civilian vessels is, in essence, military assets at Beijing’s beck and call, and China increasingly uses its civilian fleet for military purposes, such as containerized missiles and amphibious lift. All states with an interest in peace and stability in East Asia have an interest in deterring China from using its research vessels to engage in military activities such as underwater sabotage, installing or employing fixed undersea sensors, or perhaps prepositioning sea mines. In fact, this applies globally. Beyond East Asia, China’s fleet of research vessels enables Beijing to conduct activities supporting military operations and political objectives anywhere in the world. Unless states recognize and respond to the political, legal, and military impact of their operations, Taiwan’s challenge today may be another country’s tomorrow.
Implications of the Hangor-class for Pakistan’s operational naval posture and strategic sovereignty
Naval News – This Naval News outline examines the importance of the Hangor-class submarines acquisition for the operational priorities of the Pakistan Navy, the industrial perspective for Islamabad and Beijing. The feature also looks at implications for Pakistani strategic sovereignty evolving because of acquisitions of Chinese materiel.
World’s First Naval Drone Duel Results In Ukrainian Success
Naval News – Naval drones (USVs) have become increasingly prominent in the Russo-Ukrainian War since 2022. Today, in a world first, two naval drones engaged in combat. The Ukrainian Sargan-3000 USV sunk the Russian USV.
The Surface Navy in an AI World: Rethinking the FFX
CIMSEC – Instead of going back to the drawing board to pack more high-end warfighting capability into an ever-smaller package, rethinking what a frigate contributes to the human-machine team allows us to see a small surface combatant in a new light. Instead of a platform for employing weapons, it provides a ringside seat for the humans to influence events, especially when mindful, eyes-on, hands-on actions are needed for success. It is a way to use the science of war to empower the art of war. It is a way to demonstrate that the United States is willing to risk involvement in a sticky situation and engage opponents in a meaningful way. The LUSVs, MUSVs, or XLUUVs that could serve as the primary weapons systems for the FFX will help its crew give as good as they get until the Joint Force Arrives. Even in the age of sail, no one could realistically expect a small surface combatant to do more than that.
Ukrainian Magura MV11 Anti-Air Surface Drone (USV)
Covert Shores – Ukraine’s original maritime drone company, Magura (now owned by UFORCE), are building an interceptor-drone optimised USV (uncrewed surface vessel), the MV11.
The Looming Armageddon of the U.S. Military’s New Anti-Beard Policy
CIMSEC – In the military today, a quiet Armageddon is about to occur as we watch the potential separation of up to 5% of the force for a condition known as Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB).
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