Navy Lookout – With no Royal Navy submarines available, elements from the Commando Force have rehearsed a covert Arctic reconnaissance mission. The marines were deployed from the German Type 212A submarine, U-35, during NATO exercise Cold Response 2026.
Indonesia’s Blue-Water Ambition Requires Sustained Overseas Deployments
War on the Rocks – A navy aspiring to blue-water operations should continually stress its doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy through real-world deployments abroad. This is precisely the challenge that the Indonesian Navy should begin addressing by embedding itself in an existing multinational mission.
Chinese Navy’s New Type 055 Destroyers Join Taiwan-focused Command
USNI News – Beijing’s naval forces received two new Type 055-class guided missile destroyers and have tasked them to operate under the command responsible for any potential operation against Taiwan, according to recent Chinese state media reports.
Sea Denial Deep Inside Russia: The Role of Special Operations Forces in Countering Warships on Inland Waters
Modern War Institute – Strong deterrence requires an ability to hold at risk capabilities that an adversary values. As Moscow further seeks to enhance its ability to launch cruise missiles at land targets from its inland waterways, it is imperative that NATO states demonstrate a means of countering it. That should begin with exercises and rehearsals—for example on the Rhine or the Danube—and should continue with deliberate media communication. The time to do so is now.
Testing Denial: The Philippine Alliance in America’s First Island Chain Strategy
War on the Rocks – If the United States is serious about denial strategy along the First Island Chain, credibility will be tested less in Taiwan than in the Philippines — specifically in whether Manila can politically sustain resilient, repairable, and survivable infrastructure under pressure. That test hinges on investing in resilience over symbolism. Hardened facilities, dispersed logistics, and rapid repair matter more than episodic presence. And those capabilities must be politically sustainable in Manila if deterrence by denial is to endure.
DIU, Navy tap Anduril to prototype Dive-XL autonomous submarine
Breaking Defense – The Dive-XL prototype Anduril will be demonstrating is similar to the Ghost Shark Extra Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (XL-AUVs) being delivered to the Royal Australian Navy.
Australia to get 40 more Bluebottle unmanned surface vessels
Breaking Defense – Australian navy chief Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said that the Bluebottle was an extremely durable asset, noting that “these things have remained on station as the cyclones have rolled through, and they’ve remained operational.”
CNO: New Surface Ship Classes Reflect US Navy’s New Force Structure and Global Output Needs
Naval News – The US Navy’s planned procurement of two new surface ship types will deliver capabilities that will enable the navy to meet the output requirements of its new surface force structure and continued global presence, the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) told the Paris Naval Conference in early February.
Railgun Being Fired By U.S. Navy Again After Abandoning It For Years
The War Zone – The Trump class “battleship” has breathed new life into the Navy’s railgun ambitions, which it previously shelved after hitting technical hurdles.
The IRIN/IRGCN Azhdar UUV
Strikepod Systems – The following intelligence report is a work of FICINT. It details the development of an indigenous Iranian UUV, the Azhdar, and is based on an alternative history published with Divergent Options.
U.S. Navy Won’t Be Ready To Escort Tankers Through Hormuz For Weeks
The War Zone – Escorting oil tankers in the strait is an incredibly high-risk mission, and might not even be enough to ensure their safe passage.
Strait of Hormuz Mine Threat Looms
Naval News – The Strait of Hormuz has become the focal point of a dangerous escalation as reports of Iranian mine-laying operations emerge, prompting the United States to respond with precision strikes against Iranian naval assets, particularly minelayers. On March 10, U.S. CENTCOM announced the destruction of 16 Iranian minelayers and multiple warships.
U.S. Navy launches multinational Arctic submarine operation
Defence Blog – The U.S. Navy launched Operation ICE CAMP Boarfish in the Arctic on March 7, 2026 with the submarines USS Delaware and USS Santa Fe to test under-ice operational capabilities. The three-week multinational operation brings together U.S. and allied forces to train and evaluate submarine operations in the Arctic environment.
(Thanks to Alain)
France’s Mediterranean armada signals clout as Middle East may rethink alliances
Defense News – France’s “unprecedented” deployment of warships to the Middle East is meant to position the country as a credible security partner for the region, a move that could set up the French to benefit from any realignment of alliances following an end to the American-Israeli war on Iran, analysts said.
Britain to buy fleet of 20 drone ships for the Royal Navy
UK Defence Journal – The Royal Navy is preparing to acquire a fleet of 20 uncrewed surface vessels under a programme known as Project Beehive, according to a newly published procurement notice.
(Thanks to Alain)
UK Grows Its Defensive Posture Abroad In Response To Iran Conflict
The War Zone – The British Armed Forces have bolstered their air defense presence in the region, but it has also shown cracks in readiness.
Pentagon funds Patriot interceptor integration for Navy destroyers
Defence Blog – The United States Department of War allocated $65 million in fiscal year 2026 funding to integrate the Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptor with the Navy’s Aegis combat system on guided-missile destroyers. The integration would allow the Army’s Patriot interceptor to launch from Mk 41 vertical launch systems, expanding layered missile defense capabilities for U.S. naval forces.
(Thanks to Alain)
3 Cargo Ships Damaged in Suspected Iranian Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz
USNI News – Suspected Iranian projectiles hit three commercial ships Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
Kevin Rowlands reacts to the prospect of escorting convoys of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz
RUSI – Protecting maritime trade means having shared situational awareness and distributed presence rather than large visible formations which might serve only as big targets.
UK’s ‘hunter-killer’ submarine cuts short Australia mission – as Iran threat rises
iPaper – A British “hunter-killer” submarine could be on its way to the Middle East after cutting short its mission in Australia, military experts believe.
(Thanks to Alain)
Philippine Marine BrahMos Force Stands Up Northern Luzon Unit
Naval News – Manila’s northernmost territories will host an element from the Philippine Marine Corps BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missile-armed Coastal Defense Regiment, extending the reach of the force’s newly acquired maritime strike capabilities to the strategic Luzon Strait.
U.S. Striking Iranian Navy Ships With Ballistic Missiles
The War Zone – The U.S. military has been using M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to strike Iranian ships as part of Operation Epic Fury. Since the current conflict erupted, the only munitions those launchers have been seen firing are Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) short-range ballistic missiles. PrSM has made its combat debut against Iran, and the newly disclosed operational details raise the question of whether an anti-ship version has been fielded.
HMS Dragon sails for Cyprus – what it takes to prepare a warship for operations at short notice
Navy Lookout – Today, HMS Dragon left Portsmouth on her way to the eastern Mediterranean, primarily to protect Cyprus from Iranian drone or missile attack. Putting aside the wider arguments about Royal Navy readiness, here we briefly consider what it takes to get a warship ready for an operational deployment.
10 Additional French Warships to be Sent to the Middle East
Naval News – Announced by French President Emmanuel Macron on the 9th of March, 10 additional French warships are being pledged to the Middle Eastern theater amidst the ongoing war with Iran.
Operation Epic Escort
USNI News – The U.S. Military is Weighing How to Move Ships Through the Strait of Hormuz as Oil Prices Surge.
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