The War Zone – ATACMS and PrSM ballistic missiles have played a key role in destroying Iran’s Navy from afar.
Missile Attacks Define Strait of Hormuz Risks, Officials Say
USNI News – Missiles are currently the largest threat to merchant shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf instead of sea mines, defense officials told reporters Friday.
Up close with the Royal Navy’s uncrewed minehunting programme
Navy Lookout – Recent events in the Gulf have put the UK’s mine countermeasures capability in the spotlight. The RN is transitioning from crewed minehunters to autonomous platforms with the Franco-British Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) programme, moving from demonstration to operational reality. Here we consider this complex system-of-systems and the profound cultural shift now underway in how the RN approaches mine warfare.
A Case for Airborne Mine Warfare
Center for Maritime Security – As the threat from naval mines persists, and in some regions grows, the United States is gradually moving away from one of its most effective countermeasures: airborne mine warfare.
USS Tripoli, 31st MEU Heading to the Middle East
USNI News – Big deck amphibious warship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) and its embarked Marines are heading to the Middle East as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran enters its third week.
Royal Marine commandos deploy from a German submarine during NATO exercise in the Arctic
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)
NOSI - Naval Open Source Intelligence™ 
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