RUSI – If tomorrow’s wars are fought mainly by machines, victory belongs to the power that can fuse AI with robotics and build the result by the million. Today, that is China.
The Overstretch Facing the US Navy
RUSI – The US is exceeding its own plans for deployment of aircraft carriers, and the knock-on effects, and the strain, should be a cause for concern.
Asymmetric Spending: Taiwan’s Opportunities to Defend Against Economic Warfare
CIMSEC – Every strategy is ultimately shaped by geography, and no geography in the Indo-Pacific is more decisive than Taiwan’s location between the Strait and the Pacific. For decades, Taiwan, its partners, and even its adversaries have assumed that the island’s fate will be decided westward, across the Taiwan Strait. But the Strait is no longer a protective moat; it is a narrowing corridor easily sealed by missiles, naval patrols, and even insurance premiums. The waters that once carried Taiwan to prosperity now form the most vulnerable seam in its defenses. Taiwan’s endurance depends on building resilience at home and reorienting its future growth eastward.
CMSI Note 24: Crossing a Hellscape: PLA Views on New U.S. Military Concepts to Defend Taiwan
China Maritime Studies Institute – In August 2023, the United States Pacific Command (PACOM) first used the term “Hellscape” to describe a future Taiwan Strait battlefield. That same month the Pentagon unveiled the Replicator Initiative, which reportedly aims to rapidly field thousands of expendable uncrewed systems. Official People’s Liberation Army (PLA) sources have reacted to the U.S. military’s public remarks about Hellscape in a strident fashion. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) defense ministry spokesman said Americans advocating for the Hellscape concept “should prepare to burn in hell” and called such individuals “extremely psychotic.” Yet contrary to the PLA’s dismissive political rhetoric and claims that the U.S. is a “paper tiger,” many military experts in China take Hellscape and Replicator seriously and respect the core premise of employing large numbers of cheap drones, seeing it as one of the keys to the future of war.
US Navy eyes port stops in Africa, India after USS Abraham Lincoln’s marathon deployment
Defense News – The Navy’s top admiral says the service is changing how it does pre-deployment stocking and resupply and looking at different places to make port calls, including on the African continent, after the carrier Lincoln’s punishing 270-day deployment.
US Marine Corps Ground Combat Element 2040
US Marines – How Marine rifle squads plan To fight future wars dominated by drones.
India prepares final approval for long-delayed Project 75(I) submarine project with Germany
Army Recognition – The Indian Ministry of Defence has advanced the ₹70,000-crore ($7.31 billion) Project 75(I) submarine program to the Cabinet Committee on Security for final government authorization. The initiative targets the construction of six 3,000-tonne diesel-electric attack submarines at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai in partnership with Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. This procurement serves as a critical fleet-renewal initiative to integrate fuel-cell Air-Independent Propulsion technology and replace aging Sindhughosh and Shishumar-class submarines currently exceeding 30 to 40 years in service.
(Thanks to Alain)
US Navy destroyer USS Benfold suffers four-day power blackout in South China Sea amid growing fleet crisis
Army Recognition – On July 24, 2026, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG-65) suffered a four-day total electrical blackout during routine operations in the South China Sea. An engineering casualty involving its gas-turbine generators paralyzed propulsion, maneuvering, climate control, and life-support systems, requiring the warship to be towed to Subic Bay in the Philippines for repairs. The failure highlights acute maintenance and operational force-structure pressures on forward-deployed U.S. Navy surface combatants in the Indo-Pacific theatre.
(Thanks to Alain)
Liberator: Understanding the U.S. Navy’s New Seabed Carrier Killer
Naval News – Liberator has emerged from the U.S. Navy’s budget as a high-end standoff capability for uncrewed undersea vehicles (UUVs), enabling the deployment of heavyweight torpedoes on the seafloor.
Japan’s Submarine-Launched Hypersonic Missile Plan Signals a New Era in Indo-Pacific Deterrence
Army Recognition – Japan plans to begin developing an underwater-launched hypersonic missile under its fiscal 2027 defense program, according to reports published by Kyodo News and TASS on August 19, 2026, potentially giving Tokyo a more survivable and harder-to-detect long-range strike option. Combining hypersonic weapons with submerged launch platforms could significantly strengthen Japan’s counterstrike posture by allowing conventional strike assets to remain concealed, reposition across wide operating areas, and reduce an adversary’s ability to locate and continuously track them before launch.
(Thanks to Alain)
U.S. Fires JAGM Missiles from Saildrone Surveyor USV to Expand Distributed Firepower at Sea
Army Recognition – Lockheed Martin and Saildrone launched two JAGM missiles from a Surveyor-class unmanned surface vessel during RIMPAC 2026, demonstrating that the platform can receive external targeting data and execute a remote engagement. The test advances the US Navy’s effort to distribute sensing and firepower across unmanned vessels while reducing reliance on crewed combatants for forward presence.
(Thanks to Alain)
Ukraine’s Newest USV Is A Super Sized Mothership Packed With Anti-Drone Interceptors
The War Zone – Designed for days-long open ocean operations, the Magura MV11 can act as a floating counter-drone battery.
Royal Navy considers Australian radar technology for its future fleet
Naval News – The UK is examining Australia’s CEAFAR radar technology for possible use by the RN and in land-based applications. The radar could become an important part of the future hybrid fleet, but its adoption would raise questions about Britain’s own naval radar technology and industrial sovereignty.
World’s First Military Drone Parade: What We Saw On The Water
Naval News – Military parades are normally measured by the number of troops marching, or the quantity of big, expensive bits of kit on display. Ukraine’s Independence Day parade on August 24th changed the rules. It was the first drone-only parade of its kind, and a showcase of real military capabilities, not just prototypes or demonstrators. The parade included an impressive display of naval drones.
Hybrid Navy: Building the Maritime Operating System
RUSI – To implement the Hybrid Navy, the Royal Navy must follow the example of other successful technology transformations and build an ecosystem, not just a Fleet.
Australia lays keel of first Hunter-class frigate amid concerns over weight
Navy Lookout – Australia has laid the keel of the first Hunter-class frigate, marking the start of full assembly of the Royal Australian Navy’s new generation of anti-submarine warships. The Hunter design is derived from the Royal Navy’s Type 26 but has evolved into a considerably larger and differently equipped ship.
STR8 Industries Reveals Made in Taiwan Ghostwake USV
Naval News – STR8 Industries has developed Ghostwake, an unmanned surface vessel that the firm designed for operations across the first island chain and production through Taiwan’s industrial base.
The Risks of Downplaying China’s Military
War on the Rocks – China has spent years modifying civilian ferries to launch amphibious armored vehicles, developing specialized equipment to move forces ashore without conventional port facilities, hardening dozens of air bases, and rapidly expanding the missile forces that could be used to deter or defeat a U.S. intervention. Yet at the same time, a recurring line of analysis has argued that concerns about China’s military capabilities are overstated — and that an invasion of Taiwan remains beyond the reach of the People’s Liberation Army.
The Silent Threat: Overlooked Radiological Risk in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz
CIMSEC – Maritime security in the region remains predominantly focused on intercepting missiles and drones. There is limited insight into the actual movement of radioactive materials.
China’s Next Aircraft Carrier Is Taking Shape
The War Zone – China’s fourth aircraft carrier, which could be nuclear-powered, is looking more and more like a real ship.
AIM-424 “Malice” Very Long-Range Air-To-Air Missile Emerges From The Shadows
The War Zone – The Navy’s newest extreme-range air-to-air missile is intended to be used by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, F-35C JSF and the upcoming F/A-XX.
USS Abraham Lincoln Leaves the Middle East After Almost 7 Months
USNI News – Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) has left the Middle East after almost seven months and is now in U.S. 7th Fleet.
The US Navy has battled operational tempo ordeals for years. The Iran war exposed the flaws.
Defense News – Vague operational planning and a lack of transparency during U.S. actions in Iran have exacerbated the U.S. Navy’s longstanding logistics, maintenance and manpower issues — and sailors are feeling the effects, congressional leaders, retired military officials and deployed sailors have told Military Times.
China’s Massive New Artificial Island In The South China Sea Emerges, Primed For Militarization
The War Zone – What was a submerged reef a year ago is now a 1,500 acre artificial island with a large runway under construction, as China’s militarization of the South China Sea accelerates.
Stepping Stones to Security: Pacifying the Tunb Islands
CIMSEC – Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb occupy positions of strategic importance disproportionate to their size. Situated near the Strait of Hormuz, the three islands provide forward positions for surveillance, missiles, unmanned systems, and maritime interdiction. A territorial dispute dating back more than five decades has become part of the military architecture, and the ongoing war between the United States and Iran, surrounding one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
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