– US Naval Institute Proceedings – Thinking outside the paradigms of hull shapes and numbers of ships can lead to some interesting concepts for fleet design. First and foremost, modern naval warfare is all about missiles.
Israel Just Launched A Containerized Ballistic Missile From The Deck Of A Ship
– War Zone – On June 20, 2017, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) said it had successfully test-fired its Long-Range Artillery (LORA) system from a containerized launcher on the back of a truck sitting on the deck of a cargo ship.
Standing Up the NIWDC with Captain John Watkins
– CIMSEC – An interview with Captain John Watkins, the first commanding officer of the Naval Information Warfighting Development Center (NIWDC).
Normalizing Military Options in the South China Sea
– CIMSEC – The series of moves by Beijing in the South China Sea are not only tactical decision points, but part of a broader strategic narrative aimed at regional competitors, periphery countries, and the United States. Beijing is sidestepping concerns over its militarization in the region by simply continuing on its own agenda. By downplaying controversial decisions and promoting “standard” and “scheduled” actions or exercises, Beijing is shaping the narrative to its benefit. Additionally, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership is pursuing multiple avenues to promote mutual interests with its neighbors and shift attention away militarization efforts.
Afghanistan: It’s Too Late
– New York Review of Books – Ahmed Rashid says prospects for any sort of positive outcome to the war in Afghanistan are as remote as they have been in this sixteen-year war.
Navy Must Boost Carrier Air Wings’ Range, Size & Lethality
– Breaking Defense – The Navy needs more new strike fighters to cope with falling readiness rates. Will they be Super Hornets, F-35s or Block III Super Hornets? What mix does the US Navy need as it grapples with boosting the size of the fleet to 355 ships? And what about the MQ-25 Stingray? Should it be a tanker or a bomber or change over time?
Saudi navy seizes boat with weapons near offshore oilfield
– Reuters – The Saudi navy seized a boat carrying weapons as it approached the kingdom’s offshore Marjan oilfield in the Gulf on Friday evening.
US coalition downs first Syria government jet
– BBC – A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet has shot down a Syrian military plane in Raqqa province.
Navy ‘Taking a Hard Look’ at Bringing Back Oliver Hazard Perry Frigates, DDG Life Extensions as Options to Build Out 355 Ship Fleet
– USNI News – Studies are underway to “take a hard look” at putting eight mothballed Oliver Hazard Perry frigates back into service as well as extending the life of existing Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyers to help the Navy reach its goal of a 355-ship fleet
USS Fitzgerald crash: Seven navy crew missing off Japan
– BBC – Seven US Navy crew members are missing after their ship collided with a merchant vessel off the coast of Japan.
Navy Has Picked the First Two Carriers to Fly MQ-25A Stingray Unmanned Aerial Refueling Tankers
– USNI News – USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) will be the first two carriers to field the Navy’s MQ-25A Stingray unmanned aerial refueling tanker.
Costs soar for new USS Ford, an aircraft carrier hobbled by flaws in launching, landing planes
– Virginian Pilot – The newest and costliest U.S. aircraft carrier, praised by President Donald Trump and delivered to the Navy on May 31 with fanfare, has been dogged by trouble with fundamentals: launching jets from its deck and catching them when they land.
Navy fighter jets aren’t consistently providing pilots with high-quality breathing air, report says
– Virginian Pilot – The systems used to generate oxygen aboard the Navy’s fighter jets need to be redesigned because they aren’t consistently providing pilots with high-quality breathing air, which can lead to an oxygen-deprivation condition known as hypoxia, according to a report released Thursday.
Waters of Black Gold: The Straits of Hormuz Part 2
– CIMSEC – This article will focus on Iran’s actual maritime capabilities and discusses whether their threats to close down oil shipment in the Strait of Hormuz are credible or not.
U.S. Options for the People’s Republic of China’s Maritime Militias
– CIMSEC – How should the U.S. military counter China’s maritime irregulars at sea?
Peek Around Inside The Navy’s Stealth Destroyer By Watching This Video
– War Zone – The Zumwalt’s interior spaces are remarkably uncluttered and spacious for a Navy surface combatant.
China’s Aircraft Carrier: ‘Dreadnought’ or ‘Doctrinal Dilemma’?
– CIMSEC – What dilemma does China’s new aircraft carrier fleet present to China?
Iranian Navy Missile Boat Harasses Three U.S. Navy Ships, Marine Helo in Strait of Hormuz
– USNI News – Three U.S. Navy ships and a Marine helicopter were harassed during a night transit of the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, including the shining of a laser at a CH-53 helicopter.
How to fast-track to an improved Navy
– Defense News – U.S. Marines based out of Norway, another Marine expeditionary unit operating from Sicily. U.S. submarines forward-deployed to Scotland, littoral combat ships in the Mediterranean. Supply ships, fleet oilers and amphibious ships armed with cruise missiles. A third aviation-centered assault ship. More networked connectivity. Those are just some of the changes and enhancements proposed by the new iNavy concept – i for Improved Navy — a set of force enhancements that, according to its proponents, can be implemented over the next five years to make the existing fleet more lethal and effective.
Being SECNAV with Ray Mabus
– CIMSEC – A conversation with Ray Mabus, former Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV), to talk about his experience leading the Navy.
Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2017
– US Department of Defense – The DOD’s latest update on Chinese military power.
US Navy Looking At Bringing Retired Carrier USS Kitty Hawk Out Of Mothballs
– The War Zone – Bringing back its last operational conventionally powered supercarrier would help the Navy make its 12 carrier fleet goal a reality.
The Arming of China’s Maritime Frontier
– US Naval War College China Maritime Reports – China’s expansion in maritime East Asia has relied heavily on non-naval elements of sea power, above all white-hulled constabulary forces. This reflects a strategic decision. Coast guard vessels operating on the basis of routine administration and backed up by a powerful military can achieve many of China’s objectives without risking an armed clash, sullying China’s reputation, or provoking military intervention from outside powers…but this decision is undergoing a change…
Marine Airpower’s Future: Networking F-35s, V-22s, & MUX Drones
– Breaking Defense – The Marine Corps’ top pilot sketched a vision of fast-paced and networked air operations, spearheaded by F-35 fighters, V-22 tiltrotors, and the future MUX drones, all linked to each other and the rest of the force by Link-16 and MADL.
Sailors abandoning Royal Navy’s new warship ‘because they are bored’, it is claimed
– Daily Telegraph – he Navy’s delayed new aircraft carrier is facing a morale crisis, it has been claimed, as sailors ‘abandon ship’ because they are bored. In the last few weeks, around 21 sailors have quit aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth – the largest and most powerful warship ever built for the Royal Navy – amid claims morale has dropped “to an all-time low”
