US Navy – More on the debate over low frequency active sonar (LFAS).

• Environment News Service: U.S. Navy’s Loud Ocean Sonar Draws Intense Objections
• Stars and Stripes: Whales Are All Ears for Navy

US Navy – US forces in the Gulf, including the 5th Fleet, have been placed on high alert after the verdict in the US African embassies bombing case.

• BBC: US Gulf forces ‘on high alert’
  

Indian Navy – French firms are attempting to sell the Indian Navy stealth frigates and new-generation attack submarines.

• Times of India: France woos India with killer subs, stealth technology

US Navy – A strategic look at the EP-3 incident, from naval analyst Norman Friedman. Was the EP-3 the victim of a deliberate attack?

• US Naval Institute Proceedings: Confronting the Chinese
  

US Navy – The USS Inchon has been refused a previously scheduled portcall in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, an agreement has almost been reached to disassemble the EP-3 and fly it home in an AN-124 airlifter.

• BBC: China snubs US again

Uruguayan Marines – The Congo River in Congo is being reopened to traffic after being closed for years by warring parties. The UN is patroling the river, using marine forces from member nations.

• Associated Press: Vital Congo River declared open after years of war
  

Swedish Navy – Tales of the bizarre: Swedish warships are to spend most of the rest of the year moored in port because of an overtime ban on the country’s defense forces.

• ABC: Regular Hours
  

Royal Navy – The Royal Navy is defending the safety record of the EH-101 Merlin helicopter.

• Jane’s: UK Royal Navy defends Merlin safety
  

US Marines – Blunt talk from General Anthony Zinni on what the US military really needs today.

• Virginian Pilot: Retired Marine general delivers straight talk
  

Phillipine and Malaysian Navies – The Phillipine and Malaysian Navies are searching for 20 tourists who were kidnapped from a Phillipine island resort by Muslim rebels and taken away via the sea.

• CNN: Sea hunt for Philippines resort raiders
• ABC: Philippines seek help of Malaysian Navy to track Muslim rebels

South Korean Navy – Another North Korean patrol boat has penetrated South Korean waters.

• ABC: S.Korea Says N.Korea Patrol Boat Intruded Briefly
  

US Navy – Can “network-centric warfare” really work in the US Navy, or will it be undermined by how the Navy really operates?

• US Naval Institute Proceedings: Network-Centric Warfare Meets the Laws
  of the Navy

US Navy – The US Navy is involved in tapping undersea fiber optic cables on behalf of the National Security Agency. This apparently will be one of the key missions of the USS Jimmy Carter, the Seawolf-class nuclear attack submarine that is being extensively modified for clandestine operations. Interestingly, the problem of tapping the cable pales in comparison to the problem of analysing all the data on the cable once it is obtained.

• Wall Street Journal: Spy agency taps into undersea cable

Background – World Naval Affairs – Hot-off-the-press, mandatory reading! The Jane’s Fighting Ships Market Review for 2001-2002 by its new editor, CDR Stephen Saunders RN. This is a long essay of the highest caliber that should be read by all serious students of naval affairs.

• Jane’s Fighting Ships: Fighting Ships 2001-2002

Royal Australian Navy – Parts of Australia are facing a fuel crisis due to Exercise Tandem Thrust.

• BBC: War games drain Queensland’s fuel
  

US Navy – The USS Eisenhower begins a 4 year long overhaul and mid life nuclear refueling.

• Virginian Pilot: Carrier heads to Newport News for overhaul
  

US Navy – The US Navy is evaluating floating barriers to protect its ships in port.

• San Diego Union Tribune: Navy hopes floating barriers can stop terrorists

US Navy – US military satellite systems are highly vulnerable to attack.

• MSNBC: The threat
  over the horizon

Israeli Navy – Israeli gunboats are participating in attacks against Palestinian targets in the Gaza Strip.

• Jerusalem Post: Navy, air force hit targets in Gaza
  

Background – Middle East – Could we be heading towards open war in the Middle East?

• Washington Times: Unmistakable drift toward

US Navy – A skeptical view of what will really be the ultimate product of the US defense review.

• Washington Post: The Defense Comfort Blanket

Taiwanese Navy – The Taiwanese Navy has returned from its overseas exercises.

• Taipei Times: Fleet returns from overseas tour

Malaysian Navy – There are three competitors to sell the Malaysian Navy its new attack submarines, but the real question is not who will be chosen, but instead whether Malaysia can afford them.

• Jane’s: Three-way battle for Malaysian submarine deal
  

US Navy – The defense review is expected to emphasize a focus on the Pacific over Europe and long range weapons over forward bases.

• New York Times (registration required): Pentagon Review Puts Emphasis on Long-Range Arms in Pacific
  

US Navy – Is the US Navy considering reestablishing a naval base in Vietnam?

• Reuters: Vietnam Says No Talks Held on U.S. Military Base
  

US Navy – The US Navy is carrying out a humanitarian mission in Indonesia, the first such exercise with Indonesia since 1999. The ships are the landing ship USS Rushmore and guided missile frigate USS Wadsworth.

• Associated Press: U.S. military carries out humanitarian mission in Indonesia
  

US Navy – The EP-3 pilot’s account of what occured off the Chinese coast and why the aircraft could not be ditched at sea.

• Jane’s: ‘Inside’ account further exonerates EP-3 pilot

Chinese Navy – The Chinese Navy boarded a fishing trawler suspected of smuggling that was in Taiwanese waters.

• Associated Press: Chinese Navy Detains Taiwan Boat
  

US Navy – A preview of the contentious process behind the defense reform to be unveiled this week.

• Washington Post: Rumsfeld on High Wire of Defense Reform

French Navy – The nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was formally accepted last week by the French Navy.

• ABC: France puts costly new nuclear-powered carrier into service

Royal New Zealand Navy – More on the New Zealand decision to scrap their combat aircraft. Meanwhile the opposition has stated their support in reconstituting the combat aircraft if they are reelected, perhaps in a joint force with Australia.

• Jane’s: New Zealand scraps air combat role
• Times of India: NZ Opposition for merging air force with Australia
• Stuff: English explains stand on fighters

US Navy – In a bid to improve aircraft carrier survivability, the US Navy intends to install the Cooperative Engagement Capability on all its ships.

• NY Times (registration required): New technology enlisted to save aircraft carrier

US Navy – Good, pensive reading for a Sunday: the summary of a meeting held to help determine what US ASW efforts should be today and in the future. The concern is that ASW is not receiving enough emphasis today, with the Soviet threat essentially gone; but that there is a new, equally important threat today and in the future – non-nuclear attack submarines operated by developing nations which could play a key role during major regional conflicts. In our next major regional conflict, will SCUD hunting be replaced by ASW hunting?

• MIT Security Studies Program: Antisubmarine Warfare
  after the Cold War

US Navy – The LPD-17 San Antonio-class ships will be key to the US Navy’s expeditionary warfare capabilities.

• Jane’s: LPD-17 – the key to transformed expeditions

US Navy – Dominance of the seas today requires dominance of space???

• MSNBC: Forward, march ??? into space

Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force – Japan is tired of being bullied by China. The bullying includes sending spy ships into the waters around Japan and China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea which are important trade routes for Japan.

• International Herald Tribune: China’s Bullying of Japan Is Bound to Backfire

Iranian Navy – The Iranian Navy will acquire advanced Yakhont cruise missiles from Russia.

• Times of London (registration required): Russia sells missiles to Iran

US Navy – If “smart ships” with reduced crew are to survive they must be able to automate many aspects of damage control. Here is an example of how they may do it.

• Science Daily: Research Could Help Warships Survive Combat

US Navy – The US Navy is developing small robotic craft that mimic marine animals to perform functions such as mine clearing.

• Times of London (registration required): Pentagon sends robo-lobster on ocean patrol

Indian Navy – A cruise through the International Fleet Review, by one who was on the President of India’s yacht.

• Rediff: Spectacular Fleet Review salutes Navy’s grand tradition

US Navy – The threat from sea mines, the weapon that waits, is greater than ever — so the US Navy is exploring the use of robotic vehicles to help clear them.

• Wired: Sea Mines: An Explosive Problem
  

US Navy – The US Navy appears to be getting its money’s worth out of its Cyclone-class patrol coastal vessels.

• Virginian Pilot: Two ships change commands in historic dual ceremony

Egyptian Navy – The Egyptian Navy has purchased two vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) for use in aerial surveillance. The UAVs will be used on Egyptian frigates.

• Jane’s: Egyptian Navy secures Camcopter deal
  

Indian Navy – The fast attack craft INS Tillanchang has been christened.

• The Hindu: INS Tillanchang commissioned

Taiwanese Navy – The Taiwanese military has lost its reason for being – reconquest of the mainland – and is so short on trained personnel it may not be able to operate the naval ships the Bush administration has promised it.

• The International News: Identity crisis is not the only problem plaguing Taiwan’s military
  

Russian Navy – The salvage of the Kursk will begin in June.

• BBC: Kursk salvage to begin ‘in June’
  

Malaysian Navy – Malaysia continues to shop for new submarines, to counter those obtained last year by Singapore.

• Associated Press: Malaysia Mulls Buying S Korea-Made Submarines

Chinese Navy – The Chinese Navy is sending two ships on a port visit to Mumbai. They may exercise with the Indian Navy afterwards. Meanwhile the Indian Navy continues to send its vessels on goodwill visits.

• Indian Express: China to send two of its Navy ships to Mumbai
  

Israeli Navy – The Israeli Navy has captured a fishing boat that was attempting to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip.

• BBC: Israel seizes ‘Palestinian missiles’
  

• Reuters: Israeli Navy captures arms ship off North Coast

Taiwanese Navy – The Taiwanese mull over whether or not it would be a good idea to accept those Kidd-class destroyers after all???

• ABC News: Taiwan Wrangles Over U.S. Arms Offer
  

• Los Angeles Times: 2d Thoughts in Taipei on Those U.S. Weapons

US Navy – Northrup has also bid for Newport News, challenging General Dynamic’s previous offer.

• Reuters: Northrop bids on Newport News, matches GD offer
  

Pakistani Navy – More on the significance of the recent exercises between the Pakistani and Myanmarese Navies.

• The Hindu: Pak. naval ships in Myanmaron eve of Musharraf visit

US Marines – An analysis of the advantages of the MV-22 Osprey, illustrated by showing how it would have been employed over the last decade if it had been available.

• Marine Corps Gazette: Tiltrotor Advantages to Assault Support

US Navy – The US Navy ELF communications system for communications with ballistic missile submarines was put out of action for 24 hours last year by 2 anti-nuclear activists with a chainsaw???

• Duluth Tribune: Anti-nuclear activists sentenced for damaging Navy antenna

Background – Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles – An update on UCAV’s, including what their projected capabilities will be in USAF and USN versions.

• Jane’s: UCAVs spread their wings

Royal Australian Navy – The Royal Australian Navy, in concert with the US Navy, has launched Exercise Tandem Thrust off the Great Barrier Reef.

• The Age: Military exercise launched on reef

Malaysian Navy – The Malaysian Navy continues to intercept fishing trawlers fishing illegally in its territory.

• The Star: Navy detains two more Vietnamese trawlers

Chinese Navy – The Chinese Navy has purchased 2 more Sovremenny-class guided missile destroyers from Russia.

• Washington Times: Inside the Ring

Taiwanese Navy – The downside of Taiwan’s accepting the Kidd-class destroyers – are they too big a drain on the Taiwanese Navy’s resources?

• Taipei Times: Naval strategy needs more thought

Asian Navies – Background – A preview of the IMDEX Asia 2001 show.

• Jane’s: IMDEX Asia 2001

Royal New Zealand Navy – New Zealand has released a new defense policy. The ANZAC frigates will be retained, the P-3 Orions will be upgraded, and the A-4 Skyhawks will be scrapped.

• New Zealand Herald: Plan gives a sustainable, affordable path forward
  

Background – Undersea weapons – A review of the state-of-the-art in undersea supercavitating weapons, including supercavitating torpedoes such as the Shkval .

• Scientific American: Warp drive underwater

US Navy – The US is rethinking how it goes about enforcing the no-fly zones over Iraq — as the Iraqi’s increase their chances of downing a patroling aircraft.

• Washington Post: Cuts Urged In Patrols Over Iraq
• BBC: US generals urge Iraq patrol cuts
  

Royal Australian Navy – More on the Global Hawk’s pioneering flight to Australia, and the role it could play in maritime surveillance.

• Jane’s: UAV makes record-breaking transPacific flight
  

• Jane’s: Australian maritime missions await Global Hawk UAV

US Navy – A description of the US global signals intelligence gathering capabilities.

• MSNBC: Americaís global embrace

US Navy – A succint description of why the US Navy wants to keep using Vieques – for realistic training.

• Chicago Sun Times: Why the Navy wants to stay at Vieques

US Navy – The US has resumed ELINT missions off China yesterday, using a RC-135 this time. There was no response from the Chinese. Meanwhile, a US team has examined the EP-3 and determined that it could be fixed and flown home from China.

• BBC: US resumes spy plane flights
  

Royal Navy – The nuclear attack submarine HMS Tireless, stranded at Gibraltar for nearly 12 months while undergoing repairs to its nuclear reactor, has set sail, presumably for home.

• BBC: Nuclear sub leaves Gibraltar
  

Indian Navy – The Indian Navy has purchased the Barak anti-missile defense system from Israel. Meanwhile, the Commander of the Indian Navy is visiting Israel to inspect the system.

• The Hindustan Times: Israel to give India anti-missile system
  

• Jerusalem Post: Indian navy chief visits

US Navy – A possible future for the US Navy that is being pushed by some elements within the Pentagon – smaller and more numerous ships using unique hull forms.

• MSNBC: In the Navy, size does matter

Indian Navy – An interview with the Indian Naval Chief, at the time of the International Fleet Review held in February.

• Rediff: The Indian Navy is a stabilizing force in the region