US Coast Guard – The Coast Guard is recallling its port security forces which were sent to the Gulf after the Cole bombing because the Pentagon will not reimburse them for their efforts; they will be replaced by Naval Reserve Inshore Boat Units.

• Virginian Pilot: Coast Guard recalls units from Persian Gulf
  

US Navy – Mothballed ships are being turned into artificial reefs.

• Virginian Pilot: Navy ship begins trip to the bottom
  

Background – US Defense Review – Neither US political party is happy with the route the defense review is taking.

• Economist: Cannon to right of him, cannon to left
  

Background – New Zealand – A further review of New Zealand’s plans for disarmament.

• Associated Press: New Zealand aims to set the world an example on defense

Taiwanese Navy – The Taiwanese Navy is investigating the recruitment of Russian submarine designers to help it design and manufacture its own attack submarines.

• Jane’s: Russians talk subs with Taipei
  

Royal Navy – The Royal Navy’s Triton trimaran is exercising off Norfolk. Preliminarily, it appears to provide a steadier, smoother and faster platform than single-hull designs.

• Virginian Pilot: U.K. displays prototype as U.S. aims for better ships
  

US Navy and Marine Corps – More on the high tech amphibious exercise Kernel Blitz Experimental.

• San Diego Union Tribune: Marine, Navy units to work out the bugs on high-tech battlefield
  

Royal Australian Navy – The Australian task force that was sent to East Timor in September 1999 was aggressively probed by Indonesian aircraft and submarines; the task force was often at battle stations; and Australian F-111’s were bombed up and ready to bomb Indonesian communication centers in Jakarta to ensure the safety of the task force.

• Daily Telegraph (registration required): Australia ‘was set to bomb Jakarta in Timor conflict’

US Navy – The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Scranton has recently surfaced at the North Pole.

• Virginian Pilot: Sub crew takes in view of world from North Pole
  

Royal Navy – HMS Beagle, is on its third and final survey mission of Sierra Leonean waters.

• All Africa: Royal Navy Surveys Freetown Peninsula

Indian Navy – Russia would like India to take over its naval base at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam.

• The Hindu: Funds crunch hits Russian naval presence in Vietnam

US Marines – The US Marines are adapting new camouflage uniforms, with high tech camouflage patterns.

• ABC: From Cammies to Pixies?

Royal Australian Navy – The Australian landing ship Kanimbla is standing ready in Vanuatu to help in further relief efforts following last week’s eruption of Lopevi volcano.

• NewsRoom: Aussie Navy Ready

Indian Navy – INS Nirghat, a missile boat of the Indian Navy, sunk the wreck of the MT Hengsen, the Singapore tanker which had broken up on June 12, near Goa Harbor.

• The Hindu: Navy sinks tanker wreck
  

Russian Navy – The US and Russian navies have agreed to hold joint exercises together.

• Associated Press: Russian, U.S. naval commanders agree to cooperation projects
  

South Korean Navy – South Korea is calling for a maritime pact with North Korea to cover passage of North Korean commerical ships though South Korean territorial waters.

• Reuters: South Korea Calls for Maritime Pact with North

US Navy – President Bush will live aboard the USS Enterprise while attending the G8 summitt in Italy, for security reasons.

• Daily Telgraph (registration required): Bush to live on aircraft carrier at G8 summit

US Navy and Canadian Navy – A US Navy intelligence officer and a Canadian helicopter pilot are both claiming that while observing a Russian intelligence gathering ship near Puget Sound which monitors Trident missile submarines, they were attacked by a laser weapon from the ship and suffered visual damage. The US officer is suing the Russian civilian company that owns and operates the ship; the Canadian pilot has been discharged from his service.

• Washington Times: Navy officer sues over laser attack
• Halifax Herald: Pilot forced out after laser incident

Chinese Navy – The Chinese are placing anti-ship cruise missiles on Woody Island, in the Parcel Islands, in the South China Sea. The missiles will be within range of important sea lanes.

• Washington Times: Inside the Ring

US Marines – The V-22 Osprey is not likely to return to the air until 2002.

• Dallas Morning News: V-22s not likely to return to air this year

US Navy – The US Navy is on high alert in the Gulf for possible terrorist activity against it after the verdict against the Khobar Towers bombers in Saudi Arabia, and all of its ships were sent to sea.

• CNN: U.S. military in Gulf on highest state of alert

Royal Navy – The UK confirmed that it will indeed purchase two new aircraft carriers

• BBC: Hoon to confirm ‘supercarrier’
  

• Daily Telegraph (registration required): New aircraft carriers on the way

Royal Navy – The UK purchase of the Joint Strike Fighter will replace both Royal Navy and Royal Air Force Harriers.

• Jane’s: Renamed aircraft project reflects joint RN/RAF role
  

Malaysian Navy – Piracy, as a form of for-profit hostage taking, is on the rise in Malaysia.

• Associated Press: Ransom-hungry pirates copy Abu Sayyaf

Columbian Marines – Columbian Marines are fighting a riverine operation against drug traffickers.

• Christian Science Monitor: Rivers: the last frontier in coca war

US Coast Guard – A day in the life of the US Coast Guard.

• Dayton Daily News: Coast Guard protects, patrols

US Navy – Life aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt .

• Dayton Daily News: Aboard a city in the sea

Indian Navy – The Indian Navy’s continued quest for Russian-built nuclear powered submarines.

• Times of India: India plans to acquire latest submarines

Background – US Defense Review – The two war strategy is on the way out, the new defense strategy should be released by the end of the summer and will revolve around long-range precision warfare.

• Washington Post / Thomas Ricks: Defense Reforms to Guard Against Emerging Threats
• Daily Telegraph (registration required): US admits that it cannot fight two wars at once
• Daily Telegraph / John Keegan (registration required): Pentagon freed from menace of war in Europe

Royal Navy – The Royal Navy is to get its two aircraft carriers, an announcement is expected soon.

• The Sunday Times (registration required): Navy to get two ‘super’ aircraft carriers

US Navy – So where will the US Navy do it’s pre-deployment training, now that “irreplaceable” Vieques is going away? Florida is lobbying to pick up some of the load???

• CNN:
  Florida eyes Navy training switch from Puerto Rico

US Marines – Exercise Kernel Blitz Experimentation 2001 is underway in the Pacific, with a focus on testing new information technology.

• North County Times: Exercise to put technology to the test

US Navy – 16 navies are involved in the inaugural Western Pacific Mine Counter Measure Exercise and Diving Exercise off Singapore and Indonesia.

• Associated Press: U.S., Chinese officers meet on USS Inchon in South China Sea exercise
• Associated Press: US, China and 14 other navies practice mine hunt in South China Sea
  

Canadian Navy – Canada appears to be compromising excellence in its choice of helicopters to replace its 40 year old Sea King helicopters, in order that it not choose today the same helicopter it ordered and then canceled as being too expensive in 1993 – the EH-101.

• Reuters: Canadian govt. hits turbulence on helicopter bid

Canadian Navy – ???meanwhile the Sea Kings will have to be kept aloft, at greater and greater prices???while they continue to suffer accidents due to their age???

• Ottawa Citizen: Sea King upgrade cost climbs $26M

Background – Piracy – More stories of piracy, with the theme that ultimately the Indonesian Navy is most responsible for allowing this to occur as 25% of all piracy attacks occur off Indonesia. With Indonesia descending into anarchy, the situation is bound to worsen.

• Washington Post: Pirates Flourish on Asian Seas

US Navy – F/A-18’s from the USS Constellation have struck anti aircraft targets in Southern Iraq again.

• Times of India: US warplanes strike Iraqi targets

Russian Navy – Vietnam will not renew the Russian lease on the base at Cam Ranh Bay, and instead will use it for civilian purposes.

• BBC: Vietnam will not lease naval base

French Navy – A French Navy patrol boat has rescued survivors from a ship that sunk off Madagascar.

• CNN: French navy rescues 26 Madagascar wreck survivors

US Navy – The DD-21 program is in jeopardy, as it did not win the approval of the ongoing defense review.

• Boston Globe: Pentagon leaves out destroyer, in loss to Maine

US Marine Corps – The US Marines are considering moving some of their training off of Okinawa.

• Reuters: U.S. Mulls Moving Marine Training From Japan

Russian Navy – The Russian Navy has begun work on a new class of fast attack craft – the Scorpion.

• Jane’s: Russia begins work on new fast attack craft
  

US Navy, US Marine Corps, US Coast Guard – The US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard have just completed a large riverine exercise.

• Jacksonville Daily: Military coordination tested
  

Background – Caspian Sea – There are continued fears of an arms race beginning in the Caspian Sea.

• Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty: Caspian: Arms Race Fears Grow

Royal Navy – Why the Royal Navy will probably get the two aircraft carriers it needs, and what the British will have to sacrifice militarily to do so.

• Daily Telegraph (registration required): Secret defence cuts that Labour will unveil after the election

South Korean Navy – South Korea wishes to discuss with North Korea the large number of recent territorial water incursions.

• ABC: S.Korea Seeks Talks with North on Ship Incursions
  

Chinese Navy – Another analysis that argues the Chinese military is a paper tiger.

• Stratfor: China’s Firepower Lacks Real Punch
  

Russian Navy – The Russian Navy deployed a ballistic missile submarine to the Pacific Ocean for the first time this year.

• Washington Times: Inside The Ring

Russian Navy – More on the new nuclear attack submarine Gepard.

• Times of London (registration required): ‘Red October’ submarine brought to life

US Navy – The first part of the US defense review was made public yesterday. It calls for the creation of “Global Joint Response Forces” capable of intervening in a hostile environment within 24 hours. The review recommended acceleration of the Joint Strike Fighter program, but did not recommend continuation of the CVX and DD-21 programs.

• Washington Post: Quick Strike Forces Urged for Military

Royal New Zealand Navy – The recent New Zealand Defence Review has effective taken New Zealand out of the Five Power Defence Arrangement with Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and Britain.

• The Evening Post: Defence decisions scorned overseas, Bradford says
  

US Navy – The US Navy will cease using the Vieques range in 2003, and will seek alternative ranges for use after that time.

• Washington Post: Puerto Rico Bombing to End in 2003

Russian Navy – The Russian Navy is conducting operational testing of its new Improved Akula II submarine, the Gepard.

• ABC: Russians Test
  Super-Quiet Sub
  

Royal Navy – Further evidence of the financial difficulties facing the Royal Navy.

• Daily Telegraph (registration required): Cuts leave Navy ‘short of fuel’

Royal Navy – A memo written by the First Sea Lord states that budget cuts are preventing the Royal Navy and Royal Marines from meeting their operational committments.

• BBC: Navy ‘unfit for duty’
  

• Daily Telegraph (registration required):Cuts ‘leave Navy unfit to fight’
• The Times (registration required): Ministers told of risks to Navy

Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force – The new Japanese government appears to be willing to allow its self defense forces to play a more active military role; Japan – who has the second largest navy in the Pacific – could be an important counterbalance to China.

• Los Angeles Times: Self-Defense Forces May Soon Look Like a Modern Military

US Navy – How maritime pre positioning ships can enhance US security.

• Strategy Page: Ships That Wait

US Navy – Has the vaunted US defense review run into a brick wall?

• Washington Post:
  Rumsfeld in Full Retreat

US Coast Guard – An editorial that makes the case for funding for the Coast Guard’s Deepwater program, given the importance of its mission.

• National Review: High-Seas, Low-Tech
  From a technology standpoint, todayís Coast Guard is more Horatio Hornblower than James Bond

US Navy – The US Navy has formally requested to lease the Norwegian Navy’s prototype of the Skjold-class fast attack craft for use with special forces.

• Jane’s: US Navy to test Skjold

Indian Navy – The third Talwar class frigate, INS Tabar, was launched last week in Russia.

• Times of India: 3 new frigates to strengthen Indian Navy

US Navy – An essay that calls for a naval treatyómuch like the 1972 Soviet-American Incidents at Sea Agreementóto outline a formal set of standards by which ships and aircraft of China and the US would be expected to behave.

• US Naval Institute Proceedings: We Can’t Let This Happen Again
  

South Korean Navy – South Korean forces chased North Korean cargo ships out of South Korean territorial waters.

• United Press International: N.Korean vessels violate S.Korean water

Chinese Navy – A Chinese destroyer and replenishment ship are making a port call in Mumbai, after making a similar port call in Pakistan.

• The Hindu: Chinese warships visiting India
  

Chinese Navy – The Chinese Navy is improving its underwater warfare skills.

• Washington Times: Inside the Ring

US Navy – A large joint riverine exercise involving the US Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Army is about to take place off Jacksonville, North Carolina

• Jacksonville Daily News: Riverine training taking big step

US Coast Guard – The cutter Sherman, on a goodwill visit to South Africa while returning from service in the Gulf, rescued a stricken car carrier off of South Africa’s coast which was in danger of running aground.

• All Africa: US Cutter Docks in V&A After Dramatic Sea Rescue
  

• Dispatch: US coast guard arrived in nick of time

Royal Australian Navy – The Collins-class submarines have received high praise from the US Navy after its stellar performance in exercise Tandem Thrust.

• ABC: Collins Class subs among best in world: US Navy