Royal Navy – The UK announces the purchase of 150 Joint Strike Fighters. These will be the STOVL version and will operate from the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers which will not be equipped initially with catapults or arresting wires, although they may be retrofitted for these if needed.

• BBC: UK to buy 150 fighter planes
  

• United Press International: Analysis: Britain to build new carriers
• Daily Telegraph: MoD orders £13bn carriers and jets

US Navy – Aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, in the Gulf.

• San Diego Union Tribune: U.S. carrier in Gulf poised for any Iraq attack
  

Chinese Navy – Putting the Chinese Navy’s around the world cruise in perspective, several analysts give their insights into what China is up to, navally.

• Retuers: Chinese navy cruises toward modernisation

Royal Australian Navy – Fishing pirates raid Australia’s fishing zones, Australia is helpless to stop them.

• ABC: Poaching problem in Australia’s southern ocean
• Reuters: Reuters

Omani Navy – Oman and Pakistan are exercising together.

• MENL: Oman, Pakistan Launch Naval Exercise

Singaporean Navy – Singapore and Malaysia are exercising together.

• The Straits Times: Joint naval exercise

US Navy – The American military presence in Djibouti grows.

• Associated Press: U.S. Military Grows in Djibouti
  

Canadian Navy – Canada is considering leasing its future support and transport ships.

• Halifax Herald: Navy Looks at Leasing Ships

US Coast Guard – New Integrated Coast Guard Systems venture team wins largest Coast Guard procurement program ever.

• Sea Power: Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Ready to Go on Deepwater Contract

Background – Iraq – An excellent overview, by Robert Kaplan, of what would await the US in a post-Saddam Iraq. Call this the optimist’s view???

• The Atlantic: A Post-Saddam Scenario