Xinhua – Chinese new naval flotilla sets sail for Gulf of Aden while merchant vessel still held by pirates
A new Chinese naval flotilla was deployed to the Gulf of Aden and waters off the coast of Somalia on Friday to protect merchant vessels against rampant pirates that still hold a Chinese ship for ransom. The flotilla of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has been the fourth task force of its kind that China has sent to the region since the end of last year.
PressTV – Iran domestic submarines join naval fleet
Iran’s domestically manufactured fleet of lightweight submarines makes great strides after three mid-jet Ghadir-class submarines come on stream.
(Thanks to Justin for the link!)
Defense Technology International – Extreme concern in Australia over subs
Senior members of the Australian government are “extremely” concerned about the availability of their nation’s AU$6 billion ($5.5 billion) Collins-class submarines, which face serious operational restrictions because of chronic mechanical problems, notably the state of the diesel engines, and maintenance issues. The ship’s original combat system never worked and has already been changed at a cost of nearly AU$1 billion.
Associated Press – Somali pirates seized after firing on French ship
European Union naval forces captured seven Somali pirates after they tried to take over a French fishing vessel, which repulsed the attack with gunfire.
BBC – Cost cuts blamed for Nimrod crash
An independent review into a fatal 2006 Nimrod crash, which killed 14 service personnel, has accused the MoD of sacrificing safety to cut costs.
New York Times – Japanese Destroyer Hits South Korean Ship
A Japanese navy destroyer collided with a South Korean freighter in the waters off southern Japan on Tuesday, setting off fires on both boats and injuring three crew members.
The Times – Navy surrenders one new aircraft carrier in budget battle
The Royal Navy has agreed to sacrifice one of its two new aircraft carriers to save about £8.2 billion from the defence budget.
Straits Times – Japan navy holds review
Japan’s navy held its triennial fleet review on Sunday, its first major demonstration of power under the country’s new government, which has vowed to cut back on some of its already limited activities overseas.
Washington Post – U.S. tested 2 Afghan scenarios in war game
Greg Jaffe on how the US is using wargaming to explore its options in Afghanistan
The Times – Morale dips for American marines in Afghanistan
In a remote part of Helmand troops are dismayed by the ambivalence of locals and a sense that the Taliban can outlast them.
Associated Press – U.S. UAVs protecting ships from Somali pirates
For the first time, sophisticated U.S. military surveillance drones capable of carrying missiles have begun patrolling waters off Somalia in hopes of stemming rising piracy.
StrategyPage – Naval Hawks Over Arabian Seas
One of the U.S. Navy’s two RQ-4 Global Hawk UAVs recently returned from the Middle East, after a field test of its capabilities. The aircraft made over 60 flights and spent over 1,000 hours in the air. The flights were over land and sea areas, even though the UAV sensors are designed mainly to perform maritime reconnaissance. U.S. Air Force Global Hawk maintenance personnel assisted the navy in tending to the navy RQ-4 while it was on the ground, and for landings and takeoffs. The UAV was operated by navy personnel back in the United States at Patuxent River Naval Air Station. The aircraft was officially called the BAMS-D (Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstrator).
BBC – UK navy forces to return to Iraq
British naval personnel are to return to Iraq to train local forces.
Defense Technology International – Almost The Last, Defender
HMS Defender – launched October 21 on the River Clyde in Scotland – would originally not even have marked the half-way point in the Type 45 destroyer program. Today the ship is the last but one of the class being bought by the Royal Navy.
Associated Press – Navy’s newest warships top out at more than 50 mph
The Navy’s need for speed is being answered by a pair of warships that have reached freeway speeds during testing at sea.
Washington Post – Japan: No base decision soon
Washington concerned as new leaders in Tokyo look to redefine alliance.
Defense Technology International – Naval Ratings
In an example of how the British military is being forced to take capability “holidays” resulting from the operational pressures of Afghanistan, the British Army has just carried out Apache Deck training with HMS Ocean for the first time since 2005.
BBC – China vows to free hijacked ship
China has pledged to make an “all out” effort to rescue a cargo ship with 25 crew on board that has been hijacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean.
Defense Technology International – Underwater AIM-9X
In the open ocean, a submarine can be stealthy – by using depth and maneuverability – to avoid air attack. But tactical options have become more limited in littoral operations that require operating in shallow water where evasion is difficult. The new AIM-9X is an air-to-air missile, but with a special underwater shroud (in a combination called the Littoral Warfare Weapon), it can be carried in an unmodified configuration and fired from a submarine’s vertical launch tube.
Economist – Nuclear Deterrent: Subtraction
Britain’s nuclear-submarine fleet may shrink.
New York Times Magazine – Stanley McChrystal’s Long War
Is it just too late — politically and militarily — for the general to win in Afghanistan?
Los Angeles Times – A new frontier opens in the Arctic
The melting polar ice cap is opening the forbidding waters at the top of the world to shipping — and intensifying concerns about regulating maritime operations and protecting the fragile environment.
Virginian Pilot – Navy secretary seeks greener fleet
The secretary of the Navy on Wednesday outlined five energy goals for the Navy and Marines in the next decade. Four involve reducing the consumption of fossil fuels, increasing use of alternative energies and factoring energy costs into the price tag of every new ship, engine or building. The fifth might be the most radical: Mabus committed to fielding by 2012 a “green” strike group composed of aircraft powered by biofuels, surface ships that operate on hybrid power supplies, and nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines.
Navy Times – Navy says Freedom will deploy 2 years early
Freedom, the Navy’s first littoral combat ship, will go operational early next year “to close urgent warfighting gaps,” with orders to deploy to the U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Pacific Command regions. The ship’s maiden operational deployment originally was scheduled for 2012.
Reuters – Japan leans toward ending Afghan refueling mission
Japan’s defense minister said on Tuesday that Tokyo would end its refueling mission in support of U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan when its mandate expires, but the top government spokesman said a decision had yet to be made.
NOSI - Naval Open Source Intelligence™ 
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