CIMSEC – The first part of this two-part series will examine the importance of the GIUK gap and the wider Arctic-North Atlantic region in which it is located.
Yearly Archives: 2022
U.S. Sending Vehicle-Mounted Harpoon Launchers for Ukraine Coastal Defense
USNI News – The United States will be sending two vehicle-mounted anti-ship missile platforms to Ukraine as part of a new $1 billion military aid package to Kyiv.
Construction Of Airbase On Tinian Island In Case Guam Gets Knocked Out Has Begun
War Zone – The alternate airbase facilities now under construction on Tinian would offer an alternative to Andersen Air Force Base if Guam gets attacked.
Analyzing the biggest changes in the Marine Corps Force Design 2030 update
Breaking Defense – Last month’s update to the Marine Corps strategic guidance included many changes from the original document. What shifted, and why it matters.
San Antonio Class Could Be Motherships For Undersea Drones With New System
War Zone – The plan is to prove that large unmanned undersea vehicles can be launched and recovered by the Navy’s well deck-equipped amphibious ships.
The Myth of Maritime Counterinsurgency
USNI Proceedings – “Counterinsurgency is not a substitute for strategy.” – Marine Corps Warfighting Publication 3-33.5: Insurgencies and Countering Insurgencies
Ukrainian Grain: How To Lift Russia’s Black Sea Blockade?
Naval News – The Ukrainian grain crisis continues as a result of Russia’s blockade of Black Sea ports, which prevents Ukrainian wheat shipments. As the war continues, the stocks of countries that rely on Ukraine for wheat are diminishing. A possible famine is looming. Everyone agrees on the necessity to solve this problem to avoid a major humanitarian crisis. But how?
A naval base in Cambodia supports China’s calibrated aggression
The Hill – China this week vehemently denied a Washington Post report that it is covertly constructing a naval base in Cambodia. How to evaluate assurances of beneficent intent issuing forth from Chinese Communist Party (CCP) mouthpieces? Three bits of advice: Look at your map. Study past CCP practice. And remember that all such efforts to placate Asian and world opinion are perishable. They’re expedients, nothing more. A pledge’s shelf-life expires once Beijing decides it has outlived its usefulness.
Ukraine Deploys Anti-Ship Harpoon Missiles to the Edge of Black Sea, MoD Says
USNI News – Ukrainian forces have deployed Harpoon anti-ship missiles to the Black Sea as a counter to Russian surface ships in the region, Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov said.
Australia Was Poised To Get Virginia Class Nuclear Submarines Says Former Defense Minister
War Zone – In controversial statements, Peter Dutton says that plans existed to buy two of the U.S.-made submarines by 2030.
Greening Defence: Transforming the Royal Navy for a Climate-Affected World
RUSI – The latest Greening Defence commentary examines how the Royal Navy is quietly but ambitiously setting the conditions for a greener fleet and support infrastructure, both now and in the future. Longer-term, a sustainable source of fuel must be prioritised.
China’s stealth drone ship wraps up 1st autonomous sea trial
Global Times – China’s first domestically developed 200 ton-class unmanned surface vessel, characterized by its capabilities in stealth and far sea operation, has wrapped up its first autonomous sea trial, with analysts saying that drone ships like this can provide new tactics for naval warfare including distributed operations and swarm combat.
The Death of Gorshkov’s Navy: The Future of the Russian Surface Fleet
RUSI – Constraints on Russia’s shipbuilding industry and its finances mean it is increasingly likely that its surface navy will evolve into a green water fleet based around frigates and corvettes.
Sea Mines Could Prevent Ukraine Grain Shipments For Months
War Zone – Even if a deal is reached to allow grain shipments from Ukraine, sea mines could make doing so impossible for months.
Disputing Chinese Sea Control Through Offensive Sea Mining
USNI Proceedings – The United States should pursue offensive mining capabilities against China in the Yellow Sea and the Pearl River Delta.
Marine Corps Reserve gets new missions, new roles and a whole new design
Marine Corps Gazette – Active duty Marine Corps force planners are, perhaps for the first time, looking to the reserve side to take on operational, experimental and capabilities and roles at a level the component hasn’t faced.
Marines closing down Kuwait gear stockpile to focus on Pacific
Marine Corps Gazette – The Marine Corps is shuttering its combat gear storage program in the Middle East as it shifts attention to Europe and the Pacific.
Ground-Based Tor SAM System Seen Strapped To Russian Black Sea Warship
War Zone – Placing the Tor surface-to-air missile system on the Corvette was likely an improvised countermeasure following the sinking of the Moskva.
Taiwan Uses Naval Mines Designed Over A Century Ago
War Zone – Taiwan’s brand new minelaying ships are training to employ the U.S.-designed Mk 6 naval mine, which was designed in 1917.
Getting boats to sea – efforts to improve Royal Navy submarine availability
Navy Lookout – With the RN attack submarine fleet down to just 5 boats and the pressure of maintaining the nuclear deterrent unrelenting, initiatives to improve submarine reliability and availability have never been more important. Here we look at what is being done to mitigate chronic legacy issues and increase the time submarines spend at sea.
Chinese Aircraft Carrier Seen With A Fleet Of Drones On Its Deck
War Zone – Imagery shows the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong working as a deployment platform for vertical takeoff and landing drones.
Sweden Is Sending ‘Robot 17’ Coastal Defense Missiles To Ukraine
War Zone – The Robot 17 system will provide Ukraine with a survivable short-range coastal defense capability.
When Only a Chisel Will Do: Marine Corps Force Design For the Modern Era
CIMSEC – One of the U.S. Marine Corps’ greatest strengths has been a weakness of late. Its storied history and rich service culture make it an organization notoriously resistant to critical self-examination and change. If “man cannot remake himself without suffering, for he is both the marble and the sculptor,” then the Marine Corps is particularly fond of its own marble and sensitive to the chisel.1 Such a fondness explains the spate of articles from retired Marine Corps leaders criticizing the “hasty” execution of 2019 Commandant’s Planning Guidance (CPG) and lamenting they sacrifice critical aspects of the Marine Corps combined arms heritage.
Japan’s converted aircraft carrier to undertake Indo-Pacific deployment
Defense News – Japan plans to send its recently converted aircraft carrier on the country’s annual deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, conducting training and enhancing ties with regional partners over the next four months.
Missing: Expeditionary Air Defense
CIMSEC – In the many discussions on the Marine Corps’ new Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) concept, the subject of air defense seems to have largely fallen through the cracks and threatened a critical capability gap. More analysis must be focused on how these forces can be defended against various aerial threats and identify key capability gaps. By analyzing air defense across three broad categories, including advanced missiles, small drones, and traditional aircraft, EABO can be further strengthened as an operating concept.
NOSI - Naval Open Source Intelligence™ 
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