War Zone – The Palau-flagged bulk carrier continued on its voyage after a Russian “inspection” but soon fled toward the coastline and Turkish waters.
Monthly Archives: August 2023
Russian warship fires warning shots at cargo ship in Black Sea
The Guardian – A Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the south-western Black Sea on Sunday as it made its way northwards, the first time Russia has fired on merchant shipping beyond Ukraine since exiting a landmark UN-brokered grain deal last month.
Royal Navy ship boosts West African maritime security
UK Defence Journal – HMS Trent has embarked on a mission to West Africa, aiming to enhance maritime security and curb criminal activities like piracy and armed robbery prevalent in the region.
Land forces now control the sea — and that is vital in the Pacific
Breaking Defense – The US may have the most advanced navy in the world — but as Pentagon officials have openly warned, China’s strategy to counter it has been to load up on land-based anti-ship missiles. Below, Albert Palazzo of the University of New South Wales in Canberra, Australia, warns that the threat will only continue to grow.
Army closes in on fielding of Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon
Breaking Defense – The Army’s new Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) is closing in on the initial fielding of two new missile systems while preparing to pass the development and sustainment baton to the Program Executive Office (PEO) for Missiles and Space
How the Navy’s chief engineer sees 3D printing rebuilding the fleet
Breaking Defense – The proliferation of 3D printers, combined with loosened rules on using them, could change the way the Navy fixes its ships at sea.
Spying Targets Point to Chinese Interest in Amphibious Warfare, Experts Say
USNI News – The material two alleged spies for China provided to their handlers point to a sustained interest from the People’s Liberation Army in amphibious operations as threats to Taiwan grow.
Ukraine Opens Temporary Shipping Channels in Black Sea
USNI News – Ukraine announced temporary corridors for commercial vessels to depart Black Sea ports despite ongoing threats from Russia.
Japan’s Military Is Getting Ready To Take On A Rising China
1945 – Japan’s Ministry of Defense uses annual white papers to survey the country’s strategic surroundings and explain how it means to manage them. Its latest such survey shows Tokyo upping its game vis-à-vis China in a major way.
Navy extends service lives of four more destroyers
Defense News – The Navy plans to extend the service life of four guided-missile destroyers that were slated to be retired in the coming years, adding four or five years to each of the warships’ standard 35 years of service.
First Marine Corps MQ-9A Reaper Squadron Now Operational
USNI News – Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 3 (VMU 3) introduced its new Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles in a ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, last week.
Singapore’s first Invincible-class submarine delivered
Navy Today – The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)’s Invincible-class submarine, Impeccable, was delivered in Singapore in a ceremony held at RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base on 20 July.
(Thanks to Alain)
US and China spar over Philippine shipwreck-turned-military outpost
The Guardian – Vessel becomes potential flashpoint as Beijing orders Philippines to remove wreck housing marines in South China Sea.
Elon Musk is accused of thwarting a Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian ship off Crimea after ‘refusing them access to the Starlink satellite network’
Daily Mail – Ukraine has been forced to abort several planned drone strikes on Russian targets after Elon Musk refused to grant access to the Starlink satellite network for offensive military maneuvers, a report has claimed.
(Thanks to Alain)
In Australia, Marine Rotational Force-Darwin is at the ‘Cutting Edge’ of Force Design
USNI News – What began with 250 American Marines and sailors at Australia’s “Top End” 12 years ago has grown into a Marine air-ground task force of 2,500 that spends its seven-month rotation spread across Australia and the western Pacific.
Two Senior Israeli Navy Commanders Say They Won’t Serve Due to Judicial Overhaul
Haaretz – Two of the five brigadier generals in the naval reserves who serve at operational headquarters and as deputies to the force’s commander have announced that they will no longer volunteer for reserve duty due to the government’s legal overhaul.
(Thanks to Alain)
Corvettes and the RAN surface fleet debate
ASPI – To meet the Australian defence strategic review’s requirement for an enhanced-lethality surface fleet, minimally armed offshore patrol vessels and patrol boats won’t cut it. Instead, Defence should consider replacing the OPV build with a fleet of much more capable combatants, and a corvette or light frigate option should be seriously looked at.
Inside the secret war for Ukraine’s river islands where Brit volunteers help keep Russian mortars at bay
The Sun – Roaring through reeds on a speedboat with a machine-gun lashed to the foredeck, The Sun joined Ukraine’s heroic defenders waging a “secret river war”.
US dispatches warships after China and Russia send naval patrol near Alaska
The Guardian – The US dispatched four navy warships as well as a reconnaissance airplane after multiple Chinese and Russian military vessels carried out a joint naval patrol near Alaska last week.
New technologies will allow Indo-Pacific states to build ‘sovereign maritime domain awareness’
The Strategist – Understanding what’s happening in the maritime domain, known as maritime domain awareness or MDA, is an essential element for any country that wishes to govern its maritime zones. But in the Indo-Pacific, many countries struggle to afford the costly top-down, military-style surveillance systems used by wealthy countries. However, new technologies provide the opportunity to democratise access to information and help Indo-Pacific countries to have sovereign capabilities to better monitor their maritime domains.
Ukraine war sees uncrewed surface vessels mature into a serious threat
Navy Lookout – In this initial analysis written in response to unfolding events, we explore some of the potential implications of Ukrainian success in using USVs to attack the Russians in the Black Sea.
Philippines accuses China of firing water cannon at boats in South China Sea
BBC – The Philippine Coast Guard has accused its Chinese counterpart of firing water cannon at its vessels and blocking them in the disputed South China Sea.
Royal Navy LPD capability gapped as HMS Albion bows out before HMS Bulwark is available
Navy Lookout – HMS Albion returned to Devonport last week after another highly successful deployment and will now go into a state of reduced readiness. Unfortunately, this will leave the RN temporarily without its primary amphibious platform as her sister ship, HMS Bulwark will not be ready to replace her until next year.
Navy says destroyer deal helps two yards boost capacity at best pace
Defense News – The U.S. Navy believes a pair of contracts it awarded this week for Arleigh Burke-class destroyers — covering as few as nine and as many as 15 ships over the next five years — is the best way to help two shipyards recover from challenges and increase their output.
Navy Wants To Sideline Its Fast Transport Catamarans As Pacific Fight Looms
War Zone – Members of Congress are trying to block the Navy from putting just under half of its fleet of Spearhead class expeditionary fast transports into a state of reduced readiness with only skeleton crews assigned to them. Some of the vessels in question are very young, with one having first entered service just three years ago. This comes as the U.S. military is coming to terms with massive logistical hurdles if it were to go to war in the Pacific, which these fast, low-draft, multi-purpose vessels seem to be ideally suited for.
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