The ten most significant naval news stories / trends / themes this year included:

• The Houthi’s anti-access area denial campaign which has effectively closed commercial shipping through the Suez Canal. How much longer will they be allowed to continue it?

• The US Navy’s superb effort to defend commercial shipping and itself from Houthi attacks by all manner of above sea, at sea, and undersea weapons. How much longer can its luck hold out, and at what overall cost?

• The inability of the Western nations to shut down the Houthi threat – a small nation state has effected commerce on a global basis and the world has done nothing about it. Why not?

• The Indian Navy’s efforts to protect its own merchantmen from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Somali pirates off of Africa. Where next will it project its growing naval power?

• The ever-growing vulnerability of undersea infrastructure of all types to nefarious actors. When will the West undertake substantiative action to actively defend this critical infrastructure?

• The ever continuing rise of the People’s Liberation Army Navy and its ever-agressive actions around the world. When will the US seriously contribute resources to countering it?

  Instead we have repeatedly seen over the last decade:

• The inability of the US Navy to design ships in a logical manner.

• The inability of the US Navy to construct ships in a regular manner.

• The inability of the US Navy to crew ships in a consistent manner.

• The inability of the US Navy to maintain and repair ships in a timely manner.

  Are these the actions of a country that is serious about countering the Chinese Navy? The time to act is growing very, very short…