Hedging Bets: Rethinking Force Design for a Post-Dominance Era

Hudson Institute – The DoD will need to be creative and adaptable to gain an advantage and deter conflict in a post-dominance era. Hedge forces could reduce the potential losses to US forces and increase the risk for aggressors like China during an attempted invasion of Taiwan. As a result, the DoD could retain more troop formations, amphibious vessels, and aircraft that are less important to stopping a Taiwan invasion but are essential to other operations.

Chief Of Royal Swedish Navy On Future Programs, Seabed Warfare And Indo-Pacific

Naval News – RADM Skoog Haslum discussed the situation in the Black Sea, the expected impact of the increase in the Swedish defense budget (2% of GDP), current and future programs of the Royal Swedish Navy (future surface combatants, upgrade of Visby-class corvettes, Blekinge-class submarines), sustaining the know-how regarding submarine production, seabed warfare and recent incidents in the Baltic Sea, and the reasons for her visit to Australia.

Littoral Naval Operations: Australia’s Experiences​

Center for Maritime Strategy – Once again, as the current Houthi-attacks on merchant shipping in the confines of the Red Sea show, navies must be able to effectively operate in littoral waters. Late last year two former Royal Australian Navy officers Commander Jen Parker and Vice Admiral Peter Jones wrote an Occasional Paper for the Australian Naval Institute on the RAN’s experience in the littoral and what lessons can be drawn from it. Here is a précis of that paper.

How the Royal Navy provides support to merchant shipping under threat around the world

Navy Lookout – The RN-led UK Maritime Trade Organisation (UKMTO) coordinates the flow of information around commercial shipping sailing in dangerous waters. Here we look at how this valuable service provides reassurance to mariners, improves safety of life at sea and helps reduce their risk of exposure to piracy or attack.

Delay, Disrupt, Degrade: Mine Warfare in Taiwan’s Porcupine Defense

War on the Rocks – In October 1884, as part of the wider Sino-French War, a contingent of heavily armed French warships sailed toward the harbor of Tamsui, in northern Taiwan. When the fleet approached the estuary of the Tamsui River, nine naval mines and boats loaded with stones blocked its path. Prevented from sailing into Taipei, French commanders dispatched their marines, but they fared little better. After several hours of fighting on land they were driven back into the sea. Today, Taiwan again faces the threat of invasion — this time from China. As Taiwan’s leaders consider their defensive options, the Battle of Tamsui may also hold answers.

New Navy Long-Range Shipbuilding Plan Details 19 Ship Decommissionings in FY 2025

USNI News – The latest 30-year shipbuilding plan narrows the range of options the Navy will consider for its future force and provides more details on the service’s plan to decommission 19 ships from the fleet. The Navy’s Long-Range Shipbuilding Plan sketches out two paths to get to a larger fleet – one bounded by flat budgets and a second one that seeks to build the ships the Navy needs to reach its goal of 381 ships the service says it needs to meet its obligation to the Pentagon’s National Defense Strategy.