The War Zone – Ground Combat Element 2040 offers hints into how the Marines expect to fight in a future dominated by AI and autonomous weapons.
Author Archives: Naval Open Source Intelligence (NOSI)
Marines Considering Alternative Ships for SOUTHCOM Deployments
USNI News – The Marine Corps is preparing to deploy Marines on specialty platforms like the Expeditionary Fast Transport and the Expeditionary Sea Base to meet combatant commander demands in the Caribbean.
US Navy to extend service life of amphibious assault ship USS Wasp by 5 years
Defense News – The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have extended the lifespan of the lead Wasp-class amphibious assault ship by five years and are considering doing the same for other vessels in the amphibious fleet.
China Maritime Studies Institute – Given the substantial increase in sustainment requirements for the PLA Navy’s next-generation aircraft carriers, and acknowledging the limitations inherent in the Type 901 replenishment ship due to the technological constraints of its design era, the next-generation (新型) carrier replenishment vessel is expected to undergo significant modifications compared to its predecessor in several key areas.
Is the Shadow Fleet Rallying ‘Round the Russian Flag?
RUSI – International pressure on flag registries has pushed part of Russia’s shadow fleet directly under Russian registration, potentially exposing news limits of sanctions enforcement.
Ship that Debuted with the Nigerian Navy will be Key for Future U.S., Australian Naval Forces
USNI News – A class of landing vessels designed by a Dutch firm – first built in the United Arab Emirates and debuted by the Nigerian Navy – will become the mainstay of U.S. Marine Corps and Australian Defense Force amphibious operations across the Indo-Pacific Region in the coming decades.
Beyond Disruption: The Hidden Economics of Houthi Attacks
RUSI – Houthi attacks on shipping are read as an instrument of geopolitical pressure. That reading is incomplete. The attacks have a second, less visible effect – and it is economic.
First Sea Lord expands on hybrid navy vision in landmark Fisher lecture
Navy Lookout – General Gwyn Jenkins delivered the inaugural Lord Fisher lecture at RUSI today, setting out the Royal Navy’s transformation into a hybrid fleet of crewed and autonomous platforms. The First Sea Lord announced results of wargamed analysis, confirmed the delivery of more USVs, and launched a formal Northern Navies multinational force initiative.
UK Royal Navy Chief Announces Northern Navies Plan to Enhance Regional Combat Power
Naval News – The UK Royal Navy (RN) Chief has announced plans for a new naval collaboration construct designed to build combat power and conventional deterrence around Northern European countries’ northern maritime border, with Russia.
Chinese naval hospital ship Silk Road Ark wraps up first, longest overseas mission
Global Times – The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s hospital ship Silk Road Ark returned to a military port in Sanya, South China’s Hainan Province on Sunday after completing Harmony Mission-2025, its first mission outside China and the longest of its kind.
Navy Still Pushing To Field New AARGM-ER Radar-Busting Missile This Year Despite “Strategic Pause”
The War Zone – The Navy expects to see the AGM-88G AARGM-ER enter service in September despite not planning to buy any of them in the next fiscal year.
India races to boost conventional, nuclear submarine combat punch
Defense News – India has inducted a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine and is in the final stages of sealing an $8 billion deal with Germany for six conventional submarines as it focuses on boosting its underwater capabilities with an eye on the prospect of greater presence of Chinese vessels in the Indian Ocean.
U.S. Missiles Deploy Near Taiwan During Balikatan Exercise, Chinese Action Group Operates Nearby
USNI News – American missile systems were deployed last week to a remote Luzon Strait island 100 miles south of Taiwan as part of Washington and Manila’s Balikatan 2026 military drills.
Why Russia’s Titanium-Hulled Sierra-Class Submarines Still Terrify the U.S. Navy — The Deep-Sea Threat America Never Fully Solved
Defence Security Asia – Capable of diving beyond 550 meters, evading Magnetic Anomaly Detection, and hunting America’s Ohio-class nuclear submarines, Russia’s Sierra-class attack subs remain one of NATO’s most dangerous undersea nightmares.
Turkish warship, submarine in Cyprus this week
Cyprus Mail – The Turkish Kilic class corvette the TCG Imbat and the naval submarine the TCG Gur will both sail to Cyprus this week to partake in celebrations to be held in the north for Turkey’s national sovereignty and children’s day.
(Thanks to Alain)
‘We Made A Mistake We Can’t Ever Fix’: The U.S. Navy’s Seawolf-Class Submarine Shortage Makes Russia And China Smile
1945 – In the early 2000s, I visited the USS Connecticut in dry dock while she was getting repairs, completely out of the water, and the image is locked in my head forever: it was amazing. As of this writing in April 2026, the United States Navy has exactly one Seawolf-class attack submarine ready to go to war. And that submarine — USS Jimmy Carter — was not built to fight the way the other two were. As one former engineer for Electric Boat out in Groton told me years ago: “We made a mistake we can’t ever fix. We should have built more Seawolf-class submarines. We are paying the price and there is no going back.”
Defence Committee chairman says “UK’s political leadership on AUKUS has dwindled”
Navy Lookout – The House of Commons Defence Committee published a report praising the scale of investment flowing into the AUKUS submarine programme while warning that political grip on delivery is loosening. With the Royal Navy’s SSN fleet at critically low availability and Barrow’s regeneration underfunded, today’s report identifies the steps the Government must take before the consequences become irreversible.
World-first submarine drone travels 1,257 miles underwater on hydrogen power
Interesting Engineering – A Canadian company’s submarine drone has traveled more than 1,257 miles fully submerged, powered by hydrogen fuel cells, and completed a 385-hour mission without surfacing.
(Thanks to Alain)
Type 26 frigate alliance expands while Royal Navy order shortfall goes unresolved
Navy Lookout – The Royal Norwegian Navy has formally joined the Global Combat Ship User Group, bringing together four allied nations committed to building and operating a common class based on the Type 26 frigate platform. Norway signed the group’s charter at a ceremony in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where senior figures from the UK, Canada and Australia had gathered to review progress on the wider programme.
Massive frigate buy from Japan jolts Australian warship program
Defense News – Australia has moved to reverse a decline in the number of warships, as its surface combatant fleet stands to fall to its smallest size since World War II.
Amphibs Bougainville, Fallujah Deliveries Are Pushed Another Year
USNI News – The next two big-deck amphibious warships will take about nine years each to build, as the Navy pushes the planned delivery date for the vessels by another year
JMDSF sets up Patrol and Defense Group with Mogami-class vessels
Naval News – The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) implemented a major organizational reform at the end of March 2026. As part of this restructuring, it established the Patrol and Defense Group (哨戒防備群) and assigned some of its most modern surface combatants, including the Mogami-class frigates, to this formation.
Navy Pushes MQ-25A Stingray IOC Back to 2029 while Production Aircraft Takes First Flight
USNI News – The first unmanned tankers for the U.S. Navy won’t be ready to deploy on aircraft carriers until 2029, according to Navy budget documents.
Does the Royal Navy have more admirals than ships?
Navy Lookout – Claims that the RN “has more admirals than ships” are frequently repeated with the implication that the service is top-heavy and reducing leader numbers would help solve the woes of the service. The assertion is technically incorrect anyway, but the number of admirals reflects the complexity of the Navy and a breadth of responsibilities that extend beyond core naval operations.
U.S. Navy drills in at-sea USV fueling ahead of CSG deployment
Naval News – The U.S. Navy practiced at-sea refueling of an unmanned surface vessel (USV) during a recent demonstration ahead of the service’s planned deployment of the sea drones with the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group later this year.
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