War on the Rocks – This strange defeat remains a remarkably underexplored historical case study in the fields of security studies and defense analysis. This is somewhat surprising, given its apparent educational value and strategic relevance to some of the most pressing contemporary military challenges in the Indo-Pacific theater.
Author Archives: Naval Open Source Intelligence (NOSI)
Return to Reforger: A Cold War Exercise Model for Pacific Deterrence
Modern War Institute – The US military should socialize and then introduce a Reforger-style exercise in the Indo-Pacific region to assess and improve its own ability to rapidly deploy theater-level military capabilities in the event of a major conflict and to serve as a form of strategic messaging.
Uncrewed Narco Kayak Found by Italy
Covert Shores – An Uncrewed ‘narco submarine’, based on a fiberglass kayak has been discovered by Italian police. The Torino Carabinieri reported that the vessel had been tested on a lake.
(Thanks to Alain)
China Required More Funds to Complete an Aircraft Carrier; U.S. Investors May Have Helped
Defense Opinion – U.S. investment money may have helped bankroll China’s aircraft carrier program by providing financial liquidity in 2018 and 2019 to complete its second flattop, Shandong, giving the country a capability that can be used to further threaten Taiwan and its neighbors.
Progress report – Royal Navy Maritime Aviation Transformation
Navy Lookout – Here we look at the latest developments in getting uncrewed aircraft into service and the RN’s longer-term vision for naval aviation.
Edge and Fincantieri formalize their JV; order of 400 million euros
Zonebourse – Fincantieri Spa announced on Monday the signing of an agreement with Edge, one of the world’s leading advanced technology and defense groups, formalizing the launch of Maestral, the joint venture created by the two companies in the shipbuilding sector based in Abu Dhabi. (In French)
(Thanks to Alain)
Sweden Builds Naval Outputs To Add Value For NATO
Naval News – Sweden is seeking to increase its naval power – through enhancing offensive capability, and building capacity to operate further afield – as it looks to add value to NATO as a full alliance member.
China’s Type 076 Is Shaping Up To Be A Monster Amphibious Warship
The War Zone – The first example of a new class of Chinese warship with a large open flight deck, commonly referred to as the Type 076, is steadily taking shape. Generally described as an amphibious assault ship, there have long been reports that the vessel could feature catapults and arresting gear to support an air wing that includes uncrewed combat air vehicles (UCAV) and other fixed-wing drones.
French Navy Seeks 2026 IOC For Seabed Warfare Capability
Naval News – The French Navy is aiming to achieve initial operational capability for seabed warfare in 2026. Within this capability development process, it is already implementing seabed-focused activities in advanced national operations and bilateral exercises.
Constellation Frigate ‘Unplanned Weight Growth’ Could Limit Service Life, Says GAO
USNI News – Due to Navy design decisions, the service’s next-generation guided-missile frigate might not have the weight margin for required modernization to meet its expected service life, according to a government watchdog report released Wednesday.
US Gaza pier knocked out of action by heavy seas
BBC – A temporary pier built by the US military to deliver aid to Gaza has been damaged by heavy seas and will take at least a week to be repaired, according to US officials.
Sweden’s NATO Membership Unlocks the Baltic Sea for Alliance, Ends 200 Years of Neutrality
USNI News – Two months into its membership in NATO, Sweden is retooling its defense after 200 years of military neutrality.
Hellenic Navy Reveals Its Surface Fleet Modernization Plan
Naval News – Six projects for the Hellenic Navy.
Industry responding to Navy’s interest in small unmanned systems
Defense News – The U.S. Navy’s message to industry is coming through: the service is committed to buying and operating small unmanned systems on and under the water. What’s less clear is how the Navy will procure them and with what funding — but one company says it’s moving ahead in developing disruptive systems now and will figure out the business model later.
Carrier Cooperation: Expanding NATO’s Strength at Sea
Center for Maritime Strategy – Between Russia, China, Iran, and unforeseen challenges that may emerge, American carriers will be busy confronting threats for quite some time. The more America can depend on allies to complement its carrier power, the better placed it will be to handle these threats. Expanding carrier cooperation to more NATO members is one way to take fuller advantage of NATO’s strength at sea.
5 Essential Books on Maritime Strategy You Need to Read
National Interest – Admiral Lisa Franchetti, America’s chief of naval operations or top uniformed naval officer, recently released her first Navy Professional Reading List. The list is solid on the whole. There are, however, many books one could look at. Here are a few ideas.
Sunk at the Pier: Crisis in the American Submarine Industrial Base
American Affairs Journal – The priority of American national security policymakers today must be the revitalization of the nation’s defense industrial base. We have let it atrophy for far too long. But even within that priority, special emphasis must be placed upon the submarine industrial base, both new construction and repair capacity. Because of the severity of the Chinese threat to American national interests in the Pacific, and the specific role of submarines in both deterring that threat and responding if deterrence breaks down, addressing shortfalls in submarine production and repair must be at the head of the line. Or our navy faces being sunk at the pier.
Video shows smugglers testing remote-controlled submarine to transport drugs, Italian police say
CBS – Italian police announced Tuesday the seizure of a remote-controlled submarine likely intended to transport drugs as part of an international drug trafficking network, marking the discovery of a much smaller version of the so-called “narco subs”that are routinely spotted in international waters.
(Thanks to Alain)
Satellite Shows Two russian Submarines Semi-Submerged at Novorossiysk Base
Defence Express – This could be a russian way to disguise or protect their submarines from Ukrainian strikes.
(Thanks to Alain)
‘High risk’ to breathe life into old subs
The Australian – The Albanese government has been warned that the $5bn plan to extend the life of the navy’s ageing fleet of Collins-class submarines for another decade is a perilously high-risk endeavour that is not guaranteed to succeed.
(Thanks to Alain)
Charting the Challenges in the Baltic Sea
War on the Rocks – What happens in the Baltic will have major implications for regional defense and deterrence efforts. As such, it should be of interest to alliance members well beyond the sea’s littoral.
Ukraine Has World’s First Navy Drone Armed With Anti-Aircraft Missiles
Naval News – Ukraine’s uncrewed surface vessels are dominating naval combat in the Black Sea. Yet they have, until now, been particularly vulnerable to aircraft. So Russian defenses have emphasized using helicopters and fighter jets to stop them. Now a version armed with two repurposed air-air missiles could change the tide again.
China’s PLAN: Maritime dominion beyond the South China Sea
Council on Geostrategy – The People’s Republic of China’s naval build-up over the past decade has been substantial. Once a maritime minnow, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) – the Chinese navy – has grown into a shark. And that shark is increasingly less constrained. Propelled by a growing auxiliary fleet, the PLAN is becoming increasingly mobile, able to operate well beyond the PRC’s shores and adjacent seas. The PLAN may have some way to go to meet the might of the United States (US) Navy or even navies such as the Royal Navy or Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, especially if supporting the US Navy, but it will only be a matter of time until large Chinese expeditionary fleets are found regularly operating in the world’s oceans.
By, With, and Through at the Second Thomas Shoal
War on the Rocks – If war breaks out in the Indo-Pacific, it will not be over Taiwan but over the atolls and shoals dotting the South China Sea. At least, that’s the argument the Philippine ambassador to Washington has made, calling these sovereignty disputes, particularly between China and the Philippines, the region’s “real flashpoint.”…Nowhere in the South China Sea seems as ripe for conflict as Second Thomas Shoal.
Proteus Provides Operating And Testing Platform For Royal Navy Seabed Warfare Capability
Naval News – To counter continuing seabed warfare challenges in Northern Europe, the UK Royal Navy (RN) is continuing to build its understanding of the technologies, capabilities, and operational impact RFA Proteus¬ – its new, dedicated seabed warfare vessel – will have in developing the navy’s knowledge of the seabed operating environment, the RN’s First Sea Lord told an international seapower conference.
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