CIMSEC – During the Cold War, NATO maintained anti-submarine competency and internalized lessons learned during the Second World War. The collapse of the Soviet Navy during the 1990s shifted the U.S. focus to power projection ashore in the Balkans and the Middle East, and anti-submarine warfare competencies across the joint force atrophied. As the era of near-peer competition began, the Navy looked at ways to recapture the hard-fought competencies and lessons lost since the end of the Cold War. In particular, the whole government approach to anti-submarine warfare (ASW) was reintroduced, known as “full-spectrum ASW.” The Navy is the domain owner for undersea warfare. As such, the Navy must be prepared to educate and explain undersea warfare doctrine and its roles to the rest of the joint force so that lessons written in blood are not repeated.
Author Archives: Naval Open Source Intelligence (NOSI)
German Frigate That Fought Off Houthi Drones Heads Home After 58 Days
The War Zone – The Hessen repelled four Houthi drone attacks during its deployment but also accidentally targeted a U.S. Reaper drone.
Ukraine Strikes Russia’s Kommuna Submarine Rescue Ship With Neptune Missiles
Naval News – On April 21, 2024, Ukraine attacked Sevastopol Naval Base with Neptune anti-ship missiles and damaged Russia’s iconic 112-year-old submarine rescue vessel “Kommuna”.
Navy looks to apply jet readiness gains to surface ship fleet
Defense News – The U.S. Navy’s supply corps will spend the next two years applying lessons from the service’s aircraft fleet to surface ship readiness.
The PLA’s New Information Support Force
China Aerospace Studies Institute – On Friday, 19 April, Xi Jinping, Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Chinese Communist Part (CCP), attended a ceremony where he established a new ‘force’ of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the Information Support Force (ISF). The ISF appears to have been cleaved from the former Strategic Support Force (SSF), which was essentially disbanded at the same ceremony.
Snapshot: The Royal Navy escort fleet in April 2024
Navy Lookout – In this article we summarise the current status of the RN’s surface combatants.
China is Battening Down For The Gathering Storm Over Taiwan
War on the Rocks – Chinese war drums beat on as pundits hotly debate if or when Beijing will try to seize Taiwan by force. There is no apparent countdown to D-day for initiating a blockade or invasion, but major strategic indicators clearly show that General Secretary Xi Jinping is still preparing his country for a showdown. Developments under way suggest Taiwan will face an existential crisis in single-digit years, most likely in the back half of the 2020s or front half of the 2030s.
Australia’s Ghost Shark Uncrewed Submarine Breaks Cover
The War Zone – The Ghost Shark is Australia’s ambitious extra-large autonomous undersea vehicle, but details about its future missions remain scarce.
AUKUS allies developing undersea capabilities they can field this yearDefense News
Defense News – Though the submarine portion of the AUKUS trilateral alliance will take decades to fully come to fruition, development of the advanced technology under the agreement is in full swing, as Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. seek quick wins for their fleets, officials said.
Maritime Capabilities Take Lion’s Share Of Australia’s Future Defence Investment
Naval News – At the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra, Defence Minister Richard Marles simultaneously unveiled the first ever “National Defence Strategy 2024” (NDS) plus the “Integrated Investment Program 2024” (IIP). The latter was the first release of the IIP since its last public iteration four years ago. The NDS continues on from last year’s Defence Strategic Review, and gives the raison d’être for Australia’s major boost in defence capability. Meanwhile, the IIP lists in detail what will be procured in the next decade, alongside approximate monetary amounts.
Anduril’s Aussie drone sub ‘one year early and on budget,’ heads to production
Breaking Defense – In a bright spot for Australian defense procurement, an important domestic defense program, the first Ghost Shark autonomous submarine prototype, has come in early and on budget.
Information Warfare is Integrated Warfare
CIMSEC – The U.S. Navy should take concrete steps to further promote an integrated warfighting ethos which better incorporates all elements of the IW community, starting from initial officer training to senior level carrier strike group operations. By defining what it means to be an integrated information warfighter rather than just being an Intelligence Specialist, Cryptologist, Meteorologist, or Information Professional, the IW community will better educate, train, and most importantly, recruit the next generation of IW personnel. Equally important is the need to enhance retention. To further maintain the impressive cadre of IW personnel in service, the Navy should improve its career opportunities with better advanced training and cross-detailing availability. In the aftermath of these changes, IW will be better positioned to dominate the information environment and enable mission success.
Navy is down $1B in munitions from ops in Red Sea, says SECNAV
Breaking Defense – Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro today told lawmakers his service is out at least $1 billion in critical munitions because of recent operations in the Middle East, a shortfall the Pentagon is banking on a congressional supplemental to help replenish.
Anduril pairs with Korean shipbuilder to design new unmanned platforms
Defense News – U.S. defense tech company Anduril Industries and South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said they’re teaming up to reimagine and expand American and allied seapower.
The Rising Ransomware Tide, Chinese Spy Cranes, and the Biden Executive Order on Maritime Cybersecurity
War on the Rocks – In July of 2023, Japan’s largest port, Nagoya, fell victim to a lockbit ransomware attack, causing operations to grind to a halt and Toyota to suspend its import-export packaging lines. This was just one of many recent incidents within the larger marine transportation system and showcases how fragile the sector is to these attack profiles.
AUKUS Underwater Capability Developments Target Torpedo-Tube UUV System
Naval News – Details have been set out for four workstrands being developed, within Pillar 2 of the AUKUS trilateral strategic defence and security partnership, to generate new underwater battlespace capability for the Australian, UK, and US navies. One new capability priority is capacity to launch and recover uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) from submarine torpedo tubes.
Japan Announces 7-Month, Dual Big Deck Deployment, USS Carl Vinson Heading to RIMPAC
USNI News – The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will dispatch both its Izumo-class big decks on their largest deployment to date.
Call in the Coast Guard: How Maritime Law Enforcement Can Combat China’s Gray Zone Aggression
War on the Rocks – All is not lost for the United States in the Indo-Pacific. Both Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia recently signed agreements that will allow the U.S. Coast Guard to enforce maritime law on behalf of those countries without having a representative of those countries onboard U.S. vessels. The United States should build on this momentum, developing a coordinated international approach to the region that will establish a combined force of coast guards and maritime law enforcement agencies, with a persistent focus from this force on fortifying international norms.
Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea: A New Twist on the Jeune Ecole?
War on the Rocks – To better understand the conflict between the Houthis and the naval powers protecting shipping in the region, it is important to revisit competing ideas about naval strategy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One side emphasized traditional fleets and naval power while the other including a group originating in France known as the Jeune École (young school) posited an alternative approach to naval warfare. It relied on small flotilla craft armed with torpedoes to put traditional fleets at risk and expose their commercial shipping to relentless attack. Today, the United States and its naval partners possess the traditional fleet, while it could be argued that the Houthis are reimagining the Jeune École for the 21st century.
Get the US Navy’s frigate program back on schedule
Defense News – The recent review of shipbuilding progress is an important step in correcting the current cost overruns and schedule slippage. However, the U.S. Navy secretary’s rather timid response of only directing the FFG design team to gather at the shipyard was far too timid.
China Maritime Report No. 37: Re-Engaging With the World: China’s Military Diplomacy in 2023
China Maritime Studies Institute – China’s military diplomacy plays a crucial role in advancing the nation’s foreign policy objectives and safeguarding its strategic interests. This report highlights a diverse array of activities within military diplomacy, including senior-level meetings, joint military exercises, naval port calls, UN peacekeeping operations, and academic exchanges. Our findings reveal a significant—but incomplete—recovery in China’s military diplomacy activities in 2023, following a period of reduced contacts with foreign militaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Southeast Asia and Russia remain primary partners for China, with emerging strategic importance also seen in Africa, Oceania, and the Middle East. Overall, China’s military diplomacy underscores its efforts to diversify partnerships and assert its global influence, emphasizing regional stability and international cooperation in pursuit of its diplomatic goals.
Army Deploys Typhon Missile System To China’s Backyard For The First Time
The War Zone – The Army’s Typhon system, which can fire Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles, is in the Philippines for its inaugural Indo-Pacific deployment.
The Lowdown On Lockheed’s Newly Revealed Mako Hypersonic Missile
The War Zone – Mako was the loser of the Stand-In Attack Weapon tender, but offers clues as to the capabilities of that weapon, made by Northrop Grumman.
Signs Point To Combat Debut Of Navy’s SM-3 Interceptor Against Iranian Ballistic Missiles
The War Zone – U.S. warships and fighters, specifically F-15E Strike Eagles, played a major role in the defense of Israel during Iran’s barrage.
U.S. Warships in Eastern Mediterranean Down Iranian Ballistic Missiles
USNI News – USS Carney (DDG-64) and USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) shot down between four and six Iranian-launched ballistic missiles.
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