Naval News – Today’s attack on Sevastopol harbor by Ukrainian maritime drones (uncrewed surface vessels armed with explosives) will make headlines. And rightly so. Yet there is an aspect which could easily be overlooked; this time none of Ukraine’s drone’s appeared to penetrate the harbor. The attack comes as Russia undertakes a massive effort to increase the harbor’s protection against these attacks.
Author Archives: Naval Open Source Intelligence (NOSI)
Russian spy ships mapping undersea infrastructure in the North Sea
Navy Lookout – Investigations by Danish media have discovered that in the past year multiple Russian civilian vessels have been conducting a detailed reconnaissance of offshore wind farms, gas pipes and power cables in the Baltic and North Sea. Here we summarise what is known and the implications.
How To Get Americans To Support A Bigger Navy
1945 – James Holmes says it is sad to say, but rhetoric alone is not enough. It seems things must get worse in the commercial world before they get better for a U.S. naval buildup.
Taiwan Strait: top EU diplomat calls for European navy patrols
The Guardian – European navies should patrol the disputed Taiwan Strait, the EU foreign policy chief has said, echoing earlier comments stressing how crucial Taiwan is to Europe.
Sustaining Distributed Forces in a Conflict With China
War on the Rocks – Washington should embrace global positioning to achieve logistics endurance that will better sustain forces in a highly distributed and undeveloped theater. This means rethinking how equipment and supplies are positioned to support operating forces and incorporating the air, land, and maritime domains. Currently, most of the equipment and supplies needed to support operating forces are either co-located at the home station of the unit or afloat on a prepositioned vessel. This model places a tremendous amount of stress on strategic lift platforms during a crisis when the joint force collectively will require these assets to position strategic deterrence capabilities. Global positioning would expand relationships with allies and partners to place equipment and supplies ashore and afloat, and drastically reduce the force closure window.
Japan’s Converted F-35B Carrier Leaves Dock Sporting New Bow
War Zone – Leaving the dock where conversion work has been underway represents a big step forward in turning the JS Kaga into an F-35B carrier.
Cocaine-smuggling submarine reveals Europe’s drug crisis
BBC – A look at how “narco-subs” bring cocaine from South America to Europe.
Prized Ohio Guided Missile Submarines Will Be Gone From Navy By 2028
War Zone – The last of the Navy’s heavily in demand Ohio guided missile submarines in just five years with replacements decades away.
U.S. Navy To Get New Unique Submarine: Virginia SSW
Naval News – The USS Jimmy Carter is widely regarded as the most secretive submarine in the U.S. Navy. It is especially equipped for Seabed Warfare, unreported missions deep below the waves. Now a new seabed warfare submarine, using a Virginia Class hull, is planned.
The cable ship capacity crunch
Data Center Dynamics – Demand for cable continues to increase, but the fleet laying and maintaining them is small and aging.
China Is Practicing How to Sever Taiwan’s Internet
Foreign Policy – As the United States was watching the skies in the aftermath of the spy balloon incident, China may have been acting at sea. In early February, maritime vessels disabled the two undersea cables connecting Taiwan’s Matsu Islands, a tiny archipelago just 10 nautical miles off China’s coast, to the internet. Now residents of the islands face highly reduced internet connectivity until the cables are repaired. The activity looks like targeted harassment by Beijing—or an exercise in preparation for cutting off the whole of Taiwan.
Navy long-range plan shows minimal growth in many warship programs
Defense News – The U.S. Navy’s fleet would never reach the statutorily required 355 ships under two of the three scenarios outlined in the service’s latest long-range shipbuilding plan.
Ukraine war: The Russian ships accused of North Sea sabotage
BBC – Russia has a programme to sabotage wind farms and communication cables in the North Sea, according to new allegations.
Romania Seeks Acquisition of First Submarines in 20 Years
The Maritime Executive – With most NATO members committed to increasing defense spending in light of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, Romania is seeking to modernize its navy. Among the elements planned is the acquisition of the country’s first submarines in nearly 20 years.
(Thanks to Alain)
Fighting DMO Part 7: The Future of the Aircraft Carrier in Distributed Warfighting
CIMSEC – The aircraft carrier has been the main striking arm of the U.S. Navy for decades, but distributed warfighting demands something new. Anti-ship missile firepower is proliferating across the force structure of both friendly and competitor forces, creating larger demands for the tactical information required to leverage these long-range weapons. Massed fires heavily depend on information to work, and air superiority is a powerful enabler of information superiority. By focusing on a set of critical information functions and fleet air defense, the aircraft carrier can serve as a powerful enabler and force multiplier for distributed fleets and massed fires. These roles foreshadow how nations who engage in naval salvo warfare without naval aviation will be at a sore disadvantage.
Netherlands Selects Tomahawk To Arm Frigate And Submarines
Naval News – According to an article published by the Dutch Ministry of Defense, the Dutch Navy plans to strengthen the De Zeven Provinciën-class (LCF) air defense and command frigates and submarines with Tomahawk land-attack missiles.
Why the US is Losing the Race For the Arctic and What To Do About It
CIMSEC – This article attempts to explain why the US is behaving as it does in the Arctic. It then argues that paradoxically falling behind in this regional competition may actually improve America’s overall security and international influence when compared to Russia and China.
US Navy, Marines push to make virtual training more real
Defense News – U.S. Navy and Marine Corps leaders are pushing to make Live, Virtual and Constructive training environments more realistic because, they say, lives are at stake.
NRP “Arpão” submarine will set sail on an unprecedented 120-day mission
El Snorkel – The trip is carried out within the framework of the “Open Sea” mission, which provides for the collection of information that will be delivered to Portugal and NATO and its partners. (In Spanish)
(Thanks to Alain)
Containing the Bomb: An Assessment of Nuclear Weapons Free Zone
CIMSEC – This article is part of a series that will explore the use and legal issues surrounding military zones employed during peace and war to control the entry, exit, and activities of forces operating in these zones.
High demand for submarines in the world, Germany in search of talent.
El Snorkel – Until the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Germany’s arms industry was a declining sector that was increasingly dependent on exports. Now companies have to change course and urgently need new staff. (In Spanish)
(Thanks to Alain)
US Navy aims to field manned-unmanned fleet within 10 years
Defense News – The U.S. Navy plans to operate a fleet of crewed and unmanned platforms within the next 10 years — an ambitious timeline that will require the service to quickly develop and mature autonomous systems, while ensuring confidence in the technology.
Russian military docks vessel for first time in Saudi Arabia
War is Boring – The Admiral Gorshkov has become the first Russian warship to dock in Saudi Arabia.
(Thanks to Alain)
Turkey’s ‘Drone Carrier’ Amphibious Assault Ship Enters Service
War Zone – The Turkish Navy on Monday celebrated the entry into service of its new flagship, the TCG Anadolu, now the country’s largest warship, with an inauguration ceremony held about three months after the ship’s actual delivery due to scheduling conflicts. The Anadolu is classed as an amphibious assault ship, but officials in Turkey say they have big plans to also use the vessel as a carrier for different tiers of armed drones.
Has the Russian submarine threat been diminished by the Ukraine war?
Navy Lookout – Head of the US Northern Command recently told Senators that Russia could have its most powerful Yasen (NATO name Severodvinsk) class attack submarines on persistent patrols off either of America’s coasts within two years which will “reduce decision space for a national senior leader in a time of crisis”. Here we look at these boats and the wider Russian submarine threat that is equally applicable to the UK and Europe.
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