USNI News – Navy officials in Washington and on the waterfront are trying to help the Littoral Combat Ships grow more reliable and maintainable, amid a surface navy-wide effort to focus on crew-level maintenance as a means of improving operational availability.
Author Archives: Naval Open Source Intelligence (NOSI)
How China’s defence law changes pave the way for greater global military influence
South China Morning Post – By providing legal support for future overseas adventurism, the law underlines Beijing’s intent to be a more activist military power and expands the reasons it might project its power abroad – a change that could shake up global politics
China’s 3rd aircraft carrier expected to launch in 2021
Global Times – China’s third aircraft carrier, expected to be very different from the previous two with much larger displacement and featuring electromagnetic catapults, could be launched in 2021 and enter naval service around 2025, media reports predicted based on recent photos of the ship’s construction site.
US Navy halts deliveries of Freedom-class littoral combat ship
Defense News – The U.S. Navy has halted deliveries of Lockheed Martin’s Freedom-class littoral combat ship, citing a design flaw with the ship’s transmission.
Australia Reportedly Looking At An Alternative To Its Costly New French-Designed Submarines
War Zone – Australia’s plans to introduce 12 advanced new Attack class submarines may have hit a new snag. The huge cost of the French-designed conventional submarines, which will likely feature air-independent propulsionand other advanced technologies, means that officials may be examining whether they might instead replace the Royal Australian Navy’s six existing Collins class boats with an updated version of this same design.
US War Surge Production Too Slow, CSIS Finds
Breaking Defense – The United States could not make enough military equipment fast enough to sustain its military in the event of a major war. While much thought has been given to how a great power conflict might erupt or play out, far less has been written on how the U.S. industrial base could sustain U.S. wartime equipment losses in such a conflict.
Danes Prepare For New Role in A US Strike Group
Defense News – A large Danish frigate was again tucked into a berth at Fells Point in mid-November, an almost common sight. Four of Denmark’s five large frigates and command and support ships have visited this Maryland port in recent years. But this visit of the Peter Willemoes was different. This time, the Danes were in the US to train up with a US Navy carrier strike group and deploy as an integral part of a battle formation.
Lockheed Martin Progressing Towards LRASM Integration On F-35
Naval News – During the Surface Navy Association (SNA) 2021 Virtual Symposium held last week, Lockheed Martin was showcasing a new artist impression showing two LRASM fitted on a F-35 Lightning II.
Navy Integrating Littoral Combat Ships, Expeditionary Sea Base into New Operating Concepts
USNI News – Surface warfare leaders throughout the Navy last week mused about how to employ new classes of ships such as the Littoral Combat Ship and Expeditionary Sea Base, as the fleet transitions to a new type of operations against peer competitors.
Israeli Corvette Emerges With A Double Load Of Iron Dome Missiles As Potential Threats Grow
War Zone – Israel has tested Iron Dome on these ships before, but we’ve never seen two launchers on one of their decks, and the timing is also peculiar.
Russia Prepares To Accept Kh-47M Kinzhal Hypersonic Missile Into Service
Naval News – The Russian Navy is preparing to accept hypersonic air ballistic Kinzhal missile into service. In particular, the naval aviation of the Northern fleet will be armed with it. The missile can hit a target with a high precision in minutes and no country has reliable defense against it.
Off the California coast, the US Navy tests hunting subs with an aerial drone
Defense News – The U.S. Navy and General Atomics in November used sonobuoys dropped from an MQ-9A Block V Reaper to track a simulated submarine target on a U.S. Navy Pacific test range, in what the contractor says is the first time an aerial drone has deployed a self-contained anti-submarine warfare system.
Iran’s Missiles Landing Within 100 Miles Of A U.S. Carrier Is Provocative But Not Much Else
War Zone – Iran sent ballistic missiles 1,000 miles out into the Indian Ocean, but it doesn’t mean they have a long-range anti-ship ballistic missile capability.
Turkish Naval Defense Milestones Expected In 2021
Naval News – Several major Turkish naval programs are expected to reach key milestones this year. From the commissioning of major vessels such as the LHD, to the launch of new classes of frigates and submarines, as well as delivery of new missiles and torpedoes and even MALE UAVs.
Chinese Survey Ship Caught ‘Running Dark’ Give Clues to Underwater Drone Operations
USNI News – A Chinese government survey ship was intercepted “running dark” without broadcasting its position via AIS (Automated Information System by Indonesian officials. The incident is latest twist in an ongoing maritime saga which has also seen Chinese uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) found in Indonesia’s territorial waters.
The Chief Of Naval Operations Has A Navigation Plan For China
1945 – James Holmes writes that haste is a recurring theme in Chief of Naval Operations Mike Gilday’s 2021 “Navigation Plan,” released this week.
North Korea’s New Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile Is Its Biggest Yet
War Zone – Right on cue, after declaring the United States its biggest threat and announcing it was preparing for a new round of weapons tests, North Korea presented several examples of an apparently new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) during a parade in its capital, Pyongyang.
In the wake of tragedy, the US surface fleet is all in on simulators
Defense News – In his address this week at the annual Surface Navy Association symposium, top surface warfare officer Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener told a virtual audience that the surface community is increasingly relying on simulators to give officers and sailors alike the chance to keep their skills sharp, even if they are unable to get underway.
Underwater Drone Incidents Point to China’s Expanding Intelligence Gathering
RUSI – China’s apparent efforts to survey within other country’s territorial waters may go unchallenged.
Russia Should Ditch Its Cursed Aircraft Carrier And Focus On Its Two New Amphibious Assault Ships
War Zone – While refit work on Russia’s aging aircraft carrier seems to have slowed, its two new amphibious assault ships are set to grow even bigger.
Design Delays on Columbia Sub Program Leading to Construction Delays, Cost Increases
USNI News – The Government Accountability Office released a new report that warns Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarine cost and schedule plans are at risk due to problems with a new digital design tool and cascading effects stemming from the design challenges.
Hypersonics, Unmanned Ship Teaming Ahead for Zumwalt Destroyer
Breaking Defense – Navy officials said this week that the destroyer, which still hasn’t been deployed almost five years after she was christened, might find a place in the fleet after all.
Russia building coastal base for ‘Doomsday Nuke’
Barents Observer – Russia is building a coastal base for its unmanned underwater “doomsday nuke” to extend its lifespan.
U.S. Navy Ohio Class Submarine Filmed By Iranian Navy While Submerged
Naval News – It seems probable that a US Navy submarine, the USS Georgia (SSGN 729), has been detected by Iranian forces in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz. The circumstances are unclear.
Do the earliest Arleigh Burke-class destroyers still have legs? The US Navy thinks so.
Defense News – Between 1991, when the Navy commissioned the USS Arleigh Burke, and 1998, when it commissioned the USS Mahan, the service built the class at a pace of three per year. Now, as those ships are bearing down on their 35-year expected hull life, the Navy wants to grow its fleet, but it lacks the budget and capacity to modernize those first 21 ships to the latest configurations. So while the fleet will try to keep them around as long as possible, it will have to get creative in its problem-solving approach.
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