The Atlantic – Daniel Yergin writes that more than most, four men shaped the oft-cited “strategic tensions” over the South China Sea.
Author Archives: Naval Open Source Intelligence (NOSI)
China Maritime Report No. 11: Securing China’s Lifelines across the Indian Ocean
Chinese Maritime Studies Institute – How is China thinking about protecting sea lines of communication (SLOCs) and maritime chokepoints in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in times of crisis or conflict? Relying on Chinese policy documents and writings by Chinese security analysts, this report argues that three critical challenges limit the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN’s) ability to project power into the region and defend access to SLOCs and chokepoints, particularly in times of crisis: (1) the PLAN’s relatively modest presence in the region compared to other powers, (2) its limited air defense and anti-submarine warfare capabilities, and (3) its limited logistics and sustainment infrastructure in the region.
New ‘tri-maritime strategy’ released, but leaders struggle to explain certain key points
Navy Times – A new tri-service maritime strategy for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard released Thursday is the latest Pentagon product to sound the alarm over the increasing military might of a resurgent Russia and an ascendant China…But while the document lays out these challenges in at-times grim terms, leaders of the three services put forth for a call with reporters Thursday struggled to explain what several points mean for rank-and-file personnel and material ship readiness.
JQL Could Be The “Game Changing Force Multiplier” For Small Naval Boats And Littoral Warfare Ships
Naval News – In the ever-changing dynamic arena of Littoral and naval warfare, rapid precision firepower could decide which ships survive and which ships don’t. Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) Quad Launcher (JQL) adds guided short-range missile firepower that many small boats and fast attack craft lack.
Sea Services: More Assertive Posture Against China Will Require Presence, Strong Alliances
USNI News – The U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard say they need to begin acting more assertively to push back against gray-zone operations China is already conducting today. That means having more forward forces to deter, to document malign behaviors and to support partners as they protect their territory, according to service leaders.
New U.S. Maritime Strategy Sets Sights on China
U.S. Needs ‘Resilient’ Strategy to Counter China, Russia in Arctic, Experts Say
USNI News – The United States “needs resilient people and resilient equipment” to meet mounting security and economic challenges posed by Russia and China, according to a panel of Arctic security experts.
Dutch Marines Prepare For Arctic Warfare With New Machine Gun-Armed Sleds
War Zone – Competition in the Arctic is heating up and the Netherlands, along with other NATO members, is preparing for potential conflict in the region.
Beijing Upgrading Naval Bases To Strengthen Grip On South China Sea
Naval News – New satellite imagery shows progress on a major dry dock, large enough for aircraft carriers.
The more war stays the same, the more it changes
The Hill – James Holmes writes that war never changes. War changes all the time — sometimes in revolutionary ways. These sentences do not contradict each other.
Ukraine Orders Corvettes And UCAVs From Turkey For Ukrainian Navy
Naval News – The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has ordered new Turkish-made corvettes and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) from Turkey. They are being procured for the Ukrainian Navy to enhance security in the Black and Azov Sea regions.
The US Navy is investigating a potential LCS class-wide design flaw
Defense News – Repeated failures in the propulsion train on the Freedom-class littoral combat ships Little Rock and Detroit have raised the specter of a class-wide design flaw that could trigger an expensive reworking of a crucial component on 17 of the Navy’s small surface combatants.
Marine Infantry Training Shifts From ‘Automaton’ to Thinkers, as School Adds Chess to the Curriculum
USNI News – The Marine Corps is about to revolutionize infantry training, more than doubling the length of initial training for enlisted infantry Marines and weighing consolidation of its core grunt specialties into a single, all-around infantry warfighter.
Russia’s Kazan nuclear sub to complete state trials this year — fleet commander
TASS – Russia’s latest nuclear-powered submarine Kazan will complete all state trials by the end of the year, Northern Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Alexander Moiseyev told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.
(Thanks to Alain)
Taiwan says US has approved key submarine technology sale
AFP – The United States has issued an export permit for a digital sonar system critical to Taiwan’s indigenous submarine project. The digital sonar system and an integrated combat system are two key components Taiwan needs to build its own modern submarines.
LCS USS Gabrielle Giffords Nabs Narco Sub in the Pacific
USNI News – Operating in the Eastern Pacific with a Coast Guard law enforcement detachment (LEDET) aboard, the USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) interdicted a so-called narco submarine on Dec. 5.
The US Navy has an upgraded Tomahawk: Here’s 5 things you should know
Defense News – The U.S. Navy test-fired its new Block V Tomahawk from the destroyer Chafee in December, introducing the newest generation of the venerable Tomahawk cruise missile to its arsenal.
Explosive-Laden Boat Strikes Oil Tanker In Saudi Arabian Port
War Zone – The attack has the hallmarks of past operations by Iranian backed Yemeni-rebels and follows weeks of similar incidents in the region.
A Berlin Strategy: How Should America Respond to China’s Taiwan Threats
National Interest – James Holmes writes how a now nearly forgotten flashpoint during the Cold War could help Washington form a response if tensions rise around the Taiwan Strait.
U.S. Navy Submarine Fleet To Be Overtaken By China Before 2030
Naval News – The next ten years could see a major shift in the rankings however. Based on current plans and projections, the U.S. and China will trade places by 2030.
Taiwan’s CSBS Unveils New Frigate Design For ROC Navy
Naval News – Taiwan’s largest shipbuilding company, CSBC Corporation held its investor’s conference on December 4, 2020. The image of a new Frigate (FFG) design was featured during the conference. CSBC revealed its plan to become the contractor of the Republic of China
Trump’s massive Navy buildup bets on savings that wont materialize, experts say
Defense News – Experts and analysts who reviewed the plan for Defense News were skeptical of the mechanisms that the White House Office of Management and Budget used to pay for the increases, including assuming a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, back office savings and cutting legacy equipment.
Four navy ships to help protect fishing waters in case of no-deal Brexit
The Guardian – Four Royal Navy patrol ships will be ready from 1 January to help the UK protect its fishing waters in the event of a no-deal Brexit, in a deployment evoking memories of the “cod wars” in the 1970s.
Navy Creates New Warrant Officer Role To Operate Its Carrier-Based Tanker Drones
War Zone – The U.S. Navy has announced that its Boeing MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial vehicles, which will provide aerial refueling from its aircraft carriers, will be operated by warrant officer with a new specialty designation — the Aerial Vehicle Operator.
China launches ‘gray-zone’ warfare to subdue Taiwan
Reuters – Having crushed the resistance to its rule in Hong Kong, China is moving against Taiwan with irregular tactics meant to exhaust the island’s military – which is in bad shape to confront the threat. It’s unclear how the incoming Biden administration will respond.
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