Troubling U.S. Navy review finds widespread shortfalls in basic seamanship

– Defense News – A three-month internal review conducted by senior U.S. surface fleet leaders found that nearly 85 percent of its junior officers had either some or significant concerns in ship handling and that many struggled to react decisively to extricate their ship from danger when there was an immediate risk of collision, according to an internal message obtained by Defense News.

Why A ‘Human In The Loop’ Can’t Control AI: Richard Danzig

– Breaking Defense – How do you stop a Terminator scenario before it starts? Real US robots won’t take over like the fictional SkyNet, Pentagon officials promise, because a human being will always be “in the loop,” possessing the final say on whether or not to use lethal force. But by the time the decision comes before that human operator, it’s probably too late, warns Richard Danzig. In a new report, the respected ex-Navy Secretary argues that we need to design in safeguards from the start.

We spent 3 days on a top contender for the Navy’s future frigate. Here’s what you need to know.

– Defense News – The Italian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare FREMM Alpino is in the United States on a tour of the East Coast. The Fincantieri-built warship is a contender for the U.S. Navy’s next-generation frigate, the FFG(X), and the Alpino is on this side of the Atlantic giving the service a look at what the hull can do.

A Little-Noticed Player Goes Big in the Indo-Pacific

– War on the Rocks – While many eyes are on China’s port investments in the Indian Ocean, Japan has also been busy. The scale of its infrastructure investments in the region rivals, and sometimes exceeds, that of China. But Japan argues that its growing presence in the Indian Ocean is qualitatively different, focused on transparency, economic sustainability, and a rules-based order that should become part of regional norms.

What’s Next for Third Fleet Forward?

– USNI Proceedings – The U.S. Third Fleet was born out of necessity, forged during the peak of the war in the Pacific. Its first commander, Admiral William “Bull” Halsey, was admired for his aggressive nature and warfighting intellect. More than 70 years after its creation, Third Fleet has returned to the forefront of Pacific warfighting. Following in Halsey’s footsteps, Vice Admiral Nora Tyson took the Third Fleet somewhere it had not been in decades—across the international dateline. Under direction from Commander Pacific Fleet, Admiral Scott Swift, this “Third Fleet Forward” concept has featured surface action groups (SAGs) under the command of Third Fleet operating in regions of the Pacific historically under the command of Seventh Fleet.