The War Zone – The British Armed Forces have bolstered their air defense presence in the region, but it has also shown cracks in readiness.
Author Archives: Naval Open Source Intelligence (NOSI)
Pentagon funds Patriot interceptor integration for Navy destroyers
Defence Blog – The United States Department of War allocated $65 million in fiscal year 2026 funding to integrate the Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptor with the Navy’s Aegis combat system on guided-missile destroyers. The integration would allow the Army’s Patriot interceptor to launch from Mk 41 vertical launch systems, expanding layered missile defense capabilities for U.S. naval forces.
(Thanks to Alain)
3 Cargo Ships Damaged in Suspected Iranian Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz
USNI News – Suspected Iranian projectiles hit three commercial ships Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
Kevin Rowlands reacts to the prospect of escorting convoys of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz
RUSI – Protecting maritime trade means having shared situational awareness and distributed presence rather than large visible formations which might serve only as big targets.
UK’s ‘hunter-killer’ submarine cuts short Australia mission – as Iran threat rises
iPaper – A British “hunter-killer” submarine could be on its way to the Middle East after cutting short its mission in Australia, military experts believe.
(Thanks to Alain)
Philippine Marine BrahMos Force Stands Up Northern Luzon Unit
Naval News – Manila’s northernmost territories will host an element from the Philippine Marine Corps BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missile-armed Coastal Defense Regiment, extending the reach of the force’s newly acquired maritime strike capabilities to the strategic Luzon Strait.
U.S. Striking Iranian Navy Ships With Ballistic Missiles
The War Zone – The U.S. military has been using M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to strike Iranian ships as part of Operation Epic Fury. Since the current conflict erupted, the only munitions those launchers have been seen firing are Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) short-range ballistic missiles. PrSM has made its combat debut against Iran, and the newly disclosed operational details raise the question of whether an anti-ship version has been fielded.
HMS Dragon sails for Cyprus – what it takes to prepare a warship for operations at short notice
Navy Lookout – Today, HMS Dragon left Portsmouth on her way to the eastern Mediterranean, primarily to protect Cyprus from Iranian drone or missile attack. Putting aside the wider arguments about Royal Navy readiness, here we briefly consider what it takes to get a warship ready for an operational deployment.
10 Additional French Warships to be Sent to the Middle East
Naval News – Announced by French President Emmanuel Macron on the 9th of March, 10 additional French warships are being pledged to the Middle Eastern theater amidst the ongoing war with Iran.
Operation Epic Escort
USNI News – The U.S. Military is Weighing How to Move Ships Through the Strait of Hormuz as Oil Prices Surge.
Iranian IRGC Show Uncrewed Explosive Boat (USV)
Covert Shores – Iran’s ‘mosquito fleet’ of small fast boats has yet to make a large impact in the war in the Middle East. But it’s explosive-laden USVs (uncrewed surface vessels), conceptually similar to those used by Ukraine, have struck tankers.
How Iran Can Close The Straits Of Hormuz
Covert Shores – An excellent overview by HI Sutton.
US attacks Iran’s mine-laying boats in strait of Hormuz as tensions rise over oil
The Guardian – The US military said it attacked and destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the strait of Hormuz amid reports that Iran has begun laying explosive devices in the strategically vital waterway.
Eyes in the Sky: Airborne Sensing and Battle Management in Indo-Pacific and Homeland Defense
CNAS – In the Department of Defense’s priority scenarios—a “defense by denial” of China and homeland defense—dedicated airborne sensing and battle management aircraft and their crew generate indispensable connective tissue and flexibility for the Joint Force.
Ports of Power: China’s Growing Maritime Network of Ports, Bases, and Dual-Use Facilities
Center for Maritime Strategy – “Ports of Power” chronicles China’s meteoric
rise in the maritime domain over the last two decades. The study presents a cautionary tale of how a rising power that once yielded to American sea power is now able to flex its muscles outside the first and second island chains while simultaneously expanding its global reach. Unlike many other studies written on this topic, “Ports of Power” is not content to simply identify and admire the problem. Rather, this study o!ers solutions to mitigate the risk of a Chinese monopoly in maritime infrastructure around the world and a strategy to compete with Beijing in this domain.
Foundry, Fleet, and Fight: Hedging the U.S. Navy
War on the Rocks – The U.S. Navy got some serious nautical miles under its belt during the first year of this administration, with combat operations from the Caribbean to Iran to Nigeria alongside its more regular duties. With no sign of President Donald Trump slowing down on global interventions and a tense geopolitical atmosphere, the United States remains in need of a navy that can fight and win wherever it is called to do so.
The new chief of naval operations, Adm. Daryl Caudle, has now published his response to this challenge: the U.S. Navy Fighting Instructions.
Future French Ballistic Missile Submarines will be named Invincible-class
Naval News – Speaking from the Île Longue ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) base in Brittany, French president Emmanuel Macron revealed that the first of the next generation SSBNs will be known as “Invincible”. The announcement came as part of a highly anticipated address during which the head of state outlined new parameters for the French nuclear deterrence in response to the evolving strategic context.
Boeing Christens Second Extra-Large Orca Submarine Drone
Naval News – Revealed in a LinkedIn post by Christine Clark, Boeing’s Supplier Program Manager, the second Orca Extra Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) dubbed the XLE2 has been commissioned.
Ukraine Intensifies Strikes on Russian Naval Assets Across Black Sea Region
Naval News – Ukrainian forces have conducted a series of large-scale attacks on Russian Black Sea Fleet assets in recent weeks, striking targets in both occupied Crimea and the Novorossiysk naval base in successive operations.
‘Quiet Death’: A U.S. Navy Nuclear Attack Submarine Sinks Iranian Warship And The World Took Notice
1945 – The sinking of the IRIS Dena on March 4, 2026, by a U.S. nuclear-powered attack submarine is more than a tactical footnote in Operation Epic Fury; it is a profound disruption of the global maritime order. As Dr. James Holmes, J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College, observes, this “quiet death” off the coast of Sri Lanka marks a radical geographical escalation that challenges the long-dormant “Indian Monroe Doctrine.”
Britain wakes up to the condition of its Navy
Navy Lookout – For years, warnings about the declining strength of the Royal Navy have been largely ignored. The crisis in the Middle East has placed the size and readiness of the RN in the spotlight, with various politicians and sections of the mainstream media describing Britain’s naval position as “weak”, “embarrassing” and “a disgrace”. Here we consider those claims, how it came to this, and a roadmap for change.
Royal Navy Crowsnest airborne surveillance helicopter deployed to Cyprus
Navy Lookout – A Merlin helicopter equipped with the Crowsnest Airborne Surveillance and Control (ASaC) system took off from RNAS Culdrose today for the long journey to Cyprus. Equipped with radar and specialist operators on board, the aircraft is ideal for tracking drones flying over water.
Italy, allies send warships to protect Europe’s southeastern edge from Iran strikes
Defense News – Italy will send a naval vessel or vessels to protect Cyprus from further Iranian attacks “in the next few days,” Italy’s defense minister said on Thursday.
French Navy Pledges 10 Additional Warships to Middle East, Escorts for Strait of Hormuz
USNI News – The French Navy will send eight frigates and two amphibious assault ships to the Eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea, joining aircraft carrier FS Charles De Gaulle (R91), following an Iranian drone attack on a Cyprus-based joint operating installation.
US, Iran spar over status of Iranian warship sunk by submarine
Defense News – The United States and Iran have offered sharply different accounts of the sinking of an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean last week, with Washington rejecting Tehran’s claim the vessel was unarmed and Iranian officials insisting it was operating in a noncombat role.
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