China Maritime Studies Institute – In April of this year, the U.S. Department of Defense released a China military power report, which stated that the Chinese Navy currently has at least six Type 094 ballistic missile nuclear submarines, and has the capability for at least one of them to be on continuous readiness duty. It also said that this is the first time it has been possible for the Chinese Navy to permanently maintain at least one strategic missile nuclear submarine at sea to perform strategic duty tasks. So, what is “continuous readiness duty” (quatianhou zhanbei zhiban), how can it be achieved, and why did the Chinese Navy only just now acquire this capability? With these questions in mind, we interviewed Professor Chi Guocang (迟国仓) of the PLAN Submarine Academy and asked him to give us a detailed explanation.
Author Archives: Naval Open Source Intelligence (NOSI)
US warships and planes strike Houthi targets in Yemen
BBC – The US military says it has launched strikes on the Iranian-backed Houthi group in Yemen, hitting 15 targets. The Pentagon said it used aircraft and warships to launch the attacks in order “to protect freedom of navigation”.
The Navy’s New NavPlan Sets Its Sights on China, from a Sea Denial Stance
US Naval Institute Proceedings – James Holmes writes that the Navy’s new Navigation Plan would have met approval from early 20th-century naval strategist Harry Yarnell.
Navy Making Final Selection For F/A-XX Stealth Fighter, Plans For 2030s Service Entry
The War Zone – While the Air Force’s NGAD fighter initiative currently paused, the Navy is pushing ahead with its similar F/A-XX stealth jet program.
French Navy orders underwater drones for deep-sea surveillance
Defense News – The French Navy has ordered an autonomous underwater vehicle from Exail that will surveil critical infrastructure at depths of up to 6,000 meters.
China Coast Guard Now Operating in the Bering Sea
USNI News – China’s Coast Guard is for the first time operating in the Bering Sea as Beijing increasingly uses the Northern Sea Route for shipping, the U.S. commander of the 17th Coast Guard District said this week.
Chinese Submarine That Sunk Had Exotic Hybrid Nuclear Powerplant
The War Zone – The mysterious Chinese submarine that apparently sunk in a shipyard earlier this year was the first of a new class featuring a hybrid nuclear/conventional propulsion system, according to a new report. The latest development in the saga of the Type 041 Zhou class submarine would seem to clear up some of the previous uncertainty about the boat as well as signal that China is working on novel solutions for its fast-growing underwater fleet.
U.S. Destroyers Successfully Down Iranian Missiles with SM-3s, Carrier USS Harry. S. Truman Now in U.S. 6th Fleet
USNI News – Two U.S. guided-missile destroyers destroyed a handful of Iranian missiles using a combination of weapons, including the Standard Missile 3, a U.S. official confirmed to USNI News on Wednesday.
UK will give sovereignty of Chagos Islands to Mauritius
BBC – The UK has announced it is giving up sovereignty of a remote but strategically important cluster of islands in the Indian Ocean after more than half a century. The deal – reached after years of negotiations – will see the UK hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a historic move.
Russian nuclear submarine surfaced after crossing six Arctic seas
Bulgarian Military – Russia’s nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine, “Emperor Alexander III,” has completed an impressive under-ice journey across six Arctic seas and recently surfaced in the eastern Arctic sector.
(Thanks to Alain)
U.S. Warships Fire a Dozen Interceptors Against Iranian Missile Attack
USNI News – USS Bulkely (DDG-84) and USS Cole (DDG-67) fired a dozen interceptors as part of the U.S. response to Iranian missiles launched at Israel, the Pentagon announced Tuesday.
New M23 Mini-Submarine Seen Undergoing Sea Trials in Italy for the First Time
Militarnyi – The new M23 C-Series mini-submarine, currently under construction for the Qatari Navy, was photographed for the first time in Italy.
(Thanks to Alain)
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The U.S. Navy’s Paradigm-Shifting Navigation Plan
National Interest – James Holmes writes that Lisa Franchetti is trying to break a paradigm. Admiral Franchetti is the newish chief of naval operations (CNO), or seniormost uniformed U.S. naval officer. What she says matters. Judging from her just-released “Navigation Plan,” or policy directive to the U.S. Navy, the CNO has come to believe that the Navy’s strategy, operational doctrine, and fleet design have fallen behind discomfiting new realities.
CNO Franchetti’s New Navy Navigation Plan
USNI News – The following is Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti’s Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy that was released to the fleet on Sept. 18, 2024.
CNO Franchetti War Plan Preparing Navy for Pacific Conflict by 2027 With Flat Budgets, Static Fleet Size
USNI News – The new fleet-wide guidance from the Navy’s top officer focuses on preparing the service for a potential war with China by 2027 as the maritime component of a joint “warfighting ecosystem.” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti will publicly issue her “America’s Warfighting Navy,” guidance to the wider fleet this week, more than a year into leading the Navy. The plan outlines her priorities for the service, which include fixing maintenance backlogs and recruiting, according to the final draft reviewed by USNI News.
How to Reboot the U.S. Navy
National Interest – James Holmes writes that if the U.S. Navy is in a bad way—and it is, amidst travails such as collisions and other mishaps at sea, shipboard fires, shipbuilding debacles, and even photos of rusty ships of war—changing minds and hearts will make a start toward renovating its standing as the world’s premier saltwater fighting force.
Red Sea Lessons Informing Fleet Forces’ Combat Surge Model, Says Admiral
USNI News – The short-notice surge of U.S. warships from the East Coast to take on missile and drone threats in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea is informing a model for how the Navy will surge ships to fight in future conflicts, the commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command told a group of naval engineers on Tuesday.
Chinese Investment in Ports, Communication Seeks to Project Global Power, Says Panel
USNI News – While the United States is unrivaled in projecting military power from 500-plus overseas bases, China’s investments in ports and communication technology globally show Beijing’s footprint approach as a possible means to a similar end, a panel said last week.
The U.S. Navy Shouldn’t Gloat over China’s Submarine Setback
National Interest – James Holmes writes that the Chinese Communist Party have a political problem on their hands. The unnamed U.S. official who disclosed the Type 041 disaster to the press observed that, “in addition to the obvious questions about training standards and equipment quality, the incident raises deeper questions about the PLA’s internal accountability and oversight of China’s defense industry—which has long been plagued by corruption.”
The development of a lean crewing solution for the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate
Navy Lookout – Like all navies, the RN is seeking to reduce the number of sailors needed to operate its warships as qualified people are expensive and in short supply. While putting fewer people in harm’s way, a small crew can have limitations. In this article, we look at how the designers of the Type 31 frigate have balanced lean crewing with effective operation.
Russia Training To Launch FPV Drones From Helicopters To Counter Sea Drones
The War Zone – Deploying and controlling FPV drones from helicopters would be highly beneficial, allowing for rapid response with very flexible and inexpensive guided weapons.
European navies chase the white whale of torpedo-busting torpedoes
Defense News – The technology promises to be a game changer: a torpedo-seeking torpedo fired by surface vessels for head-on intercepts, missile-defense style. Yet after more than a decade of research, lead nations Germany and the Netherlands are still years away from fitting their navies with a hard-kill torpedo countermeasure.
RFA Cardigan Bay returns to UK but no sailors available to take her to shipyard for refit
Navy Lookout – RFA Cardigan Bay arrived in Portland in early September after more than two years away from the UK. Due to crew shortages, the RFA is currently unable to move her from Portland to Falmouth to begin a planned refit.
U.S. to Assist in Building New Naval Pier at Subic Bay
USNI News – The U.S. will support Manila’s plan to build a new naval pier at a Philippine naval base in Subic Bay.
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