Defense News – The Navy’s ability to build lower-cost warships that can shoot down Houthi rebel missiles in the Red Sea depends in part on a 25-year-old laborer who previously made parts for garbage trucks.
Author Archives: Naval Open Source Intelligence (NOSI)
US sends submarine to Middle East as tensions grow
BBC – The US has sent a guided missile submarine to the Middle East, as tensions grow in the region. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also said an aircraft carrier which was already heading to the area would sail there more quickly.
F/A-18E Super Hornets Fully Loaded With Air-To-Air Missiles Arrive In Jordan
The War Zone – U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets from the supercarrier USS Theodore Roosevelt are now operating from a major U.S. air operations hub in Jordan.
Annexation of Taiwan: A Defeat From Which the US and Its Allies Could Not Retreat
Baker Institute – This paper addresses one of the most dangerous, consequential flashpoints on the planet today, and for years into the future: a potential attempt by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to annex Taiwan. The aftermath would likely trigger the worst economic shocks experienced in more than a century, unleashing a cycle of repression and diminishing the quality of life for populations across Asia and beyond, with devastating impacts on American interests and Americans’ well-being. Moreover, China’s annexation of Taiwan could exacerbate regional tensions and extend into a broader, global conflict. At stake are crucial interests such as the semiconductors that power today’s big data world and the national security of U.S. allies and partners. Neighboring states’ responses to PRC expansion could also result in the erosion of American military advantages as well as the destabilization of democracy and the international order.
Geography Matters, Time Collides: Mapping China’s Maritime Strategic Space under Xi
Mapping China’s Strategic Space – With an increasingly powerful People’s Republic of China (PRC) under paramount leader Xi Jinping engaging in meteoric military-maritime buildup and pressing disputed sovereignty claims with increasing assertiveness, it is more important than ever to consider Beijing’s “mental map”: how its leaders regard the physical nature of strategic space. As Andrew Rhodes argues cogently, “Being able to ‘think in space’ is a crucial tool for decision-makers, but one that is often deemphasized.” This applies to understanding both how PRC leaders envision China’s strategic space and how it is evolving in practice.
Italy: The Globally Connected Mediterranean Power?
RUSI – The recent meeting linking Italy, the UK and Japan through the Global Combat Air Programme, alongside the participation of the Cavour Carrier Strike Group in Exercise Pitch Black, showcase a country with growing links to the Indo-Pacific and the will to act upon them.
End in sight for Royal Navy attack submarine woes?
Navy Lookout – Almost a year ago we reported that none of the RN’s attack submarines (SSNs) were at sea. There has been only limited SSN activity since but here we summarise the current situation and look forward to improving future availability.
Disinformation Effort Key to Houthi Red Sea Campaign, Says 5th Fleet Commander
USNI News – As USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) left the Red Sea, on its way home, the Houthis attacked, sinking the ship. Or at least, that’s what the Yemeni-based group claimed, according to social media posts from the group’s leaders and their supporters.
Royal Navy Tests Upgraded Spearfish Torpedo on Vanguard Nuclear Sub
Defence Post – The Royal Navy has tested the upgraded Spearfish torpedo from a Vanguard-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine.
(Thanks to Alain)
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Crew of USS Mason Adapted to Demands of Intense Red Sea Deployment, Sailors Say
USNI News – When sailors assigned to USS Mason (DDG-87) were in workups last year, many expected a standard Mediterranean Sea deployment…But after Hamas launched attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7 and the Yemen-based Houthis started attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s ongoing bombardment of the Gaza strip, the destroyer quickly became one of several U.S. warships to engage in sustained naval combat for the first time since World War II.
EA-18G Growlers With New Jamming Pods Onboard Carrier Heading To Middle East
The War Zone – This appears to be the first cruise for the AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer, the most advanced publicly known tactical electronic warfare capability.
CMSI Note #7: PLA Navy Reserve: Out of the Shadows and into the Forefront?
Chinese Maritime Studies Institute – As a part China’s goal to build a fully modernized military by 2035, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is improving its reserve forces through increased defense spending, critical policy changes, and organizational restructuring. Reserve forces (后备力量) encompass the PLA Reserve (预备役部队) and paramilitary forces, such as the militia, which fall under the leadership of the Central Military Commission and can be mobilized by the National Defense Mobilization Department to support combat. The many components that make up China’s fighting force such as active-duty PLA forces, China Coast Guard, and the militia have been studied in depth; however, the PLA Reserve remains an understudied and underreported topic. While the PLA Reserve represents a fraction of the force structure of their active-duty counterparts, recent changes in military reform specific to the PLA Reserve highlight the importance of this relatively small force and the evolving role reservists (预备役人员) may play within the PLA.
Lessons for the Royal Navy’s Future Operations from the Black and Red Sea
RUSI – As the Royal Navy proceeds with its recapitalisation programme, what lessons can it draw regarding future threats from the conflicts in the Red Sea and Black Sea?
Russian Submarine Destroyed, Kyiv Claims
The War Zone – Ukraine claims it struck and sunk the Russian Russian Navy Improved Kilo class diesel-electric attack submarine Rostov-on-Don in an attack on Sevastopol “by units of the missile forces, in cooperation with units of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff claimed on Telegram.
The Calm Before the Swarm: Drone Warfare at Sea in the Age of the Missile
War on the Rocks – We are not yet at a paradigm-shifting moment in the role of autonomous or robotic systems at sea. Nor are we likely to reach a revolutionary precipice within the period in which the U.S. Navy must begin making the transition to a truly hybrid fleet — that is, the integration of autonomous platforms designed to operate as part of an ocean-going battle force. This means the Navy’s approach to acquiring and fielding unmanned systems for deployment at sea should ultimately reinforce and support the maritime domain’s still-dominant weapons system: long-range anti-ship missiles.
Chinese Sea Dragon Commandos Show Off Drones That Look Just Like Birds
The War Zone – Weaponized drones that look and fly like birds may sound like something out of a movie, but they are very real with a long history.
Unmanned Maritime Systems and Warships: Interpretations Under the Law of the Sea
CIMSEC – Treating unmanned vessels as warships requires examining whether they meet the definition of a warship under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The legal status of naval vessels under UNCLOS varies widely depending on whether a navy operates its ships as warships, non-commercial government vessels, or accessories to conventional warships.
This paper discusses whether unmanned systems can be considered warships under UNCLOS, especially with today’s voracious appetite for developing the technology; however, the legal status of unmanned vessels as warships remains uncertain. International agreements on the legal status of unmanned vessels would help establish the legitimacy of naval operations employing them.
Royal Navy frigate strength to get worse before it gets better
Navy Lookout – The RN’s frigates are supposed to be the backbone of the fleet but it has become increasingly difficult to keep the ageing Type 23s going while their replacements are some years away from commissioning. Here we look at the current situation and the implications for future fleet strength.
America’s ‘Air Wing Of The Future’ Takes Shape In The Pacific
Naval News – Making its Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) debut, the USS Carl Vinson’s CVW-2 Advanced Air Wing is bringing unmatched capabilities to the front lines of U.S. Naval Aviation in a way not seen since the Cold War.
US deploys jets and warships as Iran threatens Israel
BBC – The United States will deploy additional warships and fighter jets to the Middle East to help defend Israel from possible attacks by Iran and its proxies, the Pentagon said.
Silent Swarm Exercise Accelerates Navy’s Path To Distributed Electronic Warfare Future
The War Zone – The Navy recently experimented with hundreds of electronic warfare technologies mounted on aerial drones and swarms of uncrewed boats.
The US says it has successfully practiced using a low-cost bomb to sink a major surface ship. China is taking note
CNN – A very specialized part of the world’s largest naval drills off the northern Hawaiian island of Kauai is gaining attention on both sides of the Pacific. Earlier this month, the US and allies practiced taking out a large surface ship with long-range weapons, including, for the first time, a US Air Force B-2 bomber.
Secretive Guided Missile Submarine USS Florida’s Leadership Talks About Their 727-Day Deployment
The War Zone – The 41-year-old prized submarine traveled more than 60,000 miles while packed with special operators and fired Tomahawk cruise missiles at Houthi targets.
July Red Sea recap: Houthis continue to target commercial vessels
Defense News – U.S. forces took down dozens of Iran-backed Houthi drones in the Red Sea and in Yemen this month, as Houthi rebels continue to target civilian and commercial vessels in the region.
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