Royal Marines – 45 Commando is being withdrawn from Afghanistan.

• CNN: UK pulls troops from Afghanistan

US Navy – The USS George Washington battlegroup deploys.

• Virginian Pilot: GW battle group heads for harm’s way
• Virginian Pilot: Ships and squadrons with the GW Battle Group
  

Canadian Navy – Canada’s Sea King helicopters are finally getting self-defense suites.

• Halifax Herald: Sea Kings finally get missile defense

US Navy – The US Navy has purchased one of the fastest supercomputers in the world.

• Ananova: US navy supercomputer to map the oceans

US Marines – An overview of the operational logistics associated with the Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF).

• Sea Power: Outfitting the Operating Force
  – Blount Island Command Equips Marines for Battle

Russian Navy – The Kursk salvage is now over.

• Associated Press: Top official points at torpedo as cause for Kursk’s sinking

Israeli Navy – A senior Israeli defense official states that Israel needs to develop a sea-based deterrent force.

• Washington Post: Missile Worries Focus Israel on Navy
  

US Navy – Why congressional meddling makes the military procurement system such a mess – the US Navy passes on converting a cruise ship hull to a floating barracks – the USS Pork.

• New York Times: Critics Christen Ship Project as an Off-Course U.S.S. Pork

Royal Navy – Her Majesty’s Government insists there is no deal to sell HMS Invincible to India.

• The Guardian: Yesterday in parliament

Chinese Navy – China’s two new Sovremenny-class destroyers under construction will be much better armed than their sister ships already in the Chinese Navy.

• Taipei Times: Missile deal to boost Beijing’s naval prowess
  

Canadian Navy – The Victoria-class submarines will not receive air independent propulsion upgrades until 2012, instead of in 2007.

• Ottawa Citizen: Subs can’t patrol Arctic until 2012:
  Cash crunch delays upgrades needed for work under ice pack
  

Russian Navy – Another piece of the Kursk’s bow has been lifted from the sea.

• Associated Press: Part of Kursk’s Bow Lifted From Sea
  

US Navy – The US is trying to figure out how many sailors it actually needs to operate its ships.

• Virginian Pilot: Navy brings changes to staffing levels
  

British Merchant Marine – Is the UK not taking prudent precautions in shipping nuclear waste around the world?

• BBC: A floating target for al-Qaeda?
  

Canadian Navy – Another Victoria-class submarine begins sea trials.

• Canadian Press: New sub to go through ‘rigorous’ trials in U.K.

US Navy – Naval aviatiors will soon receive new googles designed to protect their eyes from the effects of lasers.

• Washington Times: Inside the Ring

Israeli Navy – Israel denies its submarines are part of its nuclear deterrent.

• Haaretz: Israel denies report subs can launch nuclear missiles

Argentinian Navy – A Russian research ship is trapped in an iceflow in Anarctica; a South African research ship and an Argentine icebreaker have been dispatched to rescue it.

• Stuff: Sth African ship to attempt perilous Antarctica rescue
  

US Navy – How modern business practices are being used to improve the US Navy.

• Reuters: Navy Chief Using Business Tools to Modernize

Pakistani Navy – Pakistan’s Navy has been recalled to base.

• Pakistan News Service: Pakistan Recalls its WarShip,Makes good on Promise

Background – Submarines – A review of the submarine arms race in South East Asia.

• Reuters: Submarine deals drive naval arms race in Asia
  

Israeli Navy – More evidence that Israel’s 3 attack submarines are armed with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and therefore are part of its nuclear deterrent.

• Washington Post: Israel Has Sub-Based Atomic Arms Capability

US Marines – Another installment in the series on how US Marines are made at Parris Island.

• Washington Post: Private Struggles, United in Pain – Striving to Claim the Title of U.S. Marine

US Navy – The USS George Washington battlegroup is about to deploy to relieve the USS John F Kennedy battlegroup.

• Virginian Pilot: Another battle group set to depart for 6-month tour
  

US Navy – The US again tests a ship-based anti-ballistic missile system – successfully.

• Associated Press: Navy ship set for
  missile shield test

• CNN: Ballistic missile intercept test declared a success

Background – Guerilla Warfare – James F. Dunnigan on how to defeat a guerilla insurgency.

• Strategy Page: How to Beat Guerillas

Chinese Navy – China will buy more Kilo-class submarines from Russia, meanwhile US Navy officers are helping run Taiwanese war games.

• The Straits Times: China-Taiwan arms race hotting up

Russian Navy – The Russian Navy is considering the use of seals as underwater rescuers.

• BBC: Russia’s new naval rescuers
  

Indian Navy – A listing of the Indian ships that were deployed off of Pakistan that have returned to port, the aircraft carrier Viraat was part of the task force.

• The Hindu: Warships return from Arabian Sea patrols

US Navy – What the SOSUS system is being used for these days???monitoring “biologicals.”

• CNN: Tuning in to a deep sea monster

French Navy – France has seized a ship thought to be carrying tons of cocaine.

• BBC: French troops storm cocaine ship

US Marines – How Pakistan has been a valuable ally to the US Marines in their war against terror.

• Marine Corps Gazette: PakistanóAn Enduring Friend
  

US Navy – Some F-14’s have been cleared to return to duty at sea.

• Virginian Pilot: Navy clears some F-14s to return to carrier duty; others need fixes

Royal Navy – An overview of the threats to shipping in the Straits of Gibraltar.

• Daily Telegraph:
  The new pirates of the Barbary Coast

• Daily Telegraph: Putting naval security to the power-boat tes
• Jane’s: Naval force protection in an asymmetric world

Indian Navy – The Indian Navy launched a fast patrol vessel.

• The Hindu: Navy launches patrol vessel

Indian Navy – India has pulled its ships off the west coast of Pakistan and returned them to base.

• BBC: India pulls back warships
  

Royal Navy – The Royal Navy must be vigilant as its ships pass through the Straits of Gibraltar to prevent terrorist attacks against them.

• Daily Telegraph: Ships ‘need fresh tactics to tackle suicide attacks’

US Navy – Aboard the USS LaSalle, flagship of the 6th Fleet, in the Mediterranean, as it hunts for criminals and terrorists.

• Washington Post: Fighting Terror on the High Seas

Columbian Navy – Who should own the islands of Providence and San Andres in the western Carribean, which are a key base in the war on drugs – Columbia, Nicaragua, or no one?

• The Guardian: Trouble in paradise

US Navy – The US Navy decides to rehabilitate, rather than reject, problem Sailors.

• Virginian Pilot: Navy school aims to help sailors get their bearings

Taiwanese Navy – Could a Northrup – HDW partnership bring submarines to Taiwan? Meanwhile Taiwan considers carving a new submarine base out of a mountain for its submarines.

• Agence France Presse: Northrop looking for partner in selling submarines to Taiwan
• Taipei Times: Navy planning to build a submarine base in mountain along east coast
  

Royal Navy – al-Queda had plans to attack ships patroling the Straits of Gibraltar.

• BBC: Morocco ‘uncovers al-Qaeda plot’

Royal Australian Navy – Australia and Singapore are conducting exercise Singaroo 702.

• Associated Press: S’pore and Australia launch war games

US Navy – Thomas Ricks on the new US policy of advocating pre-emptive strikes

• Washington Post:
  Bush Developing Military Policy Of Striking First

Background – Caspian Sea – More on the militarization of the Caspian Sea.

• Radio Free Europe: Caspian: ‘Militarization’ Of The Sea — Myth Or Reality

Sri Lankan Navy – Sri Lanka is looking to China to strengthen its navy.

• Agence France Presse: Sri Lanka seeks China’s help to boost navy

Indian Navy – The Indian Navy is patroling the Gulf of Mannar more carefully.

• Hindustan Times:
  Mystery plane sightings spur military alert off Tamil Nadu

US Navy – A look at the state-of-the-art in underway replenishment.

• Sea Power: Faster, Safer, Heavier, More Reliable
  Port Hueneme Moves Forward On Heavy UNREP

Background – Merchant Marine – A new way to secure containers against tampering from terrorists.

• Business Week: Global Shipping in the Security Age

Background – War on Terrorism – William Arkin on why we should listen more to our Australian allies in the war on terrorism.

• Los Angeles Times: The View From Down Under

US Navy – The USS Tortuga has run aground during exercises off of North Carolina but has been freed.

• Virginian Pilot: Little Creek-based ship gets free after grounding on N.C. sandba

Royal Marines – Operation Buzzard continues in Afghanistan.

• BBC: Marines blast huge cave network

Indian Navy – The Indian Navy says it is ready to go.

• Press Trust of India: Weíre geared for war at four hours’ notice: Navy

Taiwanese Navy – Is Taiwan producing stealthy missile craft?

• Straits Times: Taiwan navy to test ‘stealth’ boats

Background – East Asia – Why China is paranoid about defense.

• Economist: China feels encircled

US Navy – The wave-piercing catamaran test platform Joint Venture (HSV-X1) is to participate in unidentified military support operations in the US Central Command area of responsibility.

• Jane’s: US Army puts high-speed test vessel ‘in the fight’

Royal Navy – More reasons why the Sea Harriers are being phased out.
Canadian Navy – Why the conversion of the Upholder-class submarines is so complex and taking so long.

• Sea Power: Numerous Program Changes For U.K. Joint Harrier Force
  

US Navy – An update on the condition of the USS Dolphin.

• San Diego Union Tribune: Dolphin inspected after fires, flooding

Taiwanese Navy – Will Taiwan get German 209-class submarines via the US?

• Agence France Presse: Report says US company to build subs
  

Background – Kashmir – Edward Luttwak on why he thinks the Indian Navy will not blockade Karachi’s harbor.

• The Globe and Mail: The great game gets serious
  

Background – Airpower – Part 3 of a series – airpower finally lives up to its promises in Iraq, Yugoslavia, and Afghanistan.

• The Atlantic: The American Way of War

Canadian Navy – What life is like aboard Canada’s Upholder-class submarines – a cruise aboard HMCS Windsor told in text, audio, and video.

• CBC: Submarine Diary
  

Canadian Navy – All 4 Upholder-class submarines have problems with faulty diesel exhaust valves.

• CBC: All four submarines share valve problem

US Navy – F-14 Tomcats are not being allowed to be launched by catapult until their nose wheel assemblies are inspected for corosion.

• Virginian Pilot: Navy halts carrier flights of F-14s for check
  

Royal Marines – The Royal Marines are performing humanitarian duties while patroling in Afghanistan.

• Daily Telegraph: Troops get to root of Afghan decay

Malaysian Navy – Malaysia has formally signed a deal to purchase Scorpene-class submarines from France.

• The Straits Times: KL signs deal to buy 3 French submarines

US Navy – An essay by the Chief of Naval Operations on what the US Navy needs to look like in the future.

• Sea Power: Presence, Power, Precision: The United States Navy in the 21st Century

Russian Navy – More fragments of the Kursk’s bow were recovered today.

• CNN: More Kursk fragments recovered

Thai Navy – More on the border tensions between Thailand and Myanmar.

• The Straits Times: Thai-Myanmar tensions rise several notches

US Navy – Why the tactical component network (TCN) outperforms the cooperative engagement capability (CEC) – and why CEC will be funded and TCN will not.

• US Naval Institute Proceedings: Sunk Costs Sink Innovation
  

Background – Kashmir – William Arkin’s analysis of the possibility of nuclear war between India and Pakistan.

• Washington Post: Kashmir: Hype and Reality
  

Indian Navy – India may acquire HMS Invincible along with her Sea Harriers.

• Sky News: India May Buy UK Warship

Burmese Navy – Burmese warships are patrolling waters off Song, Lam, Khan and Khinok islands, the site of outstanding border disputes with Thailand.

• Bangkok Post: Junta deploys warships in disputed seas

Nigerian Navy – Nigeria continues its war against oil poachers.

• Vanguard: Navy Destroys N65m Vessels Used for Illegal Operations
  

US Marines – Thomas Ricks on how the US Marines first official report on the war in Afghanistan criticizes the US military from leading from the rear – that is, running the war from Central Command’s HQ in Tampa, Florida. The Marines argue that the HQ should be in theater.

• Washington Post: Un-Central Command Criticized
  

Background – Information Warfare – James Bamford on whether the NSA is up to the tasks facing it in the war on terrorism.

• Washington Post: Too Much, Not Enough
  

US Coast Guard – A detailed review of the role the Coast Guard plays in homeland defense.

• Sea Power: The Coast Guard’s Role in Homeland Defense
  

Royal Marines – A woman is allowed to join the logistic ranks of the Royal Marines, for the first time.

Daily Telegraph: First woman wins Marines’ green beret

Pakistani Navy – Pakistan’s navy says it can defend Pakistan from India’s navy.

• Frontier Post: Navy capable of thwarting aggression

Russian Navy – The salvage of the Kursk’s bow is underway.

• BBC: Russia launches final Kursk mission
  

Royal Navy – HMS Portland has stopped an Iraqi ship trying to smuggle oil out of Iraq.

• BBC: Navy frigate stops Iraqi smugglers
  

Royal Marines – Royal Marines have taken up blocking positions along the Pakistan – Afghanistan border in Operation Buzzard.

• Washington Post: British Fortify Pakistani Border
• BBC: UK Marines in new Afghan mission

US Navy – What the US Navy hopes to get out of next year’s budget.

• Sea Power: President Seeks Multibillion Increases for Defense, Homeland Security
  

US Marines – The new role of the Marines’ reserve division artillery regiment – to be corps-level artillery.

• Marine Corps Gazette: The Force Artillery Mission and 14th Marines
  

NOSI will take a short break and will publish next on Monday. See you then.

Indian Navy – The strategy behind the Indian Navy’s deployment off the port of Karachi – bottle up Pakistan from a naval and economic perspective.

• Gulf News: Indians in ‘a position to destroy oil installations’
  

US Navy – US has signed an agreement with Sri Lanka to allow the fueling and servicing of its ships and aircraft in Sri Lanka.

• Reuters: U.S. Ships to Refuel in Sri Lanka

US Navy – The USS John Stennis battlegroup returns home, after a tour in the Arabian Sea.

• CNN: USS John C. Stennis back at home
• CNN: Eager Stennis sailors head home

Indian Navy – India expresses interest in purchasing the Royal Navy’s Sea Harriers.

• Hindustan Times: India keen on purchase of British Sea Harriers
  

US Marines – The Marines are experimenting successfully with the WestPac Express, a high-speed vessel (HSV), used to support the III Marine Expeditionary Force based in Okinawa.

• Sea Power: The Marines Have Landed ??? Again

Royal Navy – The new Astute-class nuclear attack submarines will be based at Faslane.

• The Scotsman: Faslane to win nuclear order
  

Indonesian Navy – Indonesia will upgrade the engineering plants of a number of its warships, it is also beginning humanitarian relief exercises this week with the US Navy.

• Agence France Presse: Navy to recondition all its frigates and 22 warships
• Express India: US Navy ships arrive for joint exercise in Indonesia

Taiwanese Navy – Taiwan is searching for the black boxes from the 747 that crashed off the Straits of Taiwan.

• Taipei Times: Military search mobilization largest in its history

Background – Weapons of Mass Destruction – William Arkin on how the Bush Administration is now fighting Cold War #2 – against weapons of mass destruction.

• Los Angeles Times: A Policy In From the Cold
  

Background – Nuclear Weapons – A well written essay on what the threat is from nuclear weapons or radiological weapons, with a number of scenarios.

• New York Times Sunday Magazine: Nuclear Nightmares

US Navy – WWII – I’ll probably start posting a few more history articles as I come across them. Here is an appropriate article for today (Memorial Day in the United States) – a succinct, yet insightful history of the US Navy in World War II. Be sure to read all 5 parts.

• The Atlantic: Victory at Sea

US Navy – The story of what happened when a SEAL team insertion went wrong during the early phases of Operation Anaconda. The pitched ground battle that ensued is similar to “Blackhawk Down” – call it “Chinook Down.”

• Washington Post: Part I: Bravery and Breakdowns in a Ridgetop Battle
• Washington Post: Chronology
• Washington Post: Part 2: A Wintry Ordeal at 10,000 Feet
• Washington Post: The Rescue

Canadian Navy – What Canada’s CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft have been up to in the Gulf.

• Halifax Herald: Military secret

Royal Navy – The Royal Navy’s new carriers will be too large to dock at its main base at Portsmouth.

• The Guardian: Navy’s new carriers are too big for British ports
  

Background – Unmanned Aerial Vehicles – James F. Dunnigan with a nice history of UAVs.

• Strategy Page: Drone Wars

Royal Navy – The Royal Navy has been tasked with helping to prevent the flow of illegal immigrants into England.

• The Times: Navy and RAF enlisted to prevent people-smuggling
  

US Marines – Personal Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are being developed by the Marines.

• Wired: Why War Is Really Just a Game

US Navy – Aboard the USS Shoup, a new Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer.

• Seattle Post Intelligencer: New warship will set standard for tomorrow’s Navy
  

US Navy – The USS Dolphin has been towed back to port.

• Los Angeles Times: All at sea

US Navy – The information technology involved in building the Joint Strike Fighter.

• Technology Review: Design and Conquer

US Navy – A more detailed explanation of the SEALs restructuring.

• Sea Power: SEAL Force Restructured To Stabilize Deployments
  

Background – William Arkin – A nice description of analyst William Arkin, whose writings I link to regularly. Meet the person behind the opinions.

• Washington Post: Explosive Analyst

Background – Iraq – Thomas Ricks on how the Pentagon is lobbying to push back or cancel the invasion of Iraq.

• Washington Post:
  Military Bids to Postpone Iraq Invasion