War on the Rocks – In the Indo-Pacific the U.S. military faces two tasks: to prepare for a large-scale, high-intensity conflict and to steadily bolster relationships with allies and partners throughout the region. The first cannot succeed without the second. As such, the sustainment and logistics of military exercises ought to reinforce relationships with partners and allies. By thoughtfully reframing basic tasks — some as simple as recycling motor oil — U.S. forces operating in the Indo-Pacific may not only help to solve future logistics problems but also serve to deepen positive relations with partner nations and their societies today. Imposing large numbers of personnel and military vehicles into a fragile ecosystem will have significant impact, and showing respect for the natural environment by mitigating that impact is a strategic choice. What is important is showing a regional partner that its relationship with United States is not simply transactional but based on thoughtful collaboration.

National Interest – James Holmes writes on the USS Carney (DDG-64) recently concluded a significant deployment to the Eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea, conducting 51 engagements against Houthi missiles and drones to protect shipping and regional stability.

Breaking Defense – Why the Pentagon shouldn’t be so quick to retire old technologies in favor of newer ones.

CIMSEC – In an era marked by the complexities of global politics and evolving information landscapes, the role of military public affairs becomes increasingly significant in shaping and safeguarding a nation’s strategic interests. The United States, with its longstanding commitment to naval supremacy, recognizes the importance of effectively controlling the narrative surrounding its military actions. The concept of military public affairs, particularly in the context of U.S. naval supremacy, is the public facing image that controls the warfighter narrative, that holds both allies and adversaries accountable where the lines between truth and misinformation become blurred or even completely eroded. The ability to hold both adversaries and allies accountable is a crucial factor in maintaining U.S. naval dominance. The symbiotic relationship between military public affairs and naval power projection is imperative to generate a narrative control that can serve as a strategic tool for U.S. national security interests.

Center for Maritime Strategy – People question the carrier in terms of cost, but no fleet can operate without the air superiority that carrier aviation provides. The problem of the last 35 years is not that the carrier is obsolete, it is that the United States has not maintained enough carriers to conduct the kind of persistent global operations that have been the norm over those decades. Trying to cheat the carrier math has resulted in a run-down carrier force with new challenges appearing on a regular basis as the result of overworking a force that is too small. The only carrier “conundrum” is that the U.S. Navy is an 11-carrier navy in a 15-carrier world. Naval aviation is as good as its leaders say, but they also need to make a stronger case for more carriers. 

The War Zone – The EA-18G Growler from VAQ-130 “Zappers” executed the air-to-air engagement as part of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower’s combat deployment off Yemen.

Breaking Defense – Experts tell Breaking Defense, the secretary’s praise obscures a more nuanced reality about the differences between how the US Navy’s staple shipbuilders stack up against the biggest names in Asia. Chiefly, they say, the strict requirements instituted by the Navy combined with the instability of annual congressional budgeting makes a one-to-one comparison apples and oranges.

The War Zone – We have a tally of how many Standard Missiles, Tomahawks, and air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons Ike’s strike group launched at Houthi targets.

The War Zone – The air-launched SM-6 will disrupt China’s carrier-killing kill chain and pierce open its anti-access bubble.

National Interest – The U.S. Navy has announced a major advancement with the successful integration of the SM-6 missile onto carrier-based F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, designated as AIM-174B.

The War Zone – Congress wants the Navy to look at turning large uncrewed vessels into crewed missile ships, arming cargo ships, or buying something new.

BBC – The US says the floating pier designed to increase the amount of aid getting into the Gaza Strip will “soon cease operations”, less than two months after it was installed.