The War Zone – The Navy is pushing back on concerns about the built-in capabilities of FF(X) frigates, including the lack of a vertical launch system array.
Author Archives: Naval Open Source Intelligence (NOSI)
Royal Navy takes step towards hybrid air wing with first flight of Proteus RWUAS
Navy Lookout – The RN has reached a significant milestone in naval aviation with the first flight of the UK’s first autonomous, full-size helicopter. The Proteus Rotary Wing Uncrewed Air System (RWUAS) technology demonstrator lifted off from Predannack airfield in Cornwall, another step forward in the integration of uncrewed systems into frontline maritime operations.
U.S., Japan Pledge to Expand Joint Training Across First Island Chain
USNI News – The U.S. and Japan have pledged to further expand joint training across Japan’s southwest region, including the first island chain, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Thursday.
Signs Emerge Of U.S. Navy, Air Force Push To Middle East
The War Zone – As the U.S. is reportedly moving at least one and perhaps more aircraft carrier strike groups to the Middle East ahead of a potential future attack on Iran, open-source tracking is beginning to show some U.S. Air Force assets may be heading that way as well.
US Navy leaders embrace Trump-class battleships
Defense News – U.S. Navy leaders speaking at a military conference this week outlined what they described as the strategic opportunities of the recently announced Trump-class battleships and why the service is embracing the development.
GA Examining Role of Railguns on Trump-class Battleships
Naval News – General Atomics is holding discussions with the U.S. government regarding the role of railguns on the Trump-class guided-missile battleships.
Billions in Funding Helps Coast Guard Rapidly Implement Force Design 2028 Modernization Efforts
USNI News – The Coast Guard has spent close to $7.7 billion of the nearly $25 billion awarded to it by the Trump administration in July, investing in new hardware, infrastructure and personnel to support the largest overhaul of the service since World War II.
New U.S Navy Frigate: FF(X) Program Specs Revealed
Naval News – During Surface Navy 2026’s Future Fleet Panel hosted by Mr. Chris Miller, Executive Director at NAVSEA, and featuring Rear Admiral (RADM) Derek Trinque, the U.S Navy’s Surface Warfare Director (N96), new details surrounding the U.S Navy’s FF(X) program were unveiled.
Navy’s Top Admiral Concerned About Strain On Ford Carrier Strike Group
The War Zone – The USS Gerald R. Ford has been on cruise since June and the Navy’s top officer does not want to send it to the Middle East on extended deployment.
Trump Class Battleships Could Get Megawatt Lasers: Navy’s Top Officer
The War Zone – The U.S. Navy’s top officer wants directed energy weapons to become the go-to choice for the crews of American warships when faced with close-in threats. He also said that more powerful megawatt-class lasers should not be seen as “beyond” the capabilities that could be found on the future Trump class warships.
China Reveals New J-20 Fifth-gen Fighter Variant Can Strike Maritime Targets
USNI News – Beijing’s newest variant of its J-20 fifth-generation fighter aircraft has the ability to conduct precision strikes on maritime targets, according to Chinese state media.
CNO Caudle Teases New Naval Hedge Force Ahead of Warfighting Instructions
USNI News – New robotic autonomous systems and forward-deployed forces are key to the Navy’s emerging hedge force concept the service is adopting to supplement the tasks of the existing fleet.
Chinese naval hospital ship Silk Road Ark holds open ship day activities in Brazil
China Military Online – The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s hospital ship Silk Road Ark (Hull 867), which is on the Mission Harmony 2025, recently held open ship day activities at the Port of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The vessel’s advanced medical equipment and distinctive traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments were warmly received by the local residents.
From Constellation to Cutter – the US Navy’s gamble on delivery over capability
Navy Lookout – The US Navy says it wants to terminate the Constellation-class frigate programme after years of design instability, opting instead for the procurement of a simpler ship based on the US Coast Guard’s Legend-class cutter. Here, we consider the crisis in American naval procurement and the implications of the switch from frigate to cutter.
Philippines to take delivery of first OPV from South Korea
Naval News – The Philippines is set to take delivery of the first of six offshore patrol vessels (OPV) built by South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
Babcock, Frankenburg plan launcher for ‘smallest’ anti-drone missile
Defense News – British defense firm Babcock plans to develop a containerized launch system for low-cost missiles manufactured by Estonian startup Frankenburg Technologies, with the goal of providing cheap maritime defenses against one-way attack drones.
(Thanks to Alain)
Choices for next destroyer paved way for Navy’s new battleship program
Breaking Defense – Tough choices about whether to put hypersonic weapons or big guns on the Navy’s latest destroyer were one of the factors that put the sea service on a path to develop a new battleship, the Navy’s director of surface warfare said today.
SECNAV: Shipbuilders Need to Hire 250,000 Workers Over the Next Decade for ‘Golden Fleet’
USNI News – To build the Navy’s planned Golden Fleet, U.S. naval shipbuilders must hire a quarter million shipbuilders over the next decade, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan said Tuesday.
Germany orders 8 MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones to boost P-8A missions
Breaking Defense – Germany has placed an order for eight General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones with deliveries set to begin in 2028.
The Royal Navy and the SSN-AUKUS combat system question
Navy Lookout – The SSN-AUKUS attack submarine is being defined by a tightly integrated, trilateral combat system whose architecture will shape the RN’s operational freedom and industrial dependencies for decades to come. Despite frequent emphasis on Australian industrial outcomes, this remains a British-led submarine design programme, with UK decisions establishing the framework within which partners must operate.
Taiwan Spotlights Invasion Defense Lines During Chinese Drills
Naval News – Taiwan highlighted its national defense plans against a Chinese invasion during the height of Beijing’s military drills around the island last month, revealing a map detailing potential defense lines and strategies against an attack from the mainland.
Why the U.S. Navy Doesn’t Build Battleships Anymore
War on the Rocks – Trent Hone writes that to Japanese leaders, Yamato was more than a ship. It was a symbol of national power, technological prowess, and imperial ambitions. That symbolism has returned to American politics. President Donald Trump recently announced plans for a new U.S. Navy battleship, reviving a type of warship the Navy abandoned generations ago. Evaluating that proposal requires separating two distinct questions that Yamato itself embodies: whether the battleship still makes operational sense in modern naval warfare, and whether it retains political and symbolic value even after its military utility has passed.
Inside US Plans To Reopen WWII Air Bases for War With China
Newsweek – Across sleepy and remote islands in the Pacific, U.S. military engineers are working around the clock to revive strategically important airstrips that American troops first built under fire over 70 years ago during World War II.
The Evolution of Russian and Chinese Air Power Threats
RUSI – Russian and, particularly, Chinese capabilities now pose greater threats to Western air power than in 2020.
Chinese, Russian, Iranian Warships Gather Near South Africa for Multilateral Drill
USNI News – Warships from China, Russia and Iran amassed in the waters off South Africa to kick off a weeklong drill alongside the South African National Defense Force.
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