Covert Shores – When China unveiled its first ever large displacement underwater drone for the Navy in 2019, the 5-meter long HSU001, it was as if China was only taking baby steps on the road to autonomous undersea warfare. At the time Beijing was clearly behind leading Western navies. In just 6 years since then the situation has flipped, and the HSU001 now appears toy-like compared to what has followed. China’s development of extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles (XLUUVs) is now unmatched globally, and accelerating rapidly. No other nation is pursuing undersea autonomy at comparable scale, scope, or speed. 

China Maritime Studies Institute – The removal of VADM Li Hanjun would suggest that Xi believes he can burn through a tremendous amount of talent to make the PLA into the force he envisions. If Xi continues to feel he can afford this price, then we must seriously consider the possibility that a degree of military leadership churn is “priced in” to his approach to building the world class forces he seeks.

Defense News – The PLA is building a self-healing “kill web” to surpass today’s brittle kill chains.

USNI News – Chinese forces deployed maritime security officers, fighter jets and new buoys to Scarborough Shoal on Friday following Philippine fishery support efforts at disputed maritime features across the South China Sea this week.

RUSI – In a submarine arms race between China and the US, the PLAN appears to be closing the gap.

CIMSEC – Ten years ago, the Chinese Communist Party, under the leadership of Xi Jinping, introduced two major policy initiatives: Made in China 2025 and military-civil fusion. Each represents an upgrade of existing policies aimed at boosting China’s economic and military strength, and now receives more attention and resources. Made in China 2025 aims to establish China as the world’s leading advanced manufacturer in ten key sectors by 2025, while military-civil fusion seeks to foster a closer, innovation-driven relationship between defense and civilian industries. Much was written about both, but there is little analysis of how these policies impacted Chinese shipbuilding.

RUSI – Russia has agreed to equip and train the PLA to air-drop armoured vehicles and special reconnaissance capabilities.

Naval News – The Chinese naval and air combat drills at Scarborough Shoal is the latest deployment of high-end military forces at the disputed feature to counter Philippine and American forces in the South China Sea.

Breaking Defense – Multiple officials, including the head of US Northern Command, told Breaking Defense China’s activities in and around American waters have increased this past year, the latest development in a broader pattern that started in 2021. But the subsequent public responses and objections by the Coast Guard is new, a trend that analysts said is designed to deter Chinese activity that close to the US.

China Maritime Studies Institute – In the vast expanse of the blue ocean, the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine, with its exceptional performance and advanced technology, has become the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s undersea force in the 21st century. As one of America’s most modern nuclear attack submarines, the Virginia-class leads the global development of nuclear submarine technology with its multifunctional and multi-purpose design, exceptional stealth, and powerful combat capabilities.

Naval News – New information reveals that the Chinese Navy (PLAN) is testing its uncrewed submarines on Hainan in the South China Sea. The two underwater drones, by far the world’s largest, have not been publicly revealed by Beijing.

China Maritime Studies Institute – The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) views deception as a force multiplier and war-winning weapon. The PLA leadership reserves a special place of veneration for wartime commanders who can employ deception to obtain surprise, something Xi Jinping refers to as “excelling at stratagem.”

USNI News – The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s newest and most capable aircraft carrier launched and recovered the next-generation of Chinese naval aircraft – including the J-35 fifth-generation stealth fighter, J-15 attack jet and KJ-600 airborne early warning and control aircraft, according to the PLAN.

War on the Rocks – What if China’s global port empire isn’t the master plan Washington fears, but a patchwork of messy deals shaped as much by local politics as Beijing’s ambitions?

The Strategist – Bill Sweetman analyses the air power on display in last week’s military parade in Beijing.

Naval News – Military parade reveals extensive new missile developments with significance for naval applications. Drones also feature heavily in commemorative display. Naval News provides an exhaustive overview.

China Maritime Studies Institute – An authoritative source has confirmed what many had long suspected: Admiral Yuan Huazhi is no longer serving as the Political Commissar of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). As the chief political officer, the Political Commissar shares responsibility with the PLAN Commander for leading the service.

While the details of ADM Yuan’s departure are unknown, it is very likely that he was a victim of the massive purge within China’s military that began in mid-2023. Unlike other senior PLA officers implicated in the purge, however, ADM Yuan’s status has not been publicly disclosed.

National Interest – James Holmes writes that Tirpitz’ “risk-fleet theory” was a debacle for Imperial Germany. But it could work for China—now playing the role of the United States during its turn-of-the-century rise to hemispheric eminence.

Naval News – China’s naval expansion continues to surprise onlookers. Less visible, until now, have been developments in underwater drones. That is about to change with an upcoming military parade in Beijing in September. Two new extra-large drone submarines (XLUUVs) will be showcased.

China Maritime Studies Institute – Like all organizations led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the People Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) suffers from endemic corruption, defined as the personal abuse of power for selfish ends…Due to the approaches adopted by units such as the 1st Destroyer Flotilla, individuals in positions of power have less leeway to engage in corrupt behavior, thereby increasing the probability that the most capable officers (commissioned and non-commissioned) will be selected for leadership positions.

China Maritime Studies Institute – Cross-sea landing operations (跨海登陆作战) is one of the primary forms of warfare for which our military is preparing, both for the present and for a period into the future. How to provide timely, reliable, continuous, and efficient equipment support for cross-sea landing operations is a critical matter requiring urgent research. The U.S. military was the first to propose the operational concept of “seabasing” to enable sea-based logistics and equipment support for forward-deployed task forces, thereby providing critical sustainment for out-of-area military operations. This seabasing initiative has important implications and provides a valuable reference for enhancing our military’s equipment support capabilities for cross-sea landing operations.

The Guardian – A Chinese warship collided with a vessel from its own coast guard while chasing a Philippine patrol boat in the South China Sea on Monday.

The War Zone – The U.S. military and Coast Guard are monitoring the simultaneous appearance of five Chinese icebreaking vessels in the Arctic region near Alaska. That unprecedented presence represents two and a half times the number of icebreakers currently capable of being operated in the entire Arctic region by the U.S. Coast Guard. Another is scheduled to be commissioned on Sundayand plans are underway to build dozens more.