USNI News – The Navy is finalizing a new study that is examining the Ford-class carrier to determine whether it should alter the design of the next two in the class, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan said on Tuesday.

USNI News – The architects of the Navy’s new shift in building submarines were given the green light by senior Pentagon leaders to “bust things up” to get submarine repair and construction back on track as the service races to deliver the first Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine on time.

Navy Lookout – With Iran possibly having mined the Strait of Hormuz, it has been confirmed that the US Navy is deploying autonomous systems in an effort to assess and then clear the mine threat. This will be a major test of autonomous mine countermeasures capabilities in a very demanding operational environment.

Naval News – The new Spectre unmanned surface vessel (USV) is saildrone’s largest offering yet, standing in at 52 meters (~170 feet) in length, enabling the carriage of a multitude of payloads matching different mission sets. The Medium-size USV was unveiled today at Sea Air Space 2026.

Clio’s Musings – A propulsion disabler (PD) is a small, passive, torpedo-like device that serves as a cheap, non-lethal mine and torpedo warhead. The proposed munition’s purpose is to destroy a ship’s external propulsion or direction-control mechanisms, leaving the vessel stationary. Production of PDs is possible with today’s emerging robotics technologies.Future PD devices could be used in an autonomous swarm that combines the smallest explosive charge with the greatest disabling effect by attacking a ship at its most vulnerable point. Once PDs become widely available, they may well be the weapon of choice by all navies against civilian ships. Similarly, disabling an enemy’s naval ship rather than sinking it will almost always be the superior choice, certainly for the U.S. Navy. The logic that makes this so will compel adversary navies to make the same choice.

Defense Opinion – Mine warfare is far less mysterious than it appears when one understands the types of mines involved, the ways in which they are deployed, and the methods available to counter them. Iran is certainly capable of laying mines, but U.S. Central Command has spent decades observing Iranian exercises and conducting its own mine warfare training. These efforts have provided planners with substantial insight into seabed conditions in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

USNI News – Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is now operating in U.S. Central Command.

USNI News – U.S. Central Command forces boarded and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel, sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury, as it attempted to sail into an Iranian port.

Defense News – As the United States embarks on clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz, it could draw on an arsenal of drones, explosive‑laden robots and helicopters to reduce risks, though de‑mining crews could still be vulnerable to Iranian attacks.

Reuters – As the United States embarks on clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz, it could draw on an arsenal of drones, explosive‑laden robots and helicopters to reduce risks, though de‑mining crews could still be vulnerable to Iranian attacks.

USNI News – The U.S. reserves the right to search any Iranian vessels, sanctioned vessels and ships suspected of carrying a list of contraband items, according to a Thursday notice to mariners from U.S. Central Command. Contraband items include weapons, ammunition, explosives and military equipment, the notice reads. Conditional contraband –meaning contraband for aiding Iran’s military operations – includes crude oil, nuclear material, metals and machinery. A full list is included in the blockade update. To that end, the U.S. will pursue ships outside of the U.S. Central Command area of response, Chief of the Joint Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters Thursday.

Naval News – An upgraded Coyote Counter-UAS (C-UAS) launcher has been installed on the Pearl Harbor-based USS Carl M. Levin (DDG 120), marking the first known dedicated shipboard launcher for Raytheon’s combat-proven C-UAS on a U.S. Navy ship.

USNI News – The crew of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) are now the record holders for the longest carrier deployment since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Defense News – The U.S. Navy prevented an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel from leaving Iran on Tuesday after it attempted to evade the maritime blockade that began Monday, U.S. Central Command announced.

The War Zone – The MQ-4C had been flying over the Persian Gulf on April 9 when it suddenly disappeared from online flight tracking sites.

The War Zone – The migration of U.S. Navy minesweeping assets west from the Pacific indicates preparations are underway for a major de-mining operation.

The War Zone – Maritime restrictions have been put in place by the U.S. along the entire Iranian coastline, not just the Strait of Hormuz.

USNI News – Two Navy guided-missile destroyers entered the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the first American warships to transit the strait since the U.S.-Israel offensive in Iran began on Feb. 28.

The War Zone – The Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Carl M. Levin has received an interesting new addition to its aft upper deck.

USNI News – One of the youngest Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarines will be inactivated after waiting more than a decade for an overhaul, the Navy announced on Friday.

The War Zone – U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone disappeared abruptly and unexpectedly from online flight tracking sites after declaring an in-flight emergency while flying over the Persian Gulf today. The uncrewed aircraft was also tracked rapidly losing altitude right beforehand, prompting widespread questions about its fate. This comes just two days after the United States and Iran agreed to a still very fragile ceasefire, which is heavily contingent on the reopening of the highly strategic Strait of Hormuz.

USNI News – The Pentagon plans to open a new depot in the Southern Philippines by 2028, setting the stage to expand Washington’s growing network of forward-based Western Pacific refueling hubs alongside upcoming sites in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Naval News – The U.S. Navy rehearsed wartime repairs and maintenance on an amphibious assault ship at a port located within the central interior of the Philippines last month in an exercise designed to validate the service’s expeditionary sustainment capabilities in the Western Pacific.

War on the Rocks – Sensing vulnerability, the United States and its regional allies and partners are ramping up procurement of air and missile defense assets, though progress is likely to be constrained by competing spending priorities and already overstretched defense industrial bases. These constraints underscore the need for complementary approaches that can deliver near-term gains without relying solely on expanded procurement. Networking missile sensors and interceptors across the United States and its Indo-Pacific allies and partners is one such approach. Coalition air and missile defense can generate operational efficiencies in sensing and interception that have the potential to shrink Chinese air and missile advantages. While compelling in theory, is it feasible in practice? Can the United States and its allies and partners navigate the challenging geography and politics of the Indo-Pacific to counter Chinese air and missile advantages through coordinated air and missile defense?

USNI News – USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) departed Split, Croatia, following a five-day port visit, the Navy announced Thursday. It is unclear where the aircraft carrier is headed. Ford has been out for 282 days and is set to have a record-breaking deployment.