War Zone – Chinese WZ-7 surveillance drones have appeared for two days in a row over the East China Sea, prompting Japanese fighter jets to scramble to intercept them on both occasions. This is the first time that the Japanese authorities have reported intercepts of the WZ-7, one of the most advanced drones in Chinese service, and it could be connected with the recent movements of the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and its supporting task force in the same area.
Russian Navy Commissions 2 Warships And 1 SSBN Before The End Of 2022
Naval News – On December 29, 2022, the Russian Navy commissioned three new vessels (Project 955A Borey-A class submarine Generalissimus Suvorov, Project 12700 Alexandrit-class MCM ship Anatoliy Shlemov, Project 21631 Buyan-M class Grad).
U.S. Maritime Strategy in the Arctic—Past, Present, and Future
US Naval War College Review – Warming waters and melting sea ice will create new challenges off our northern shores, and the Navy and Marine Corps must be prepared to provide a presence in the Arctic that will ensure peace and prosperity in the face of aggressive Russian militarization and expanding Chinese interest. Lessons from America’s Arctic past can illuminate what needs to be done.
U.S. Building Advanced Over-The-Horizon Radar On Palau
War Zone – The long-range radar could be critical for keeping an eye on Chinese activities and is another sign of growing U.S. vigilance in the Pacific.
2022 World Naval Operational News Highlights
The ten most significant naval news stories / trends / themes this year included:
- The Russian Navy’s overall poor performance in the war with Ukraine in the Black Sea, which was on par with the poor performance of the Russian Army and Air Force. Is the Russian Navy a Potemkin fleet?
- The Ukrainian Navy’s adaptable and creative performance against the Russian Navy in the Black Sea. What additional indigenous weapons will the New Year bring to the Ukrainian Navy?
- The further democratization of commercial space services (communications, imaging, etc.) for military purposes as evidenced in the lead-up to and throughout the conflict in the Ukraine. How will this affect naval warfare in the future?
- The threats to undersea infrastructure with undersea cables to Svalbard and the Shetland Islands cut and the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines cut. What will be an efficient and effective technique for protecting such infrastructure going forward?
- China’s new alliance with Papua New Guinea, which sits astride the U.S. – Australian sea line of communication. Will China build an anti-access area-denial base there?
- Taiwan beginning to reluctantly adopt an anti-invasion porcupine strategy, encouraged in part by events in the Ukraine. With such a strategy could Taiwan survive an invasion by China?
- Stepped up joint Chinese-Russian naval patrols around Japan. Is this the straw that finally broke the camel’s back and led to Japan procuring long range cruise missiles to provide its Self Defense Force with an offensive capability if attacked?
- Lots of nuclear signaling with Western ballistic missile submarines to counter Russia’s nuclear signaling over the Ukraine. Did the West’s message get through?
- The decommissioning of littoral combat ships from the US Navy almost as soon as they are commissioned. Is this the final, inglorious end of the LCS program?
- Pausing of unmanned surface vehicle (USV) work in the U.S. Navy, which has decided to focus on USV technology maturation before USV procurement. Will perfect become the enemy of good enough?
Modification Work On JS Kaga Nears Completion
Naval News – Modification work to turn JS Kaga, a “helicopter destroyer” of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), into a F-35B aircraft carrier is nearing completion.
Japan Is Getting Serious About Its Security
1945 – James Holmes’s interpretation of the current view from Tokyo.
The delivery of a Russian ship to South Africa worries and questions
News 24 – Fourteen days after the sanctioned Russian cargo ship, Lady R, docked at the Simon’s Town naval port in South Africa for three days, the government has not yet provided an explanation. The visit is being labeled as suspicious for illegal arms transfers. (In French)
(Thanks to Alain)
UK Forward-Deployed Frigate Program Enhances Availability And Operational Effect
Navy Lookout – The UK has completed the first phase of its forward-deployed frigate programme, with the Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose handing over to sister ship HMS Lancaster in the Gulf. The programme has demonstrated improved availability at sea and improved operational effect.
Interview with a submariner from the Italian Navy
El Snorkel – Currently, there are five women in the Italian Armed Forces who have obtained the qualification of Submarine, including Subtenant (STV) Chiara Criscitiello, whom I had the opportunity to interview. (In Spanish)
(Thanks to Alain)
China sends 71 warplanes and 7 ships toward Taiwan in 24 hours
NBC – The aggression toward the self-ruling democracy, which Beijing claims as its territory, came after the Chinese government objected to a U.S. defense spending bill.
Japanese MoD Releases Further Details About Its Future BMD Destroyers
Naval News – On Dec. 23, Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced its fiscal year 2023 budget request, in which we may learn more about Japan’s future ballistic missile defense (BMD) destroyers, commonly known as ASEVs (Aegis system-equipped vessels).
Which Maritime Roles For The USAF’s New B-21 Raider?
Naval News – Naval News reached out to the RAND Corporation, an independent non-profit Think Tank, for comments on how the U.S. Air Force’s new B-21 “Raider” stealth heavy bomber can operate with the U.S. Navy in a maritime role.
An Army at Sea: Why the New FM 3-0’s Emphasis on Maritime Operations is so Important
Modern War Institute – In addition to introducing multidomain operations, the new FM 3-0 takes an unprecedented step: it dedicates an entire, stand-alone chapter to describing the Army’s unique and fundamental role in maritime operations.
Japan Flies Its RQ-4 Global Hawk For The First Time
War Zone – The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force, or JASDF, has officially flown the first of its new RQ-4B Global Hawk surveillance drones that the country started the process of procuring from the United States in 2015. The high-altitude, long-endurance, or HALE, unmanned aerial vehicle is expected to strengthen Japan’s surveillance capabilities as the country explores ways to enhance its situational awareness and better deter and respond to attacks from outside forces like North Korea and China.
Ireland’s Defense Deficit
RUSI – Despite the threats to critical infrastructure such as undersea cables highlighted by the wider Ukraine conflict, Ireland’s military continues to struggle to retain staff, let alone expand its operations.
What Does Australia’s Strategic Review Hold For The RAN?
Naval News – Australia’s Defence Strategic Review (DSR) is set to be publicly released in March next year. Here are a few hints on how it could impact the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)…
The secret payloads of Russia’s Glonass navigation satellites
The Space Review – Russia’s Glonass satellites do more than provide navigation services including performing naval signals intelligence.
A third of New Zealand’s Navy ships are docked over lack of crew
Defense News – Three of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s nine ships are now docked at the Devonport naval base indefinitely, due to insufficient personnel.
Canada’s Recent Naval Deployments and Power Projection Across the Pacific and Beyond
CIMSEC – Canada has been conducting annual Pacific deployments of strategic import, including Westploy in 2016, Operation Poseidon Cutlass in 2017, and Operation Projection since 2018. These deployments highlight increasing Canadian naval presence and naval exercising with other China-concerned partners in the region. The particularly successful Operation Projection of 2022 has complemented Canada’s recently-released Indo-Pacific Strategy and its maritime provisions for the future.
Crowsnest Airborne Surveillance and Control due to achieve Initial Operating Capability in 2023
Navy Lookout – The Merlin helicopters equipped with the Crowsnest ASaC role kit provide are a critical aspect of the carrier strike programme. In this article, we look at how the troubled Crowsnest development project and efforts to bring the system into frontline service have progressed in the last year or so.
Thailand warship capsizes leaving 31 sailors missing
BBC – The Thai navy says 31 sailors are missing after a warship carrying more than 100 crew capsized and sank during a storm in the Gulf of Thailand.
Bulldogs Away
CIMSEC – A FICINT short story.
NATO’s Maritime Vigilance: Optimiziing the Standing Naval Force For the Future
War on the Rocks – NATO still maintains standing naval forces, units that are directly under the bloc’s day-to-day operational command. Yet even in this time of high tension, very few combatants are attached to the alliance’s two major standing naval groups.
Exit Music
CIMSEC – A FICINT short story.
NOSI - Naval Open Source Intelligence™ 
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