Navy Lookout – Inchgreen dry dock on the Clyde is set for significant redevelopment under a £20 million government-funded investment, aiming to restore one of the largest docks in Europe to modern standards and strengthen Scotland’s ship repair and maritime industrial base. The work is planned for completion in 2027 and includes both infrastructure renewal and the construction of a new training and skills centre.
‘A step-change’: tech firms battle for undersea dominance with submarine drones
The Guardian – As navies seek to counter submarines and protect cables, startups and big defence companies fight to lead market
Coast Guard’s new cutter program at risk of ‘costly rework’, ‘schedule delays’: GAO
Breaking Defense – A government watchdog is sounding the alarm that a major Coast Guard shipbuilding program is at risk of “costly rework and “schedule delays” due to the service’s choice to begin construction prior to having a stable ship design.
U.S. Navy eyes quick-build heavy torpedo
Defence Blog – The Strategic Capabilities Office released a solicitation for the Rapid Affordable Producible Torpedo, a single-use heavyweight weapon designed for fast production and low cost. The project aims to create a torpedo priced at $500,000 or less, far below the Navy’s current Mk 48 Mod 7 cost listed as $4.2 million.
(Thanks to Alain)
India’s new silent hunter patrols our shallow coastlines
Mathrubhumi – INS Mahe strengthens India’s coastal defence with agile, Indian-built shallow-water anti-submarine capability.
(Thanks to Alain)
Taiwan’s 2025 National Defense Report
USNI News – The following is the Republic of China’s 2025 National Defense Report.
Milestone in the Pacific: Korean submarine KSS-III debuts in “Silent Shark” with the US Navy
El Snorkel – The Korean Navy announced its participation in Silent Shark, a joint anti-submarine warfare exercise between Korea and the United States.
(In Spanish) (Thanks to Alain)
PLA Navy announces Fujian carrier formation’s 1st live-force training; warship becoming combat-ready fast, experts say
Global Times – Less than two weeks after the commissioning of China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy announced on Tuesday that the electromagnetic catapult-equipped warship has already conducted its first live-force maritime training in a carrier formation. This reflected the speed how fast the Fujian is becoming combat-ready, said experts.
Narco subs appear in Pacific amid warnings cartels are ramping up trafficking to Australia
ABC – Three narco subs have been found near the Solomon Islands in the past 12 months. NSW Police say they are finding “enormous” quantities of illicit drugs in the community, despite border seizures up 44 per cent in the last financial year. Police also allege teenagers are being recruited online to carry out criminal tasks.
Carrier Strike – just how full is Full Operating Capability?
Navy Lookout – The MoD declared Full Operating Capability (FOC) for the UK Carrier Strike Group on 17 November 2025. The announcement came during a major NATO exercise in the Mediterranean Sea. Here we consider the implications of the FOC milestone.
Russia’s first major African naval base since USSR suspended, as war against Ukraine drains resources
EuroMaiden – Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service reports that the Kremlin has announced a suspension of agreements to establish a naval logistics base in Port Sudan. The base was intended to become Russia’s first full-scale naval facility in Africa since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The suspension highlights Moscow’s limited resources for expanding overseas military infrastructure, as it focuses virtually all of its capabilities on the war in Ukraine.
(Thanks to Alain)
Japan’s Plan To Put SAMs On Strategic Island 70 Miles From Taiwan Could Be Just The Beginning
The War Zone – Yonaguni Island recently hosted U.S. Marines and now Japan is looking to deploy air defenses there, which could expand to other kinetic capabilities.
How Estonia is rebuilding its navy for a new Baltic reality
Estonian World – Founded on 21 November 1918, the Estonian Navy remains small by traditional standards, yet in a newly volatile Baltic Sea it is being reshaped into a far more capable force than its size implies.
(Thanks to Alain)
Navy kills four ships in Constellation-class frigate program in ‘strategic shift’
Breaking Defense – Navy Secretary John Phelan today said the service will terminate the last four ships in the Constellation-class frigate program, keeping only the two vessels already under construction.
Ukrainian Drone Reportedly Hits Russian Tapir-Class Warship in Novorossiysk
United 24 – Ukrainian defense forces conducted a coordinated overnight drone strike on military and logistics facilities in Russia’s Novorossiysk port, reportedly damaging a large Russian landing ship of the Project 1171 “Tapir” class, according to Hromadske, citing an informed source.
(Thanks to Alain)
United Kingdom’s F-35 Program Slammed For Cost-Saving Blunders
The War Zone – The U.K. Ministry of Defense is facing growing questions about the progress of its F-35 program, after key shortcomings were outlined in a recent critical report from the Public Accounts Committee, a body that examines the value for money of government projects…In particular, the committee found that a shortage of maintenance engineers is having a profound effect on F-35B availability and output.
Warrior Spirit and the Time Tax: A Letter From a SWO Captain
CIMSEC – …I am very concerned about how junior officers are looking at our profession. What I hear them saying on the Yokosuka waterfront is that most of their time and effort is not spent working on “naval things” – shiphandling, tactics, leadership – but on an ever-growing cancer of administrative requirements. Every inspection and assist visit seems to have a longer and longer “checklist” of micro-things (all equally important, of course) that must be just so, or else an area is unsat or “ineffective.” Reporting requirements and the care and feeding of staff databases grow inexorably…
Austerity and ambition: reshaping the Royal Marines for modern conflict
Navy Lookout – The Royal Marines stand at a pivotal moment, returning to their raiding heritage amid budget pressures that demand greater efficiency and output. Their shift from brigade-scale amphibious operations to agile NATO special operations contributors comes as an RM First Sea Lord accelerates innovation across the service.
How Would Japan Respond to a Taiwan Contingency?
The Diplomat – National preparedness for a cross-strait emergency has been far behind what is necessary.
China’s shadow navy trains to take Taiwan
Reuters – China is mobilizing an armada of civilian ships that could help in an invasion of Taiwan – a mission that could surpass the Second World War’s Normandy landings. Reuters used ship tracking data and satellite images to monitor the role civilian vessels played in Chinese maritime exercises this summer. The drills revealed that China is devising concrete invasion plans, naval warfare experts say, and rehearsing new techniques aimed at speeding up beach landings of troops and equipment in a bid to overwhelm Taiwan’s defenders.
US-Philippine task force to reestablish South China Sea ‘deterrence’
Defense News – The United States and the Philippines have announced the creation of a joint task force aimed at further deterring what U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called Beijing’s “coercion” in the South China Sea.
Royal Navy mine warfare update – HMS Bangor extended in service for 5 years
Navy Lookout – Despite previous announcements that all the RN’s Sandown-class Mine Countermeasures Vessels would be decommissioned by 2026, it has been decided to extend the life of the last remaining ship, HMS Bangor. Here we consider this decision and wider MCM developments.
Navy Salvage Ship Trying To Fish Crashed Super Hornet And Seahawk Out Of South China Sea
The War Zone – USNS Salvor is on the scene in the tense South China Sea to recover both aircraft that crashed on the same night while flying from the Nimitz.
Contract to deliver first laser weapons for the Royal Navy agreed
Navy Lookout – Following the announcement made in March this year that the DragonFire programme would be accelerated, the MOD has signed a £316 million contract with MBDA UK to provide the Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) for the RN.
How China’s Expanded Operations in the Sea of Japan Are Troubling Tokyo
CIMSEC – Recurring PLA operations and increased bilateral training with Russian military forces constitute a challenge backed by military threats close to Japan’s territorial waters.
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