A System of Systems Analysis is Needed For Maritime Strike

CIMSEC – A fundamental problem facing the US military is that the services have fielded capable, long-range missile systems, but only possesses limited deep-reach Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting (ISRT) capabilities, limiting the effective employment of long-range missile systems. The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and Air Force/Space Force are developing satellite ISRT constellations to address the problem, but the services need to use a ‘Maritime Strike System of Systems’ approach to address the true functionality of US maritime strike capability.

U.S. Marine Corps Mulling New Prepositioning Sites in Palau and Australia to Counter Growing Chinese Missile Threat

Naval News – The U.S. Marine Corps is planning to branch out across the West Pacific with new prepositioning sites as the force continues to shape its force design and long term planning goals around restricted mobility and a lack of hardened supply chains, according to documents published by the service last month.

CMSI Note 16: Confirmed: ADM Yuan Huazhi Removed as the PLAN’s Political Commissar

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.

Japan reportedly deploys large drones to ‘monitor’ Diaoyu Islands; expert says move may provoke corresponding countermeasures

Global Times – Japan is using a large coast guard drone, the SeaGuardian, to monitor the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, according to Kyodo News on Tuesday. A Chinese military expert said that if Japan’s military drones intrude into the airspace of China’s Diaoyu Islands, such new illegal activities will further complicate the situation, and China will take corresponding countermeasures.

Why Defending Taiwan is Difficult: American Credibility and Taiwan’s Military Value​

Center for Maritime Strategy – Taiwan, then, is not an especially acute case of the security dilemma. Operationally, Taiwan in China’s control would only somewhat harm American security while significantly improving China’s. Much like West Berlin in the Cold War, the primary significance of Taiwan is as a demonstration of uncompromising American resolve to deter an adversary and prevent allied bandwagoning. With a favorable military balance, that demonstration is easy. The United States’ military advantage in East Asia is eroding, however, and it is safe to assume that China will become increasingly assertive towards the island. Soon, American policymakers will have to make choices with no easy answers. Their decisions will be aided by an informed public that approaches the debate with the sobriety and humility that it deserves. 

Arsenal of Democracy: Myth or Model – Lessons for 21st Century Planning

CIMSEC – A protracted war between the United States and China would demand immense quantities of munitions and would require the industrial base to grow to meet these demands. This is industrial mobilization, a topic the nation has not seriously considered since the end of the Cold War. Given this lapse in focus, it is only natural to look to the nation’s last major mobilization for great power war, World War II, as a model for the future.

North Korea Guided-Missile Destroyer Choe Hyon Moves to Next Phase, Ship Could be Armed with Nuclear Weapons

USNI News – Kim visited destroyer Choe Hyon’s (51) on Monday and was briefed by senior military leaders on the 5,000-ton destroyer’s various systems, a Tuesday report by state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. During the visit, Kim underlined the importance of completing ongoing trials and assessments of Choe Hyon by the scheduled deadlines in August and September to conduct the destroyer’s performance and operational capability assessment in October as planned. KCNA reported the North Korea leader expressed satisfaction that the major tasks for modernizing and arming the destroyer with nuclear weapons is progressing on a stage-by-stage basis as planned. Kim was briefed on the composition of the destroyer’s integrated operations system.

Repurposing the US Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyers with hypersonic strike capability

Navy Lookout – The US Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyer programme appeared at one stage to be a technical over-reach leading to an expensive dead end. Instead, they are now being repurposed to carry the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic missile system. Here, we examine the progress, challenges, and strategic implications of equipping these futuristic warships with hypersonic strike capabilities.