USNI News – The United Kingdom Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) and Italian carrier ITS Cavour (CVH550) on Monday performed a cross-decking and integration exercise of their embarked F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters south east of Sicily in the Mediterranean, making Italy the second nation after the United States to operate the aircraft off the U.K. warship.
New Submarines Compared: Columbia Class, Dreadnought Class And SNLE-3G
Naval News – Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs) form the backbone of nuclear deterrents. Yet the types in service with NATO navies, the U.S., U.K., and France, are reaching the ends of their service lives. The new submarines which are being built to succeed them should keep the deterrent dependable in an uncertain future.
Japan’s Revolution on Taiwan Affairs
War on the Rocks – The most important development for Taiwan’s security might be unfolding right now in Japan. Tokyo’s strategy toward Taiwan is dramatically shifting. Once reluctant to join all but the most anodyne of pro-Taiwan statements with the United States, Japanese officials now increasingly state their desire to “protect Taiwan as a democratic country.” While no formal changes in security policy or diplomatic legalities are likely, Tokyo is signaling that it is willing to support Taiwan’s sovereignty, up to and including joining a military defense of the island against Chinese attack. This is likely giving Chinese Communist Party leaders and military planners much more short-term heartburn than the recently announced submarine and technology sharing deal between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Fearing new Russian threat, Ukraine races to upgrade its navy
CNN – The question is whether new Ukrainian ships and infrastructure, plus warnings from the West, will be enough of a deterrent to Russia.
Pushing or Overstepping? Legal Boundaries in the Fight Against Maritime Drug Smuggling, Part 2
CIMSEC – This installment discusses the prolonged detention of suspected smugglers aboard Coast Guard cutters and the interaction between intelligence gathering and the trial penalty during prosecution.
Next Generation SSN(X) Attack Sub ‘Is Going to Carry a Lot of Torpedoes,’ Says Admiral
USNI News – The next U.S. nuclear attack submarine must require less maintenance, be fast, quiet and packed with torpedoes.
Philippines redeploys boats to shoal after Chinese blockade
Associated Press – The Philippine military defiantly redeployed two supply boats on Monday to provide food to Filipino marines guarding a disputed shoal in the South China Sea after the Chinese coast guard used water cannons to forcibly turn the boats away in an assault last week that drew angry condemnation and warnings from Manila.
Salvaging the jet – the race to recover the ditched F-35 from the seabed
Navy Lookout – On the morning of the 17th November, a UK-owned F-35B crashed into the sea while flying from HMS Queen Elizabeth. The pilot ejected safely but there is now a scramble to retrieve the wreckage of the aircraft. Here we look at the options available and the challenges involved.
Strategic geographical points in outer space
The Space Review – Geography has long been a critical factor influencing national strategy, playing a vital role in both international politics and military planning. Captured in history’s stories are countless examples of how geography shaped everything from economics and trade to military conflict. While space can appear both abstract and intimidating, traditional studies of strategy and geography can be successfully applied to the space domain.
War By Timeframe: Responding to China’s Pacing Challenge
War on the Rocks – The Latin adage “si vis pacem, para bellum” states that if you want peace, prepare for war. But doing that successfully is much easier if you know when the war might occur.
Iranian Maritime Threats: An Opportunity for the US Navy
CIMSEC – This article identifies Iranian maritime threats and proposes a course of action for the U.S. Navy to continue and improve upon its efforts in the region to deter them.
Navy assessing LA sub fleet for possible life extensions
Breaking Defense – The fact the Navy can extend some of its submarine fleet’s life by several years is likely due in part to the time some of those boats have sat in docks awaiting maintenance.
US Navy accepts first Freedom LCS since discovering widespread defect in combining gear system
Defense News – The U.S. Navy is satisfied with the solution to its littoral combat ship combining gear woes, having accepted delivery of the first ship to receive the new system.
Navy looks to get back on schedule for fielding hypersonic missiles on submarines
Defense News – The U.S. Navy hopes it can more quickly deploy hypersonic weapons on submarines by leveraging testing by the U.S. Army and onboard a Navy destroyer, as well as prioritizing funding for an underwater launch test facility.
Taiwan’s Defense Plans Are Going Off the Rails
War on the Rocks – As the United States talks more and more of defending Taiwan from an attack from the mainland, Taiwan’s military seems to be taking its defense preparations less and less seriously.
China Coast Guard Attacks Resupply Mission for Filipino Troops on BRP Sierra Madre
USNI News – Two Chinese Coast Guard vessels launched water cannons onto two Filipino boats during a resupply mission, a move that prompted the Philippine government to file a diplomatic protest against China, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said on Thursday.
Aircraft Carrier Killer: What Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles Are, And Who Has Them
Naval News – Amidst the hype about hypersonics, behind the hysteria and sensational headlines, is a new type of weapon which could help reshape the naval arena. Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles (ASBMs) pose an unpredictable threat to aircraft carriers and other high-value targets.
Buying Time: A Whole of Government Approach for Postponing a Taiwan Invasion
CIMSEC – To thwart a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the US must slow walk their request chit.
Explosive Revelations
StrategyPage – A Chinese naval officer recently gave an interview in which he described how the navy was testing the effect of underwater explosives set off in ports.
Friday stopover of Russian warships in Algiers
Le Jeune Indépendant – A squadron of warships of the Russian fleet, the frigate “Admiral Grigorovich” and the patrol boat “Dmitry Rogatchev” will make a seven-day stopover at the port of Algiers on Friday, November 12 as part of cooperation between the navies of the two countries. (In French)
(Thanks to Alain)
French Navy To Kick Off ‘POLARIS’: Its Largest Ever Exercise
Naval News – From November 18 to December 3, 2021, the French Navy will conduct its largest exercise ever: POLARIS 21.
Taiwan Lays Keel Of New IDS Submarine For ROC Navy
Naval News – Taiwan’ shipbuilder China Shipbuilding Corporation (CSBC) today laid the keel of the first submarine known as Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS). The move aims at renewing the submarine forces of the Republic of China (ROC) Navy while developing a domestic capability to produce submarines.
Resilient Aerial Refueling: Safeguarding the US Military’s Global Reach
Hudson Institute – The US military’s aerial refueling enterprise is a critical component of its ability to project power globally in defense of American interests. As the US military adopts new concepts to enhance its lethality and gain decision advantage, aerial refueling is increasingly necessary to enable a more distributed and dynamic force. However, with an aging inventory of tanker aircraft and stiff budgetary headwinds, it is an open question whether the US Air Force is capable of fielding the aerial refueling force that the nation needs. This study assesses the current and programmed US aerial refueling enterprise and has found that it likely would be unable to support US strategy and operational concepts at scale against peer adversaries such as the People’s Republic of China. However, the US military could address these shortfalls and improve the operational resilience of its aerial refueling enterprise by adopting new concepts, capabilities, capacities, and posture.
Lessons From the Littoral Combat Ship
War on the Rocks – The Littoral Combat Ship program has one saving grace — it offers some important lessons about the American defense industrial base.
First joint naval exercise by Israel and Gulf states signals Iran worries
BBC – In a move almost unthinkable only three years ago, Gulf Arab navies have held their first joint military exercise with Israeli warships, co-ordinated by the US Navy.
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