The War Zone – An upgraded derivative of Japan’s Mogami class frigate has won a competition to become the Royal Australian Navy’s next major surface warship. Beyond being an important new addition to Australia’s combat fleet, this would be one of, if not the most significant foreign arms sale for Japan since the end of World War II.
US Navy demands uncrewed warships delivered in 18 months
Navy Lookout – On 28th July, the US Navy issued an urgent requirement to industry for a new class of modular, medium to large-sized Uncrewed Surface Vessels. This is not another experimental project but a funded, credible and determined drive to add mass and lethality to an over-stretched fleet.
China Teases First Catapult Launches From Its New Carrier Fujian
The War Zone – Launching jets in an operational manner would be a critical milestone for China’s first catapult-equipped aircraft carrier.
Chinese Submarine Makes First Visit to Russia for Joint Drills
USNI News – For the first time, a Chinese submarine deployed to the waters off Russia for a five-day joint exercise between the two countries.
Lights Out? Wargaming a Chinese Blockade of Taiwan
CSIS – Since 2022, China has conducted numerous military drills and exercises simulating blockades of the island of Taiwan, a democracy of 23 million that sits astride one of the world’s maritime chokepoints. What would happen if China initiated a blockade of Taiwan in the coming years? To understand the military challenges in countering a blockade, CSIS ran 26 wargames using a wide variety of scenarios.
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Navy Unmasks Its Vision For Fleet Of Uncrewed Modular Surface Attack Craft
The War Zone – The Navy’s plans for a family of MASC drone vessels are centered on containerized missile launchers and sensor packages.
Russia’s Naval Shift: Offensive USVs and Their Strategic Role in the Baltic Sea
Naval News – The Russian Navy recently concluded a fleet wide naval exercise, with the exception of the Black Sea Fleet, called July Storm. The exercise took place between July 23-27 and included a notable event during with the deployment of two new Russian unmanned surface vessels (USVs) that engaged and destroyed a floating surface target.
First Japanese F-35Bs to arrive in-country within days
Breaking Defense – The US ally currently has the largest number of F-35s on order outside of the United States, with plans for 157 jets split into 105 F-35A Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft and 42 F-35Bs.
Indian, Philippine Navies to Hold First South China Sea Joint Patrol
USNI News – India’s latest operational deployment to the South China Sea will feature its first joint patrol with the Philippines in the contested waters.
Seen For First Time: Ukraine’s Original Naval Drone
Naval News – 3 years ago, in the summer of 2022, four Ukrainian engineers built the countries first maritime drone. Built in great secrecy, that innovative vessel has not been reported until now. This is the vessel which changed naval history and ushered in the new era of drone warfare at sea.
In focus: Royal Navy minesweeping capability restored
Navy Lookout – The RN has re-established a minesweeping capability for the first time in nearly two decades with the acceptance of three USV-based autonomous Combined Influence Sweep systems, developed and delivered under the Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) Block 1 programme.
Houthis to Target Ships in Red Sea that Travel to Israeli Ports in New Escalation, Group Says
USNI News – The Houthis will resume attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea if those ships have ties to companies that work with Israeli ports, the Yemen-based group announced this week.
Sustaining the Fight: Challenges of Distributed Maritime Operations
Center for Maritime Strategy – The emergence of peer competition and the increase of adversarial capability has driven the U.S. Navy to adopt the concept of Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) as a guiding framework for how it will fight the next high-end war at sea. DMO presents a compelling vision for building a combat-credible force capable of maintaining maritime dominance in a contested environment. However, to properly implement this concept, a more clearly defined and rigorous approach is essential. As the Navy works to modernize and operationalize DMO, it must address two critical sustainment challenges: (1) logistics and (2) munition stockpiles.
Reunification of the Aleutians: A strategic proposal for the Commander Islands
Breaking Defense – Reunification of the Aleutians: A strategic proposal for the Commander Islands
Navy Seeks New Fast Attack Surface Drone Design
USNI News – The Navy is putting out a call for a new type of unmanned surface vessel capable of carrying large payloads — including missiles — thousands of miles in support of manned warships, according to a solicitation issued Monday.
Where Should the US Navy Put Its Drones?
National Interest – James Holmes says that if haste has come to be the lodestone of force design, then the Navy’s leadership is probably best off pouring its resources into the clutch of smaller naval drones optimal for sea denial.
RFA Argus stuck in Portsmouth deemed unsafe to sail
Navy Lookout – RFA Argus arrived in Portsmouth on 8th June, but is now unable to sail to Falmouth for repair as her safety certification has been withdrawn. This means the Royal Navy / RFA currently does not have a single active amphibious vessel.
Royal Navy helicopters sharpen advanced assault tactics
Navy Lookout – The Commando Helicopter Force has completed a demanding two-week training evolution in North Yorkshire, flying in contested environments, evading simulated air defences, and conducting complex joint air assaults as part of Exercise Hades Warrior.
Beijing’s South China Sea Campaign of Intimidation Has Run Aground
War on the Rocks – During a June 17 speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Steve Koehler declared that despite an ongoing campaign of intimidation against its smaller neighbors in the South China Sea, “China’s pressure is not working well. It has failed to intimidate Southeast Asian claimants and make them surrender their sovereign rights.”
U.S. Marine F-35s Operating on U.K. Carrier HMS Prince of Wales
USNI News – U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fighters will join Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09) on its Pacific deployment, according to the Royal Navy.
U.S. Navy to Upgrade More Tomahawks with Anti-Ship Capability Naval News –
Naval News – The U.S. Navy is looking to upgrade up to 96 Tomahawks with seekers capable of supporting anti-ship strikes in the service’s latest effort to bring Maritime Strike Tomahawks into the fleet.
France’s 2025 Indo-Pacific Strategy
USNI News – The following is the English translation of France’s 2025 Indo-Pacific Strategy that was released this week.
Black Sea battle: how Ukraine’s drones overpowered the Russian Navy
Navy Lookout – In less than three years, Ukraine has achieved staggering successes against the Russian navy in the Black Sea through an agile, low-cost campaign of uncrewed surface vehicles (USV) and drone strikes. Here we look at the details of this campaign and the profound implications for procurement, tactics and doctrine for global navies.
Pentagon Eyes Southern Philippines as Refueling Hub for U.S. Warships, Military Aircraft
USNI News – The Defense Logistics Agency is looking to expand its maritime refueling capacity from the Philippines by contracting companies on the southern island of Mindanao to supply up to 42 million gallons of fuel a year, according to new documents.
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