The War Zone – After a four-decade period of service, the UK has called time on the Trafalgar class, as it looks to an expanded future force of hunter-killers.
Marines Use MV-22B Ospreys in East Coast Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise
USNI News – The Marine Corps recently refined how MV-22B Ospreys can support anti-submarine warfare during an exercise alongside U.S. and Dutch forces off the East Coast.
China’s J-35 Naval Stealth Fighter Looks Set For Service
The War Zone – There are signs that the J-35 has now entered limited series production, with carrier trials the likely next step.
Insights on the French ‘Clemenceau 25’ Indo-Pacific Deployment
Naval News – At a private event focusing on France’s strategy in the Indo-Pacific, senior officers from the French Navy, including an Admiral, shared some details about Clemenceau 25 revealing behind-the-scenes details of a particularly intense deployment in terms of operations, diplomacy and technology. The latter enabled the full capabilities of the French carrier strike group (CSG) to be deployed and major technological firsts to be conducted.
Navy’s shipyard revamp strategy evolves amid obstacles, years into $20B effort
Breaking Defense – The two senior officials overseeing the Navy’s shipyard revamp told Breaking Defense that the shipyards one day should return submarines to the fleet 90 days faster than they do today.
HMS Anson returns to Faslane – no Royal Navy attack submarines at sea
NavyLookout – HMS Anson arrived back on the Clyde this morning. This confirms no RN submarine has been deployed in support of the Carrier Strike Group deployment for the Indo-Pacific leg, and there are no RN SSNs at sea for now.
Great Inspectations: PRC Maritime Law Enforcement Operations in the Taiwan Strait
China Maritime Studies Institute – People’s Republic of China (PRC) law enforcement operations function as forms of cognitive and legal warfare. They represent a clear effort to undermine international maritime law as well as Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Royal Navy aircraft carriers maintenance programme explained
Navy Lookout – Having already spent part of 2024 in dry dock, HMS Queen Elizabeth leaves Portsmouth today for another period in Rosyth. Here we look at how the aircraft carriers are being maintained and the rationale behind the work programme.
Army Unit in Hawaii Receives Long-range Rocket Artillery for Pacific Operations
USNI News – The U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, one of the service’s most frequently deployed units throughout the Indo-Pacific, received its first High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems this week, a move that the unit said will increase their effectiveness in the region.
This S-2 Tracker Is The Last Of Its Kind In Military Use
The War Zone – Argentina first introduced the classic S-2 Tracker back in 1962 and just one example of the sub-hunting plane is still active today.
U.S. Army Watercraft Repositions from Hawaii to Japan
Naval News – The U.S. Army has deployed a logistics support vessel to the first island chain to support Indo-Pacific exercises.
In Combat Shipbuilding, Allies Show that Cheaper Doesn’t Always Mean Better
Defense Opinion – U.S. Navy warships are often more expensive than their foreign nation counterparts.
South Korea’s New Naval Base Throws a Jab, But Should Train for a Haymaker
War on the Rocks – In February, South Korea’s navy took a significant step, inaugurating a task fleet command at its Jeju naval base. This development, though years in the making, didn’t go unnoticed by domestic and foreign media, and it certainly caught the attention of the Chinese military’s official media. The idea, first floated 36 years ago, has now materialized at the strategically vital Jeju naval base, which itself opened in 2016 with the 7th Task Flotilla as its backbone.
Submarine USS Connecticut Severely Damaged In Pacific Crash To Return To Service In 2026
The War Zone – Getting USS Connecticut, one of just three prized Seawolf class submarines, back to the fleet has been a top priority for the Navy.
The U.S. Navy’s “Saints of the Sea” – Stories that Should be Told (and how MSC’s Force Medical app is doing just that)
Center for Maritime Security – In February 2024, the Secretary of the United States Navy, Carlos Del Toro, visited the USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), one of the Navy’s two hospital ships, and shared an inspiring message with the sailors. He addressed them directly, saying, “I believe that everyone in uniform is a hero, but you are all saints. You are saints because you heal people. You work in adverse conditions, and you train in adverse conditions, and you bring comfort to those in need.”
Pacific Military Balance Tilting in China’s Favor, Says New Defense of Japan Report
USNI News – Officials in Tokyo released their Defense of Japan 2025 white paper this week with findings the international community is facing its greatest risk of conflict since World War II. The paper pointed to Russia, China and North Korea as primary regional security threats. The report also found U.S. U.S.-China strategic competition has been escalating and that the military balance between China and Taiwan has been rapidly tilting in China’s favor.
U.S. Navy Pairs Heavyweight Torpedo with USV in a New Program Effort
Naval News – A new line item in the U.S. Navy Fiscal Year 2026 budget is supporting a containerized Mark 48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) torpedo launcher for use on unmanned surface vessels (USV) and small combatants.
Ukraine fielding new crop of unmanned boats optimized for river combat
Defense News – Ukraine’s fleet of unmanned surface vessels is expanding with the emergence of a new, smaller type dedicated to riverine warfare for countering Russian presence in key waterways.
U.S. to Construct Philippine Fast Boat Base Near South China Sea Flashpoints
USNI News – The U.S. plans to fund and build a facility capable of hosting watercraft and assault boats on the western coast of Palawan in support of Manila’s operations into the disputed waters of the South China Sea.
Unmanned & Unfinanceable? The Problems with Scaling America’s Autonomous Fleet
War on the Rocks – America’s defense establishment is rightly excited about the potential of unmanned ships. Companies like Saronic, Havoc.ai, Saildrone, and Blue Water Autonomy are developing fast, lethal, and scalable autonomous systems that could define the Navy’s future fleet. These firms, flush with venture capital and successful demonstrations, promise to rewrite maritime supremacy. And, it should be said upfront that as a commercial real estate advisor currently focused on these issues, I have a professional stake in these issues.
That said, even if startups clear the Pentagon’s “valley of death,” the fleet could remain a paper promise. Without financing for billion-dollar shipyards to build at scale, America’s unmanned ambitions could sink.
France unveils its defense strategy for the Arctic
Naval News – The French ministry of the armed forces last week released France’s first ever “defense strategy for the Arctic”. The move comes as the Arctic is rapidly emerging as a global critical geopolitical flashpoint.
P-8A Poseidon partnerships in the North Atlantic gaining momentum
Navy Lookout – The Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft has become a key element of NATO’s efforts to monitor the increasingly contested undersea domain in the North Atlantic. Flown by the RAF while supporting Royal Navy and allied operations, the UK’s Poseidon fleet forms part of a growing community of users working together through shared infrastructure, common systems and aligned strategic aims.
Small State, Big Stakes: The Maldives and Strategic Competition in the Indian Ocean
War on the Rocks – Located at the crossroads of vital Indian Ocean shipping lanes linking the Middle East and Asia, the Maldives has emerged as an unlikely but increasingly important foothold in Indo-Pacific strategic rivalry. Despite having less than 600,000 residents and limited naval capacity, the country’s geographic position, economic ambition, and diplomatic agility have made it a valuable partner for major powers. Malé is attempting to actively shape its strategic environment by securing investments, courting diverse partnerships, and raising its regional profile. For China, India, the United States, and others, access to Maldivian territory or association with its leadership enhances their ability to operate in this strategic corridor.
CMSI Translations #21: How to Achieve a “Soft Landing” for New Recruits Joining Companies
China Maritime Studies Institute – With expectations, dreams, and curiosity, in mid-June the new sailors who had enlisted this spring joined their companies. Saying goodbye to boot camp and moving to new posts, some new sailors experienced “acclimatization issues” in the unfamiliar environment. How can we help new comrades smoothly get through the “second adjustment period”? Each unit must carefully monitor the characteristics of the new sailors in addition to guiding and educating them. This issue’s “Pathways of Youth” special edition brings you the stories and experiences of naval units as they work to effectively manage the integration of new sailors into their companies.
Philippine Coast Guard Intercepts Chinese Spy Ship
USNI News – A Philippine Coast Guard cutter intercepted a Chinese Navy spy ship within Manila’s western exclusive economic zone over the weekend.
NOSI - Naval Open Source Intelligence™ 
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