War on the Rocks – Recent wargames suggest the U.S. Navy would have a hard time fighting China, but this might be nothing compared to infighting Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and his successors will have to manage to build a navy that can hold its own in the Pacific.
Leveraging NGOs and Volunteerism For Maritime Surveillance Against IUU Fishing
CIMSEC – As strategic competition heats up between the U.S. and China, the U.S. is seemingly at a disadvantage when compared to China’s ability to mobilize and militarize commercial enterprises with plausible deniability like its vast distant-water fishing fleet. In order to adequately counter China’s aggressive overseas fishing fleet, the U.S. should rely on a combination of technology and global volunteerism.
The US and UK navies prepare to sign agreement to merge their tech futures
Defense News – The U.S. Navy and British Royal Navy are preparing to more closely align their futures in a whole host of warfare areas, the U.S. chief of naval operationsannounced Tuesday.
Australia to Join U.S., India, Japan for Malabar 2020 in High-End Naval Exercise of ‘The Quad’
USNI News – Australia will join the India-led Malabar 2020 naval exercise next month, operating along with the U.S. and Japan in an exercise meant to send a message to China. The exercise will be a first for the so-called “Quad,” the Pacific cooperation between Japan, India, Australia and the U.S.
Inside the first ‘narco-submarine’ caught after crossing the Atlantic
Wall Street Journal – Law-enforcement authorities say a vessel seized in Spain that was carrying tons of cocaine represents a new tactic in trafficking to Europe.
(Thanks to Alain)
Royal Navy officer in charge of 16 nuclear missiles turned up ‘staggering drunk’ and scoffing BBQ chicken
Sun – A Royal Navy officer in charge of 16 nuclear missiles turned up drunk and clutching a bag of grilled chicken. Lt Commander Len Louw was hauled off HMS Vigilant from its temporary base in the US and flown home in disgrace.
(Thanks to Alain)
Navy Plans Hammerhead Mines To Box In Chinese, Russian Subs
Breaking Defense – The Navy is inching closer to fielding a new anti-submarine mine designed to deploy from underwater drones and loiter for weeks at a time around critical chokepoints, looking for enemy submarines to sink.
The US Navy’s stealth destroyer conducts its first missile test
Defense News – The Navy’s first stealth destroyer, USS Zumwalt, test fired an SM-2 missile out of its MK 57 vertical launch system Oct. 13.
Unmanned Systems Could Track and Fight Submarines At Less Cost Than Manned Ships, Planes
USNI News – A new report from the Hudson Institute, Sustaining the Undersea Advantage: Disrupting Anti-Submarine Warfare Using Autonomous Systems, outlines a potential use for unmanned surface, undersea and aerial vehicles: to help track and even engage with a swarm of enemy submarines.
Navy Claims Victories in Modernizing Public Yards While Congress Questions Pace
USNI News – While service officials have pointed to the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan (SIOP) as a way the Navy is pushing for modernization and efficiency in its yards and facilities to enhance throughput and readiness, some lawmakers have voiced concerns about the plan’s timeline.
Evolution of the Fleet: A Closer Look at the Chinese Fishing Vessels Off the Galapagos
CIMSEC – Using data and insight from Windward, a predictive maritime intelligence platform, our analysis examines how this fishing phenomenon has evolved over time and who is behind this increasingly intensive fishing effort.
Bringing Congress to the (Wargaming) Table for a Bigger and Better Navy
War on the Rocks – When not in the midst of a pandemic, members of Congress and high-level defense officials travel all over the world and attend all sorts of fancy conferences. Some of these trips are valuable, others less so. None of these trips are as important as the wargame that should take place in Newport in early 2021. Done right, 72 hours with members of Congress and defense leaders locked in a room together examining maps, strategy, forces, and assumptions could bring about the oft-promised naval rebuild that, until now, has yet to materialize. Now that the Pentagon finally has a plan, it is time for Congress to pull up a chair and join it at the table.
France’s Submarine Game Changer: The New Suffren-Class
Naval News – Six new attack submarines will form the vanguard of the French Navy for the coming decades. Developed as the Barracuda program, the lead boat of the new class, Suffren, is expected to formally join the fleet next year. The new submarines will offer a massive capability leap over the current Rubis-class boats.
“Preparing for War”: What Is China’s Xi Jinping Trying to Tell Us?
National Interest – James Holmes writes that Xi recently exhorted Chinese marines to devote their “minds and energy” to “preparing for war.” Much of the message was meant for the U.S. and Taiwan.
The World Defence Shipbuilding: Major Trends
Naval News – Because it has been the world’s leading event for naval defence and maritime security for over 50 years, EURONAVAL wished to propose to its visitors and exhibitors a comprehensive study on the sector and the major trends of the world shipbuilding.
The US Navy’s ‘Manhattan Project’ has its leader
Defense News – The US Navy’s top officer has tasked a former surface warfare officer turned engineering duty officer to create a powerful, all-connecting network service leaders believe they will need to fight and win against a high-end foe such as China.
Sustaining the Submarine Force’s Competitive Edge
USNI Proceedings – At a time when the U.S. Navy faces intense competition from peer and near-peer adversaries, the submarine force still provides a significant advantage—one we do not take for granted.
Check Out How Rusty And Battered USS Stout Looks After Spending A Record 215 Days At Sea
War Zone – Stout’s sailors went from March to October without setting foot on land and performed maintenance usually done in port while at sea.
China Arming Venezuelan Navy With Anti-Ship Missiles
USNI News – Venezuela’s propaganda videos are showing off warships armed with new Chinese-made anti-ship missiles. The C-802A missile, supplied by Beijing to the Venezuelan Navy, is designed to take out surface ships at ranges of over 100 nautical miles. The sea-skimming missile is generally analogous to the Harpoon. This arms deal should greatly increase the reach and potency of President Nicolás Maduro’s navy.
Romania cleared to buy advanced ship-killing missiles
Defense News – The U.S. State Department on Friday approved the potential sale of Naval Strike Missile Coastal Defense Systems to Romania, in a deal that could be worth about $300 million.
The EA-18G Growler Has Its Own Topgun School For Electronic
War Zone – An inside look at how ‘Havoc’ turns U.S. Navy EA-18G crews into wizards of the invisible art of electronic warfare.
Navy’s Troubled Stealth Destroyers May Have Radars Replaced Before Ever Sailing On A Mission
War Zone – A cost-cutting effort years ago left the DDG-1000 destroyers with degraded capabilities and a one-off combat system, but that could be changing.
Coast Guard Begins At-Sea Testing of Unmanned Surface Vehicles to Tackle Illegal Fishing, Crime
USNI News – The Coast Guard has begun at-sea testing of unmanned surface vehicles off the south shore of Oahu to see if the autonomous craft can help provide persistent maritime domain awareness in remote areas of the large ocean
TIAR 21: Maritime Security, The TIAR, and IUU Fishing in the Western Hemisphere
CIMSEC – An international fishing fleet is currently sailing through international waters in the South Pacific, passing close to Ecuador and Peru, and it is currently sailing close to Chile en route to Antarctica The navies of these countries are on alert and governments are sharing information to monitor the fleet. In light of this development, what more can regional governments do to jointly combat illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing?
China’s marine corps on notice to boost combat strength, analyst says
South China Morning Post – China’s marine corps will have more training in joint operations to bolster combat strength as the country’s security risks increase at home and abroad.
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