Defense News – The U.S. Navy must rapidly grow its attack submarine force, field smaller manned and unmanned combatants and examine changing the role of aircraft carriers in the coming decades as part of a massive expansion of the fleet to maintain American dominance on the seas, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Tuesday.
SECDEF Esper Calls for 500-Ship Fleet by 2045, With 3 SSNs a Year and Light Carriers Supplementing CVNs
USNI News – Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced a new future fleet plan for the Navy that would grow the attack submarine force, supplement nuclear-powered aircraft carriers with light carriers to achieve greater day-to-day presence, and invest heavily in small and unmanned ships for distributed operations.
Navy Fielding MQ-8C Fire Scout to Operational Squadrons Ahead of Deployment Next Year
USNI News – The Navy is getting closer to operating the new and larger MQ-8C Fire Scout variant on its Littoral Combat Ships, with two squadrons taking possession of their first aircraft and working towards safe-for-flight certification.
US Navy’s aging surface fleet struggles to keep ships up to spec, report shows
Defense News – The U.S. Navy’s aging surface fleet is getting harder to maintain, and overall is showing declining health in several key areas, such as its main propulsion systems, electrical systems and Aegis combat systems, according to an annual report of the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey submitted to Congress earlier this year.
HMS Queen Elizabeth Strike Group Assembles
USNI News – The U.K. Royal Navy has assembled its largest carrier strike group in almost 40 years.
Pakistan’s New Type-039B AIP Submarines: Image Shows Shipyard Expansion
Naval News – The Pakistan Navy’s expansion is gearing up in Karachi. Major enhancements are evident at a shipyard, where a new construction hall and a dry dock greatly increase capacity. Although details are scarce, it seems likely that the local construction of Chinese-designed AIP (Air Independent Power) submarines will take place there.
India Has Tested A Very Long Range Supersonic Anti-Submarine Missile For The First Time
War Zone – India says that it has successfully tested a new supersonic anti-submarine missile. This missile carries a lightweight torpedo as its warhead and releases it over the designated target area, after which that weapon operates as normal and uses its own guidance system to seek out the enemy submarine. Dubbed the Supersonic Missile Assisted Release of Torpedo, or SMART, this could give Indian warships, and potentially shore-based units, a valuable additional stand-off tool in the face of growing submarine threats from adversaries, especially China.
Russia’s new giant icebreaker sailed straight to the North Pole
Barents Observer – With ice edge at record north this autumn, the distance to the top of the world wasn’t too difficult for nuclear-powered Arktika on her maiden voyage.
U.S. Navy To Test Spearhead-Class EPF As Maintenance And Repair Vessel For LCS
Naval News – The U.S. Navy has announced that USNS Burlington will carry out a proof-of-concept test: The EPF ship will serve as an afloat forward staging base style platform, transporting a Maintenance Expeditionary Team of active duty sailors and their equipment and repair materials to various Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) locations for scheduled maintenance.
The Navy Is About To Sail With Its Next Big Leap In Shipboard Electronic Warfare Systems
War Zone – SEWIP Block III will introduce new electronic attack capabilities and other enhancements as the Navy prepares to defend its ships in a high-end fight.
Flexing in the Arctic
Air Force – USAF warms to a new strategy and increased competition in the vital polar region.
Eye On Africa, Navy’s New Ship Homeports in Crete
Breaking Defense – America has a new military homeport in the Mediterranean, as a US warship will call a small outpost on the Greek island of Crete home, signaling Washington’s deep concerns over the eastern Mediterranean and Russian and Chinese activities in Africa.
Israeli navy prepares for arrival of new upgraded warships
Associated Press – After a coronavirus-related delay, Israel’s navy is preparing for the long-awaited arrival of its next generation of missile boats — giving it a powerful new tool to defend its strategic natural gas industry from the threat of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Estonia moves to fortify its coastline with missiles and sea mines
Defense News – Estonia’s defense ministry plans to use an uptick in military spending to boost its coastal defenses with sea mines and anti-ship missiles, while looking for neighbors to join the effort.
Navy P-8 Poseidon Flies Mission Armed With Harpoon Missiles In Asia-Pacific Show Of Force
War Zone – The P-8 reportedly flew near the southern tip of Taiwan, over tense waters that have been frequented by the Chinese Navy as of late.
The Navy Is Building A Network Of Drone Submarines And Sensor Buoys In The Arctic
War Zone – As competition in the Arctic heats up, the Navy is looking to drastically increase its awareness of what is going on up there.
Navy Establishes First Squadron To Operate Its Carrier-Based MQ-25 Stingray Tanker Drones
War Zone – The Navy is standing up the unit now to ensure personnel are as prepared as they can be for the arrival of these drones in the coming years.
Crippled Capacity: How Weak Maritime Enforcement Emboldened Answar Al-Sunna
CIMSEC – Two months ago, the insurgent group Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa(“Ansar al-Sunna”) attacked the strategic port of Mocímboa da Praia in Mozambique for the second time in six months. Unlike the day-long siege on March 23rd, Ansar al-Sunna has occupied Mocímboa da Praia since August 13th, indicating a significant escalation in insurgent capabilities.
Arming Without Aiming? Challenges For Japan’s Amphibious Capability
War on the Rocks – A centerpiece in Japan’s defense modernization efforts designed to deter a resurgent China is the development of an amphibious warfare capability.
Unusual Submarine Likely To Increase Threat From North Korea
Naval News – The World’s only operational conventionally powered ballistic missile submarine (SSB) may soon emerge in North Korea. The Romeo-Mod submarine, also known as Sinpo-C, was first revealed on North Korean TV on July 23 2019. It will likely be armed with three Pukguksong-3 missiles which are the hermit kingdom’s best performing. So it will, on paper, pose a serious threat to U.S. and allied targets in the region. But how real is the threat?
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Hudson Recommends 581 Ships, New Class of Corvette as Part of Input to Pentagon Fleet Plan
USNI News – The first of three inputs to the Pentagon’s Future Naval Force Study was released this week, the Hudson Institute is calling for a future U.S. Navy fleet of 581 battle force ships through the addition of 80 corvettes, 99 unmanned surface vessels, 40 unmanned submarines and 27 new small amphibious ships
Full report is here: American Sea Power at a Crossroads: A Plan to Restore the US Navy’s Maritime Advantage
Military research ship returns after months on secret Arctic mission
Barents Observer – The ship “Akademik Aleksandrov” is closely linked with testing of Russia’s disruptive nuclear-powered underwater drone and the top-secret Harmony system of underwater sensors.
China launches largest maritime patrol ship amid rising regional tensions
South China Morning Post – China launched a new maritime patrol vessel on Tuesday – the largest and most advanced to join its civilian fleet – as tensions rise between Beijing and its neighbours over the disputed South China Sea.
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