– National Interest – James Holmes writes that “Far from shaping up as an age that has left grand strategy behind, the age of Trump represents the arena where a contest between a U.S. grand strategy of long-standing and emerging grand strategies pursued by China, Russia, and other contenders will unfold.”
Navy P-8 With Secretive Radar Pod Surveils Massive Chinese Naval Base In South China Sea
– War Zone – U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft flew a route close to China’s Hainan Island in the South China Sea, which is home to a massive People’s Liberation Army Navy base, earlier today. This particular aircraft is one of a small subset of the service’s Poseidon fleet that is configured to carry a shadowy radar system known as the AN/APS-154 Advanced Airborne Sensor.
A19 Submarine HSwMS Gotland Back In Swedish Navy Service Following Upgrade
– Naval News – First-in-class submarine “Gotland” has been delivered to the Swedish Navy following a series of platform upgrades including a new AIP system and a combat system similar to the one set to be fitted aboard the next generation A26 submarine.
Why NATO Needs a Standing Maritime Group in the Arctic
– CIMSEC – Since the Cold War, the U.S. has maintained a steady presence in the Arctic—specifically the European Arctic, or High North—primarily through nuclear submarine deployments while relying on NATO allies in the region for logistical support. However, melting ice caps, an increase in commercial maritime activity, and ongoing territorial disputes necessitate stronger NATO cooperation in the region to achieve a deterrence posture against Russia and safeguard maritime security. Deterring Russian aggression is important in all European bodies of water, and the Arctic will increasingly face the same maritime security issues as other parts of the world, including illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing by China and the movement of migrants and refugees by sea.
US Navy Rushes Its Sub-Hunting Helicopters To India, Eye On China
– Breaking Defense – The Indian and US governments were in such a hurry to get sub-hunting US helicopters into the hands of the Indian navy that the Americans gave up some of their own helicopters to fill a rushed delivery early next year.
China’s strategic interest in the Arctic goes beyond economics
– Defense News – In its Arctic policy published in 2018, China proclaimed itself as a “near-Arctic state,” a label that has since invited controversy.
The Shadowy World Of Submarine And Ship-Launched Torpedo Countermeasures
– War Zone – Surviving below the waves relies primarily on stealth, but if detected, countermeasures may be your only shot of keeping out of a watery grave.
New Marine Littoral Regiment, designed to fight in contested maritime environment, coming to Hawaii
– Marine Corps Times – The Marine Corps is putting together a new force in Hawaii called the Marine Littoral Regiment that can operate inside a contested maritime environment and sink ships.
U.S. Navy Laser Creates Plasma ‘UFOs’
– Forbes – The U.S. Navy has patented technology to create mid-air images to fool infrared and other sensors. This builds on many years of laser-plasma research and offers a game-changing method of protecting aircraft from heat-seeking missiles. It may also provide a clue about the source of some recent UFO sightings by military aircraft.
No Sure Victory: the Marines New Force Design Plan and the Politics of Implementation
– War on the Rocks – A great deal of digital ink has been spilled about the Marines recently revealed Force Design Plan 2030 and its strategic implications and whether or not the commandant is steering the Corps in the “right” direction. This debate is obviously important, but it has thus far overlooked an equally vital question: can Berger implement his vision?
Put the Commander Back in Commander’s Intent
– CIMSEC – Commander’s intent is the cornerstone of mission command. Yet, it remains a nebulous form of communication. In naval operations, commander’s intent is infrequently understandable, let alone actionable.
Russia’s New Super Quiet Ballistic Missile Sub In “Final” Sea Trials After Years Of Delays
– War Zone – The Russian Navy’s newest ballistic missile submarine, the Project 955A Borei-A class Knyaz Vladimir, has headed out for its “final” sea trials, indicating that it could finally enter service in the near future. The boat was originally set to formally join Russia’s Northern Fleet back in 2017, but that schedule repeatedly slipped due to technical issues.
Maritime Standoff Between China And Malaysia Winding Down
– USNI News – A standoff between China and Malaysia over potential natural gas and oil reserves beneath the South China Sea appears to be ending as research vessels from both nations moved away from each other following stepped-up U.S. Navy presence in the last several weeks.
Rumored PLA drills plan on Dongsha Islands sparks fear in Taiwan
– Global Times – Japanese media on Tuesday claimed in a report that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will hold military drills for a “takeover of Dongsha Islands occupied by Taiwan” in August, resulting in heated discussions on the island of Taiwan. While the Taiwan defense authority claimed they could secure the Dongsha Islands, experts in Taiwan speculate the PLA is aiming to open a passage for aircraft carriers into the Pacific Ocean and prepare for the establishment of an air defense identification zone in the South China Sea.
Former boss of China aircraft carrier programme in corruption probe
– South China Morning Post – The head of China’s aircraft carrier programme is being investigated by the nation’s anti-corruption watchdog – months after the company was hit by a scandal over the leaking of confidential information.
Navy Scraps Big Carrier Study, Clears Deck For OSD Effort
– Breaking Defense – Acting Navy Secretary James McPherson has scuttled a major initiative of his ousted predecessor, canceling a planned 6-month study on the future of the aircraft carrier, relying instead on a DoD-led effort to determine the size and structure of the future fleet.
Modest Proposals: Solutions for the Surface Navy in the Absence of a Robust Industrial Base
– USNI Blog – In a conflict with China, the United States will be pressed for time, personnel, and especially ships. U.S. industrial capacity struggles to produce a 355-ship Navy even in peacetime. In a hot war where the Navy is contested on the high seas, losses will be taken. New ships will need be needed to fill the gaps left by bloody battles of attrition. If the industrial base has difficulty meeting the needs of a peacetime Navy, one can only speculate that the strain after the opening salvos of a conflict. Between 1975 and 2000, the U.S. shipbuilding industry declined from 80 ships a year to just eight. The lack of industrial surge capacity shows a serious weakness in U.S. military capability, especially for the Navy.
To Compete With Russia and China at Sea, Think Small
– Defense One – Great power competition requires more than preparing for great power conflict.
A new ‘Marine Littoral Regiment’ specializing in ship-to-shore capabilities is coming to Hawaii
– Stars and Stripes – A new “Marine Littoral Regiment” coming to Hawaii — the first of its kind in the Marine Corps — represents a major shift for the service in the “great power” competition playing out in the Western Pacific and preparation for a high-tech missile war in the region.
Navy MQ-4 Triton Flying Operational Missions From Guam
– USNI News – Almost three months after arriving in Guam, a pair of MQ-4C Triton autonomous, unmanned aircraft have integrated into fleet operations and training flights and stretched the Navy’s maritime domain awareness across the Indo-Pacific.
The Russian autonomous uninhabited underwater vehicle Vityaz reaches the bottom of the Mariana Trench
– BMPD – The Russian Advanced Research Foundation said that on May 8, 2020, at 22 hours 34 minutes Moscow time, the Russian autonomous uninhabited underwater vehicle Vityaz plunged to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The Vityaz sensors recorded a depth of 10,028 meters. During this dive, a pennant was delivered to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. (In Russian)
(Thanks to Alain)
Pakistan’s Mystery Submarine
– Indian Defence Review – An article that appeared last month in foreign media talked of a new mystery submarine in Pakistan which presumably meant for marines of the Special Services Group – SSG (N).
(Thanks to Alain)
The US Navy returns to an increasingly militarized Arctic
– Defense News – The U.S. Navy’s Barents Sea patrol is the latest sojourn into an increasingly militarized Arctic, where questions of international law are proliferating.
Failure to communicate: US Navy seeks faster data transfers amid Arctic ice
– Defense News – Research in the Arctic Ocean is no small feat. The area can prove inaccessible at times, and sensors can fail to communicate data from under the ice or get crushed by slabs of ice.
U.S. Navy Maintains Operations In Western Pacific as Other Navies Slow Down
– USNI News – The U.S. Navy is continuing to run missions to ensure freedom of navigation and show presence in the Western Pacific while other militaries are scaling back their operations amid COVID-19 concerns.
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