– Global Times – China’s shipbuilding giant has delivered the first of four littoral mission ships (LMS) to the Royal Malaysian Navy, marking the high-level military cooperation between China and Malaysia.
PPA’s X-Band Radar Arrays Pass Milestone At Land-Based Test Facility
– Naval News – The PPA Programme achieved an important technical milestone in late December 2019: the integration of the first two X-Band fixed sensor arrays of the new Dual Band Radar (DBR) X/C at the test bed in Pratica di Mare airfield, near Rome.
Japan Takes First Steps Towards Refurbishment Of JMSDF Destroyer Izumo
– Naval News – Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has announced in its FY2020 defense budget that it will invest 3.1 billion yen (approximately US $ 28.3 million) to refurbish the destroyer Izumo which is the largest vessel in Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF).
China Launched The 24th Type 052D, 6th Type 055 & 71st Type 056 Vessels For PLAN
– Naval News – The Chinese naval shipbuilding industry maintained its impressive production rate in 2019. In the past week alone, no less than 3 destroyers and a corvette were launched by various yards.
(Thanks to Alain)
Submarine B-603 Volkhov of project 06363 launched
– BMPD – On December 26, 2019, in St. Petersburg, the Admiralty Shipyards JSC (part of United Shipbuilding Corporation – USC) held a launch ceremony for the B-603 large diesel-electric submarine being built for the Navy of the Russian Federation “ Volkhov ” (serial number 01615) of project 06363. This is the second of six submarines of project 06363 being built for the Pacific Fleet. (In Russian)
(Thanks to Alain)
Pilot shortages could ground China’s plans to develop combat-ready carrier fleet
– South China Morning Post – The country’s second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, officially entered service this month, but bottlenecks in training could hamper the navy’s effectiveness.
Veteran Sonarman Explains Why Pump-jets Are Superior To Props On Modern Submarines
– War Zone – The propeller is increasingly giving way to the more complex pump-jet propulsor on larger submarines. Here’s why.
Qasem Soleimani: US kills top Iranian general in Baghdad air strike
– BBC – Iran’s most powerful military commander, General Qasem Soleimani, has been killed by a US air strike in Iraq. The 62-year-old spearheaded Iranian military operations in the Middle East as head of Iran’s elite Quds Force.
Australian navy begins evacuation of beach where thousands had sought refuge from fire
– Reuters – The Australian navy on Friday began the evacuations of some of the thousands of people stranded on the east coast of the fire-ravaged country as a searing weather front was set to whip up more blazes across the states of Victoria and New South Wales.
China Maritime Report No. 4: Civil Transport in PLA Power Projection
– China Maritime Studies Institute – The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has ambitious goals for its power projection capabilities. Aside from preparing for the possibility of using force to resolve Beijing’s territorial claims in East Asia, it is also charged with protecting China’s expanding “overseas interests.” These national objectives require the PLA to be able to project significant combat power beyond China’s borders. To meet these needs, the PLA is building organic logistics support capabilities such as large naval auxiliaries and transport aircraft. But it is also turning to civilian enterprises to supply its transportation needs.
Expeditionary Advanced Maritime Operations: How the Marine Corps Can Avoid Becoming a Second Land Army in the Pacific
– War on the Rocks – As the Marine Corps reorients towards great power competition in the Pacific, it faces the harsh reality that the uncontested maritime maneuver-space it once took for granted — upon which more than $3.4 trillion of annual international maritime trade and America’s most influential companies increasingly depend — is now blanketed with dense layers of Chinese long-range missile weapons engagement zones.
Maritime Security—The Architecture of Japan’s Maritime-Security System in the East China Sea
– US Naval War College Review – The security of Japan’s maritime borders is a top priority for the country’s government. The roles of the Japan Coast Guard and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force are paramount in these security operations as Japan navigates an international landscape in the East China Sea complicated by an emboldened China.
Why a New Missile Arms Race with China Might Not Be Worth the Cost
– National Interest – As a new generation of “whiz-kids” takes up the challenge in the post-INF world of confronting Beijing in the Western Pacific, the Chinese are busy assessing possible countermeasures.
Rethink Navy Ballistic Missile Defense
– USNI Proceedings – The traditional ballistic missile defense mission is too narrow and operationally limiting.
2019 World Naval Operational News Highlights
The ten most significant naval news stories / trends / themes this year included:
- Iranian attacks on oil tankers, oil refineries, and unmanned aerial vehicles in the Persian Gulf as Western sanctions continue to harm the Iranian economy. Can the US continue to stay the course and resist retaliation?
- The steady increase in the size of the Israeli Navy and the increasing recognition within Israel of its importance in protecting its shipping lanes, littorals, ports, energy reserves and deterrence capability. Will it receive the increasing portion of the defense budget that it deserves in the future?
- The debut of Chinese containerized anti-ship cruise missiles that could turn their commerical fleet into warships and the commercial ports they control around the world into missile bases. How does this change the world-wide balance of naval power?
- China’s creative experiments at undersea replenishment using commercial ships to resupply its warships. When will the US Navy undertake similar experiments to help compensate for the small size and vulnerability of its logistics force? Amateurs talk tactics, generals (and admirals!) talk logistics…
- China’s firing of anti-ship ballistic missiles from its island bases in the South China Sea. As their militarization of the South China Sea progresses, where will they build their next sand castle?
- The year of the flattop. The US Marine Corps gained increased experience in operating its F-35Bs in large numbers from its amphibious assault ships (“Lightning Carrier” concept), the Royal Navy gained increased experience in operating its F-35Bs from its aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and commissioned its second carrier HMS Prince of Wales, and the Chinese Navy commissioned its second aircraft carrier Shandong and its first amphibious assault ship Type 075. When will the US Navy take significant steps towards extending the range of its carrier air wing, besides buying a token number of MQ-25 tankers?
- The chaotic leadership at the US Department of Defense in general with multiple Secretaries of Defense this year, and in the US Navy in specific with the resignations of the nominee for the Chief of Naval Operations and the Secretary of the Navy. What negative effect is this having on the Department of the Navy?
- The declaration of what the future of the Marines is by the new US Marine Corps Commandant: Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations, and their rapid progress towards defining it, wargaming it and starting to determine how they need to change their force structure to be able to implement it. Will the US Congress approve the changes in US Marine Corps structure necessary to accomplish it?
- As part of its definition of Distributed Maritime Operations, the US Navy is taking its first concrete steps towards building unmanned surface vehicles. Can the US Navy articulate its plan clearly to the US Congress so they will approve the budget for it? Was asking the US Congress to retire early a carrier (USS Truman) with 25 years of life left on it the right way for the Navy to try to fund its future?
- All the hype about hypersonic weapons. Will 2020 be the year that we see these weapons tested and deployed within a coherent concept of operations?
Pentagon proposal cuts an FFG(X) and an attack submarine out of the budget
– Defense News – A small but potentially substantial change in the Pentagon’s five-year budget projection slows down the buying profile for the U.S. Navy’s new frigate, which is expected to be awarded in 2020.
The Future Navy—Near-Term Applications of Artificial Intelligence
– US Naval War College Review – Many examples of task automation using artificial intelligence exist in private industry. The U.S. military has a great opportunity to exploit these developments and adapt them for use throughout the force, particularly in areas such as logistics and administration, freeing up man-hours and resources for other, more-complex activities.
China’s 10,000 ton-class destroyer equipped with long-range land-attack missiles
– Global Times – China’s latest 10,000 ton-class guided missile destroyer, the Type 055, is capable of launching long-range land-attack cruise missiles.
What Does the Navy Need from the Marine Corps?
– USNI Proceedings – Align the Commandant’s planning guidance and the Navy’s strategic vision.
Sevmash floats out second Yasen-M class nuclear attack submarine
– Barents Observer – After the two previous 4th generation multi-purpose submarines experienced long delays in construction, Russia now seems to have gain speed at the shipyard in Severodvinsk.
Research & Debate—The Medium Is the Message: Weaving Wargaming More Tightly into the Fabric of the Navy
– US Naval War College Review – By now, the challenge and threat of a rising and contentious China and an increasingly hostile Russia have penetrated the Navy’s corporate consciousness, and current leaders are taking steps to shift the service from a purely power- projection posture to one that focuses again on defending American command of the sea. The Navy is initiating adjustments to fleet design and architecture as well as a rebirth of fleet experimentation. While perhaps late in coming, these responses to the emergent challenges of our time are encouraging.
Advanced supply ship conducts carrier group supplement mission
– Global Times – China’s latest domestically developed comprehensive supply ship conducted its first aircraft carrier battle group supplement mission during a high sea exercise, prompting experts to say that Chinese aircraft carriers are ready to sail farther into deep blue waters.
Fighting Along a Knife Edge in the Falklands
– USNI Proceedings – To prepare for a fight over the western Pacific’s contested islands, there is no better resource than the 1982 Falklands War.
China’s third aircraft carrier in 2 years
– Global Times – China’s third aircraft carrier could be launched within the next two years, be combat ready by 2025 and feature an electromagnetic catapult and stealth fighter jets, a professional Chinese military magazine predicted.
What planes will be on board China’s second aircraft carrier, the Shandong?
– South China Morning Post – The first home-built Chinese carrier will deploy a range of aircraft from J-15 ‘Flying Shark’ fighter planes to anti-submarine ‘Sea Eagle’ helicopters.
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