Defense Opinion – Once again, the undersea domain is growing contested, as it was during the Cold War. Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) promise to enhance the combat reach and responsiveness of existing U.S. nuclear submarines. They remain, however, a complementary capability, and not a substitute for the irreplaceable advantages of manned nuclear submarines. The U.S. Navy should pursue the concept of teaming manned units — like attack submarines — with unmanned units as the best method to maximize combat potential.

USNI News – Two new reports on the V-22 Osprey, following a series of fatal mishaps that killed 20 people from 2022 to 2024, show years of problems, ranging from faulty parts to poorly understood maintenance procedures and a lack of communication across the services, that led to safety and reliability across the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.

The War Zone – The U.S. Navy says it is aiming to have the first of a new class of frigates based on an existing American design “in the water” by 2028. The U.S. Coast Guard’s Legend class National Security Cutter is reportedly the basis for the design in question. This all follows a decision to cancel the Constellation class frigate, a program marred by major delays and cost growth, which has now further exposed a highly concerning gap in the service’s future force structure plans.

Breaking Defense – Navy Secretary John Phelan recently told attendees at a private dinner that the new frigate would be a modified National Security Cutter.

The Guardian – US forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, in a major escalation of Donald Trump’s four-month pressure campaign against the South American country’s dictator, Nicolás Maduro, whose government called the seizure “an act of international piracy”.

Interesting Engineering – US nuclear-powered submarines that may carry nuclear weapons could dock at Australian ports without the knowledge of the Australian public or even its government, defense officials told a Senate hearing, reigniting debate over the country’s obligations under nuclear nonproliferation treaties and the long-term risks of the AUKUS security pact.

(Thanks to Alain)

War on the Rocks – I focus on three types of corrective action Pentagon leadership should take immediately. This cancellation risks atrophying critical shipbuilding capacity in Wisconsin. It risks sending a negative signal to shipbuilders and capital. And like any risky march deep into the enemy’s territory, with supply lines severed and necessity driving the advance, this maneuver must strike a strategic blow — it must be worth the risk. The Navy now should move with speed and precision to use the Constellation-class cancellation as such a blow in the greater 2025 campaign of acquisition reform.