– USNI News – The Pentagon is sending amphibious warship USS Arlington (LPD-24) and elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to join the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group as a hedge against Iran.
The Case for Unmanned Surface Vehicles in Future Maritime Operations
– CIMSEC – While it is encouraging to see Navy plans to move quickly to bring initial Medium and Large USVs into the fleet, other unmanned platforms are equally ready for such an approach. Innovation is the key to shaping tomorrow’s Navy, and getting USVs of all shapes and sizes to the fleet for Sailors to try out is the best approach to achieving it.
Surging Second Sea Force: China’s Maritime Law-Enforcement Forces, Capabilities, and Future in the Gray Zone and Beyond
– US Naval War College Review – As China’s sea services continue to expand, the consolidating China Coast Guard (CCG) has taken the lead as one of the premier sea forces in the region—giving China, in essence, a second navy. With 1,275 hulls and counting, the CCG carries out the maritime law-enforcement activities that dominate the South China Sea as the People’s Republic exerts its claims and postures for dominance.
Persian Gulf is vital enough for US to go to war
– The Hill – Would America fight if Iran closes the Persian Gulf to shipping? Confides the Magic 8-Ball: “Signs point to yes.” Presidential administrations of both parties long have reserved the right to use force in the Gulf region when vital diplomatic, economic or military interests are in peril. And they always seem to be in peril in the Gulf.
USS Abraham Lincoln Now in Middle East Heading to the Persian Gulf
– USNI News – The Lincoln Carrier Strike Group left the Mediterranean and transited the Suez Canal, officially entering U.S. 5th Fleet and U.S. Central Command.
Royal Navy Sub Appears In Gibraltar Equipped With A Wake Detection System
– War Zone – This non-acoustic sensor could supplement the boat’s sonar when hunting for especially quiet enemy submarines.
Hiding in Plain Sight: Chinese Expansion in Southeast Asia
– War on the Rocks – Beijing’s geopolitical moves continue to obfuscate its larger designs, surprise observers, and render the United States and its allies reactive. The prospect of a Chinese naval base in Cambodia offers a case in point.
Autonomous Pickets for Force Protection and Fleet Missile Defense
– CIMSEC – As the Navy continues to experiment with new roles and missions for unmanned systems, unmanned force protection and missile defense is an ideal mission.
U.S., Japan, India and Philippines challenge Beijing with naval drills in the South China Sea
– Reuters – In fresh show of naval force in the contested South China Sea, a U.S. guided missile destroyer conducted drills with a Japanese aircraft carrier, two Indian naval ships and a Philippine patrol vessel in the waterway claimed by China.
A US Marine F-35 Squadron Will Deploy on a British Aircraft Carrier in 2021
– Military.com – A Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighter squadron will make history by deploying aboard the British Royal Navy’s newest aircraft carrier — the first deployment of its kind and one that could serve as a model for the new normal.
Marine Corps Ospreys touch down in Hawaii after milestone journey from Okinawa
– Stars and Stripes – “This is a strategic flight that shows we can deploy to any location throughout the western Pacific at any time. We are capable of self-deploying and aggregating to a crisis, natural or man-made, and provide combat power to assist our allies in the region.”
The Pacific Fleet has drawn a ‘red line’
– Defense News – Prior to the accidents, ships in Japan were routinely operating under waivers for lapsed certifications in warfare areas such as damage control, navigation and flight deck operations. In this new model, ships don’t go on missions until they are trained and certified to perform them.
When will the US Navy be able to autonomously seek and destroy mines?
– Defense News – The U.S. Navy is racing to field unmanned systems, and while much work remains for distributed, unmanned sensors and missile shooters, one area of unmanned warfare is seeing success: hunting and destroying mines.
U.S. Navy Undersea Rescue Team Rethinking How it Deploys After Argentine Sub Loss
– USNI News – Executing a submarine rescue is a race against time to reach a trapped crew before a dwindling oxygen supply runs out, and when the most recent request came for help, the U.S. Navy found mobilizing personnel and equipment took too long.
USNS Comfort Heading to Colombia to Treat Venezuelan Refugees
– USNI News – Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) is expected in June to start a five-month Caribbean deployment to provide humanitarian and medical assistance to the region, notable to refugees flooding into Colombia from neighboring Venezuela.
Tracking the Type 002 – China’s third aircraft carrier
– ChinaPower – The construction of a third aircraft carrier – the Type 002 – appears to be underway at China’s Jiangnan Shipyard. Commercial satellite imagery collected on April 17, 2019 shows significant new activity since ChinaPower first analyzed the shipyard in late 2018. At the new assembly facility to the southeast of the existing shipyard, there is evidence of a large vessel being assembled and a floodable basin being constructed.
Turkish universal landing ship Anadolu on the water
– BMPD – built for the Turkish Navy at the Turkish shipyard Sedef Tuzla Tersanesi in Tuzla (southern outskirts of the Asian part of Istanbul) by Sedef Gemi İnşaatı Sanayii A.Ş (part of the Turkon holding) the first Turkish universal landing ship (UDC) L 400 Anadolu first surfaced in the enterprise’s dry 310-meter-filled construction dock, and then was towed from the dock to the extension wall. The actual descent of the UDC on the water was carried out without special ceremonies.
(Thanks to Alain)
Unmanned Units Need Tenders for Distributed Operations
– CIMSEC – Basing a support and sustainment model for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) on 21st century tenders would both fulfill the unique support needs of USVs and help build the ability to fight and deter a war in the Pacific. This analysis will briefly discuss the role tenders played in the Pacific War, why tenders are the ideal model for sustaining USV units, then turn to what modern USV tenders should look like.
MARAD Ready Reserve Force Still Faces Readiness, Manning Challenges
– USNI News – The Maritime Administration’s Ready Reserve Force is still as small and perhaps less ready than this time last year, when a top MARAD official said the RRF was “on the ragged edge” of readiness.
Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2019
– Office of the Secretary of Defense – A report to Congress pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000, as amended
China completing more ballistic missile subs, with plans for a new version
– Defense News – China has launched two more nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines and might fit anti-ship ballistic missiles on a new cruiser class on the verge of entering service, according to a new Pentagon report.
Create an Unmanned Experimental Squadron and Learning System
– CIMSEC – We call for the Navy to accelerating standing up a dedicated experimental squadron with the purpose of exploring advanced tactics for employing unmanned systems in a series of tactically challenging, objective-based exercises.
The US surface fleet is shaking up how it readies ships for deployment
– Defense News – The U.S. Navy’s top surface warfare officer is changing how his crews prepare for deployment with an eye toward more quickly certifying ships and freeing up schedules so ships’ commanders can spend more time participating in customized training.
The Marine Corps’ Evolving Character and Enduring Purpose
– War on the Rocks – This article seeks to contribute to a dialogue that has endured for years and has especially increased ahead of the upcoming change at the top level of the Marine Corps. We will offer a single core attribute for the Marine Corps, tied directly to the National Defense Strategy and its contact and blunt layer requirements. Next, we will explain what we believe should be the Corps’ distinguishing attributes that give us our naval purpose. Finally, we will describe the enduring attributes the Navy-Marine Corps team can continue executing in support of the new strategic guidance.
What’s killing the US Navy’s air wing?
– Defense News – The U.S. Navy is on the brink of an explosion in research and development funding for its next-generation fighter program — an effort that could make or break the mainstay of the fleet’s powerful strike arm.
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