Defence Blog – Taiwan’s Navy issued a public request for reference materials on a naval suicide drone system, including a USV, portable control station, mobile command vehicle, and relay station. The unmanned vessel must reach at least 35 knots, operate up to 250 nautical miles, and support swarming and jamming-resistant communications.
(Thanks to Alain)
Navy Lookout – BAE Systems’ Cowes facility has re-emerged as one of the UK’s most important centres for radar engineering, anchoring a rapidly expanding national effort to deliver next-generation sensors. This second article examines the site’s evolution, its growing workforce and the technologies now shaping Britain’s future radar capability.
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.
Navy Lookout – Tony Carruthers spent 8 years as an officer serving in Royal Navy minehunters. In this opinion piece, he considers the state of RN mine countermeasures and the decision to extend HMS Bangor in service.
Center for Maritime Strategy – Naval and amphibious forces now face a new threat in the form of suicide drones and cruise missiles from traditional adversaries and insurgent groups. Autonomous drones are increasingly becoming an integral part of naval forces, flying reconnaissance, anti-submarine and anti-surface missions. But as current conflicts drive the rapid evolution of warfare, ships and troops are being targeted by unmanned weapons. New mission roles will undoubtably be assigned to naval drones to counter these threats in the air and on the sea. As low-cost drones and cruise missiles saturate defenses, the Navy needs equally low-cost sea-based counters. A new class of ships dedicated to operating drones at sea could provide a cost-effective approach to protecting friendly forces. The answer may look less like an aircraft carrier or destroyer, and more like a converted oilfield support ship.
Breaking Defense – The Navy and Marine Corps have chosen a ship design by the Dutch company Damen as the basis for a number of new vessels to be part of the Medium Landing Ship program, senior leaders announced today.
Navy Lookout – The House of Commons Defence Select Committee session on 2nd December, considering progress with AUKUS, put the spotlight on issues that will determine successful (Pillar 1) submarine delivery. Although ministers continue to project confidence, the evidence underlined industrial expansion pressures and the implications of forward deploying an Astute-class submarine to Australia.
Defense News – Once reliant on aging, second-hand vessels from the United States, a steady drumbeat of new warships is beginning to enter Philippine Navy service.
The Guardian – The Swedish navy encounters Russian submarines in the Baltic Sea on an “almost weekly” basis, its chief of operations has said, and is preparing for a further increase in the event of ceasefire or armistice in the Ukraine war.
Navy Lookout – The Anglo-Norwegian Lunna House Agreement will be signed today as the Norwegian Prime Minister visits RAF Lossiemouth, representing the most significant deepening of UK–Norway naval cooperation since the early Cold War.
National Interest – James Holmes writes that many countries want nuclear submarines for national prestige rather than for security needs. But South Korea is well-positioned to use them effectively.
Breaking Defense – “This is going to be devastating for [Fincantieri’s] workforce. They invested heavily buying the yard in 2009 and invested a lot to win the frigate class competition,” one analyst told Breaking Defense.
Breaking Defense – If the US is to stand a chance against China, the time is now to move out on the Navy’s future next-gen fighter, explains Rebecca Grant of the Lexington Institute.
Naval News – Hidden beneath tarpaulins, an uncommon sight at Chinese shipyards, a new trimaran-hulled vessel appears to combine features of both surface ships and submarines. Satellite imagery suggests it may be uncrewed, designed for high-speed operations. Though its purpose remains unknown, the project reflects the accelerating pace and growing sophistication of China’s naval innovation.
Global Times – The island of Taiwan’s “indigenous” submarine Hai Kun, which the armed forces on the island had confidently claimed would be delivered in November, has not only failed to complete basic underwater navigation tests but has recently been reported to have problems such as “uninstalled anchors” and “unintegrated watertight door systems.” This has drawn sharp criticism within the island for “endangering crew members’ lives.”
(Thanks to Alain)
The War Zone – The U.K. Ministry of Defense has confirmed that the Royal Navy’s forthcoming Type 26 City class frigates will be armed with the Stratus missile, two discrete versions of which are being developed under the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) program. The missile will provide an important boost to the Royal Navy’s standoff land-attack and anti-surface warfare capabilities from the early 2030s. However, for the time being, the Royal Navy frigates are set to use only the low-observable (stealthy) subsonic version of the missile, rather than the supersonic one.
SSB Crack Shop – The Indian Navy is preparing to commission INS Aridhaman, the country’s third nuclear-powered submarine constructed domestically. This announcement was made by Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi. Currently in the final phase of trials, the submarine is anticipated to significantly boost India’s underwater strike capabilities and durability, thereby enhancing the nation’s nuclear deterrence strategy.
(Thanks to Alain)
Navy Lookout – The RN’s first full-sized remotely-piloted helicopter has completed its initial ground tests. Proteus, a technology demonstrator aircraft developed by Leonardo in Yeovil, is intended to help define the future shape of uncrewed rotary aviation for the fleet.
The New Arab – Sudan’s government has offered Russia its first naval base in Africa, in exchange for arms, as the military continues to battle the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a renegade militia that Moscow initially supported.
(Thanks to Alain)
USNI News – A Taiwanese drone firm held sea trials with six unmanned surface vessels last month ahead of a roughly $1 billion project that aims to procure up to 1,350 sea drones for coastal defense purposes against a potential Chinese invasion.
Defense News – Romania’s plan to acquire a Turkish-built Hisar-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV) has entered its final phase, with the Romanian Ministry of Defence confirming that contract signature is imminent following unanimous parliamentary approval in September. The deal would deliver one vessel to the Black Sea city of Constanța within six months of signing. For Romania, the acquisition fills a critical near-term gap. The country’s Black Sea fleet remains constrained by aging platforms—many dating from the late Cold War — and persistent delays across several major procurement ventures.
(Thanks to Alain)
The War Zone – Russian-owned oil tanker was attacked in the Black Sea about 80 miles north of the Turkish city of Sinop, according to Turkish and Russian authorities. The strike was “highly likely” carried out by aerial drones, according to the Ambrey maritime security firm. The attack on the Midvolga-2 was the third against Russian-connected ships in the Black Sea in the past three days and came a day after Turkish President Recep Erdogan issued a stark warning that the war in Ukraine was spilling over and endangering navigation.
Defence Blog – EUROATLAS, the German advanced defense technologies company, has announced the launch of its new GREYSHARK family of autonomous underwater vehicles, introducing two multi-mission platforms designed for long-range underwater intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
(Thanks to Alain)
Navy Lookout – We visited BAE Systems’ facility on the Isle of Wight, the primary site in the UK for naval radar design and manufacture, for a briefing on progress. In the first of two articles, we focus on the work underway to develop new radar technology for the RN.
The Guardian – Ukrainian naval drones hit two tankers operating under sanctions in the Black Sea as they headed to a Russian port to load up with oil destined for foreign markets, an official said on Saturday, as Kyiv tries to pile pressure on Russia’s vast oil industry.
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