– War on the Rocks – What is the future of U.S.-Chinese relations? Will a rising China seek to overturn the U.S.-led international order? What is China doing inside the first island chain? In cyberspace? Orbital space? Is China more like Imperial Germany or is it more like France in the late 19th century? Dean Cheng and Brad Carson explore these questions and many more.
Here Comes the Swarm: China Just Unveiled a Robot Missile Boat
– National Interest – By itself, a Look Out II-type boat does not boast impressive firepower. But then, robot missile vessels won’t operate by themselves.
First Nuclear Deterrence Patrol Marks Major Step for Indian Submarine Force
– USNI News – When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced earlier this month that the Indian Navy had completed its first sea-based nuclear deterrent patrol it was more of a statement of intent than a demonstration of a new capability.
US Army warns of crippling sealift shortfalls during wartime
– Defense News – The U.S. Army is pushing Congress to act on a looming sealift shortfall that will create “unacceptable risk in force projection” within the next five years if the Navy doesn’t act quickly.
Time for the U.S. Navy to think Beyond ‘Ships’: The Case for a Hybrid Fleet
– National Interest – Ship types have displaced one another other from the cores of fleets across the decades and centuries. Maybe it’s time to unseat the ship itself.
Warnings and confusion preceded Norwegian frigate disaster: here’s what we know
– Defense News – The Royal Norwegian Navy was dealt a devastating blow in the early morning hours of November 10 when one of its five capital Nansen-class frigates collided with a fully loaded oil tanker more than 10 times its size while returning NATO’s Trident Juncture exercise.
After 1.3 billion euro makeover, French aircraft carrier returns to sea
– Reuters – Europe’s only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the 260-metre-long (850-ft) vessel, which carries 1,700 personnel and whose tonnage is equal to four Eiffel Towers, is due to be deployed in early February in the Indian Ocean
Navy Plans For ‘Large Payload Subs’ Based On New Columbia Class To Take On SSGN Role And More
– War Zone – The service is also eying a new sub-launched ballistic missile to replace Trident and could end up expanding its nuclear deterrent capabilities.
‘We won’t retreat an inch’: Taiwan enlists US-made submarine hunters to repel Beijing threats
– South China Morning Post – Taiwan’s navy has commissioned two former US Perry-class guided missile frigates to boost the self-ruled island’s anti-submarine defences, with the island’s president vowing not to back down in the face of growing military threats from Beijing.
Badly Damaged Norwegian Frigate Intentionally Ran Aground After Tanker Collision
– War Zone – Reports state that the ship was sinking and grounding it was the only chance the skipper had at saving it.
Navy Creating Attack Sub Aggressor Unit to Train to Fight Against Russia, China
– USNI News – The U.S. Navy submarine force is creating an aggressor squadron as one initiative to ensure all subs are combat-ready as the service trains to take on China and Russia.
Strategic Loss: How EU Sanctions Affect Russia’ Ability to Replace Its Sunken Dry-Dock
– CIMSEC – The loss of floating dry-dock PD-50 may have a more significant long-term impact on Russia’s ability to sustain its Northern Fleet. The ability of Russia to recover, repair, or even replace the dock assumes considerable importance because it is a maintenance asset of strategic import. Russia’s ability to overcome this setback is further complicated by European Union (EU) sanctions, where the legal and practical effects of the EU sanctions regime will strongly affect Russia’s ability to replace this key maritime asset.
Assessing the Military Balance in the Western Pacific with Dr. Toshi Yoshihara
– CIMSEC – CIMSEC was pleased to be joined by Dr. Toshi Yoshihara of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA). Professor Yoshihara is a long-time expert and well-published author on Asian security topics, Chinese naval capabilities, and Chinese maritime strategy.
China Reveals Short-Range Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile Designed To Dodge Enemy Defenses
– War Zone – The Chinese have their own plans to use the missiles on land and at sea, but also hope to court foreign buyers.
Russian Intercept Underscores Tensions in Black Sea
– Breaking Defense – A Russian fighter plane gave a US surveillance plane an unexpectedly rough ride on Monday, part of an increase in tensions in the Black Sea.
NATO’s Trident Juncture Exercise as a Deterrence Signal to Russia
– Russia Matters – This week, NATO forces are engaged in the largest military exercise the alliance has organized since the end of the Cold War and the first major Western exercise in decades to take place in the Arctic region. To be held in Norway through Nov. 23, the Trident Juncture exercise is designed to improve NATO’s ability to defend member states and to strengthen the alliance’s credibility as a deterrent force against potential aggression.
China’s Biggest Airshow Offers More Evidence Of Beijing’s Stealth Drone Focus
– War Zone – China is investing heavily in penetrating unmanned aircraft with a possible eye toward developing a drone that will fly from one its future carriers.
China Could Announce a ‘Total Exclusion Zone’ at Any Time
– National Interest – Beijing has been studying how to implement a sudden “total exclusion zone.” Target: Taiwan.
U.S. carrier leads warships in biggest ever Japan defense war game
– Reuters – U.S. fighter jets darted over the Western Pacific on Saturday as the nuclear powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier joined Japanese destroyers and a Canadian warship for the biggest combat readiness war game ever staged in and around Japan.
China Reveals Plans for ‘Phantom’ Underwater Drone War Against U.S.
– Washington Free Beacon – China’s military is preparing to wage autonomous underwater warfare against the United States, including the use of drone submarine attacks on American aircraft carriers, according to the official Chinese military newspaper.
The U.S. Navy Has a Big Problem: It Can’t Do Convoys If War Breaks Out.
– National Interest – No one covets sentry duty. British tars found naval raiders and privateers of old an unworthy but also stubborn foe. U.S. mariners may be repeating their mistake. If so, the first year of the next war could be 1942 all over again. That’s a trauma no one should want to relive.
U.S. Navy’s Costliest Carrier Was Delivered Without Elevators to Lift Bombs
– Bloomberg – The $13 billion Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, the U.S. Navy’s costliest warship, was delivered last year without elevators needed to lift bombs from below deck magazines for loading on fighter jets.
Persistent Eye in the Sky: How Commercial Satellites Can Help the Navy Achieve Superior Maritime Awareness
– War on the Rocks – The revolution in small commercial satellites, combined with the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, turns satellite imagery from mere information into intelligence. The commercialization of these capabilities gives other nations — both small and peer competitors — the ability to compete with the United States for a space-based ISR advantage. The U.S. Navy should take advantage of and integrate advances in commercial ISR technology to enhance its strike capabilities and ensure that it continues to control the seas.
How the War in Yemen Became a Bloody Stalemate — and the Worst Humanitarian Crisis in the World
– New York Times Magazine – Saudi Arabia thought a bombing campaign would quickly crush its enemies in Yemen. But three years later, the Houthis refuse to give up, even as 14 million people face starvation.
Rumors of Covert Russian Ops Swirl After Finland’s Police Raid Bond-Esque Private Island
– War Zone – Finnish authorities said it was all about money laundering, but the island’s strategic location, multiple docks, helipad, and more suggest otherwise.
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