The U.S. Navy Isn’t Building ‘Battleships’ Anymore

– National Interest – Over the years it’s become commonplace for writers to sex up their descriptions of guided-missile destroyer (DDG) Zumwalt, the U.S. Navy’s newest surface combatant. Commentators of such leanings depict the ultra-high-tech DDG-1000 as a battleship. Better yet, it’s a “stealth battleship”—a fit subject for sci-fi! Not so.

Navy Deployment Promotes Progress through Partnership in the Gulf of Guinea

– USNI Blog – When I was first approached about leading a multinational team on a mission to the Gulf of Guinea, I was excited. I knew it was part of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF)’s mission to assist our partner nations in Africa, and what better way to do that than be on the ground, working side-by-side with our counterparts in the region?

Ship Visit: Sea Shepherd Shows the Future of Fisheries Protection

– War on the Rocks – West African nations have more successfully cracked down on illegal fishing in recent years. Coastal nations have suffered from a lack of patrol ships, which prevents them from improving fisheries policing…Just a few offshore patrol vessels can make a significant difference in a nation’s ability to deter illegal fishing, which becomes evident when one compares gross tonnage of the fleets of various nation states. That’s where Sea Shepherd comes in.

Maritime Security in Sabah: ESSCOMM on the Rise

– CIMSEC – No Malaysian security official that the author interviewed saw any significant improvements in the security situation in the Southern Philippines, and especially throughout Sulu and Tawi Tawi. Despite bilateral pledges of cooperation in counterterrorism, they expect incursions, maritime kidnappings and ship-jackings to continue. And since they have little confidence in Philippine authorities, they know that the onus was on them to enhance security and deter incursions.

Red Star Over the Pacific: A Conversation with James Holmes on China’s Maritime Rise

– CIMSEC – CIMSEC had the opportunity to discuss the second edition of Red Star Over the Pacific with James Holmes, current J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the U.S. Naval War College. In this conversation Holmes lays out how the theories of Alfred Thayer Mahan helped inform China’s maritime rise, how China built a formidable naval warfighting capability, and how the U.S. and its allies can more effectively deter China militarily.

Arab Allies Must Step Up to Defend Freedom of Navigation in the Gulf

– CIMSEC – While the Iranian Armed Forces have greatly improved in recent decades and can be a serious threat to commercial and military assets transiting the Strait of Hormuz, there are many ways to counter these forces and maintain freedom of navigation. Since Iran has developed many asymmetric tactics to counter the U.S. and its allies, the best way to respond is to develop opposing asymmetric tactics and unconventional means, both military and political, to throw Iran off balance.