– USNI Blog – If the U.S. Navy wants the flat tops to survive in the metaphorical and literal senses, the CVW must be reinvented, diversified, and specialized.
China Tests New Sub-Launched Strategic Missile
– Washington Free Beacon – China conducted a flight test of its newest strategic submarine-launched missile, the JL-3, coinciding with the visit to Asia earlier this month by Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.
Gulf of Oman tanker blasts: Crews rescued safely
– BBC – Dozens of crew members have been rescued after abandoning two oil tankers hit by explosions in the Gulf of Oman.
The US Navy is seeking upgrades for the F-35 radar’s sea-search mode
– Defense News – The U.S. Navy wants more from the F-35 jet’s radar, which in sea-search mode is limited to what is directly in front of the aircraft.
How US Allies Can Keep An Electronic Eye On China
– Breaking Defense – As it seeks to contain a rising China, America’s great advantage is its larger network of Asian friends and allies. Not all of these nations have the combat power to deter Chinese aggression, let alone fight alongside the US in the nightmare scenario of war. But even our smaller allies can play a vital role as what President Kennedy called “watchmen on the walls of world freedom” by using radar, drones and long-range networks to monitor Chinese moves.
Supersonic speeds could cause big problems for the F-35′s stealth coating
– Defense News – At extremely high altitudes, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ versions of the F-35 jet can only fly at supersonic speeds for short bursts of time before there is a risk of structural damage and loss of stealth capability, a problem that may make it impossible for the Navy’s F-35C to conduct supersonic intercepts.
China and Russia Want to Control the ‘World Island’
– Bloomberg – Increasing military cooperation helps both sides now, but in the long run Beijing will rule.
The Ultimate Way to Deter China: Why Island-Chain Defense Can Work
– National Interest – Message to Beijing: you can try to deny U.S. and allied forces access to the Western Pacific or the freedom to move around within the theater, but you will see your access and freedom of movement curtailed if you do. Strewing missiles of various kinds along the island chain while deploying manned and unmanned aircraft and ships of war nearby would seal up the straits through which surface and air traffic must pass to reach the broad Pacific.
The South China Sea Needs a ‘COIN’ Toss
– USNI Proceedings – China’s actions in the South China Sea are a “maritime insurgency.” Counterinsurgency is the logical response, and history shows the way.
Chinese Nuclear Armed Submarines in Russian Arctic Ports? It Could Happen
– National Interest – What once seemed completely farfetched has now evidently become a topic of semi-serious discussion.
Russian Destroyer Put U.S. Cruiser at Risk with ‘Unsafe’ Maneuver
– USNI News – A Russian destroyer came within 100 feet of a U.S. cruiser operating in the Western Pacific in an incident the U.S. Navy is calling, “unsafe and unprofessional.”
US refutes Iranian claim, says missiles put on small boats were for covert attacks
– ABC – Following claims by Iran about why it deployed missiles in early May that led the U.S. to deploy an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the region, a U.S. defense official has provided ABC News with new details about the intelligence that drove the Trump administration’s strong response.
UAE tanker attacks blamed on ‘state actor’
– BBC – The United Arab Emirates has told the UN Security Council a “state actor” was most likely behind attacks on four tankers off its coast.
Nimitz and Ford Carriers Need Upgrades to Deploy With F-35Cs
– USNI News – The Nimitz-class and Ford-class aircraft carriers, by design, can operate with F-35Cs, however, there are modifications to both carrier classes that are required in order to fully employ the capabilities of the F-35s and enable them to be more effective on a full-length deployment.
France promises a presence in the Pacific amid an anticipated ‘global confrontation’
– Defense News – France’s armed forces minister has pledged the country will remain committed to the Pacific region, as she warned of a “global confrontation” emerging there.
Uncle Sam Takes a R.E.S.T.
– Modern War Institute – The Army Mad Scientist team executed its 2019 Science Fiction Writing Contest to glean insights about the future fight with a near-peer competitor in 2030. The following story was one of four finalists.
Running Silent and Algorithmic: The U.S. Navy Strategic Vision in 2019
– US Naval War College Review – As of January 2019, the U.S. Navy does not possess a coherent, public, strategic vision.
Trump Wants “Goddamned Steam” for Navy Aircraft Carrier Launches. He Should Stop.
– National Interest – “Enough” explains a top naval historian.
U.S. Conventional Access Strategy: Denying China a Conventional First-Strike Capability
– US Naval War College Review – In the most likely scenario, a high-intensity conflict between the United States and China would be confined to conventional weapons, owing to Beijing’s desire to avoid nuclear escalation. To protect the global security order and the tenuous balance of power on the world stage, the United States and its allies must craft a strategy to deny China this conventional first-strike option.
Much to China’s ire, Japan’s regional influence is becoming the norm
– Defense News – Japan is continuing to enhance its security presence in Asia and the western Pacific, as the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to continue defense posture reforms and counter China’s military activities in the region.
Testing the waters: China’s maritime militia challenges foreign forces at sea
– Defense News – China’s so-called maritime militia is believed to be behind a series of laser attacks against an Australian naval helicopter over the South China Sea, soon after a U.S. admiral warned that the paramilitary force could be treated as combatants.
Navy to Field High-Energy Laser Weapon, Laser Dazzler on Ships This Year as Development Continues
– USNI News – The Navy will field versions of both its highest-power laser weapon and its low-end non-lethal laser dazzler later this year, gaining operational experience with directed energy weapons that will continue to focus engineers’ efforts building out the Navy Laser Family of Systems (NLFoS).
Aussie navy pilots hit by Chinese lasers
– Navy Times – A witness says Australian navy helicopter pilots were hit by lasers while exercising in the South China Sea, forcing them to land as a precaution.
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