– War on the Rocks – To better aid its allies and partners, Washington should consider expanding its catalogue of peacetime maritime operations. Passive presence has proved inadequate. In some cases, American policymakers may need to place U.S. forces on the front lines, where they can play a more direct role helping other states counter China’s seaward expansion.
Navy Eyes ‘Hard-Kill’ Defenses For Transport, Tanker, and Possibly Unmanned Escort Planes
– War Zone – The service is looking for a system that launches interceptors at incoming missiles and could end up on more than half a dozen types of aircraft.
Wind in the Sails: China Accelerates Its Maritime Strategy
– War on the Rocks – According to none other than Xi Jinping, if Beijing hopes to achieve “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by the middle of the 21st century, it is necessary that it become a “maritime great power” (海洋强国).
Little Men in Black: The Frogman Threat in Maritime Hybrid Warfare
– CIMSEC – It is worth noting that a recent Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) study on maritime domain awareness in northern Europe described frogmen as “arguably the most effective force for maritime hybrid operations.”
The Digital Vigilantes Who Hack Back
– New Yorker – American companies that fall victim to data breaches want to retaliate against the culprits. But can they do so without breaking the law?
What if the US stopped sending aircraft carriers to the Arabian Gulf?
– Defense News – With a new National Defense Strategy from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis that deemphasizes the war on terrorism and places emphasis on competition with China and Russia, the U.S. is rethinking how it uses its most recognizable and fearsome force-projection instrument: the aircraft carrier.
How far can China’s long-range missiles reach in the South China Sea?
– Defense News – China’s deployment of long-range missiles to its artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea will further consolidate and enhance the country’s physical control over the region and further complicate the movement of American military assets through the area.
Marines Reorganize Infantry For High-Tech War: Fewer Riflemen, More Drones
– Breaking Defense – The Marine Corps is reorganizing its infantry for future high-tech conflicts in which troops must spread out to avoid the enemy’s precision-guided firepower.
US Navy resurrects Second Fleet in Atlantic to counter Russia
– BBC – The US Navy has said it will re-establish its Second Fleet, as Russia becomes more assertive, to oversee forces on the US East Coast and North Atlantic.
A Porcupine Defense Against Russia and China
– USNI Blog – Containment succeeded in the Cold War. There is no reason a 21st-century version will not work just as well.
Naval aviation plagued by ‘disturbing’ trend of ground mishaps
– Army Times – The Navy’s air boss announced that “Class C” ground mishaps in naval aviation have doubled in the past decade, and he’s made eliminating the mistakes his current No. 2 priority — behind the continued efforts to eliminate cockpit physiological episodes.
Australia, US challenge Beijing’s ‘defensive’ missiles in South China Sea
– Sydney Morning Herald – Australia has joined the United States in expressing concern that Beijing has put missiles on artificial islands in the South China Sea, while defence analysts expressed scepticism at Chinese claims the moves were purely defensive.
US accuses China of pointing lasers at its pilots from Djibouti base
– BBC – The US has formally complained to China over several incidents of its pilots being irritated by lasers it says are coming from a Chinese base in Djibouti.
SAMs And Anti-Ship Missiles Are Now Guarding China’s Man-Made South China Sea Islands
– War Zone – New deployments would present a serious threat during any potential conflict and help China further assert its de facto claims in the region.
The Growing Dragon: The Radical Reorganization of the PLA
– CIMSEC – Two years ago, President Xi Jinping announced the reorganization of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the implementation is gaining momentum. The changes, which go far beyond administrative restructuring and equipment modernization, will make the world’s most massive fighting force more modern and flexible. The reorganization gives Xi and his team an opportunity to purge political opponents within the military and address many of the problems that have plagued the military for decades.
China Hasn’t Won the Pacific (Unless You Think It Has)
– Bloomberg – A rising school of thought among allies holds that the U.S. can’t compete with Beijing’s economic and military expansion.
What Beijing is Building in the South China Sea
– Stratfor – As Beijing continues to build up its capabilities across the South China Sea, tools like electronic warfare equipment will make the country better positioned to continue asserting its territorial claims in the region.
Is Secretary of Defense Mattis planning radical changes to how the Navy deploys?
– Defense News – Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has made clear as the military’s top civilian that he has a very different vision for how the military will be used in the future. And recent comments have hinted at big changes on the horizon for the Navy and how it deploys.
View from the Pacific: A conversation with the head of Naval Forces Japan
– Defense News – Last year was a difficult one for Navy forces forward deployed to Japan.
Two Decades of War Have Eroded the Morale of America’s Troops
– The Atlantic – After nearly 17 years of war, service members have seen plenty of patriotic displays but little public debate about why they’re fighting.
US Navy wants future ship-killing missile for its new frigate, Raytheon says
– Defense News – A competition for a new over-the-horizon missile destined to give the Navy’s littoral combat ship some teeth is being looked at for the FFG(X) program.
Does America Really Need to Fear China?
– National Interest – Why has American Sinophobia intensified to such a degree?
War Studies Primer
– Visit the War Studies Primer for an introductory course on the study of war.
Look at slides 2 and 3 in the War Studies Primer for its Table of Contents, and then choose a lecture to read and enjoy.
Ways to Follow NOSI
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French, U.S. Naval Aviators Learn to Work Together Ahead of Middle East Deployment
– USNI News – Since carrier flight skills atrophy over time, French naval aviators are spending two months training with US Navy air wings so they’ll be ready for missions this summer when their carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (R91) finishes repairs after almost two years in the yard.
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