– BBC – The oceans’ floors are not a flat, sandy expanse – they are every bit as varied as the landscapes above water, with plunging valleys and huge mountains. Making a map of them has been a challenging task.
Boeing Super Hornet program gets second life through future sales and upgrades
– Army Times – Boeing is expecting an important delivery this week: the arrival of the first Super Hornet slated to undergo a service life extension at the company’s production line in St. Louis, Missouri. The work will kick off a decade long “service life modification” effort that will increase the lifespan of the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F aircraft from 6,000 to 9,000 flight hours, but also transform them into the newest Block III configuration.
Russian Robots Attack! West Point Comic’s (Plausible) Future War
– Breaking Defense – Russian drones blind US surveillance and Russian malware paralyzes US tanks so Russian robots can blow them up. That’s the lovingly illustrated scenario in a comic book about future warfare published by the Army Cyber Institute at West Point. But is it plausible? Quite possibly, several experts told us — but there are actually worse things the Russians could do to us.
China Welcomes its Newest Armed Force: The Coast Guard
– War on the Rocks – China has recently transferred administrative control of its coast guard from civilian to military authority. The decision may have far-reaching consequences for the command and operations of the China Coast Guard, and is arguably one of the most important reforms to take place since its creation in 2013.
The Geostrategic Challenge – and Opportunity – of the South Pacific
– War on the Rocks – The South Pacific remains strategically vital to the United States for two key reasons. First, it is in U.S. interests to prevent the emergence of a regional hegemon that could threaten America and its allies; and second, America wants to maintain the free flow of goods and ideas to Asia.
Sea Base USS Lewis B. Puller Finding Its Way in 5th Fleet
– USNI News – U.S. 5th Fleet is experimenting with one of the Navy’s newest warships with a mission to support amphibious, special forces and mine countermeasures operations at sea. USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3) is the Navy’s first purpose-built expeditionary sea base in decades, and sailors and Marines are hard at work learning how to innovate with a wide cross-section of U.S. and international military partners.
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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The Decline of the American Brand
– American Interest – Robert D. Kaplan writes that for the first time in decades, America is consciously squandering the gifts of its geography.
General Atomics Isn’t Building A Flyable Prototype Of Their MQ-25 Tanker Drone
– War Zone – The famed drone manufacturer has come out with an impressive, no-nonsense flying gas truck. But will the lack of a prototype hurt its chances?
‘Like Playing a Video Game’: Carrier Crew Flies Hornet Through Touch-and-Gos Remotely
– War Zone – The aptly named ATARI system could help out during emergencies and other contingencies and might be important for future carrier drone operations.
Break and Remake the U.S. Navy Surface Fleet
– National Interest – Why did it take a series of shipboard disasters to jolt the U.S. Navy into reforming the training regimen?
Why nuclear stability is under threat
– The Economist – Mutually assured destruction has served as the ultimate deterrent, but for how much longer?
Russia’s New Little Missile Packing Patrol Ship Is A Pretty Genius Design
– War Zone – The ships can carry containerized missile systems and can be outfitted with vertical launch surface-to-air missiles, but are half the size of an LCS.
The US Navy Still Hasn’t Formally Decided to Add Hellfires to Its Littoral Combat Ships
– War Zone – It’s unlikely that the service won’t push ahead with the upgrades, but the weapons still reflect the watering down of the ships’ capabilities.
Why Would The South Korean Navy Be Eyeing A Nuclear Submarine Capability?
– War Zone – South Korea’s Navy is looking into the practical and political feasibility of domestic design and production of a nuclear-powered submarine. The study comes amid heightened tensions with North Korea and concerns about that country’s own submarine-launched ballistic missile developments, but could further strain relationships on the Peninsula and beyond and could prove to be technically complex and expensive without a clear imperative to develop such a boat in the first place.
Can Jim Mattis Hold the Line in Trump’s ‘War Cabinet’?
– New York Times Magazine – Dismissed as a warmonger during the Obama presidency, the defense secretary may be the only reliable voice of caution left in an administration inching closer to the brink.
Shadowy CIA-Linked Spy Plane May Be Scouring The Sea For North Korean Sanction Busting
– War Zone – Since February 2018, the essentially unmarked surveillance aircraft has been flying orbits over the East China Sea between North Korea and China.
Japan launches amphibious unit, but equipping concerns remain
– Defense News – Japan has launched its first full-scale amphibious operations unit as part of a sweeping reorganization of its ground force, but questions remain about equipment delays and future basing.
The Navy and Marine Corps Need to Prepare for the Swarm of the Future
– War on the Rocks – One only needs to look at the opening ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic games to see how modern drone technology could soon render today’s Marine Corps warfighting platforms and doctrine obsolete. During the ceremony, Intel Corp used over 1,200 specially designed drones to light up the night sky in a never-before-seen swarm that danced and maneuvered in formations that included a giant moving snowboarder, an enormous flying dove, and the iconic Olympic rings. With such a graphic display of sophistication, it is not difficult to imagine the damage that could be inflicted against an adversary’s force if each of those 1,200 drones had been weaponized and configured to seek and destroy enemy formations.
Lockheed’s MQ-25 Tanker Drone Looks Impressive, But It’s Still Just A Paper Plane
– War Zone – Lockheed’s flying-wing ‘Stingray’ drone is said to be largely a clean sheet design, and that could help or hurt its chances of winning.
In major shake-up, Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force gets centralized command amid regional tensions
– Japan Times – The Ground Self-Defense Force underwent its biggest organizational shake-up Tuesday, with command streamlined for flexible nationwide operations and the creation of amphibious forces tasked with defending remote islands.
F-35, submarine programs on track for Norway
– Defense News – Norway’s procurement of the F-35 joint strike fighter, P-8 anti-submarine aircraft and new high-end submarines is on track, and the government is working to induct both new systems.
Iran Owns the Gray Zone
– USNI Proceedings – Iran has mastered the art of “short-of-war,” with important implications for the U.S. Navy.
Using clever technology to keep enemies at bay
– The Economist – To counter regional challengers, America needs to regain its technological edge.
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