War on the Rocks – On Oct. 14, President Donald Trump announced on social media that the United States had once more attacked an alleged drug smuggling small boat in international waters off the coast of Venezuela. This is the latest strike in what the Trump administration has, in a notification to Congress, designated a “non-international armed conflict” against Tren de Aragua, a narco-group based in Venezuela. In other words, the administration has invoked war powers to justify the targeting of these vessels and, ostensibly, other assets of the organization in the future — perhaps even inside Venezuela. This assertion that the United States is now engaged in a “war” against Tren de Aragua matters for two profound reasons…
Chinese Submarine Warfare – A Natural Evolution or Game Changing Revolution?
RUSI – In a submarine arms race between China and the US, the PLAN appears to be closing the gap.
Ten German naval ships engage in missile firing at Norwegian Arctic test range
The Barents Observer – The German Navy starts its largest naval firing exercise in decades off the coast of Andøya, Norwegian Sea.
U.S. Kills 6 People in Fifth Strike on Suspected Drug Boat
USNI News – The U.S. military conducted a fifth strike on a suspected drug boat, killing six people in international waters off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday afternoon.
Russia’s Submarine Problem Is Much Worse Than Many Imagine
Naval News – The Russian submarine Novorossiysk, an Improved Kilo-class vessel, has been forced to limp home to the Baltic after a mechanical failure in the Mediterranean. While some reports exaggerated its plight, the incident exposes the Russian Navy’s declining presence in the region. Since losing its Syrian base at Tartus in 2024 and facing restrictions on movement through the Bosporus, Russia’s Mediterranean task force has largely collapsed. The Novorossiysk’s troubles highlight mounting maintenance issues and the broader erosion of Moscow’s naval reach in the Mediterranean.
The evolution of towed array sonar and its growing role in anti-submarine warfare
Navy Lookout – Towed array sonar is a sinuous cable of hydrophones trailed astern of warships and submarines, a technology that has taken ASW from speculative hunting at short range to a long-distance pursuit. Here we look at this key sensor and its development.
250 Years On, the US Navy Needs a “Great Relearning”
National Interest – James Holmes says that after resting on its laurels for the better part of three decades, the US Navy must relearn how to fight a naval war—potentially as the weaker combatant.
The Battleship Continues to Haunt the US Navy
National Interest – James Holmes writes in principle, he is all for fitting out a modern-day descendant of Iowa-class dreadnoughts. Whether doing so is practical is another question.
Chinese fighters intercepted Japanese surveillance planes during carrier exercise:
Breaking Defense – China’s unprecedented deployment of two aircraft carrier groups this summer provided Japanese surveillance aircraft with a wealth of information about the ships, a Japanese official told Breaking Defense, though the People’s Liberation Army — Navy (PLAN) made sure it wasn’t too easy to gather.
NATO sees Russian naval presence wane in the Mediterranean
Defense News – NATO officials have been tracking a decrease in Russia’s naval presence in the Mediterranean, which officials have attributed to readiness problems and the Baltic Sea and High North regions demanding greater attention in Moscow’s eyes.
Defense of Japan 2025
Japanese Ministry of Defense – This year’s defense white paper from the Japanese MOD.
Japan Will Arm Its Submarines With Long-Range Cruise Missiles
The War Zone – As well as a new sub-launched cruise missile, Japan will be getting upgraded versions of its Type 12 anti-ship missile for its surface combatants.
Philippine Coast Guard Resupplies Fishermen in the South China Sea Despite Chinese Harassment
USNI News – Manila provided supplies and protection to Philippine fishermen against a fleet of Chinese patrol ships, warships and aircraft operating in the South China Sea near two disputed maritime features on Tuesday.
As US military boosts posture in Caribbean, how does Venezuela’s navy stack up?
Breaking Defense – Official information is tough to come by, but analysts say open questions abound about Caracas’ biggest ticket vessels.
Strategic Minerals and the False Promise of Seabed Mining
CIMSEC – The seabed mining industry has stepped in and offered themselves as one of several proposed solutions to alleviating the problem of shortages of critical minerals. Unfortunately, these firms are mostly pitching false promises.
Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group leaves the Pacific and begins exercise with Indian Navy
Navy Lookout – After a visit to Japan that marked deepening UK-Japanese defence cooperation, HMS Prince of Wales and the UK-led Carrier Strike Group have begun the return leg of their global deployment. Departing Tokyo on 2 September, the group has continued to conduct a succession of multinational exercises.
Russian Warships Repeatedly Provoke Danish Vessels in Straits
Reuters – Russian warships have repeatedly sailed on collision courses, aimed weapons at Danish naval vessels and disrupted navigation systems in Denmark’s straits that connect the Baltic Sea to the North Sea, its defence intelligence service said on Friday.
(Thanks to Alain)
Japan Holds Minelaying Drills Around Strategic Islands Near Taiwan
USNI News – Japan’s largest minelayer practiced defending a chain of strategic islands near Taiwan last week in what Tokyo described as a demonstration of “determination not to allow unilateral changes to the status quo by force.”
Russia’s blacklisted tankers keep dumping oil in Europe’s seas
Politico – Russian-linked vessels are continuing to leak oil off Europe’s shores — despite Western sanctions — underscoring the continent’s inability to rein in Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet.
A Wargame to Take Taiwan, from China’s Perspective
War on the Rocks – In August 2025, 25 international experts gathered at Syracuse University to do something unusual: plan China’s invasion of Taiwan. For two days, academics, policy analysts, and current and former U.S. officials abandoned their typical defensive postures and attempted to inhabit Beijing’s offensive strategic mindset in a wargame. They debated not how America should respond to Chinese aggression, but how China might overcome the obstacles that have so far kept it from attacking the island nation.
This role reversal yielded an uncomfortable insight. The invasion scenarios that dominate U.S. military planning — involving massive amphibious assaults on Taiwan and preemptive strikes on American bases — may fundamentally misread Beijing’s calculus. As the wargame revealed, analysts seeking to understand China’s intentions should pay greater attention to plausible alternative military pathways to reunification that involve far less force and far more political calculation.
North Korea’s New Destroyer Reemerges with Major Modifications
Naval News – Only months after its commissioning on April 25, 2025, North Korea’s most advanced surface warship, the missile destroyer Choe Hyon (51), has reappeared featuring significant modifications to its weapon and sensor suites.
Made in China 2025’s Impact on Chinese Shipbuilding
CIMSEC – Ten years ago, the Chinese Communist Party, under the leadership of Xi Jinping, introduced two major policy initiatives: Made in China 2025 and military-civil fusion. Each represents an upgrade of existing policies aimed at boosting China’s economic and military strength, and now receives more attention and resources. Made in China 2025 aims to establish China as the world’s leading advanced manufacturer in ten key sectors by 2025, while military-civil fusion seeks to foster a closer, innovation-driven relationship between defense and civilian industries. Much was written about both, but there is little analysis of how these policies impacted Chinese shipbuilding.
US Naval Build-Up Highlights Sea Power Projection in Latin America
RUSI – Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Peru are preparing their fleets to secure resources and expand influence in the event of rivalries spilling into their maritime domains.
Royal Navy aims for jet-powered carrier-launched drone at sea within two years
Navy Lookout – The RN has launched project VANQUISH, seeking proposals from industry for a Fixed-Wing, Short Take Off and Landing, Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP). This is the first step towards meeting the First Sea Lord’s vision for a large technical demonstrator UAS to be flown from an aircraft carrier in a very short timeframe.
ROK Navy Holds 80th Anniversary Fleet Review
Naval News – The ROK Navy held a Fleet Review marking its 80th anniversary off the coast of Busan from September 25th to September 27th. The event featured a naval parade of 31 warships, including Aegis destroyers, ROK Navy’s submarines, amphibious assault ships, and landing vessels, alongside aircraft and unmanned systems.
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