– Seapower – An outstanding guide to US Navy and Marine Corps platforms and weapon systems. Download the PDF.
US Sends Navy Destroyer to Patrol Off Yemen Amid Iran Tensions
– VOA – A U.S. Navy destroyer is patrolling off the coast of Yemen to protect international waterways from Houthi militia aligned with Iran. The USS Cole arrived Friday in the vicinity of the Bab al-Mandab Strait off southwestern Yemen to conduct “presence operations,” which will include escorting duties, to help protect vessels passing through the strait.
Dr. Tom Fedyszyn on Russian Navy Operations, Acquisition, and Doctrine
– CIMSEC – Insightful interview on the current state of the Russian Navy.
Why Mattis Headed East: Time For China Strategy
– Breaking Defense – Why is newly confirmed Defense Secretary Jim Mattis making his first overseas trip to the Western Pacific to confer with two of America’s key allies, Japan and South Korea?
Maneuver Warfare and Navies
– Traditional Right – The debate in this country about maneuver warfare has centered on the Army and the Marine Corps, not the Navy….maneuver warfare as we now know it was developed by and institutionalized in the Prussian/German Army between 1807 and 1945. But it did not start there. It started in the Royal Navy in the second half of the eighteenth century.
Egypt boosts navy as part of Red Sea strategy
UPI – By establishing a naval force in the Red Sea, Egypt aims for more than protecting navigation in the Suez Canal, a vital waterway for international trade, military experts said. “The force will be the backbone of Egypt’s new Red Sea strategy,” former Assistant Defense Minister Hossam Suweilam said. “There is a marked surge of unrest in the southern entrance to the Red Sea, which needs an aggressive policy.”
HMS Westminster returns to sea after major refit
– UK Defence Journal – Type 23 Frigate HMS Westminster is now back at sea after a major refit sporting a new radar and a new missile system.
Marine Aviation, Weapons Upgrades Would Support Advance Base Operations
– USNI News – A future naval campaign against an enemy armed with long-range precision weapons will require the Navy and Marine Corps to disaggregate, creating temporal sea and air control with small units that can move from the sea to the shore and back again to meet an objective and then move on to the next task.
Navy Commits To High-Tech Catapults, Arresting Gear For All 3 Ford Carriers
– Breaking Defense – Despite congressional doubts, years of delays, and almost $5 billion in overruns, the US Navy has now locked in two controversial high-tech systems for all three of its Ford-class supercarriers. First, a week ago, the Navy announced a review of alternative systems had decided to stick with General Atomics’ Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) for all three flattops. Today, General Atomics announced it had also won a $533 million sole-source contract to install its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) on the third and final ship, the USS Enterprise.
Yemen conflict: Rebels in deadly attack on Saudi warship
BBC – The Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen’s Houthi rebels says two crew members have been killed in an attack on one of its warships in the Red Sea.
Greek and Turkish warships in standoff in Aegean sea
– The Guardian – Greek and Turkish warships were involved Sunday in a brief faceoff near a group of disputed Greek islets in the Aegean, coinciding with renewed tensions between Athens and Ankara.
Northern Exposure
– Air Force – While maintaining its neutrality, Sweden is growing its air force and pursuing greater interoperability with the US.
Worried about the Size of the U.S. Navy? Rearm the Coast Guard
– National Interest – The United States’ peer naval competitors are on the rise, and our Navy is woefully deficient in the small surface combatants that provide global presence during peacetime and serve as utility players during times of conflict. Until the early 1990s, the U.S. Coast Guard’s largest cutters could be expected to fill a portion of the small surface combatant gap. However, decisions made since the end of the Cold War have left the service without cutters to meet today’s minimum threshold of combat value. Restoring credible warfighting capability to the major cutter fleet is an efficient way to address the small surface combatant shortfall.
A Conversation With Naval Fiction Writing David Poyer, Author of “Onslaught”
– CIMSEC – CIMSEC sat down with author David Poyer, former naval officer and author of the ‘Tales of the Modern Navy’ series of novels, among other exciting modern and historical naval fiction titles. Poyer’s latest title, Onslaught, finds protagonist Dan Lenson in command of USS Savo Island during the opening salvo of the war with China. Poyer’s masterful character development, eye for technical details, and comprehensive understanding of life at sea have made him a favorite of fans of this genre. We asked him about his writing process, inspiration, and more.
David Poyer’s Dan Lenson / Modern Navy novels can be found: here
In Between Carriers, 11th MEU, Makin Island ARG Are Busy In 5th Fleet
– USNI News – The new year began with no U.S. aircraft carrier and carrier strike group on watch in the Middle East. But the volatile Middle East region wasn’t devoid of U.S. military projection from the sea. For almost two months – and through the nation’s transition to a new administration – the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, aboard the three-ship Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, has been standing post.
Britain, US Pledge to Improve Cooperation in Maritime Patrol Operations
– Defense News – Britain and the US have pledged to work closer together on P-8A maritime patrol aircraft operations in the North Atlantic.
Fix the Fleet! US Navy Makes Maintenance Top Priority
– Defense News – With no fiscal 2017 defense budget in sight and little chance of an agreement before April – if then – the military services are submitting second and possibly third rounds of unfunded requirements lists to Congress. The lists include items left out of the original budget requests, ranked in order of priority should Congress find a way to fund them.
Political Fight Underway Over Trump Pick for Navy Secretary
– Washington Free Beacon – A political battle is underway in the Trump administration over whether the president should pick a former Hong Kong-based financier with extensive business ties in China to be the next Navy secretary.
If I Were Secretary of the U.S. Navy for Just One Day
– National Interest – What James Holmes, one of the world’s leading naval experts, would change.
A new Russian weapon may give it an underwater advantage
– The Economist – The principle of supercavitation continues to intrigue torpedo designers.
Taiwan’s Ancient Submarine Will Reach an Astounding 80 Years in Service
– War is Boring – Another lease on life for the World War II-era ‘Hai Shih’
Theresa May ‘faith’ in Trident after test ‘malfunction’
– BBC – Theresa May says she has “absolute faith” in the UK’s nuclear weapons system despite reports that an unarmed missile went off course during a test.
Russia, Syria Agree on Mediterranean Naval Base Expansion, Refit of Syrian Ships
– USNI News – Russia and Syria have signed an agreement this week to expand Russia’s sole foreign base – a naval repair facility in Syria – into a larger naval base capable of permanently hosting 11 ships. The agreement would allow the Tartus installation to expand to berth larger surface combatants and submarines
China’s first aircraft-carrier bares its teeth
– The Economist – Should anyone be scared?
Most Offensive, Defensive Upgrades Surface Force Will Be Fielded by 2023
– USNI News – The next six years will bring numerous offensive and defensive capabilities to the U.S. surface fleet, culminating in Fiscal Year 2023 when the Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer (DDG-51) reaches initial operational capability and the first frigate delivers to the fleet.
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