– BBC – The House of Commons has backed the renewal of the UK’s Trident nuclear weapons system by 472 votes to 117.
US Navy Stretches Submarine Fleet in Latest Fleet Plan
– Defense News – The US Navy is stretching the lives of some of its submarines, if only by a year or two.
Russians Pitch ‘Storm’ Nuclear Carrier Design to India
– USNI News – Russian shipbuilding officials have offered New Delhi their nuclear-powered design for an Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier.
Indian Navy reports problems with Russian carrier, aircraft
– Jane’s – There are still a number of problems with India’s Russian-built Mikoyan MiG-29K/KUB aircraft, as well as with the aircraft carrier formerly known as Admiral Gorshkov that entered Indian Navy service in 2013.
Don’t Push China Too Hard After SCS Ruling
– Breaking Defense – “To a surrounded enemy, you must leave a way of escape,” Sun Tzu wrote 2,500 years ago. It’s a stratagem – often called the “golden bridge” – that the US and its allies would do well to remember tomorrow morning, when a UN tribunal ruling on disputes in the South China Sea will almost certainly deliver China a legal and political defeat. Chinese nationalists will stridently demand retaliation. We need to give Xi Jinping room to deescalate instead without losing face.
US, China wage legal warfare over control of the South China Sea
– Asia Times – The United States is stealing a page from China’s strategic playbook in using international law as a means to counter expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea.
Beijing South China Sea claims rejected by court
– BBC – An international tribunal has ruled against Chinese claims to rights in the South China Sea, backing a case brought by the Philippines.
Pentagon Finds Navy Mismanaged Arresting Gear Program
– Defense News – Even as the finishing touches are being put on the US Navy’s new aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, its new-technology aircraft landing system has emerged as the most worrisome element of several new technologies that are key to the first-of-class, $13 billion ship’s design.
The submarines and rivalries underneath the South China Sea
– BBC – A tribunal is about to rule on China’s territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea. But Beijing’s desire for control is about much more than rocks above the water, argues analyst Alexander Neill. It is also central to China’s plans for a submarine nuclear force able to break out into the Pacific Ocean.
Navy Seeks 2nd Attack Sub In 2021
– Breaking Defense – Got subs? The Navy sounds increasingly confident it can squeeze an extra submarine into its construction plans. The additional Virginia-class attack sub, to be funded in the 2021 budget, would enter service just as the attack submarine force shrinks to historic lows while Chinese and Russian fleets grow in both numbers and sophistication.
Russian Spy Ship Now Off Hawaii, U.S. Navy Protecting ‘Critical Information’
– USNI News – Moscow has dispatched a specialized spy ship off the coast of Hawaii with the likely mission to monitor the U.S. Navy led Rim of the Pacific 2016 exercise.
Norway Faces a New Era of Russian Newpolitik in the Arctic
– CIMSEC – This writing discusses the deteriorating strategic environment that will challenge Norwegian security again in the coming decades, and the necessary responses to them. The Norwegian National Security Strategy must address these challenges by refocusing NATO, enhancing bilateral partnerships, and strengthening the Norwegian Armed Forces.
The Navy’s new normal: What a modern deployment looks like aboard the USS Truman
– Virginian Pilot – This is what a modern deployment looks like for Norfolk-based ships in an era of a resurgent Russia and with the U.S. determined to operate wherever it wants in an effort to crush the Islamic State group. No ship illustrates that more than the aircraft carrier USS Truman as it nears the end of an eight-month deployment.
How does China’s first aircraft carrier stack up?
– CSIS – The entry of China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, into service with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) attracted considerable attention from both the Chinese press and military observers around the world. For some, the Liaoning was a symbol of China’s global power; for others, it represented a significant first step toward a more muscular and assertive Chinese navy.
Aussies Lead Pacific Pack In Amphib Ops
– Breaking Defense – America’s Pacific partners are building up their amphibious forces, but they can’t storm a beach against a high-tech adversary like China. Even the most advanced allies — Australia, Japan, and South Korea — would need US support for a raid against a well-armed terrorist group, especially in command & control, logistics, and helicopters.
Ingalls, NASSCO Each A Winner in New Ship Contracts
– Defense News – The long-anticipated award of two new major US Navy shipbuilding contracts turned out as expected Thursday, with long-time amphibious shipbuilder Ingalls Shipbuilding getting a new assault ship and veteran support ship builder NASSCO set to build the first six of a new class of fleet oilers.
Russian Frigate Again Harasses U.S. Carrier Strike Group During Flight Operations
– USNI News – A Russian frigate again came dangerously close to U.S. ships tasked with striking ISIS targets in Syria from the Eastern Mediterranean – coming within 150 yards of the Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group while the carrier was conducting flight operations on Thursday.
US Navy criticises sailors captured in Iranian waters
– BBC – Weak leadership, poor judgment and a lack of “warfighting toughness” led to the capture of 10 US sailors by Iran in the Gulf in January, the US Navy says.
Marines, Navy To Create Southern Pacific ARG/MEU Rotation By 2019
– USNI News – The Navy and Marine Corps will deploy a second Amphibious Ready Group and Marine Expeditionary Unit team to the Southern Pacific beginning as early as 2019, to allow the Japan-based forward deployed forces to focus on the northern and eastern parts of the vast Asia-Pacific theater.
HMS Dragon’s visit to Wales cancelled due to engine problems
– UK Defence Journal – Type 45 Destroyer HMS Dragon was due to dock in Cardiff on Friday but it has been reported that “propulsion problems” mean the ship cannot travel.
China’s second aircraft carrier not far from entering the water
– People’s Daily – When receiving an interview at a program of China’s CCTV, military expert Cao Weidong said that based on the construction progress reported by the media, China’s second aircraft carrier may enter the water at the end of this year or early next year.
The Theorist in the Palace
– New Yorker – Ashraf Ghani, the President of Afghanistan, wakes up before five every morning and reads for two or three hours…
Chagos islanders cannot return home, says Supreme Court
– BBC – Former residents of the Chagos Islands who were forcibly removed from their homeland more than 40 years ago have lost their legal challenge to return.
Washington sends allies mixed signals with PLA Navy role in RIMPAC
– Asia Times – The US government is sending mixed signals to American allies in Asia by opposing Chinese territorial encroachment while allowing China to take part in a regional military exercise.
Latest Warship Encounter Brings Russian Protest
– Defense News – The latest Russian-US kerfuffle at sea appears to feature a US warship making a close-in, high-speed pass on a Russian ship — but there may be more to the story than what a one-minute and two-second video shows.
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