– Jane’s – In a sign that the annual ‘Malabar’ naval exercise is growing in scope and complexity, the US Navy (USN) is introducing the concept of a composite rotary wing detachment element for the first time. The detachment, which comprises one Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and one Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle, is being operated out of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Fort Worth (LCS 3).
Industry Confirms Australia’s Hobart Class Destroyers $870 Million Over Budget, Lead Ship 30 Months Late
– USNI News – The consortium building three air warfare destroyers (AWDs) for the Royal Australian Navy has provided an update on the construction of the ships, as well as an overview on the lessons learned from the delays and cost overruns that have plagued the program.
Military Facilities on South China Sea Artificial Islands are ‘For Defense Purposes Only’
– USNI News – Amidst U.S. and Australian concerns of Chinese military expansion in the South China Sea, officials with China’s foreign ministry are claiming military facilities on a series of artificial islands are “for defense purposes only” in reaction to “high-profile display[s] of military strength and frequent and large-scale military drills by certain countries and their allies in the South China Sea.”
US navy returns to celestial navigation amid fears of computer hack
– Daily Telegraph – US Navy recruits to learn how to navigate using the stars as America grows increasingly worried about possible hacking of computer navigation systems
Does the U.S. Navy Need a 21st Century F-14 Tomcat?
– National Interest – While the requirement for a carrier-based long-range strike capability is a frequent subject of discussion around Washington, the U.S. Navy’s need for improved air superiority capabilities is often neglected.
Japan Outlines Bid for Australia’s SEA1000 Future Submarine Program
– USNI News – Japan’s submarine bid team has outlined the details of its proposal for Australia’s SEA1000 Future Submarine program to replace the Royal Australian Navy’s existing Collins-class boats.
Carriers Crucial In War With China – But Air Wing Is All Wrong
– Breaking Defense – At $4.7 billion over budget, Ford-class aircraft carriers have taken a beating in Congress. This morning, though, the House Seapower subcommittee chairman will roll out a report from the conservative Hudson Institute that’s a ringing defense of the carrier — but which also contains a stinging indictment of the aircraft that fly from it. The report calls for upgrading current multi-mission planes for longer range and building multiple new types of more specialized aircraft, potentially including two different models of UCLASS drone.
As USS Theodore Roosevelt exits, US has no carriers in Persian Gulf
– Stars and Stripes – The USS Theodore Roosevelt exited the Persian Gulf on Friday, a Navy spokesman said, marking the first time since 2007 the U.S. hasn’t had an aircraft carrier deployed there.
China’s Shoddy, Noisy Nuclear Submarines
– War is Boring – Over the past two decades, the People’s Republic of China has made great advances in its military capabilities. However, it still lags woefully behind in developing nuclear-powered submarines. The problem for the Chinese is that they lack the necessary quieting and propulsion technologies to build anything remotely comparable to an American or Russian nuclear submarine.
Commandant on women in combat: They are your teammates
– San Diego Union Tribune – When Gen. Robert Neller was promoted to commandant about 10 days ago, he inherited one of the most contentious issues in Marine Corps history – whether women should serve as infantry. During a talk Monday at Camp Pendleton, the new leader of Marines made it clear they would salute and carry on whether or not restrictions barring women from ground combat jobs are lifted by year’s end, ensuring that combat effectiveness does not suffer.
China’s Main Mission: South China Sea, Not Syria
– National Interest – Don’t assume that an increasingly capable China is poised to conduct American-style naval air operations over Syria just yet…
Kearsarge ARG Deploys for Europe, Middle East Operations
– USNI News – The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit departed Oct. 6 from the East Coast for a deployment to the Middle East.
Kurdish Video Lends Credibility to Russian Navy Caspian Sea Strike Mission Claims
– USNI News – Russia officials claim that a flotilla of four ships in the Caspian Sea sent a barrage of 26 guided cruise missiles across Iran, Iraq and ultimately to strike targets Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to strike in Syria more than 900 miles away.
Migrant crisis: EU to begin seizing smugglers’ boats
– BBC – The EU is beginning a new operation in the southern Mediterranean to intercept boats smuggling migrants.
Russian Warships in Eastern Mediterranean to Protect Russian Strike Fighters in Syria
– USNI News – A Black Sea-based Russian surface action group scrambled to the Eastern Mediterranean —under the guise of drilling in the region — are likely there to provide an air defense bubble to protect Russian fighters striking targets in Syria.
Fighting ‘Terrorism’ Suits Putin’s Worldwide Naval Ambitions
– Newsweek – Considering that he earned his spurs in the culture of the KGB, Russian President Vladimir Putin has demonstrated surprisingly strong navalist tendencies over the past 18 months.
Watchdog Says ‘I Told You So’ About Expensive New Carrier
– War is Boring – The Government Accountability Office has slammed the U.S. Navy for badly managing its plans to buy new Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. Too late to do anything about delays and soaring costs, the top government watchdog hopes the boondoggle will at least be a teachable moment.
The Thucydides Trap: Are the U.S. and China Headed for War?
– The Atlantic – In 12 of 16 past cases in which a rising power has confronted a ruling power, the result has been bloodshed.
Destroyer USS Carney Arrives in Rota Completing European Ballistic Missile Defense Quartet
– USNI News – Guided missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG-64) arrived at Naval Station Rota, Spain on Friday completing the forward deployment of four ballistic missile defense (BMD) destroyers as part of the U.S. European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) to BMD.
Chinese Complete Runway on Reclaimed South China Sea Island
– USNI News – China has completed a 10,000 foot runway on a reclaimed island in the South China Sea, according to a new round of satellite photos. The completed runway on Fiery Cross Reef could soon be operational and accelerate additional construction on the reclaimed island.
China’s First Domestic Aircraft Carrier Almost Certainly Under Construction
– USNI News – China has quietly begun construction on its first domestic aircraft carrier in the same northern Chinese shipyard that refurbished the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s current Soviet-era carrier
China may be building first indigenous carrier
– Jane’s – Satellite imagery suggests that China may be building its first aircraft carrier at Dalian shipyard in northern China.
Chinese Threats to U.S. Surface Ships: An Assessment of Relative Capabilities, 1996–2017
– RAND – Over the past two decades, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has transformed itself from a large but antiquated force into a capable, modern military. A RAND Project AIR FORCE report assesses trends in the relative capabilities of U.S. and Chinese forces in diverse operational areas, and at varying distances from the Chinese mainland, between 1996 and 2017. The overall conclusion is that although China continues to lag behind the United States in terms of aggregate military hardware and operational skills, it has improved its capabilities relative to those of the United States in many critical areas. Moreover, the report finds that China does not need to catch up fully to the United States to challenge the U.S. ability to conduct effective military operations near the Chinese mainland. To be clear, the goal is to avoid war, which the authors do not anticipate and which would be disastrous for both countries. Rather, this research provides an open-source assessment of trends that could affect U.S. defense and deterrence efforts and establishes a baseline for future analysis.
Aboard a U.S. nuclear sub, a cat-and-mouse game with phantom foes
– Los Angeles Times – America’s most advanced nuclear submarine was slicing through the water off Hawaii last month, 400 feet under the surface, when a sonar operator suddenly detected an ominous noise on his headphones. It was a faint thump … thump … thump — the distinctive sound of a spinning, seven-bladed propeller on a Chinese attack submarine called a Shang by the Pentagon and its allies.
What it’s like onboard a US aircraft carrier in the coalition against the Islamic State
– Washington Post – The USS Theodore Roosevelt, whose homeport is San Diego, is a key element of the U.S.-led coalition known as Operation Inherent Resolve that is targeting the militants in Syria and Iraq. This island of steel in the Persian Gulf, some 1,090 feet (330 meters) long, is home to some 5,000 U.S. Navy aviators, sailors and Marine pilots, carrying about 70 aircraft involved in the fight.
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