– National Defense – The trend lines are all going the wrong way. The price tags of Navy ships keep ascending as the number of vessels in the fleet takes a dive.
Geopolitics / Israel – The Party Faithful
– Geopolitics / Israel – The Party Faithful – The settlers move to annex the West Bank—and Israeli politics. An interesting view of the future of Israeli – and thus Middle Eastern politics – and the implications.
Royal Navy – Q&A with BAE Systems on Type 26 Frigate Design Update at Euronaval 2012
– Navy Recognition – During Euronaval 2012 in October last year, BAE Systems Maritime – Naval Ships showcased a Type 26 “Global Combat Ship” frigate model with a slightly modified design compared to the big design update unveiled during DSA 2012 in April last year. We asked a few questions to BAE Systems on the reasons behind the latest changes to the design.
US Navy – Navy’s $670 Million Fighting Ship Is ‘Not Expected to Be Survivable,’ Pentagon Says
– Wired – In less than two months, the Navy will send the first of its newest class of fighting ships on its first major deployment overseas. Problem is, according to the Pentagon’s chief weapons tester, the Navy will be deploying the USS Freedom before knowing if the so-called Littoral Combat Ship can survive, um, combat. And what the Navy does know about the ship isn’t encouraging: Among other problems, its guns don’t work right.
US Navy – Kraken Wakes – DARPA's Deep-Sea Sleepers
– Aviation Week – Arguing it is costly and complex to send large numbers of warships to forward operating areas – and that the energy and logistics needed to deploy lower-cost unmanned systems over oceanic distances limits their usefulness – DARPA has come with another idea.
Russian Navy – First Borei Submarine Enters Service
– Aviation Week – The First Borei class (project 955) nuclear-powered submarine, Yuri Dolgorukiy, entered service with the Russian Navy today.
Russian Navy – New Russian nuclear sub enters service
– AP – The Russian navy on Thursday hoisted its flag on a new nuclear powered submarine intended to form a key part of the country’s future nuclear deterrent.
Russian Navy – Russian Navy Holds Syria Exercises
– RIA Novosti – Ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and Baltic Fleets are to start exercises off the coast of Syria.
Piracy – Privateers
– Economist – Pirates face a new foe: a private navy.
Geopolitics – Why Hagel Was Picked
– New York Times – David Brooks’ very interesting insight into the choice of the next SecDef: “As the federal government becomes a health care state, there will have to be a generation of defense cuts that overwhelm anything in recent history…As this sort of crunch gradually tightens, Medicare will be the last to go. Spending on things like Head Start, scientific research and defense will go quicker. These spending cuts will transform America’s stature in the world, making us look a lot more like Europe today. This is why Adm. Mike Mullen called the national debt the country’s biggest security threat. Chuck Hagel has been nominated to supervise the beginning of this generation-long process of defense cutbacks. If a Democratic president is going to slash defense, he probably wants a Republican at the Pentagon to give him political cover, and he probably wants a decorated war hero to boot.”
US Navy – Study War Much More
– US Naval Institute Proceedings – As Roman military science essayist Flavius Vegetius Renatus said ca. AD 378, qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum : whoever desires peace should prepare for war.
Russian Navy – Putin Preps Russian Navy for Biggest Exercise Since the Soviet Union
– Wired – The Russian navy is about to stage its largest war exercise in a long time — possibly the largest since before the breakup of the Soviet Union. It’s a chance for President Vladimir Putin to show off his military might, of course. But the exercise may also be a subtle warning to the United States: Stay clear of waters that traditionally lie in Russia’s sphere of influence.
US Navy – Littoral Combat Ship: All Ahead Full!
– US Naval Institute Proceedings – The LCS has weathered some controversial heavy seas in the past—some real, some perceived—but the program is still a major player in the U.S. Navy’s immediate future.
US Navy – First female commander of carrier air wing takes reins
– Virginian Pilot – Capt. Sara Joyner laughed when she realized that as the first female fighter pilot to command a carrier air wing, she would answer to the call sign “Battle Axe.”
US Navy – Crafting A Pacific Attack & Defense Enterprise: The Strategic Quadrangle
– AOL Defense – The United States is at a turning point as it contemplates the way ahead for its defense and security policy in the Pacific. With the decline of the physical number of platforms and assets, our ability to project dominant power out from the West Coast of the United States and Hawaii is increasingly in question.
US Navy – Navy Preps to Build a Robot Ship That Blows Up Mines
– Wired – The Navy’s next wave of robots will take on one of the most dangerous missions on the open water: destroying mines.
US Navy – Now Hear This – The Right Destroyer at the Right Time
– US Naval Institute Proceedings – The bottom line here: Flight III Arleigh Burke destroyers will be the right surface warships to meet the daunting challenges of the 21st century at prices we can afford.
Russian Navy – Silent sub: Russian noiseless Borei class nuclear submarine immersed
– RT – Super-modern, powerful and almost noiseless Russian nuclear submarine Vladimir Monomakh has been put in water to become the third ship of the Borei project. The cruiser is about to begin sea trials and mooring to become fully operational in 2013.
Royal Navy – New aircraft carriers 'white elephants with dinky toys on top'
– Daily Telegraph – Royal Navy insiders have described the latest multi-billion aircraft carriers as “white elephants” with “dinky toys” on top.
Russian Navy – Russia Sends Another Naval Ship To Syria
– AP – Russian news agencies say the navy is sending another ship to the Syrian port of Tartus, where Russia has a naval base.
US Navy – Building a Navy That Won’t Sink the Economy
American Conservative – William S. Lind describes what he thinks the US Navy should look like in the future.
US Marines – Leaner, Meaner Marines
– American Conservative – William S. Lind describes what he thinks the US Marines should look like in the future.
Fourth Generation Warfare – America Goes Jousting
– American Conservative – William S. Lind says our splendid military is all for show.
US Navy – A New Kind of Carrier Air Wing
– US Naval Institute Proceedings – What types of aircraft will be deployed on tomorrow’s flattops?
Wargaming – German Wargaming
– US Naval War College Review – A look at the history of German naval war gaming.
NOSI - Naval Open Source Intelligence™ 
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