– Associated Press – The top U.S. Navy official in the Gulf said Sunday he takes Iran’s military capabilities seriously but insists his forces are prepared to confront any Iranian aggression in the region.
Royal Navy – Royal Navy chief looks to the future with carrier, F-35 programmes
– Flight – The Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm entered a period of forced transformation 16 months ago, when the UK government approved major cuts to their equipment and personnel structures as part of its Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). However, with a final tranche of about 300 staff cuts having been confirmed in mid-January, the head of the UK’s “senior service” is looking firmly to the future.
US Navy – Frigates join other nations in hunt for drugs
– Military Times – Four Navy frigates and a patrol squadron operating in the 4th Fleet area of responsibility have joined a new multi-national effort to combat illicit trafficking routes in Central America.
Iraq – My Mesopotamian Getaway
– Foreign Policy – An excellent overview of post-American Iraq, by the Iraqi scholar Emma Sky.
Geopolitics – Egypt / Egypt’s Human Bellwether
– New York Times Magazine – To know the future of Egypt, watch what happens to Mohamed Beltagy, the embattled hero of the revolution.
Royal Navy – Argentina accuses Britain of sending nuclear missiles to Falklands
– Daily Telegraph – Argentina has stepped up its sabre-rattling rhetoric over the Falkland Islands by accusing Britain of sending nuclear missiles on submarines to the South Atlantic.
US Navy – Are Pilots—or Robots—the Future of Naval Aviation?
– Popular Mechanics – America’s aircraft carriers face fresh threats. But will the new breed of warplanes that meet those threats be flown by top Navy pilots, or will they be incredibly advanced autonomous UAVs? The dogfight for the future of navy flying is on.
Afghanistan – The Hard Way Out of Afghanistan
– New York Times Magazine – Fighting to the finish in Afghanistan’s most dangerous place.
US Navy – Navy fliers' love-hate relationship with water-crash survival class
– New York Times – C.J. Chivers looks at the survival training naval aviators must undergo regularly.
Royal Navy – Royal Navy to send HMS Dauntless to Falkland Islands
– Daily Telegraph – The Royal Navy’s most sophisticated warship is being sent to the South Atlantic in a move that will send a powerful message to Argentina.
US Marines – Navy-Marines' amphib mission has reptilian name
– Virginian Pilot – For months, Navy and Marine Corps brass have talked up a massive training exercise with a funny name – Bold Alligator – and a serious objective: revitalizing amphibious warfare.
Royal Navy – Britain faces 'impossible' battle if Argentina invades Falklands, warns General Sir Michael Jackson
– Daily Telegraph – Britain will find it “impossible” to win back the Falkland Islands if Argentina invades them again, General Sir Michael Jackson has warned.
US Navy – Record deployment nears end for Bataan, sister ships
– Virginian Pilot – The crew of this warship has glimpsed American land for the first time in nearly 11 months, marking the last leg in what’s become the longest U.S. Navy ship deployment in nearly 40 years.
Geopolitics / Middle East – Turkey and Iran carve up a ruptured Arab world
– Christian Science Monitor – Martin van Creveld writes that many analysts say the Middle East is the focus of a geopolitical power struggle between the United States and Iran. That misses the primary thread of events – namely, the ongoing soft partition of the Arab republics between Turkey and Iran, with Turkey the stronger power.
Iran – Will Israel Attack Iran?
– New York Times Magazine – For the first time since the Iranian nuclear threat emerged, the conditions for an Israeli assault have been met.
Piracy – Seized Pirates in High-Seas Legal Limbo, With No Formula for Trials
– New York Times – C.J. Chivers writes that the many navies involved in counterpiracy patrols off Africa’s northeastern shore have learned the pirates’ habits and sharpened interdiction efforts. Hijackings have declined sharply in the past year. But where interdiction ends, an enduring problem begins: what to do with the pirates that foreign ships detain?
US Navy – Warship Freedom again breaks down at sea
– San Diego Union Tribune – For at least the fourth time in its young history, the San Diego-based littoral combat ship Freedom has developed a serious mechanical or structural problem, the latest which caused the vessel to experience minor flooding while it was operating off Southern California.
Royal Navy – Nuclear subs will stay in Scotland, Royal Navy chiefs decide
– Daily Telegraph – Britain’s nuclear deterrent would have to remain in Scotland even if the country voted for independence, Royal Navy chiefs have concluded.
Royal Navy – Argentina doesn't have military power to seize the Falklands says defence minister
– Daily Telegraph – Argentina does not have the military capability to invade the Falkland Islands, Gerald Howarth, a Defence Minister, has claimed.
US Navy – Potent Sting Is Prepared in the Belly of a Warship
– New York Times – CJ Chivers visits the Red Shirts aboard the USS John C. Stennis.
Royal Navy – The Security Implications of Scottish independence
– Royal United Services Institute – The victory of Scottish nationalists in the recent Scottish Parliamentary elections brings closer the possibility of Scotland’s independence. With Britain’s nuclear arsenal located largely in Scotland, policymakers must now consider what independence would entail for the security of the United Kingdom.
US Navy – Philippines may allow greater U.S. military presence in reaction to China’s rise
– Washington Post – Two decades after evicting U.S. forces from their biggest base in the Pacific, the Philippines is in talks with the Obama administration about expanding the American military presence in the island nation, the latest in a series of strategic moves aimed at China.
Chinese Navy – Year of The Water Dragon: 12 Chinese Maritime Developments to Look for in 2012
– Wall Street Journal – Beginning with the major potential newsmakers, here are 12 key things to watch for and what they mean.
US Navy – The Beach Boys: Surfing U…..MVs (Unmanned Maritime Vehicles)
– DefenseIQ – Liquid Robotics Inc. is a Sunnyvale, California-based company that has developed the Wave Glider, a self-propelled and continuous Unmanned Maritime Vehicle (UMV). The company’s Wave Glider uses wave and solar energy to power itself for long periods of time, with some deployments having lasted years at a time.
(Thanks to Worda for the link!)
Iranian Navy – Is a US-Iran maritime clash inevitable?
– BBC – In 1988, US warships clashed with Iranian forces in the Gulf. As a war of words now escalates, is there a danger that history will repeat itself?
NOSI - Naval Open Source Intelligence™ 
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