– Washington Post – The Pentagon is rushing to send a large floating base for commando teams to the Middle East as tensions rise with Iran, al-Qaeda in Yemen and Somali pirates, among other threats. In response to requests from U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, the Navy is converting the USS Ponce, an aging warship it had planned to decommission into a makeshift staging base for the commandos. Unofficially dubbed a “mothership,” the floating base could accommodate smaller high-speed boats and helicopters commonly used by Navy SEALs, procurement documents show.
Air Warfare – Do Drones Undermine Democracy?
– New York Times – P.W. Singer asks if use of unmanned aerial vehicles by the US undermines our democracy.
US Navy – US to keep 11 aircraft carriers to show sea power
– AP – Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told sailors aboard the country’s oldest aircraft carrier that the U.S. is committed to maintaining a fleet of 11 of the formidable warships despite budget pressures, in part to project sea power against Iran.
US Navy – Somalia raid shows extent of U.S. reach
– Los Angeles Times – The rescue of a U.S. aid worker and a Danish colleague held hostage since October was carried out by Navy SEALs from the unit that killed Osama bin Laden.
US Marines – Japanese forces and Marines train in Iron Fist
– San Diego Union Tribune – Camp Pendleton troops will be storming the beaches with Japanese defense forces over the next month, building on long-standing military ties with an important strategic ally in the Asia Pacific amid rising tensions in the region.
Royal Navy – Navy's 5 billion pound Harrier jet replacement 'unable to land on aircraft carriers'
– Daily Telegraph – The Royal Navy’s multi-billion pound fighter plane programme is under threat amid claims that its new all-purpose jets cannot land on aircraft carriers.
Royal Navy – Royal Navy may have to set pirates free
– Daily Telegraph – The Royal Navy may be forced to release suspected pirates captured in the Indian Ocean because no country is willing to prosecute them.
Royal Navy – Britain could send military reinforcements to Gulf
– Daily Telegraph – Britain could send military reinforcements to the Gulf if the dispute with Iran escalates, according to Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary.
Royal Navy – Hunting pirates on board the RFA Fort Victoria
– Daily Telegraph – Holly Watt reports from the RFA Fort Victoria in the Indian Ocean as a raid by the Royal Navy on a fishing boat leads to the arrest of 14 suspected pirates.
US Navy – Battle For Control of Asia's Seas Goes Underwater
– AP – It’s getting a bit more crowded under the sea in Asia, where Andrew Peterson commands one of the world’s mightiest weapons: a $2 billion nuclear submarine with unrivaled stealth and missiles that can devastate targets hundreds of miles (kilometers) away.
Iran – Iran gets the message from Washington
– Washington Post – According to David Ignatius, the Iran nuclear crisis is far from over, but Tehran appears to have made a subtle blink — backing away from its threat a few weeks ago to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to escalating U.S. sanctions.
Piracy – World Sea Piracy Drops in 2011
– AP – Sea piracy worldwide dropped slightly in 2011 for the first time in five years but Somali pirates have intensified attacks and remained the greatest threat, a global maritime watchdog said Thursday.
US Coast Guard – Icebreaker prepares to leave iced-in Alaska town
– Associated Press – A Coast Guard cutter is preparing for the departure of a Russian fuel tanker from an iced-in Alaska town.
US Navy – USN undersecretary tightlipped on 313-ship goal
– Jane’s – A senior official at the US Department of the Navy has painted an optimistic picture of the service’s 2022 force posture that will be focused on strategic choke points, humanitarian disaster response and the highest levels of maritime domain awareness.
Russian Navy – Wait and sea
– The Economist – The Syrian port of Tartus is Russia’s only military base outside the old Soviet Union. Moreover, Russia is the Syrian regime’s only big-power friend. So the arrival there of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft-carrier and a few other warships earlier this month brought a warm welcome from Bashar Assad’s defence minister, General Dawood Rajiha, who praised Russia’s “honourable” support for his government.
US Navy – A Changed Way of War in Afghanistan’s Skies
– New York Times – C.J. Chivers on the air war in Afghanistan.
Russian Navy – Bulava ICBM Completes Test Program
– Defense Technology – The testing of Russia’s new submarine-launched R-30 Bulava ICBM (SS-NX-30) intercontinental ballistic missile has come to an end.
Indian Navy – Indian Naval Modernisation: Implications For Pakistan – Analysis
– Eurasian Review – Pakistan’s view of India’s navy.
US Navy – US Navy Strike Group Arrives in Arabian Sea as Tensions Rise With Iran
– Associated Press – The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group has entered the Arabian Sea and another is on its way, a Pentagon official said in a news briefing Wednesday — a shuffling of the U.S. fleet amid rising tensions with Iran.
Iranian Navy – Iran’s warning
– Economist – Despite its sabre-rattling in the Gulf, Iran’s options are limited
Editorial Note – Discuss NOSI Stories on Facebook
– Just a reminder that NOSI stories can be commented on and discussed on NOSI’s Facebook page for those who are interested.
Editorial Note – NOSI Archive For 2011 Now Available
NOSI’s archive for 2011 is now available here.
US Coast Guard – U.S. ship rescues six Iranian sailors in Persian Gulf
– Associated Press – A U.S. Coast Guard cutter rescued six Iranian mariners from a vessel in distress in the Persian Gulf, the second time in less than a week that the American military has come to the aid of Iranians at sea.
Editorial Note – 2011 World Naval Operational News Highlights
The ten most significant naval news stories / themes this year included:
- The withdrawal of US combat forces from Iraq. After nearly a decade and a trillion dollars later, what exactly does the US have to show for it?
- The troop surge, and subseqent beginning of the drawdown in Afghanistan. What exactly will victory look like there?
- The NATO combined arms operations against the Libyan goverment. Is this the new model for regime change – sea and air power with a minimal footprint on the ground? (Wait – wasn’t that how we started off in Afghanistan 10 years ago…)
- The formal reorientation of US strategy and forces from the Middle East to the Pacific to contain China’s rise. Is AirSea Battle the correct way to address the Chinese threat?
- The world economic crisis leading to US economic turmoil causing US budget turmoil which will result in deep defense cuts. What will these cuts do to the Navy and Marines who must recapitalize their forces whose equipment is worn out after a decade of war and who must now shift their focus from the sand to AirSea Battle?
- The Chinese Navy continues to deploy its sensor network on land and in space for targeting for its antiship ballistic missile while the US Navy begins to devise countermeasures to it. When will we see this weapon test fired?
- The first Chinese Navy (actually ex-Soviet Navy) aircraft carrier goes to sea, beating the Indian Navy’s (ex-Soviet Navy) aircraft carrier refurbishment project. When will the Chinese begin to conduct aircraft operations?
- The Chinese Navy’s deployment of a ship to Libya to evacuate Chinese citizens from a war zone. Should we no long be shocked by Chinese blue-water naval operations around the world?
- The tension around the Spratley Islands as the Chinese Navy begins to flex its muscles at sea. Will this area be a good place to base the US Navy Littoral Combat Ships and will this be their role in AirSea Battle?
- The SEAL mission that killed Osama Bin Laden. Who would have bet 10 years ago that it would have been the SEALs who got the kill?
- (…and yes, I’m tired of mentioning piracy again, and again, and again…so I won’t…)
Statistics
In 2011, there were news stories linked to on 323 / 365 days – that is on 88% of the days.
In 2011, NOSI linked to 341 news stories.
In 2011, 118 of these stories (35%) were related to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, or U.S. Military Sealift Command.
In 2011, 90 of these stories (26%) were background stories.
The remaining 133 news stories (39%) covered the operational activities of 24 nation’s navies, coast guards, and marine corps:
Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Pakistan, Phillipines, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, and Vietnam
In 2011, 168,013 pages of information were read on NOSI by 120,000 users. There were 76,299 post views (impressions) and 239 fans (members) on the NOSI Facebook page.
Royal Australian Navy – Australian military 'to recruit British troops laid-off in UK cuts'
– Daily Telegraph – The Australian navy plans to recruit up to 1,000 Royal Navy sailors facing redundancy under the Government’s defence cuts.
NOSI - Naval Open Source Intelligence™ 
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