– US Naval Institute Proceedings – Even though the threat symmetry may have changed, the Navy-Marine Corps team still needs the capability to insert ground troops from the sea.
Editorial – War Studies Primer 2012 Now Available
We invite you to try the newly updated War Studies Primer 2012 (http://www.warstudiesprimer.org) – an introductory course on the study of war and military history. Its purpose is to provide an introduction, or primer, to the study of war.
War Studies Primer is presented as a lecture curriculum at the university level. It is a free, non-credit, self-study course that consists of 28 lectures and over 1,500 slides and is updated on a yearly basis.
The War Studies Primer 2012 edition has over 100 new slides. This new version has also been extensively revised, based on my experience teaching the course as a First Year Seminar to an excellent class of University of Iowa freshman in the Fall Semester of 2011.
You may get started by looking at slides 2 and 3 in the War Studies Primer for its Table of Contents, and then choose a lecture to read and enjoy.
Discussion regarding War Studies Primer may be found on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/warstudiesprimer – become a Fan and join in!
Royal Navy – Opposing worlds
– Economist – A climate of nationalist agitation.
Chinese Navy – Mahan’s Naval Strategy: China Learned It. Will America Forget It?
– World Affairs – A nice look at how the Chinese are now Mahan’s foremost students…
Miscellaneous – Characterizing and exploring the implications of Maritime Irregular Warfare
– RAND – A nice review of the current state of maritime irregular warfare.
US Navy – Navy thinning is forcing out thousands of sailors
– Virginian Pilot – 3,000 sailors will lose their jobs in the coming months as part of an unprecedented and drastic effort to thin the Navy’s ranks in overcrowded job fields. It marks the first time the service will lay off thousands of sailors who are in the middle of enlistment contracts. In the months since the move was announced, it has become widely unpopular and controversial.
Royal Navy – Navy aircraft carrier plans hit by further delays
– Daily Telegraph – Britain could be left without an aircraft carrier equipped with fighter jets for the next decade after soaring costs threw Ministry of Defence plans into doubt.
Information Warfare – In Attack on Vatican Web Site, a Glimpse of Hackers’ Tactics
– New York Times – The elusive hacker movement known as Anonymous has carried out Internet attacks on well-known organizations like Sony and PBS. In August, the group went after its most prominent target yet: the Vatican. A nice look at how they do it…
US Navy – Electric Shot — Navy Fires Prototype Railgun
– Defense Technology International – The U.S. Navy has begun firing the first of two prototype electromagnetic railgun launchers as it moves a step closer to deploying the long-range, high-speed weapon on its warships.
Iran – How Israel might strike at Iran
– BBC – For all the myriad challenges facing Israel over the past decade it is the potential threat from a nuclear-armed Iran that has preoccupied the country’s military planners.
Danish Navy – Danish ship fires on Somali pirates
– Los Angeles Times – A Danish warship opened fire on a Somali pirate ship, killing two hostages and arresting 17 suspects.
US Navy – U.S. Bulks Up Iran Defenses
– Wall Street Journal – The Pentagon is beefing up U.S. sea- and land-based defenses in the Persian Gulf to counter any attempt by Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran – Bombing Iran
– The Economist – Nobody should welcome the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran. But bombing the place is not the answer.
Iran – Attacking Iran: Up in the air
– Economist – The probability of an attack on Iran’s nuclear programme has been increasing. But the chances of it ending the country’s nuclear ambitions are low
Royal Australian Navy – US floats nuclear subs option
– Financial Review – The United States has indicated for the first time it would be willing to lease or sell a nuclear submarine to Australia in a move that will inflame tensions with China and force the Coalition to declare its policy on bolstering regional defence.
US Navy – Air-Sea Battle: Promoting Stability in an Era of Uncertainty
– American Interest – A more detailed look at how Air Sea battle is supposed to work in practice.
Terrorism – War on terror — Round 3
– Los Angeles Times – Andrew J. Bacevich writes that even as our troops march hither and yon, America seems to be losing the thread in an ‘era of persistent conflict.’
Russian Navy – Visiting Leading Shipbuilding Enterprises of Russia
– English Russia – A photo essay looking inside the factory where the Kilo-class submarines are built and overhauled.
Air Warfare – A Brief History of Drones
– The Nation – A look at the history of the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in warfare.
Iran – Iran Raid Seen as a Huge Task for Israeli Jets
– New York Times – Should Israel decide to launch a strike on Iran, its pilots would have to fly more than 1,000 miles across unfriendly airspace, refuel in the air en route, fight off Iran’s air defenses, attack multiple underground sites simultaneously — and use at least 100 planes.
Iranian Navy – Iranian Ships Reported to Leave Syria
– New York Times – Two Iranian warships that docked in a Syrian port as a senior Iranian lawmaker denounced American calls for arming the Syrian opposition were reported on Tuesday to have left the Mediterranean, sailing south through the Suez Canal toward the Red Sea.
Iran – Strait of Hormuz: Iran's disruptive military options
– International Institute For Strategic Studies – Could Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz, or significantly hinder traffic passing through it? A recent decision by the European Union to impose a total embargo on the purchase of Iranian oil has prompted threats from Tehran to close the world’s most important oil chokepoint. However, an assessment of military capabilities deployed in the area, and of probable tactics, suggests that Iran would find it difficult or unpalatable to cause major disruption.
(Thanks to Worda for the link!)
Iranian Navy – Iran claims its navy enters Mediterranean as tensions with Israel grow
– Daily Telegraph – Iran’s navy claimed its warships entered the Mediterranean on Saturday to show its ‘might’ to regional countries, as a high-level American official was due to arrive in Israel.
Swedish Navy – New Submarines Improve Performance
– Defense Technology International – The original stealth weapons, submarines may be second only to unmanned systems in the degree to which they have exploited new technology in the past two decades. Major advances have included air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems, increasing submerged endurance and mobility; automation, reducing crew size (and consequently, life-cycle costs) and improving habitability; electro-optical masts that can sweep the horizon with high-definition in seconds and drop out of sight; and new torpedoes and other weapons. On the near horizon is the the mating of SSKs with unmanned air and underwater vehicles (UUV).
Iranian Navy – Iran Delays War Games in Strait of Hormuz?
– Stratfor – Stratfor sources have indicated that Iranian naval exercises scheduled to take place by Feb. 19 have been delayed or possibly canceled. Given other recent moves by the United States and Iran aimed at reducing bilateral tensions, the apparent delay may have been motivated by a desire to facilitate talks on Iran’s nuclear program, among other issues.
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