Virginian Pilot – Navy’s riverine patrol: Peacekeeping in a war zone

US Navy Riverine Squadron 1 is halfway through a six-month tour. Traditionally, the mission of riverines is to secure inland waterways such as rivers and swamps. They are known for their integral role in the Vietnam War, and they come well-equipped for combat. During this deployment, however, the squadron’s 200 sailors have not engaged in any firefights. Instead, like most U.S. forces in Iraq these days, their mission focuses on peacekeeping.

Virginian Pilot – Ashland returns with a story to tell: Pirates

Few Navy vessels have been attacked by Somalis since at least the 1800s – making the USS Ashland a rare ship to have a brush with piracy.

Florida Times – Underwater guards? Forget SEALs, it’s sea lions, dolphins

Boats with intimidating displays of weapons patrol the waters at the port at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base. But if underwater intruders elude a patrol boat’s sophisticated electronic surveillance, something else waits in the depths that Navy officials say cannot be fooled. For five years, 10 California sea lions and four Atlantic bottlenose dolphins have provided underwater security for Ohio-class submarines ported at Kings Bay as part of the Swimmer Interdiction Security System.

CBS – U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones

The U.S. Navy has used a a laser weapon to shoot down four unmanned aerial vehicles in a test that rings up memories of Ronald Reagan’s “Star Wars” missile defense shield in the 1980s.

(Thanks to Jordan for the link!)

Defense Technology International – Build Up Naval, Air Forces After Current Wars, Experts Say

A blue-ribbon panel of bipartisan national security experts is warning Congress that there should be no peace dividend after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, because U.S. naval and air forces will have to grow in light of China and North Korea.

Washington Post – U.S. nears key step in European defense shield against Iranian missiles

Since last year, the Navy has been deploying Aegis-class destroyers and cruisers equipped with ballistic missile defense systems to patrol the Mediterranean Sea. The ships, featuring octagonal Spy-1 radars and arsenals of Standard Missile-3 interceptors, will form the backbone of Obama’s shield in Europe.

Washington Post – Navy poised to pick builder of new Littoral Combat Ship this summer

The Navy plans to pick a winner this summer in the contest to build a new high-speed warship that can prowl close to shorelines as a vital part of future military strategy. But whether the service can live up to its promises to build an inexpensive ship that can do a variety of missions remains a big question, defense industry analysts and congressional leaders say.