Armed Forces Journal – Flashpoint: The Great Wall goes to sea
China’s naval renewal raises critical questions for the world.
Iraq – Heirs of Sargon
National Interest – Heirs of Sargon
Robert D. Kaplan reviews the history of Iraq.
Russian Navy – New Attack Sub Laid Down In Russia
Defense Technology International – New Attack Sub Laid Down In Russia
It looks like the Russian Navy’s procurement efforts are in full swing this summer. On July 24, the new multirole Yasen-class nuclear submarine Kazan was laid down at Sevmash’s facilities in Severodvinsk.
Iraq – The New Rules: 'Hard Lessons' from Iraq, for Afghanistan and Beyond
World Politics Review – The New Rules: ‘Hard Lessons’ from Iraq, for Afghanistan and Beyond
Thomas P.M. Barnett writes that the recurring theme of “Hard Lessons,” the recent report by the office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, is that of somebody finally “taking charge.” The description is patently disproven, however, by the sheer volume of its use to describe the procession of all those who tried to do so. In fact, moving “from crisis to crisis,” and creating “ad hoc offices and systems” along the way, U.S. officials reinvented the Iraq wheel darn near annually.
US Navy – Military kills mini-sub effort, repair cost too high
Virginian Pilot – Military kills mini-sub effort, repair cost too high
The U.S. Special Operations Command has canceled its mini-submarine program, a project designed to deliver Navy commando s close to their target and protect them on the way. Northrop Grumman’s Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS) hit numerous hurdles since it was conceived in the late 1990s.
Indian Navy – Pakistan says Indian submarine harms regional peace
Reuters – Pakistan says Indian submarine harms regional peace
India’s launch of its first nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying ballistic missiles is “detrimental to regional peace and stability,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said, vowing to safeguard its own security.
Columbian Navy – A New 'Submarine' Threat
DefenseTech – A New ‘Submarine’ Threat
Norman Polmar writes that the increased use of semi-submersibles to bring drugs into the United States has raised the specter of similar craft being employed to transport terrorists, explosives, and elicit funds into the country. But the likelihood of terrorists going that route is extremely unlikely.
US Marines – Patrolling the challenging landscape of Afghanistan with US Marines
The Times – Patrolling the challenging landscape of Afghanistan with US Marines
Two weeks into Operation Khanjar, their largest offensive of the Afghan war, American troops have grabbed a swath of territory in the southernmost districts of Helmand. But, as their commanders acknowledge, that is the easy part…
Afghanistan – The Long Walk: Afghanistan (and Its Future) as You've Never Seen It
Esquire – The Long Walk: Afghanistan (and Its Future) as You’ve Never Seen It
C.J. Chivers writes that eight years into the war we were compelled to wage, the ground mission in Afghanistan remains just as brutal as war there has been for centuries. And now, after years of inattention from Washington, this war begins again. On the hunt with the men of Viper company.
Israeli Navy – Israeli warships' passage through Suez Canal causes a stir
Los Angeles Times – Israeli warships’ passage through Suez Canal causes a stir
The mission prompts speculation that Israel sought to send a message about its military might to Iran and give the impression of close cooperation with Egypt against regional security threats.
French Navy – French navy detects Comoros crash black boxes
Associated Press – French navy detects Comoros crash black boxes
A French navy vessel has detected the black boxes of a Yemenia Airways plane that crashed into the Indian Ocean near the Comoros Islands.
US Navy – Cracks found in USS Toledo
Daily Press – Cracks found in USS Toledo
Two cracks have been discovered on the hull of the USS Toledo, a potentially fatal flaw that could have led to water leaks and, ultimately, hull failure if the submarine submerged.
US Navy – Navy's synthetic training allows it to stay ready
Virginian Pilot – Navy’s synthetic training allows it to stay ready
As you read this, more than a dozen Navy ships and thousands of uniformed service members, military civilians and contractors are embarked on a major training exercise in the Persian Gulf. But thanks to synthetic training, no one has to leave their homeport.
Afghanistan – Marines Face Stiff Taliban Resistance
Washington Post – Marines Face Stiff Taliban Resistance
Marines pushing deep into a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province battled insurgents in a day of firefights around a key bazaar Sunday, as an operation designed as a U.S. show of force confronted resistance from Taliban fighters as well as constraints on supplies and manpower.
US Navy – The Contested Commons
US Naval Institute Proeedings – The Contested Commons
Two officials from the Office of the Secretary of Defense look at a changing and challenging world and what it means for the future of American power.
Geopolitics – A Fearless Activist in a Land of Thugs
New York Times – A Fearless Activist in a Land of Thugs
C.J Chivers remembers a fearless human rights investigator in Chechnya, Natalie Estemirova.
Russian Navy – The Fleet That Has To Die: The Russian Navy's "Irreversible Collapse"
Weekly Standard – The Fleet That Has To Die: The Russian Navy’s “Irreversible Collapse”
The reality now is that not only is the idea of Russia building and operating aircraft carrier battle groups an impossible dream, but just building enough new ships to replace those that are worn-out after decades of use is also not feasible. A recent analysis by the authoritative Moscow-based weekly, the Independent Military Review (NVO), entitled “BMF RF (Naval Military Fleet of the Russian Federation) on Foreign Warships” states that the Russian Navy is currently in a situation of irreversible collapse.
Russian Navy – New Bulava missile test results in failure – Russian military
RIA Novosti – New Bulava missile test results in failure – Russian military
A scheduled test of Russia’s new Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on July 15 was a failure.
Russian Navy – Russia's new nuclear sub completes first round of sea trials
RIA Novosti – Russia’s new nuclear sub completes first round of sea trials
Russia’s newest Borey class strategic nuclear submarine, the Yury Dolgoruky, has completed the first round of sea trials and is returning to a shipyard in northern Russia.
US Navy – Carrier culture shock
Armed Forces Journal – Carrier culture shock
As the Obama administration formulates its approach to national security policy, it would do well to start with reading “A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower,” the Navy’s new maritime strategy. The document is at once a bold argument for a new direction in foreign and national security policy, an inadequate plan for a U.S. maritime grand strategy, and a symptom (and perhaps call for help) of the Navy’s current operational crisis.
Israeli Navy – IDF warships cross Suez Canal from Mediterranean to Red Sea
Jerusalem Post – IDF warships cross Suez Canal from Mediterranean to Red Sea
Two Sa’ar-5 class Navy ships crossed through the Suez Canal Tuesday, to beef up Israel’s naval presence in the Red Sea. The passage of the ships comes several weeks after a Dolphin-class Navy submarine passed through the waterway for the first time.
US Coast Guard – Coast Guard National Security Cutter
Defense Technology International – Coast Guard National Security Cutter
The U.S. Coast Guard’s newest vessel, the National Security Cutter Bertholf, was in the news a lot last week.
Geopolitics – Obama's New Map of the World
Esquire – Obama’s New Map of the World
Thomas P.M. Barnett writes that as he assumes leadership of this freaked-out world, the success of our new president’s foreign policy — and presidency — will depend on the thinking he does inside the box.
Afghanistan – U.S. General Sees Afghan Army, Police Insufficient
Washington Post – U.S. General Sees Afghan Army, Police Insufficient
Greg Jaffe writes that Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the newly arrived top commander in Afghanistan, has concluded that the Afghan security forces will have to be far larger than currently planned if President Obama’s strategy for winning the war is to succeed.
French Navy – Ships ending search for Air France black boxes
Associated Press – Ships ending search for Air France black boxes
Two ships using U.S. listening devices to search for the black boxes of Air France Flight 447 were ending their hunt Friday, an American commander said. A French nuclear submarine, however, will continue to look.
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