BBC – Even after years of rapid advances in Chinese military capabilities, the United States is still unrivalled in its capacity to project force anywhere around the world with its fleet of 11 super-carriers. But does a $13bn (£10bn) aircraft carrier which the latest Chinese missiles could sink in a matter of minutes make sense anymore – particularly in the age of Donald Trump?
Putin’s secret weapon: The threat to the UK lurking on our sea beds
BBC – How the West handles the threat of sabotage of undersea cables is just one of the many fronts on which it is attempting to deal with Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
Is Trident really necessary? – answering common objections
Navy Lookout – In this article, we refute some of the arguments frequently presented by those campaigning for the UK to abandon its nuclear deterrent.
Startup Saronic to build ‘Port Alpha,’ next-gen shipyard focused on autonomous vessels
Breaking Defense – Off the back of a $600 million Series C funding round, Saronic, the Texas-based defense startup company, announced today it plans to build a “next-generation shipyard” focused on producing unmanned and autonomous vessels, dubbed “Port Alpha.”
Russian military moves to revive secret Soviet submarine base
The Ukrainian Weekly – As Russia’s war against Ukraine enters its fourth year, Ukraine’s growing offensive capabilities have forced the Russian military to work harder to protect its assets, including its battered Black Sea Fleet. Media reports indicate that Russia is now reviving “Object 825GTS” (“Объект 825ГТС”), a Soviet-era underground submarine base in Balaklava, Crimea. Built during the Soviet era from 1953 to 1961 to house and repair diesel-electric submarines, the facility was designed to shelter submarines from aerial and nuclear attacks.
(Thanks to Alain)
UK sets out Project CABOT ambition to deploy autonomous ASW screen in the North Atlantic
Naval News – The UK Royal Navy (RN) has outlined plans to exploit developments in remotely-operated and uncrewed/autonomous systems to deliver a deployable and persistent wide area anti-submarine warfare (ASW) search capability in the North Atlantic.
Germany investigates the possible sabotage of a warship just completed
Le Marin – According to several German media, the “Emden” corvette, which was to leave the Luerssen shipyard in Hamburg, was damaged in its propulsion system. The latter would have been filled with “tens of kilos of metal chips”.
(In French)
Thanks to Alain
AH-1Z Attack Helicopter’s New Long Range Missile Seen For The First Time
The War Zone – The Marines are working to dramatically extend the kinetic reach of their AH-1Zs to help ensure their relevance in future high-end fights.
Meta plans globe-spanning sub-sea internet cable
BBC – Meta has announced plans to build a 50,000km (31,000 mile) sub-sea cable across the world.
Thinking Together, Winning Together: The USNA Warfighter Centered Design Challenge
CIMSEC – Last summer, the academy hosted its second Naval Academy Warfighter-Centered Design (WCD) Challenge in partnership with the Naval Research and Development Establishment (NR&DE), and Naval Warfare Studies Institute (NWSI) at Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) to capture the talent and creativity of its graduates. Envisioned by Rear Admiral Lorin Selby, the WCD initiative seeks to “train people to think differently and challenge the current system.”1 This year’s workshop included eleven USN Ensigns and two USMC Second Lieutenants with a broad range of academic majors including Electrical Computer Engineering, Weapons Robotics and Control, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, and Naval Architecture. Collectively, these students combined their academic experience to meet this year’s challenge, to develop low-cost solutions for offensive and defensive unmanned surface capabilities.
South Korea Should Lean Into Nuclear Powered Submarines
War on the Rocks – The art of the deal is back, and so is the price tag on alliances. In this context, South Korea’s ambitions to develop nuclear-powered submarines could become a critical factor in shaping its alliance with the United States. While the program is primarily aimed at countering North Korea’s advancing submarine-launched ballistic missile capabilities, it also carries broader strategic implications.
Memes or Missiles
The Wavell Room – Should we invest more in information operations?
Falklands Analysed
The Wavell Room – Evaluate the challenges the Royal Navy face if it were to engage in a non-NATO supported conflict in the Southern Hemisphere.
Carrier USS Harry S. Truman Hull Pierced in Collision, Heading to Port for Repairs
USNI News – The hull of aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) was pierced above the waterline during a Wednesday collision with a merchant tanker just north of the entrance to the Suez Canal.
RFA Tideforce shadows Russian naval vessels in the English Channel
Navy Lookout – Another Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker has joined Royal Navy vessels monitoring Russian warships and merchant ships transiting close to the UK…While they are quite capable of this work, the use of RFA vessels for this task is becoming increasingly common due to the lack of Royal Navy surface fleet assets.
Royal Navy Future Challenges
The Wavell Room – Evaluate the challenges the Royal Navy face if it were to engage in a non-NATO supported conflict in the Southern Hemisphere.
ROK Navy takes another step toward blue-water navy
Naval News – Task Fleet Command of the ROK Navy was established in February, marking another step for the ROK Navy to become a blue-water navy.
Philippines to Procure Submarines for Archipelagic Defense
Naval News – Manila announced that the Navy will receive two submarines for the defense of the country’s archipelago in the largest and final stage of its military modernization program.
India-Germany submarine deal: What’s at stake for Russia?
The Street Journal – The German engineering and steel production conglomerate Thyssenkrupp is set to build six submarines for the Indian navy in a multi-billion-dollar deal after a bid with its Indian partner was approved.
(Thanks to Alain)
New British naval drones in testing for Ukraine
UK Defence Journal – The Ministry of Defence is putting two newly developed uncrewed maritime systems—Snapper and Wasp—through final testing.
(Thanks to Alain)
How The EA-18G Growler’s Next-Generation Jamming Pod Went To War On Its First Cruise
The War Zone – Here is what the squadron commander and program manager said about the EA-18G’s new AN/ALQ-249 jamming pods, which were thrust into combat last year.
Navy’s smallest warships brave the Arctic as Nato trains for extreme cold warfare
BFBS – Some of the smallest warships in the Royal Navy’s fleet are heading into Arctic waters to support Nato’s annual cold-weather exercise, Joint Viking 2025.
(Thanks to Alain)
In focus: the Netherlands’ Multifunction Support Ship concept
Navy Lookout – The Royal Netherlands Navy (Koninklijke Marine) plans to build Multifunction Support Ships (MSS) to bolster the presence and firepower of its conventional surface fleet. Here we look at this innovative solution and its potential implications for other navies.
Software-Defined Warships: The Navy’s Digital Future of Necessity
War on the Rocks – It’s time warships move into the software-centric reality of the 21st century. Should their designs continue to center on humans and hardware, they will not evolve fast enough and – as a result — will become steel tombs.
China Maritime Report No. 45: The PLA Navy’s Hospital Ship Fleet: Concerns, Developments, and Future Prospects
China Maritime Studies Institute – The PRC’s hospital ship ecosystem comprises at least 17 vessels. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) operates 13 ships, while the state ship building sector has developed (or is developing) at least four civilian hospital ships for domestic and foreign clients.
PLAN hospital ships serve two main missions: (1) Provide medical support to PLA personnel, especially those stationed around the mainland or on Chinese-occupied islands in the South China Sea. (2) Support maritime global health engagement, chiefly through missions conducted by the Peace Ark hospital ship.
Almost a third (21) of the Peace Ark’s 71 port visits since 2010 have been in Melanesia and East Africa. A further fifth (12) of all visits have been to ports in the northeast Indian Ocean and West Africa. The launch of the Silk Road Ark in 2023 may increase the PRC’s maritime global health engagement capacity in the coming years.
In the event of a conflict, some PLAN hospital ships would not be in compliance with international conventions on the proper identification and uses of these vessels. They lack the required markings, potentially possess armaments, or are not exclusively used as hospital ships. This could complicate the decision making of China’s opponents, especially during wartime.
China’s private sector construction of hospital ships could potentially provide the PRC with the skills and knowhow to rapidly expand the PLAN’s hospital ship fleet during a conflict.
U.S. Navy planners should consider how the PLAN may use its hospital ships in a conflict and how these vessels may link with other humanitarian activities seen in these settings, such as maritime humanitarian corridors, exchange of prisoners, or civilian humanitarian capabilities.
NOSI - Naval Open Source Intelligence™ 
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