War on the Rocks – Manila is implementing a deterrence posture that imposes reputational costs to China for its use of “gray-zone tactics” in the South China Sea. We use the term gray-zone tactics to define “a strategic approach that operates between conventional warfare and peacetime competition.” The Philippines’ “below-the-threshold” approach to deterrence uses non-military means to impose costs, limiting the risk of escalation while establishing credible threats. Reportedly, Manila has integrated transparency initiatives as a component of its January 2024 Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept.
Trump’s ‘Make Shipbuilding Great Again’ Order Calls for Wholesale Overhaul of U.S. Maritime Industry
USNI News – The Trump administration wants a sweeping government-wide overhaul of the U.S. commercial and military maritime sectors in an effort to catch up to China’s unrivaled shipbuilding capacity.
Royal Navy shadows another Russian convoy in the English Channel
Navy Lookout – HMS Somerset, together with her Merlin helicopter and an RAF P-8A Poseidon aircraft, monitored a Russian corvette and cargo ship passing eastward through the English Channel in the past few days.
Mysterious Naval Vessel Spotted In Washington State Is A New DARPA Drone Ship
The War Zone – slender, partially covered naval ship that recently emerged in Washington state is the Defiant, a new medium-sized uncrewed surface vessel (USV) designed from the keel up to operate without any humans ever onboard. Developed under the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program, Defiant could be an important stepping stone for the U.S. Navy’s ambitions to add larger and more capable USVs to its fleets.
Iran unveils high-speed vessel armed with cruise missiles
Mehr – The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has unveiled a new high-speed vessel equipped with advanced cruise missiles capable of targeting enemy destroyers, marking a significant enhancement in Iran’s naval defense capabilities.
(Thanks to Alain)
Hong Kong billionaire to sell Panama Canal ports to US firm
BBC – A Hong Kong-based company has agreed to sell most of its stake in two key ports on the Panama Canal to a group led by US investment firm BlackRock. The sale comes after weeks of complaining by President Donald Trump that the canal is under Chinese control and that the US should take control of the major shipping route.
Russian destroyer Severomorsk could become the new flagship of the Baltic Fleet to strengthen its anti-submarine capabilities
Army Recognition – According to MilitaryRussia on March 2, 2025, the Baltic Fleet appears to have a new flagship, as the Russian Navy has left the Severomorsk, a Udaloy-class destroyer, in the Baltic Sea following its 14-month technical restoration and combat training, rather than returning it to its home fleet. This decision appears to be related to the status of the Baltic Fleet’s former flagship, the Nastoichivy, which has likely been decommissioned and is awaiting disposal, as suggested by the cessation of its sea deployments.
(Thanks to Alain)
Modern-Day Privateers Could Fight Mexico’s Drug Cartels
National Interest – James Holmes writes that lawmakers are contemplating is a letter of marque that bestows the authority to execute an open-ended maritime campaign under supervision from Washington.
Royal Navy receives first fully autonomous end-to-end mine warfare system
Navy Lookout – In February, the Royal Navy received its first serial production Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) system—an advanced suite of technologies designed to locate, classify and neutralise naval mines, operated either autonomously or via remote control.
Harpoon anti-ship missile integrated on U.S. Air Force F-16 in new test
Naval News – The use of Harpoon anti-ship missile on foreign customers of the F-16 is not uncommon. Integrating them on American F-16s is.
Should Medium Naval Powers Like Chile Have Their Own Shipbuilding Capacity?
RUSI – In South America, keeping costs and labour in local shipyards might be an option to compete with a heavily stressed global market.
China Could Build an “Island Chain” Around America
National Interest – Mounting a standing presence in America’s backyard could pay handsome returns on a modest Chinese investment.
CETUS – the Royal Navy’s first uncrewed submarine launched
Navy Lookout – CETUS, first Extra Large Underwater Autonomous Vehicle (XLUAV) technology demonstrator to be owned by the RN was launched in Plymouth this week.
Black Sea Conflict Informing U.S. Navy Unmanned Systems, Says Admiral
USNI News – The Black Sea has become the Navy’s laboratory for rehearsing and operationalizing the best ways to tie unmanned, robotic systems’ effects with the crewed fleet’s combat power and electronic warfare capabilities, the U.S.’s senior officer supporting Ukraine’s maritime operations said.
Protecting Undersea Cables: Innovative Solutions to Safeguard American Security
Center for Maritime Security – As U.S. policymakers seek to secure critical infrastructure, they must build resiliency in the undersea cable networks that underpin America’s national security.
Could the Royal Navy be expanded if there was the political will?
Navy Lookout – In this guest article, Mark Scott argues that significantly growing the RN is not an insurmountable challenge. The rationale for a stronger force is not the main focus of the piece, instead, the emphasis remains on the methodology required to achieve such an expansion.
Chinese Navy penetrates deep into the Tasman Sea
Naval News – In February a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) task group – comprising the Type 055 cruiser Zunyi, Type 054A frigate Hengyang and Type 903 replenishment ship Weishanhu – sailed deep into the Tasman Sea, the body of water separating Australia and New Zealand. As the warships fired live rounds and caused commercial jetliners to divert, alarm rippled through the corridors of power in Australia and New Zealand.
Commander Submarines NATO, Rear Admiral Bret Grabbe, talks to Naval News
Naval News – Commander Submarines NATO (COMSUBNATO) operates within Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) based in Northwood, UK, and serves alongside peer commands NATO Maritime Air and NATO Surface Forces to form the operational backbone of NATO maritime activities.
Chinese Warships, Fighters Hold Snap Live Fire Drills 40 Miles Off Taiwan
USNI News – China carried out a “joint combat readiness patrol” drill on Wednesday in an area 40 nautical miles off Taiwan that included live fire drills, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, which condemned the drills and dispatched military forces to monitor the drills.
Canadian submarine returns to sea 14 years after collision
CTV – A Canadian military submarine that was heavily damaged when it ran aground off British Columbia in 2011 is back at sea for the first time since the collision, now undergoing mechanical trials near Victoria.
(Thanks to Alain)
Three tankers damaged by blasts in Mediterranean in the last month, causes unknown, sources say
Reuters – Three oil tankers have been damaged by blasts in the last month in separate incidents around the Mediterranean, with the causes unknown, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday.
(Thanks to Alain)
Belgian Louise-Marie Frigate Joins NATO Mission for Maritime Security
The Defence Post – The Belgian frigate Louise-Marie has joined a NATO mission to boost maritime security.
(Thanks to Alain)
French Carrier Drills With Philippine Armed Forces, Cobra Gold Kicks off This Week
USNI News – Aircraft carrier FS Charles De Gaulle (R91) made a port visit to the Philippines on Friday and Saturday after conducting drills in the South China Sea with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
China Drills Near Taiwan are ‘Rehearsals’ for Forced Reunification, Paparo Says
USNI News – China’s escalating military demonstrations of force toward Taiwan are “not exercises; they are rehearsals” for forced reunification with the mainland, the United States’ top military commander in the Indo-Pacific warned last week.
Drone-Equipped U.S. Marines Now Helping Protect Baltic Sea Submarine Cables
The War Zone – The deployment is part of NATO’s Baltic Sentry mission that was created after several suspected cable sabotage incidents.
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