To see every post you can also follow NOSI via RSS at nosi.org/feed or via email by entering your email address and clicking on the Follow button in the right hand column of the site.
You can also follow us on social media as @nosintel on Facebook at facebook.com/nosintel or on X at x.com/nosintel
USNI News – When sailors assigned to USS Mason (DDG-87) were in workups last year, many expected a standard Mediterranean Sea deployment…But after Hamas launched attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7 and the Yemen-based Houthis started attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s ongoing bombardment of the Gaza strip, the destroyer quickly became one of several U.S. warships to engage in sustained naval combat for the first time since World War II.
The War Zone – This appears to be the first cruise for the AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer, the most advanced publicly known tactical electronic warfare capability.
Chinese Maritime Studies Institute – As a part China’s goal to build a fully modernized military by 2035, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is improving its reserve forces through increased defense spending, critical policy changes, and organizational restructuring. Reserve forces (后备力量) encompass the PLA Reserve (预备役部队) and paramilitary forces, such as the militia, which fall under the leadership of the Central Military Commission and can be mobilized by the National Defense Mobilization Department to support combat. The many components that make up China’s fighting force such as active-duty PLA forces, China Coast Guard, and the militia have been studied in depth; however, the PLA Reserve remains an understudied and underreported topic. While the PLA Reserve represents a fraction of the force structure of their active-duty counterparts, recent changes in military reform specific to the PLA Reserve highlight the importance of this relatively small force and the evolving role reservists (预备役人员) may play within the PLA.
RUSI – As the Royal Navy proceeds with its recapitalisation programme, what lessons can it draw regarding future threats from the conflicts in the Red Sea and Black Sea?
The War Zone – Ukraine claims it struck and sunk the Russian Russian Navy Improved Kilo class diesel-electric attack submarine Rostov-on-Don in an attack on Sevastopol “by units of the missile forces, in cooperation with units of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff claimed on Telegram.
War on the Rocks – We are not yet at a paradigm-shifting moment in the role of autonomous or robotic systems at sea. Nor are we likely to reach a revolutionary precipice within the period in which the U.S. Navy must begin making the transition to a truly hybrid fleet — that is, the integration of autonomous platforms designed to operate as part of an ocean-going battle force. This means the Navy’s approach to acquiring and fielding unmanned systems for deployment at sea should ultimately reinforce and support the maritime domain’s still-dominant weapons system: long-range anti-ship missiles.
The War Zone – Weaponized drones that look and fly like birds may sound like something out of a movie, but they are very real with a long history.
CIMSEC – Treating unmanned vessels as warships requires examining whether they meet the definition of a warship under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The legal status of naval vessels under UNCLOS varies widely depending on whether a navy operates its ships as warships, non-commercial government vessels, or accessories to conventional warships.
This paper discusses whether unmanned systems can be considered warships under UNCLOS, especially with today’s voracious appetite for developing the technology; however, the legal status of unmanned vessels as warships remains uncertain. International agreements on the legal status of unmanned vessels would help establish the legitimacy of naval operations employing them.
Navy Lookout – The RN’s frigates are supposed to be the backbone of the fleet but it has become increasingly difficult to keep the ageing Type 23s going while their replacements are some years away from commissioning. Here we look at the current situation and the implications for future fleet strength.
Naval News – Making its Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) debut, the USS Carl Vinson’s CVW-2 Advanced Air Wing is bringing unmatched capabilities to the front lines of U.S. Naval Aviation in a way not seen since the Cold War.
BBC – The United States will deploy additional warships and fighter jets to the Middle East to help defend Israel from possible attacks by Iran and its proxies, the Pentagon said.
The War Zone – The Navy recently experimented with hundreds of electronic warfare technologies mounted on aerial drones and swarms of uncrewed boats.
CNN – A very specialized part of the world’s largest naval drills off the northern Hawaiian island of Kauai is gaining attention on both sides of the Pacific. Earlier this month, the US and allies practiced taking out a large surface ship with long-range weapons, including, for the first time, a US Air Force B-2 bomber.
The War Zone – The 41-year-old prized submarine traveled more than 60,000 miles while packed with special operators and fired Tomahawk cruise missiles at Houthi targets.
Defense News – U.S. forces took down dozens of Iran-backed Houthi drones in the Red Sea and in Yemen this month, as Houthi rebels continue to target civilian and commercial vessels in the region.
Naval News – On July 29, the Stupinets missile corvette, formerly known as a large missile boat (Bol’shoy raketnyy kater), was launched for the Russian Navy. This vessel of Project 12418 Molniya (Lightning) showcases a design distinct from its export variant, the well-known “Tarantulas,” despite sharing the same design number. Notably, the first Project 1241 ship was commissioned into the Russian Navy in 1979, marking a continuation of this class of vessels in the Russian Navy.
USNI News – The Australian government signed a $2.2 billion four-year contract with national submarine builder ASC last week to keep Canberra’s existing Collins-class submarines in service through the 2030s.
The War Zone – A highly-modified jet ski loaded with explosives has been found off the Turkish coast near Istanbul. The uncrewed vehicle is likely part of a growing armada of Ukrainian kamikaze drone boats that have been notably effective in disrupting Russian Navy activities in the Black Sea and have sunk or damaged multiple warships.
(Thanks to Alain)
Army Recognition – According to information published by Sputnik on July 29, 2024, the Borei-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine Knyaz Pozharsky has commenced sea trials in the White Sea.
(Thanks to Alain)
The War Zone – With a longer hull and possible vertical launch cells, the new design is further evidence of China’s rapid submarine developments.
NDTV – The fire broke out on board the multirole frigate INS Brahmaputra while she was undergoing refit at the Mumbai naval dockyard, the navy said, adding the ship is lying on its side.
(Thanks to Alain)
Naval News – According to Ukrainian Navy spokesmen Dmytro Pletenchuk, Russian Navy deployed three submarines armed with cruise missiles at the same time in the Black Sea. He posted the news on social media.
War on the Rocks – Tensions between China and the Philippines have escalated dramatically in recent months around Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef in the eastern Spratly Islands…But while China has been escalating with the Philippines at unprecedented levels around Second Thomas Shoal, it has exercised striking restraint toward Vietnam’s far larger and more militarized expansion of its South China Sea outposts.
Navy Lookout – BAE Systems’ Maritime Services business is responsible for looking after 19 vessels based in Portsmouth. We were invited to see how the company is working to improve its methods, upgrade facilities and develop its people to maximise warship availability and provide greater choice to fleet planners.
NOSI - Naval Open Source Intelligence™ 
You must be logged in to post a comment.