Host of rising threats are challenging the U.S. Navy in ways not seen since the Cold War
(NationalSecurity.news) As China builds and fortifies artificial islands in the South China Sea, the People’s Liberation Army Navy is also launching new, quiet nuclear-powered submarines and improving ballistic missiles and aircraft. Meanwhile Russia is also set to launch newer, faster and quieter nuclear submarines, even as Moscow is nearing completion on the largest, most destructive Read More
Bill condemning Iran and threatening sanctions over seizure of two U.S. Navy crews proposed
(NationalSecurity.news) Questioning the seriousness of the Obama administration’s response to Iran’s seizure of two Navy patrol boats and detention of 10 American sailors in the Persian Gulf in January, Rep. Randy Forbes (R- Va.), this week proposed legislation to officially condemn Iran, and raised the possibility of imposing new sanctions on the Islamic Republic. In a Read More
U.S. Navy considers raising fleet beyond target of 308 ships as threats multiply
(NationalSecurity.news) The U.S. Navy will likely increase its requirement for a 308-ship fleet given the rapidly changing world security situation, including the U.S. battle against Islamic State, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson said on Thursday. Richardson said the Navy was reviewing an assessment completed in 2012 and updated in 2014, before Russia’s reemergence as Read More
‘We need more subs,’ says House Armed Services chairman
(NationalSecurity.news) Great power competitors to the U.S. are rapidly upgrading and modernizing their submarine forces but the United States is lagging behind and needs to invest more in its sub fleet to keep ahead of the pack, says Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. In a column for Breaking Defense, Read More
U.S. Navy will increase ‘freedom of navigation’ patrols in South China Sea despite Chinese militarization
(NationalSecurity.news) The U.S. Navy plans to bolster its “freedom of navigation” patrols in the South China Sea near reclaimed and man-made islands under the control of China, even as Beijing has deployed sophisticated air-defense missiles, long-range radar and fighter jets to some of those islands. “We will be doing them more, and we’ll be doing Read More
Navy developing new supersonic anti-ship missile with greater range
Image: U.S. Navy (NationalSecurity.news) Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has confirmed that the U.S. Navy is working on a next-generation supersonic anti-ship missile with a 200-nautical-mile range that would be deployed aboard cruisers and destroyers, USNI News reports. The development centers around modifications to the Raytheon Standard Missile 6, or SM-6, that gives the sea Read More
The Navy secretly trying to ship hundreds of firearm silencers across the U.S.
Is there a civil war approaching? A federal judge in recent days sentenced a civilian U.S. Navy intelligence official sentenced to six months in prison and an associate of his – a hot rod mechanic from California – to 60 days in jail, in a case that many observers say is both odd and mysterious. As Read More
Navy lacks electronic warfare capabilities for future fights at sea
Image credit: Wikipedia Commons (Cyberwar.news) Naval battles of the future will most likely first involve an electronic exchange, say experts, because interconnected cyber systems will control kinetic weapons systems like aircraft, missiles and rail guns. As noted by Breaking Defense, warships will also need to coordinate and “talk” to each other in order to concentrate Read More
China will use its carriers to enforce territorial claims in the South China Sea
(NationalSecurity.news) The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy has specific plans for its budding fleet of aircraft carriers: Projecting power beyond the country’s coastal waters; and enforcing outsized territorial claims in the South China Sea, including some of the most disputed regions. Those are some of the conclusions noted by HIS Jane’s Navy International, a well Read More
Analysis: Questions remain following Iran’s detention of U.S. Navy sailors in the Persian Gulf
(NationalSecurity.news) The administration and the Pentagon have been unusually tight-lipped following the detention by Iranian gunboats last week of 10 U.S. Navy sailors aboard two riverine craft in the Persian Gulf, as differing versions of the story make their way across various news and social media venues. The administration’s earliest version of events is that Read More
