Washington Post – Marines Launch New Afghan Mission

U.S. Marines began fanning out across the southern Helmand River valley Thursday, traveling by foot and armored convoys under the scorching summer sun in an effort to wrest control of the area from Taliban insurgents.

Daily Telegraph – North Korean ‘weapons to Burma’ ship tracked by US

A North Korean ship suspected of carrying weapons to Burma has reversed direction after being tracked by the United States Navy.

New York Times – Second Thoughts on North Korea’s Inscrutable Ship

BBC – Navy carriers ‘£1bn over budget’

A £1bn cost over-run is threatening the future of the publicly-funded project to build Britain’s biggest aircraft carriers.

US Naval Institute Proceedings – Commanders Respond

Piracy. The international monetary crisis. Terrorism. Global Warming. These and more affect us all, so our question to naval commanders-in-chief around the world is: What is the most significant maritime security threat facing your nation and how do your sea services address this challenge?

Washington Post – A Personal Touch in Taliban Fight

Greg Jaffe writes that in the Afghan mountains, a company commander strives to gain the trust of frustrated villagers

Daily Telegraph – Royal Navy destroyer goes into service without missile system

A state of the art Royal Navy destroyer is to enter service without its vital missile system working in a move branded as “disgraceful” by a committee of MPs.

Virginian Pilot – Navy to proceed with undersea training range
The Navy announced Friday it would proceed with plans to construct an undersea water training range off the coast of Jacksonville, Fla.

Navy Times – Navy was tracking Chinese sub

Two defense officials have confirmed that the crew aboard the destroyer John S. McCain was tracking the submarine that struck its towed sonar array June 10 in the South China Sea off the Philippines.

New York Times – Erratic Afghan Forces Pose Challenge to U.S. Goals

CJ Chiver’s latest report from Afghanistan.

BBC – Somali navy chief: World’s worst job?

If you think you face an uphill challenge at work today, spare a thought for Farah Ahmed Omar, the man in charge of Somalia’s navy.

New York Times – The Green Revolution(s)

Thomas Friedman describes how to undermine the the Iranian regime, using the same strategy that undermined the Soviet Union…

Associated Press – NKorean cargo ship could test new UN sanctions

A North Korean ship suspected of transporting weapons toward Myanmar, the Kang Nam left the port of North Korean port of Nampo a week ago, and the destroyer USS John S. McCain is following as it sails off the Chinese coast. The sailing sets up the first test of a new U.N. Security Council resolution that authorizes member states to inspect North Korean vessels suspected of carrying banned weapons or materials. The sanctions are punishment for an underground nuclear test the North carried out last month in defiance of past resolutions. It’s not clear exactly what the Kang Nam has on board, but it has transported illicit goods in the past. The North has said it would consider any interception “an act of war.”

Washington Post – Iran’s Struggle, and Ours

Robert D. Kaplan’s analysis of the current situation in Iran.

Associated Press – Officials deny that Air France black box signals have been received

French military ships searching for the black boxes of Flight 447 have detected sounds in the Atlantic Ocean but they are not from the Air France plane’s flight recorders, French officials said Tuesday.

Wall Street Journal – U.S. Keeps Close Eye On North Korean Ship

The US Navy continues to trail a North Korean cargo ship believed headed toward Myanmar, in part because U.S. officials worry that Pyongyang plans to transfer major weapons systems and possibly nuclear technologies to the repressive Southeast Asian country.

DefenseTech – Shipbuilding Program Is A Mess

Norman Polmar writes that the US Navy ship building program is a mess.

US Naval Institute Proceedings – Crisis of Confidence

The Navy – at its highest levels – needs to change the way it buys and builds its ships.

The Spectator – If We Lose Hearts And Minds, We Will Lose The War

David Kilcullen, the man who helped think up the strategy that saved Iraq, saysthat high-tech weaponry is not the answer in Afghanistan. Only a genuine partnership with the people can help us win.

US Naval Institute Proceedings – Arctic Melt: Reopening a Naval Frontier

Changes in the Arctic environment – no matter the cause – are a great national security concern.

Foreign Policy – The Revenge of Geography

Robert D. Kaplan writes that people and ideas influence events, but geography largely determines them, now more than ever. To understand the coming struggles, it’s time to dust off the Victorian thinkers who knew the physical world best. A journalist who has covered the ends of the Earth offers a guide to the relief map—and a primer on the next phase of conflict.