Daily Telegraph – Iran navy produces armed copy of Bladerunner 51 speedboat
Iran says it will mass produce armed replicas of the Bladerunner 51, the British-built speedboat hailed among the fastest in the world, for its navy in the Gulf.
Monthly Archives: August 2010
US Marines – Amphibious Ops Under Fire
Defense Technology International – Amphibious Ops Under Fire
Navy Undersecretary Bob Work gave an intense and PowerPoint-free summary of the “after-Afghanistan” future of the Marine Corps recently at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Vietnamese Navy – US and Vietnam stage joint naval activities
BBC – US and Vietnam stage joint naval activities
The US and Vietnam are conducting joint naval exercises in the South China Sea, a sign of increasing military ties between the two former enemies.
US Navy – Underwater guards? Forget SEALs, it's sea lions, dolphins
Florida Times – Underwater guards? Forget SEALs, it’s sea lions, dolphins
Boats with intimidating displays of weapons patrol the waters at the port at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base. But if underwater intruders elude a patrol boat’s sophisticated electronic surveillance, something else waits in the depths that Navy officials say cannot be fooled. For five years, 10 California sea lions and four Atlantic bottlenose dolphins have provided underwater security for Ohio-class submarines ported at Kings Bay as part of the Swimmer Interdiction Security System.
Iranian Navy – Iran navy equipped with four new submarines
AFP – Iran navy equipped with four new submarines
Iran’s navy on Sunday took delivery of four new mini submarines of the home-produced Ghadir class.
US Navy – U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones
CBS – U.S. Navy Successfully Uses Laser to Shoot Down Drones
The U.S. Navy has used a a laser weapon to shoot down four unmanned aerial vehicles in a test that rings up memories of Ronald Reagan’s “Star Wars” missile defense shield in the 1980s.
(Thanks to Jordan for the link!)
US Navy – Build Up Naval, Air Forces After Current Wars, Experts Say
Defense Technology International – Build Up Naval, Air Forces After Current Wars, Experts Say
A blue-ribbon panel of bipartisan national security experts is warning Congress that there should be no peace dividend after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, because U.S. naval and air forces will have to grow in light of China and North Korea.
Russian Navy – France To Build LHDs for Russia
Defense Technology International – France To Build LHDs for Russia
Russia is ordering two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships (or BPCs) from France, with contract talks now underway. The previously reported plan was formally confirmed by embattled French president Nicolas Sarkozy, in a speech to workers at the shipyard where the vessels are to be built.
Chinese Navy – Chinese missile could shift Pacific power balance
Associated Press – Chinese missile could shift Pacific power balance
U.S. naval planners are scrambling to deal with what analysts say is a game-changing weapon being developed by China – an unprecedented carrier-killing missile called the Dong Feng 21D that could be launched from land with enough accuracy to penetrate the defenses of even the most advanced moving aircraft carrier at a distance of more than 1,500 kilometers (900 miles).
Russian Navy- Caution, Helix on Deck
Defense Technology International – Caution, Helix on Deck
The Cold War must be over…Russian and Ukrainian Kamov Ka-27 Helix naval helicopters have been conducting deck landing trials on US Navy warships.
South Korean Navy – South Korea begins massive military drill
BBC – South Korea begins massive military drill
South Korea has launched its biggest-ever anti-submarine exercises, the military says, despite warnings of retaliation from the North.
Canadian Navy – Navy helicopter contract renegotiated
CBC – Navy helicopter contract renegotiated
The federal government is dropping key performance standards for navy helicopters due this fall in exchange for the manufacturer’s promise to guarantee another $80 million in work to Canadian aerospace.
(Thanks to Justin for the link!)
US Navy – U.S. nears key step in European defense shield against Iranian missiles
Washington Post – U.S. nears key step in European defense shield against Iranian missiles
Since last year, the Navy has been deploying Aegis-class destroyers and cruisers equipped with ballistic missile defense systems to patrol the Mediterranean Sea. The ships, featuring octagonal Spy-1 radars and arsenals of Standard Missile-3 interceptors, will form the backbone of Obama’s shield in Europe.
US Navy – Navy poised to pick builder of new Littoral Combat Ship this summer
Washington Post – Navy poised to pick builder of new Littoral Combat Ship this summer
The Navy plans to pick a winner this summer in the contest to build a new high-speed warship that can prowl close to shorelines as a vital part of future military strategy. But whether the service can live up to its promises to build an inexpensive ship that can do a variety of missions remains a big question, defense industry analysts and congressional leaders say.
Geopolitics / Arctic – Arming the Arctic
Defense Technology International – Arming the Arctic
The environmental changes occurring in the Arctic are as dramatic as they are significant for security cooperation and competition among Arctic nations. With the polar ice cap receding 25 percent since 1978, vast tracts of unexplored ocean rich with natural resources are opening up. In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated that the Arctic contains over 90 billion barrels of oil, 1,669 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and some 44 billion barrels of natural gas liquids—of which the USGS estimates a whopping 84 percent may wait “offshore.”
Royal Navy – Armed forces stunned by Trident bill
Daily Telegraph – Armed forces stunned by Trident bill
Defence chiefs have been left stunned and angry by the Treasury’s refusal to finance the £20 billion cost of replacing Britain’s ageing nuclear deterrent.
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