2009

World Naval Operational News Highlights

The ten most significant naval news stories / themes this year included:

• The ever-increasing piracy off of Somalia and the expanding, expensive and ultimately ineffectual response to it by the world’s navies. When will some country pass a law against piracy and start prosecuting and jailing these pirates?

• The continued ascent of the Chinese Navy, with its near-official declaration of its desire for an aircraft carrier during its 60th anniversary celebrations and with even more clues emerging as to how its anti-ship ballistic missile capability will work. When will the entire system be tested?

• The continued descent of the Russian Navy, with the future credibility of its ballistic missile submarine deterrent force in question as the Bulava missile fails test after test and as the Russian fleet turns to France as a supplier of amphibious assault ships. Will the Russians have to out source all their naval procurement in the future?

• India’s continuing pursuit of a modernized aircraft carrier force with the keel laying of its first indigenously built carrier. Will it be commissioned before the refurbished carrier Admiral Gorshkov is delivered to India from Russia?

• The continuing evisceration of the Royal Navy due to retargeting of funds to fight the war in Afghanistan. Will the two new carriers be completed before the funds run out and will there be any escorts left to screen them?

• The use by Israel of its navy for signaling it’s strategic retaliatory capabilities to Iran, in the form of its Dolphin-class submarines. How many nuclear-tipped cruise missiles do they carry?

• The increase in size and importance of the US and allied (Japanese) Aegis ballistic missile defense (BMD) force, especially in light of the decision not to deploy ground-based ballistic missile interceptors in Eastern Europe. How can the US Navy get BMD so right and the US Army get BMD so wrong?

• The conflicting sovereignty claims in the Arctic, as Russia heats up its claims to the region. Will the Russians back their claims with force – and if so exactly what deployable forces do they have?

• The Chinese lawfare campaign to upset traditional notions of freedom of navigation in order to deny foreign warships and aircraft access to its coastal waters. Can China win this campaign solely by scholarly articles and symposia?

• The mysterious at-sea collision between the British ballistic missile submarine HMS Vanguard and its French counterpart Le Triomphant. The silence surrounding this event was deafening. What exactly is the chance of two boomers running into each other accidentally in the middle of the ocean?

Statistics

In 2009, there were news stories linked to on 353 / 365 days – that is on 97% of the days.

In 2009, NOSI linked to 455 news stories.

In 2009, 104 of these stories (23%) were related to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, or U.S. Military Sealift Command.

In 2009, 180 of these stories (40%) were background stories.

The remaining 171 news stories (38%) covered the operational activities of 27 nation’s navies, coast guards, and marine corps:

Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Somalia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Vietnam

In 2009, 194,560 pages of information were read on NOSI by 122,852 users.

2008

World Naval Operational News Highlights

The ten most significant naval news stories / themes this year included:

• The increasing amount of piracy off of Somalia, and the increasingly ad-hoc response from the world’s navies. It seems the law needs to catch up with reality, and that there needs to be better coordination between the various navies in the region.

• The continued conflicting sovereignty claims in the Arctic, as global warming does its work. Can this be settled by a treaty?

• The increased emphasis on humanitarian operations by all navies. Unfortunately, this emphasis is for nought if the devastated country refuses assistance, as Burma did this year.

• The increased number of Russian Navy exercises in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Can petrodollars help it to keep increasing its tempo of deployments?

• The slow but steady ascent of the Chinese Navy on all fronts. Most interestingly, more clues emerged this year as to how its anti-ship ballistic missile capability works.

• The use of semisubmersibles to smuggle drugs into the U.S. What countermeasures can be effectively deployed against them?

• The MV-22 Osprey’s first successful deployment in Iraq. Will it be deployed to Afghanistan in 2009?

• The shoot-down of a faulty spy satellite by a US Navy cruiser. How widely deployed is this capability in the fleet today?

• The continuing lawfare over US Navy sonar use in training and the potential harm it does to marine mammals, referred this year all the way to the Supreme Court. How closely must the US military follow environmental laws?

• The continuing crisis in quality and quantity in US Navy ship building. Do the shipbuiders have no shame?

Statistics

In 2008, there were news stories linked to on 292 / 365 days – that is on 80% of the days.

In 2008, NOSI linked to 408 news stories.

In 2008, 114 of these stories (28%) were related to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, or U.S. Military Sealift Command.

In 2008, 152 of these stories (37%) were background stories.

The remaining 142 news stories (35%) covered the operational activities of 23 nation’s navies, coast guards, and marine corps:

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, United Kingdom

In 2008, 189,995 pages of information were read on NOSI by 115,850 users.

2007

World Naval Operational News Highlights

The ten most significant naval news stories / themes this year included:

• The US military’s recognition that climate change poses a security threat to the U.S. Most interesting was their recommendation that the U.S. government work to mitigate climate change.
• The Chinese anti-satellite test which showed that China has the capability to destroy satellites in low earth orbit. Could the U.S. Navy operate today without satellites?
• The Russian cyberwar waged against Estonia, which showed how wars in cyberspace will be conducted. Could the U.S. Navy have defended itself as well as the Estonians did?
• The success of the surge / Sunni Awakening in Iraq. Remember that the Sunni Awakening began in Anbar Province and was aided by the US Marines first.
• The seizure of Royal Navy personnel in the Gulf by Iran. Iran continues to take an offensive rather than defensive attitude in the Gulf.
• The growing sovereignty claims over the Northwest Passage. This year Russia planted a flag on the seabed there, the US Coast Guard opened a base there, and the Canadian Navy funded a class of arctic patrol ships intended to work there.
• The resurgence of the Russian Navy, funded by petrodollars. Long range patrol flights coupled with the first task force deployment to the Mediterranean Sea since Soviet times means the Russian Navy is (mildly) back.
• The decreasing size of the Royal Navy. Note though its two new aircraft carriers were formally funded this year.
• The deepening disaster of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Deepwater procurement program. It seems empowering contractors to oversee their own contracts was not such a great idea after all.
• The crisis in the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding program has come to a head with the canceling of follow-on Littoral Combat Ships due to massive cost overruns. Will the U.S. Navy finally take a more hands-on approach to its shipbuilding programs to keep costs down?

Statistics

In 2007, there were news stories linked to on 275 / 365 days – that is on 75% of the days.

In 2007, NOSI linked to 428 articles covering 394 news stories.

In 2007, 118 of these stories (30%) were related to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, or U.S. Military Sealift Command.

In 2007, 186 of these stories (47%) were background stories and 4 stories (1%) were historical stories.

The remaining 85 news stories (22%) covered the operational activities of 19 nation’s navies, coast guards, and marine corps:

Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, United Kingdom

In 2007, 177,202 pages of information were read on NOSI by 106,546 users.

2006

World Naval Operational News Highlights

The ten most significant naval news stories / themes this year included:

• The continued irrelevance of the US Navy to Fourth Generation Warfare. Nearly 4 years after the invasion of Iraq, the US Navy is finally ready to send a brown water / riverine unit to Iraq to patrol the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. What took so long and why was there no sense of urgency?
• The rising awareness within the US military on the best ways to conduct the war in Iraq, evidenced by the new joint manual by the US Marines / US Army entitled FM 3-24 / MCWP 3-33.5 – Counterinsurgency.
• The first successful naval attack by a Fourth Generation entity (Hezbollah) against an Israeli naval vessel with a land-based antiship missile, showing how Fourth Generation opponents can reach out and strike naval targets successfully.
• The rise of Iran as a preeminent regional power in the Persian Gulf, and the implications that could have in a naval conflict in the Persian Gulf.
• The continued slow but steady rise of the Chinese Navy – will it be peaceful – or not?
• The increasing ballistic missile defense capability being forward-deployed at sea by the US Navy.
• The failure of the SeaSwap manning initiative in the US Navy, which shows that too much efficiency can sometimes be a bad thing.
• The successful use of lawfare, by environmental groups, to impede US Navy use of low frequency active sonar systems.
• The slow fading away of the Royal Navy, due to continued deep budget cuts.
• The US Marine Corps devising ways to (literally) shoot troops anywhere around the Earth in a few hours using rockets, showing that long-term planning and thinking is still thankfully alive and well in the Marine Corps…

Statistics

In 2006, there were news stories linked to on 270 / 365 days – that is on 74% of the days.

In 2006, NOSI linked to 556 articles covering 505 news stories.

In 2006, 171 of these stories (34%) were related to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, or U.S. Military Sealift Command.

In 2006, 201 of these stories (40%) were background stories and 17 stories (3%) were historical stories.

The remaining 116 news stories (23%) covered the operational activities of 20 nation’s navies, coast guards, and marine corps:

Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, United Kingdom

In 2006, 216,179 pages of information were read on NOSI by 119,473 users.

2005

World Naval Operational News Highlights

The operational story of the year was the occupation of Iraq, and the tremendous challenges it continues to face due to the lack of planning for the post-combat phase of the war.

• Several recurring themes were identified throughout this year’s naval news stories, many of which persist from last year:
• Continuing piracy on the high seas, particularly off of Africa, that is beginning to be slowly addressed.
• The threats terrorists pose to ships.
• The continuing rise of the Indian Navy, backed by an extensive ship building program and naval exercise schedule.
• The acknowledgment that China is becoming a rising naval power, as China recognizes the importance of protecting its sea lines of communication in order to protect its economic development.
• The inability of the U.S. Navy to articulate and commit to a consistent ship building program.
• The dangerous nature of submarine operations, evidenced this year by the collision of the USS San Francisco with an undersea mountain and the fire on board a Chinese submarine exercising in the South China Sea.
• Concern over the damaging effect that low frequency active sonar has on marine mammals.
• Significant naval operations this year included:
• Extensive naval assistance in operations other than war including the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Bon Homme Richard along with assets of the Royal Navy / Royal Australian Navy / French Navy in the Indonesian tsunami relief effort in January, the USS Bataan in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort in August, the USS Iwo Jima in the Hurricane Rita relief effort in September, and the US Marine’s Pakistan earthquake relief effort in October.
• There was no ship-to-ship combat this year.
• The most significant operational naval news story of the year was the Israeli Navy exercising with NATO forces for the first time.
• The naval training story of the year was the assignment of US Marine forces to the US Special Operations Command, where they will assume a large role in training foreign militaries.
• The most significant personnel naval news story this year was that some US Marine units are now serving their third combat tour in Iraq, and this is putting a huge strain on them professionally, personally, and psychologically.
• The most dramatic naval news story of the year was the English rescue of a Russian Navy minisub crew which was tangled in fishing nets in the Russian Far East.
• The most disappointing naval news story of the year was the documentation of continued deficiencies in the Advanced SEAL delivery system mini-submarine, which render it effectively non-operational.
• The naval procurement story of the year is the continued saga of the former Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag. Is China refitting it for operational use?
• The naval aviation story of the year was the last combat cruise of the F-14 Tomcat fighter in the US Navy.
• The most ignored naval news story of the year remains port security in the U.S., or the lack thereof.
• The most surprising naval news story of the year was Japan allowing a US nuclear powered aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, to be homeported there for the first time.
• The most welcome naval news story of the year was the slow redevelopment of the US Navy’s brown water riverine naval capabilities, for use in Iraq.
• The most technically significant naval news story of the year was the first successful use of a nonlethal sonic weapon to protect a cruise ship from a pirate attack off of Somalia.
• The most bizarre naval news story of the year was Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi dictating the operational deployment of the hospital ship USNS Comfort to benefit his constituents during Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
• The quietest naval story of the year was the extensive war planning underway in the US for strikes against Iran to neutralize its nuclear weapons capability.
• And finally, the naval news story of the year with the most potential long term significance for the third year in a row was the continued rise of 4th Generation Warfare techniques in Iraq and Afghanistan. How will the U.S. effectively address 4th Generation Warfare?

Statistics

In 2005, there were news stories linked to on 308 / 365 days – that is on 84% of the days.

In 2005, NOSI linked to 864 articles covering 777 news stories.

In 2005, 343 of these stories (44%) were related to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, or U.S. Military Sealift Command.

In 2005, 236 of these stories (30%) were background stories and 51 stories (7%) were historical stories.

The remaining 147 news stories (19%) covered the operational activities of 24 nation’s navies, coast guards, and marine corps:

Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Netherlands, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom

In 2005, 254,437 pages of information were read on NOSI by 136,797 users.

2004

World Naval Operational News Highlights

The operational story of the year was the occupation of Iraq, and the tremendous challenges it has faced due to the lack of planning for the post-combat phase of the war, as documented in numerous articles this year. I believe that history will judge harshly the CENTCOM CINC, Secretary of Defense, and President for their lack of attention to this planning.

The strategic story of the year was Thomas P.M. Barnett’s strategic vision outlined in his book, “The Pentagon’s New Map.” I believe it outlines a strategic plan for the United States and the world that replaces the Cold War strategy of containment with a strategy for making globalization global, and that it therefore outlines a “future worth creating” for the world.

• Several recurring themes were identified throughout this year’s naval news stories, many of which persist from last year:
• Continuing piracy on the high seas, particularly in the South China Sea, that is beginning to be slowly addressed.
• The threats terrorists pose to ships.
• The tension in the Taiwanese Straits between Taiwan and China.
• The question of whether or not China is becoming a rising naval power.
• The realignment of U.S. Navy bases and forces around the world.
• The inability of the U.S. Navy to articulate and commit to a consistent ship building program.
• The inability of the Russian Navy to safely and successfully exercise at sea.
• The dangerous nature of submarine operations, evidenced this year by the fire on board the newly commissioned HMCS Chicoutimi.
• Concern over the damaging effect that low frequency active sonar has on marine mammals.
• Significant naval operations this year included:
• Exercise Summer Pulse 04 in which the U.S. Navy put its Fleet Response Plan into action for the first time, sending seven Carrier Strike Groups (formerly Carrier Battle Groups) to sea simultaneously around the world.
• Exercise Team Samurai, off of Korea, the first exercise involving the nations of the Proliferation Security Initiative, which is dedicated to stopping shipments of weapons of mass destruction at sea.
• The most professional amphibious operations of the year was the redeployment of the U.S. First Marine Division to Iraq to assist in the occupation. Unfortunately, the First Marine Division’s much vaunted “low-key” approach to occupation was never given a chance as soon after the Marines arrived in country, Fallujah exploded in violence.
• Dispatch of a Marine Expeditionary Unit to Haiti for peacekeeping.
• Dispatch of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to Afghanistan to assist in hunting down the Taliban.
• Dispatch of the Royal Marines 40 Commando to Iraq to assist in the occupation.
• The tracking and identification of a Chinese submarine which entered Japanese territorial waters by the Japanese Maritime Self Defense force.
• There was no ship-to-ship combat of the year.
• The most significant operational naval news story of the year was the successful first test of the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Response Plan.
• The naval training story of the year was the increasing use of simulators to train personnel before and after they go to sea.
• The most strategically significant naval news story of the year was the stationing of an Aegis-equipped U.S. warship off the Sea of Japan so as to contribute its sensors to the U.S. ballistic missile defense program.
• The most significant personnel naval news story this year was that the U.S. Navy’s Sea Swap program has been found to undercut morale, and if it is to be successful in the the long term it must be modified.
• The most tragic naval news story of the year was the loss of life aboard the HMCS Chicoutimi.
• The most intriguing naval news story of the year was the near mutiny aboard the nuclear submarine HMS Trafalgar over safety concerns. This would have been the Royal Navy’s first mutiny in over 200 years.
• The most humorous naval news story of the year is the continuing Taiwanese submarine saga – will they or won’t they order them?
• The most bizarre naval news story of the year was the attempted sale of the Brazilian aircraft carrier Minas Gerais on eBay.
• The procurement story of the year is the continued shrinking in size of the Royal Navy, to help pay for its future aircraft carriers.
• The naval aviation story of the year was the choice of Boeing to produce the U.S. Navy’s Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA), which may eventually replace the P-3 Orion in many navies around the world.
• The most ignored story of the year remains port security in the U.S., or the lack thereof.
• The most surprising story of the year was Russia sending warships to join NATO’s antiterrorist patrol in the Mediterranean Sea. This is a concrete step in closer counter-terrorism cooperation between Russia and NATO.
• The most technically significant naval news story of the year was the increasing promise and potential demonstrated by underwater autonomous vehicles.
• The quietest naval story of the year was the continued tracking, by coalition navies, of cargo ships belonging to Al Qaeda. What is on these ships, where are they going, and what has become of them?
• The most insulting naval news story was that hundreds of Commonwealth troops working in sensitive positions in the British Armed Forces have been ordered to adopt British nationality or lose their jobs.
• And finally, the naval news story of the year with the most potential long term significance for the second year in a row was the continued rise of 4th Generation Warfare techniques in Iraq and Afghanistan. How will the U.S. effectively address 4th Generation Warfare?

Statistics

In 2004, there were news stories linked to on 320 / 365 days – that is on 88% of the days.

In 2004, NOSI linked to 1,058 articles covering 1,002 news stories.

In 2004, 436 of these stories (44%) were related to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, or U.S. Military Sealift Command.

In 2004, 268 of these stories (27%) were background stories and 59 stories (6%) were historical stories.

The remaining 298 news stories (30%) covered the operational activities of 33 nation’s navies, coast guards, and marine corps:

Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, India, Indonesia, Iraq (Coast Guard), Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia (Navy and Coast Guard), New Zealand, Nigeria, North Korea, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom (Navy and Marines)

In 2004, 209,986 pages of information were read on NOSI by 115,315 users.

2003

World Naval Operational News Highlights

Overall, it is fascinating to reflect on just how correct open source intelligence stories were in 2003 in regards to what has subsequently transpired in Iraq. The stories NOSI covered described precisely the buildup of forces and logistics in theater, the evolution of the war plan, and accurately predicted the challenges the U.S. would face in a post-Saddam Iraq.

• Several recurring themes were identified throughout this year’s naval news stories, many of which persist from last year:
• Yet another navy running out of operating funds. The Canadian Navy will effectively take 2004 off, to rest and recuperate from the high level of operations it has been conducting in the Persian Gulf.
• Continuing piracy on the high seas, particularly in the South China Sea.
• The tension in the Taiwanese Straits between Taiwan and China, with China continuing to probe Taiwanese territorial waters with spy ships.
• The growing Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean.
• Territorial disputes over islands in the South China Sea, such as the Spratly Islands.
• Territorial disputes in the Caspian Sea, based upon oil drilling rights to the vast oil riches in the region.
• The threats terrorists pose to ships.
• The dangerous nature of submarine operations, evidenced this year by the mysterious loss of the Ming-class Chinese submarine’s crew, but not the submarine off of China and the loss of the decommissoned Russian November-class submarine while being towed for scrapping.
• Concern over the damaging effect that low frequency active sonar has on marine mammals.
• Concern that the decaying former Soviet Navy nuclear submarine force tied up at dock is having a damaging effect on the marine environment.
• Significant naval operations this year included:
• Coalition naval operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• The most professional amphibious operations of the year were the U.S. First Marine Division’s drive on Baghdad and the Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade’s (40 and 42 Commando) drive on Basra during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Interestingly, every available Amphibious Ready Group in both navies sortied for Iraq early in the year to contribute forces for the campaign.
• The continued joint operations against terrorism at sea lead by the Spanish Navy in the Horn of Africa (Task Force – 150) and the Canadian Navy in the Persian Gulf (Task Force – 151).
• The resumption of ballistic missile submarine deterrent patrols by the Russian Navy after a hiatus of one year.
• The continued right-sizing of the Russian Navy, with its at-sea naval exercising slowly increasing in number and size, especially illustrated by its exercises in the Indian Ocean this year.
• The use of amphibious ships by the French to quickly move peacekeeping troops into the Ivory Coast.
• The U.S. Navy’s introduction of the Expeditionary Strike Group, an evolutionary expansion of the Amphibious Ready Group, thus creating a far more capable power projection platform.
• The only ship-to-ship combat of the year was the continuing conflict between Sri Lankan and Tamil Tiger gunboats and a few brief skirmishes at the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
• The most significant operational naval news story of the year was the U.S. Navy’s abandonment of its traditional 6 month at sea deployment patterns of aircraft carrier battlegroups and expeditionary strike groups. The reason for this is the desire to be able to surge large number of ships into combat zones at times of crisis, rather than be constrained by what the fixed 6 month deployment patterns make available at the time of a crisis.
• The naval training story of the year was the replacement of the U.S. Navy training area on Vieques island, in Puerto Rico with a number of alternative training bases along the U.S. Eastern and Gulf coasts. So far, the U.S. Navy does not appear to be suffering ill effects from the change.
• The most strategically significant naval news story of the year is the near-confirmation by the U.S. that the Israeli Navy does possess a nuclear deterrent capability in the form of nuclear-tipped land attack Harpoon cruise missiles in their Dolphin-class submarines.
• The most significant personnel naval news story this year was the U.S. Navy’s success in obtaining more underway days in theater from its ships by forward basing and dual-crewing more of them.
• The most tragic naval news story of the year was the loss of life in the submarine accidents in the Chinese and Russian navies.
• The most intriguing naval news story of the year was the proposed naval blockade of North Korea, by a coalition of nations lead by the U.S., for the purpose of blocking ballistic missile proliferation. Will this blockade be implemented in 2004?
• The most humorous naval news story of the year was the formal committment by the Royal Navy to construct two new aircraft carriers operating F-35 aircraft; and then the near-immediate back pedaling as to their expected size and capabilities. Is the U.K. committed to building an effective aircraft carrier, or not?
• The most bizarre naval news story of the year was that Russia is considering the use of Typhoon-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines as tankers.
• The procurement story of the year is Taiwan’s on-again, off-again purchase of attack submarines and Kidd-class destroyers from the U.S..
• The most ignored story of the year remains port security in the U.S., or the lack thereof.
• The most surprising story of the year was the formation of a standing European Union naval force, which will always have an English, French, Spanish, or Italian aircraft carrier assigned to it.
• The most technically significant naval news story of the year was the emergence of working prototypes of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) that promise to revolutionize naval warfare in the same way their counterparts in the air, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are revolutionizing warfare on the land and in the air.
• The most interesting naval experiment of the year along with the newly deployed naval weapon of the year was the U.S. Navy’s deployment of HSV-X1 Joint Venture during Operation Iraqi Freedom in support of mine clearing and special operations.
• The quietest naval story of the year was the continued tracking, by coalition navies, of cargo ships belonging to Al Qaeda. What is on these ships, where are they going, and what has become of them?
• The non-story of the year was the electromagnetic pulse weapon. After a big buildup of how they were going to be used in the “shock and awe” phase of the campaign in Iraq, they were never heard from again. Something to file away for the Next War?
• The most insulting naval news story was the Bush Administration’s attempted character assassination of retired Marine General Anthony Zinni, former CENTCOM CINC, who has been highly critical of the decision to attack Iraq and the handling of Iraq’s post war affairs…the administration should not confuse dissent with disloyalty…
• And finally, the naval news story of the year with the most potential long term significance was the continued rise of 4th Generation Warfare techniques in Iraq and Afghanistan. How will the US effectively address 4th Generation Warfare?

Statistics

In 2003, there were news stories linked to on 344 / 365 days – that is on 94% of the days.

In 2003, NOSI linked to 1,326 articles covering 1,221 news stories.

In 2003, 551 of these stories (45%) were related to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, or U.S. Military Sealift Command.

In 2003, 359 of these stories (29%) were background stories and 27 stories (2%) were historical stories.

The remaining 284 news stories (23%) covered the operational activities of 35 nation’s navies, coast guards, and marine corps:

Algeria, Al-Qaeda, Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, Greece (Navy and Coast Guard), Guyana, Netherlands (Marines), India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom (Navy and Marines)

In 2003, 209,699 pages of information were read on NOSI by 90,017 users.

2002

World Naval Operational News Highlights

Overall, I think it is quite interesting to reflect on just how correct open source intelligence stories were in 2002 in regards to what has subsequently transpired in Iraq. The stories NOSI covered described precisely the buildup of forces and logistics in theater, the evolution of the war plan, and predicted accurately the challenges the U.S. would face in a post-Saddam Iraq.

• Several recurring themes were identified throughout this year’s naval news stories, many of which persist from last year:
• Yet another navy running out of operating funds. This year it was the Portuguese Navy, which ran out of money to operate in March and had to return to port.
• Continued piracy on the high seas, particularly in the South China Sea. This year, however, increased patrols in the Straits of Malacca by the Indonesian, Malaysian, Indian, and U.S. navies have led to some decrease in the amount of piracy.
• The tension in the Taiwanese Straits between Taiwan and China, with China continuing to probe Taiwanese territorial waters with spy ships.
• Territorial disputes over islands in the South China Sea, such as the Spratly Islands. This year the USS Bowditch, a survey ship, did its best to assert the U.S. Navy’s right to freedom of navigation in this region.
• Territorial disputes in the Caspian Sea, based upon oil drilling rights to the vast oil riches in the region.
• The threats terrorists pose to ships, this year demonstrated through stories about terrorist plots to attack shipping in the Straits of Gibraltar, and the terrorist attack against the French tanker Limburg off of Yemen.
• The dangerous nature of submarine operations, evidenced this year with a fire about the USS Dolphin and many continued teething problems with Canada’s Upholder-class submarines.
• Concern over the damaging effect that low frequency active sonar has on marine mammals.
• Concern that the decaying former Soviet Navy nuclear submarine force tied up at dock is having a damaging effect on the marine environment.
• Significant naval operations this year included:
• The continued joint operations against terrorism at sea lead by the German Navy in the Horn of Africa and the Royal Australian Navy in the Persian Gulf.
• The most professional amphibious operation of the year was the use of the Royal Marines 45 Commando to hunt down Taliban troops in Afghanistan.
• The use of a combined arms force by the Spanish Navy to evict Moroccan troops from Spanish islands off of Morocco.
• The most significantly averted combat of the year was the near-war between India and Pakistan due to heightened tensions in Kashmir. Both navies had sortied from their bases; interestingly the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle played a roll in deconflicting the two sides.
• The only ship-to-ship combat of the year was the continuing conflict between Sri Lankan and Tamil Tiger gunboats and a sharp, brief battle between North and South Korean gunboats.
• The naval training story of the year was the loss to the U.S. Navy of the training area on Vieques island, in Puerto Rico. The long term effect of this upon U.S. forces will need to be watched carefully.
• The most strategically significant naval news story of the year is the continued move by China to position itself near strategic naval choke points through the acquisition of commercial port facilities near them.
• The most significant personnel naval news story this year was the U.S. Navy’s intention to obtain more underway days in theater from its ships by forward basing and dual-crewing more of them.
• The most narrowly averted naval disaster of the year was the fire about the research submarine USS Dolphin, which luckily occurred close to shore.
• The most intriguing naval news story of the year was the Spanish Navy’s seizure at sea, at the bequest of the U.S., of a cargo ship carrying SCUD missiles from North Korea. The U.S. later allowed the cargo ship to deliver the SCUD missiles to their destination, Yemen, as it is an ally of the U.S. What is the official U.S. position on the proliferation of ballistic missiles?
• The most humorous naval news story of the year was the Royal New Zealand Navy’s use of rented civilian jet warbirds to simulate enemy attacks during training, now that New Zealand’s air force has disposed of its fighter aircraft.
• The procurement story of the year is India’s on-again, off-again purchase of the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov.
• The most ignored story of the year is port security in the U.S., or the lack thereof.
• The most surprising story of the year was the deployment of the command ship USS Mount Whitney, nicknamed the “USS Never Sail,” to the Horn of Africa for 7 months to head up the U.S. war on terrorism in the Horn of Africa.
• The most technically significant naval news story of the year was the new and unique uses that the U.S. Navy’s P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft community was devising for their aircraft, including its use as a ground surveillance platform in Afghanistan.
• The most interesting naval experiment of the year were the U.S.’ experiments with high speed transport vessels – the U.S. Marine Corps with its HSV WestPac Express and the U.S. Army with its HSV-X1 Joint Venture.
• The newly deployed naval weapon of the year was the F-18E Hornet, which made its first cruise on the USS Abraham Lincoln.
• The quietest naval story of the year was the near-war between India and Pakistan due to heightened tensions in Kashmir with both navies deploying on war footings.
• The non-story of the year was that of the new U.S. aircraft carrier CVN-77, which will not be built to a radically different design as initially proposed, but instead will be the last of the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.
• The most insulting naval news story was the naming of the next U.S. aircraft carrier after former president George H.W. Bush. The politicization of the naming of U.S. Navy ships has truly reached a new low.
• And finally, the naval news story of the year with the most potential long term significance was the Royal Navy’s decision to scrap its Sea Harrier fleet and leave it’s aircraft carriers unequipped with interceptor aircraft. Is this a creeping beginning of the end for the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier program?

Statistics

In 2002, there were news stories linked to on 351 / 365 days – that is on 96% of the days.

In 2002, NOSI linked to 1,673 articles covering 1,529 news stories.

In 2002, 614 of these stories (40%) were related to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, or U.S. Military Sealift Command.

In 2002, 305 of these stories (20%) were background stories and 27 stories (2%) were historical stories.

The remaining 583 news stories (38%) covered the operational activities of 53 nation’s navies, coast guards, and marine corps:

Argentinean, Bangladeshi, Burmese, Canadian, Chilean, Chinese, Columbian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Indian, Indonesia, Iranian, Iraqi, Irish, Israeli, Italian, Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, Japanese Coast Guard, Malaysian Navy, Malaysian Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, Myanarese, NATO, Nigerian, Omani, Pakistan, Palestinian, Phillipine Navy, Phillipine Marines, Portuguese, Romanian, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Marines, Royal New Zealand Navy, Russian, Singaporean, South African, South Korean, Spanish, Swedish, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, Taiwanese Marines, Thai, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, US Military Sealift Command, US Navy, Venezuelan

In 2002, 175,462 pages of information were read on NOSI by 67,242 users.

2001

World Naval Operational News Highlights

• The biggest story this year was the huge role that US and allied navies have played in the war on terrorism.
• Several recurring themes were identified throughout this year’s naval news stories, many of which persist from last year:
• The continuing enforcement of economic sanctions and no-fly zones against Iraq, who remains able to successfully circumvent the economic sanctions on the exporting of oil.
• The Russian Navy promising – and failing – to rebound from its doldrums, this year abandoning its base in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam.
• Piracy in the South China Sea, which is worsening as Indonesia descends into anarchy.
• The tension in the Taiwanese Straits between Taiwan and China.
• Further consolidation of the US ship building industry.
• The ascendency of the Indian Navy, demonstrated during this year’s International Fleet Review, and its suprising new alliance with the US Navy.
• Territorial disputes over islands in the South China Sea, such as the Spratly Islands, which is what the EP-3 was really investigating.
• Clampdown on the entry of illegal immigrants into countries, evidenced by the aggressive actions of the Malaysian and Royal Australian navies.
• Underfunding of the US Coast Guard, which was unable to meet its missions before September 11, let alone after that date.
• The woes of the MV-22 Osprey, which is desperately needed to replace the US Marines aging rotary wing force.
• Concern over the damaging effect that certain types of sonars have on marine mammals.
• The most professional amphibious operation of the year was the landing of US Marine Expeditionary Units within Afghanistan, several hundred miles from the sea.
• The only ship-to-ship combat of the year was between the Sri Lankan Navy and the Tamil Tigers; and the Japanese Coast Guard and the (presumed) North Korean Navy.
• The most intriguing naval news story of the year was that US nuclear attack submarines continue to carry out clandestine intelligence missions to place taps on undersea fiber optics cables to intercept data traffic on them.
• The most strategically significant naval news story of the year is the “coming out” of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force with its first overseas deployment outside Japan since World War II, and how it may serve in the future as a counter balance to the Chinese Navy.
• The most technically significant naval news story this year was the rise of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, and what its maritime applications will be, as demonstrated by the Global Hawk’s demonstration flight to Australia early in the year.
• The most narrowly averted naval disaster of the year was the downing of the US Navy EP-3 intelligence aircraft by the Chinese Air Force, and the continuing harrassment of US intelligence aircraft since that incident.
• The most tragic naval news story of the year was the accidental sinking of the Japanese fishing trawler by the USS Greeneville.
• The most bizarre naval news story of the year was the inabilty of the Swedish Navy to go to sea for the last 7 months of the year because it had been banned from allowing its sailors to work overtime.
• The most humorous naval news story of the year was the plight of the former Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag, which waited for years for permission to transit the Bosphorus Strait, and after doing so, broke its tow and went adrift for some distance in the Aegean before being successfully taken in tow again.
• The most technically impressive naval news story of the year was the raising of the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk from the sea bed and her return to port for scrapping.
• The quietest naval story of the year was the cancelation of the US Navy’s DD-21 class destroyers. This program seemed to have no clear supporters to oppose its cancelation.
• The non-story of the year was the US defense review, which never reached any solid conclusions are resulted in any definite plans.
• And finally, the naval news story of the year with the most potential long term significance was the dangerous overemphasis placed on avoiding collateral damage when making targeting decisions in Afghanistan by the US. What targets were missed in the name of “safety?”

Statistics

In 2001, there were news stories linked to on 311 / 365 days – that is on 85% of the days.

In 2001, NOSI linked to 1,077 articles covering 916 news stories.

The news stories linked to covered the operational activities of 43 nation’s navies, coast guards, and marine corps:

United States – 396 stories

United Kingdom – 75 stories

Russia – 54 stories

Australia – 30 stories

India – 29 stories

Canada – 21 stories

Taiwan – 20 stories

China – 14 stories

Japan – 12 stories

France – 9 stories

Malaysia – 9 stories

Sri Lanka – 6 stories

South Korea – 6 stories

Pakistan – 5 stories

Phillipines – 5 stories

Israel – 4 stories

Iran – 3 stories

Italy – 3 stories
Indonesia – 3 stories

Singapore – 3 stories
New Zealand – 3 stories
Turkey – 2 stories

Romania – 2 stories
Tamil Sea Tigers – 2 stories
Egypt – 2 stories

Argentina, Bahrain, Chile, Columbia, Denmark, Ghana, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Nigeria, North Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela – 1 story

…and 117 Background news stories

In 2001, 92,436 pages of information were read on NOSI by 39,079 users.

2000

World Naval Operational News Highlights

• Several recurring themes were identified in this year’s naval news stories:
• Iraq’s successful attempts to circumvent the United Nations
  economic sanctions on the exporting of oil.
• The crisis in readiness, especially in the navies of the United
  States, United Kingdom, Russia, and Canada.
• Piracy in the South China Sea.
• The standoff in the Taiwanese Straits between Taiwan and China.
• Ship handling accidents in the United States Navy.
• The ascendency of Indian Navy.
• Territorial disputes over islands in the South China Sea, such as the Spratly Islands.
• Support for Operations Other Than War including the Royal Navy and French Navy in Mozambique
  and Madagascar, the Royal Navy in Sierra Leone, and the Royal Australian Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy in the Solomon Islands.
• The most professional combined arms operation of the year was the deployment of British forces to Sierra Leone to attempt to restore stability to the country.
• The only ship-to-ship combat of the year was between the Sri Lankan Navy and the Tamil Tigers.
• The most intriguing naval news story of the year is whether or not Israel has developed a sea based nuclear deterrent in the form of nuclear tipped cruise missiles on its new Dolphin-class submarines.
• The most strategically significant naval news story of the year is the possibility that the US may have to turn its base on Diego Garcia back over to the native Chagos islanders who were unlawfully evicted from the island in the 1960’s.
• The most narrowly averted naval disaster of the year was the serious problem found in the cooling system of the nuclear reactor on the Royal Navy’s nuclear attack submarines.
• The most tragic naval news stories of the year was the sinking of the Russian nuclear attack submarine Kursk with the loss of all hands, and the terrorist attack on the guided missile destroyer USS Cole with heavy loss of life.
• The most bizarre naval news story of the year was the construction of a midget submarine in the mountains of Columbia, to be used by drug smugglers, with assistance from Russian nationals.
• The most humorous naval operation of the year was the sight of the Canadian Navy undertaking an operation to recapture Canadian Army equipment from a transport ship’s crew which was holding it hostage in order to be reimbursed for its transport from Kosovo to Canada.
• And finally, the naval news story of the year with the most potential long term significance was the unsuccessful attempt of Argentinians to sue the British government over the sinking of the cruiser General Belgrano in the Falklands War. Will the wars of the future be refought in the court room, rather than in the simulator room?

Statistics

NOSI was launched on February 18, 2000.

In 2000, there were news stories linked to on 208 / 318 days – that is on 65% of the days.

In 2000, NOSI linked to 559 articles covering 468 news stories. On December 31, 2000, each link was
checked to see if it was still working. 139 / 567 links, or 25% were
broken.

The news stories linked to covered the operational activities of 32 nation’s navies, coast guards, and marine corps:

United States – 178 stories

Russia – 77 stories

United Kingdom – 74 stories

India – 44 stories

Canada – 22 stories

Australia – 21 stories

China – 16 stories

France – 15 stories

Taiwan – 14 stories

Sri Lanka – 13 stories

Indonesia – 8 stories

Japan – 8 stories

Nigeria – 6 stories

South Africa – 6 stories

Iran – 5 stories

New Zealand – 4 stories

Israel – 4 stories

Columbia – 4 stories

Pakistan – 3 stories

Phillipines – 3 stories

Suriname – 2 stories

Malaysia – 2 stories

Brazil – 2 stories

Ukraine – 2 stories

Mauritania – 1 story

North Korea – 1 story

Portugal – 1 story

Poland – 1 story

Turkey – 1 story

Uruguay – 1 story

Yugoslavia – 1 story

South Korea – 1 story

…and 26 Background news stories

In 2000, 18,205 pages of information were read on NOSI by 8,612 users.