USNI News – Spreading the construction of the Trump-class battleship across several different manufacturing locations is key to the Navy’s current plan to build the almost three-football-field-long warship, a service official said this week.
The US Navy is full speed ahead on building a laser fleet
Defense News – Operation Epic Fury may have strengthened the case for directed energy weapons, but the U.S. Navy’s dream of putting “a laser on every ship” may take significantly longer than expected to realize.
Beehive may be another Dreadnought moment
UK Defence Journal – Project Beehive is the £12.3 million programme putting Kraken USVs into the hands of the Coastal Forces Squadron and 47 Commando Royal Marines. It was designed as a proving ground, somewhere to test ideas with real hardware in real conditions, and Ballard is open about the uncertainty on where this will lead, telling me, “I have this phrase when I walk around Navy command headquarters. Let’s have some humility and go, I don’t know.”
Australia begins life extension effort for Collins submarines, announces A$11 billion cost over ten years
Naval News – The Australian government on 19 May 2026 has officially announced the launch of the so-called “life of type extension effort” (LOTE) for the six Collins-class submarines operational with the Australian Navy. The event marks a significant milestone in a lengthy and convoluted history of modernising these submarines, while a new design could eventually replace the boats. Naval News provides an overview on the background and present scope for this project intended to keep the six submarines operational into the 2040s.
Canadian Military Abandons Long-Delayed Nanisivik Naval Facility in the Arctic
ReadyAyeReady – The Department of National Defence (DND) today announced it is shuttering the Nanisivik Naval Facility on northern Baffin Island, Nunavut, placing the troubled Harper-era project into non-operational “caretaker status” and initiating a review for potential divestment. The decision marks the effective end of a nearly two-decade effort to establish a permanent refuelling and berthing station in the High Arctic.
Strait of Hormuz escort missions would ‘exceed’ Navy’s capacity, CNO says
Breaking Defense – The Navy doesn’t have the bandwidth to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Navy’s top officer.
Navy SEALs In Mini-Submarines Teamed With Underwater Drones In The Works
The War Zone – Pairing uncrewed underwater vehicles and SEALs in submersibles opens the door to new operational possibilities, but there are challenges.
These American Destroyers Are Equipped With Laser Weapons
The War Zone – The U.S. Navy has placed directed energy systems on nine surface combatants and is looking to expand testing and deployment of similar systems across the fleet.
RFA head of service outlines workforce recovery and plan to return ships to sea
Navy Lookout – The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is on course to crew a seventh ship later this year after a deliberate decision to reduce the operational fleet to address a serious personnel shortfall. Commodore Sam Shattock, head of service, speaking at the Combined Naval Event, set out progress on retention, recruitment and the pathway to restoring full operational capacity.
Balikatan 2026 was Rehearsal for Defense of the Philippines, Paparo Says
USNI News – Balikatan 2026 was a rehearsal for the defense of the Philippines amid a “dangerous security environment,” U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. Samuel Paparo said at the conclusion of the largest iteration of the drills held to date.
Massive U.S. Missile Order May Expand American Anti-Ship Arsenal
Naval News – The Pentagon’s order of over 10,000 Low-Cost Containerized Missiles (LCCM) has the potential to expand Washington’s arsenal of anti-ship munitions, with designs from the five awarded defense contractors capable of accommodating or planned to incorporate dedicated maritime-launch and strike variants.
Sweden Chooses Unusual French Design For Its New Frigates
The War Zone – The security situation in Europe led Sweden to choose the in-production FDI design, but it will be packed with Swedish weapon systems.
Hydrogen-fueled drone submarine with 17 sensors could scan Hormuz for naval mines
Interesting Engineering – A European defense technology company has just unveiled the world’s longest-endurance unmanned submarine, which can remain submerged for up to four months without the need for a support vessel.
(Thanks to Alain)
Seabed War: Russia’s Secretive Defence Units and Undersea Sabotage Architecture
RUSI – Classified Russian government document revelations add to concerns that the adversarial nation’s undersea threat is both acute and invested towards a further-reaching campaign.
A Greek Hellenic Navy Type-214 Submarine Surfaced In The Aegean Sea After Becoming Entangled With Fishing Nets
National Security Journal – A Greek Hellenic Navy Type-214 submarine surfaced in the Aegean Sea after becoming entangled — or potentially nearly entangled — with the nets of a civilian fishing trawler. The incident occurred during the Kataigis 26 (“Storm 26”) naval exercise on Thursday. The submarine was operating submerged in waters between Andros and Tinos when it detected a nearby fishing vessel.
(Thanks to Alain)
The Navy Needs Precise Mass and Here Is How to Get There
War on the Rocks – Investing in medium autonomous warships, lower-cost long-range munitions, and surface drones is not about affordably generating the volume and diversity of effects necessary to survive and fight in a contested environment. The Navy should treat these capabilities not as adjuncts to the existing fleet but as central components of future maritime power.
Turkey unveils its first domestically built mini-submarine
Defence Blog – Turkey unveiled its first domestically built mini-submarine at SAHA Expo 2026, a milestone that Istanbul Technical University-based defense company Datum Submarine Technologies announced after completing the vessel’s first dive tests off the coast of Karamürsel on April 14, 2026.
(Thanks to Alain)
Hellscape Defense in Taiwan: Would it Work?
Modern War Institute – Discussions regarding the defense of Taiwan increasingly feature the idea that low-cost emerging technologies are an answer to China’s geopolitical position and overwhelming military might.
Iran claims it deployed small submarines to cause more chaos in Strait of Hormuz
New York Post – A top Iranian navy commander claimed the Islamic Republic has deployed some of its small submarines, known as the “dolphins of the Persian Gulf,” in the Strait of Hormuz to wreak further havoc on the critical oil chokepoint, according to state media.
(Thanks to Alain)
Valkyrie redux: supercruising bombers could viably replace B-52s
The Strategist – Bill Sweetman opines on a unique solution for replacing the B-52, particularly in its anti-shipping role.
UK F-35 fleet stretched by combat operations and upgrade delays
Navy Lookout – The UK has now received all 48 F-35B Lightning aircraft ordered under its initial programme, supposedly providing the Royal Navy with the nucleus of the fast jet force intended to underpin carrier strike operations for decades to come. This may appear to be a healthy number, but it is far from adequate, given its availability and the multiple roles it must perform.
Marine Rotational Force-Darwin Certified as Special Purpose MAGTF
USNI News – Marine Rotational Force-Darwin 26 was recently certified as a Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, marking the first MRF-D unit to earn the certification since the rotational force was established in 2011.
First Sea Lord warns Royal Navy ‘ever bigger, ever more expensive platforms’ era is over
Navy Lookout – In the Keynote speech for the 2026 Combined Naval Event at Farnborough, First Sea Lord General Gwyn Jenkins delivered his sharpest challenge yet to the concept of building ever more expensive warships. His insistence that the RN must move away from the need for “ever bigger, ever more expensive platforms”carries pointed implications for significant warship programmes still in the planning pipeline.
U.S. Navy tests high-tech maritime drones off northern Norway
The Barents Observer – Newly developed high-speed autonomous surface vessels have been seen operating in the fjord outside Ramsund Naval Base during an exercise that runs until 24 May.
Ukrainian FPV & Rocket Armed Surface Drone (USV)
Covert Shores – A new type of Ukrainian uncrewed surface vessel (USV) has been employed to strike Russian positions on the Kinburn Peninsula, north of Crimea. The USV is armed with 6 rockets, reportedly RPO-A Shmel thermobaric type (but possibly the Ukrainian RPV-16) and 6-8 FPV (first person view) drones.
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