The War Zone – A Pentagon report says the new pods are still having significant teething issues even though they are being used in active conflicts.
If called upon, what assets could the Royal Navy send to the Gulf?
Navy Lookout – Donald Trump has called for allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz (SOH). Here, we consider whether the UK is equipped to make a meaningful contribution and what a realistic Royal Navy response might look like.
The US has several options to counter Iranian mines. These are some key assets
Defense News – The U.S. military possesses several capabilities that it could wield to combat naval mine warfare in the Strait of Hormuz.
Allies Push Back On Trump’s Demand They Send Warships To Strait Of Hormuz
The War Zone – Germany on Monday flatly rejected Trump’s demand that NATO allies send naval vessels to help protect shipping in this strategic waterway.
U.S. Navy Minesweepers Assigned To Middle East Have Been Moved To Pacific
The War Zone – Two of the three Littoral Combat Ships that had taken over the minesweeping role in the Middle East have just appeared in Malaysia.
Guide To Iran’s Naval Mines
Covert Shores – The threat of Iran’s naval mines, together with ASBMs (anti-ship ballistic missiles) and USVs (surface drones), is closing the Straits of Hormuz. The narrows waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf is critical to global economy with approximately 20% of the world’s oil transiting it. Below are the main/relevant types of mines. It cannot be ruled out that Iran may have other types in addition to these.
The Navy’s Latest Is Not a Plan, Not a Strategy, and Not Fighting Instructions
War on the Rocks – Churchill once demanded, “Take this pudding away — it has no theme!” U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle’s new Fighting Instructions presents a similar sort of dish.
Indian Warships Escort Indian LPG Tankers in Gulf of Oman
Naval News – Indian Navy warships escorted Indian LPG tankers in the Gulf of Oman, after they crossed the Strait of Hormuz, on March 14.
With Ferry Strikes, Ukraine Narrows Russia’s Options at Kerch Strait
Maritime Executive – Ukraine has launched attacks on two railway ferries that Russia was using to supplement its rail line from the Russian mainland across the Kerch Strait Bridge to Crimea.
Gulf War III is a Warning About the Effects of a ‘Taiwan Straits War I’
RUSI – Ripples of economic disruption radiating from the attack on Iran by Israel and the US give notice of the effect a war over Taiwan would spread through the world.
Navy Extends USS Nimitz Service Life to 2027, in Line with Carrier John F. Kennedy’s Delivery
USNI News – The Navy’s oldest aircraft carrier will remain in the fleet 10 months longer than expected, according to a Friday contract announcement from the service.
HMS Dragon works up in UK waters on her way to Cyprus
Navy Lookout – There have been complaints in the media that HMS Dragon did not steam straight from Portsmouth to the Mediterranean when she sailed on Tuesday. Here we look why this is the case and the sensible way to deploy a warship.
Iranian Submarine Sunk By ATACMS Short Range Ballistic Missile
The War Zone – ATACMS and PrSM ballistic missiles have played a key role in destroying Iran’s Navy from afar.
Missile Attacks Define Strait of Hormuz Risks, Officials Say
USNI News – Missiles are currently the largest threat to merchant shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf instead of sea mines, defense officials told reporters Friday.
Up close with the Royal Navy’s uncrewed minehunting programme
Navy Lookout – Recent events in the Gulf have put the UK’s mine countermeasures capability in the spotlight. The RN is transitioning from crewed minehunters to autonomous platforms with the Franco-British Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) programme, moving from demonstration to operational reality. Here we consider this complex system-of-systems and the profound cultural shift now underway in how the RN approaches mine warfare.
A Case for Airborne Mine Warfare
Center for Maritime Security – As the threat from naval mines persists, and in some regions grows, the United States is gradually moving away from one of its most effective countermeasures: airborne mine warfare.
USS Tripoli, 31st MEU Heading to the Middle East
USNI News – Big deck amphibious warship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) and its embarked Marines are heading to the Middle East as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran enters its third week.
Royal Marine commandos deploy from a German submarine during NATO exercise in the Arctic
Navy Lookout – With no Royal Navy submarines available, elements from the Commando Force have rehearsed a covert Arctic reconnaissance mission. The marines were deployed from the German Type 212A submarine, U-35, during NATO exercise Cold Response 2026.
Indonesia’s Blue-Water Ambition Requires Sustained Overseas Deployments
War on the Rocks – A navy aspiring to blue-water operations should continually stress its doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy through real-world deployments abroad. This is precisely the challenge that the Indonesian Navy should begin addressing by embedding itself in an existing multinational mission.
Chinese Navy’s New Type 055 Destroyers Join Taiwan-focused Command
USNI News – Beijing’s naval forces received two new Type 055-class guided missile destroyers and have tasked them to operate under the command responsible for any potential operation against Taiwan, according to recent Chinese state media reports.
Sea Denial Deep Inside Russia: The Role of Special Operations Forces in Countering Warships on Inland Waters
Modern War Institute – Strong deterrence requires an ability to hold at risk capabilities that an adversary values. As Moscow further seeks to enhance its ability to launch cruise missiles at land targets from its inland waterways, it is imperative that NATO states demonstrate a means of countering it. That should begin with exercises and rehearsals—for example on the Rhine or the Danube—and should continue with deliberate media communication. The time to do so is now.
Testing Denial: The Philippine Alliance in America’s First Island Chain Strategy
War on the Rocks – If the United States is serious about denial strategy along the First Island Chain, credibility will be tested less in Taiwan than in the Philippines — specifically in whether Manila can politically sustain resilient, repairable, and survivable infrastructure under pressure. That test hinges on investing in resilience over symbolism. Hardened facilities, dispersed logistics, and rapid repair matter more than episodic presence. And those capabilities must be politically sustainable in Manila if deterrence by denial is to endure.
DIU, Navy tap Anduril to prototype Dive-XL autonomous submarine
Breaking Defense – The Dive-XL prototype Anduril will be demonstrating is similar to the Ghost Shark Extra Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (XL-AUVs) being delivered to the Royal Australian Navy.
Australia to get 40 more Bluebottle unmanned surface vessels
Breaking Defense – Australian navy chief Vice Admiral Mark Hammond said that the Bluebottle was an extremely durable asset, noting that “these things have remained on station as the cyclones have rolled through, and they’ve remained operational.”
CNO: New Surface Ship Classes Reflect US Navy’s New Force Structure and Global Output Needs
Naval News – The US Navy’s planned procurement of two new surface ship types will deliver capabilities that will enable the navy to meet the output requirements of its new surface force structure and continued global presence, the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) told the Paris Naval Conference in early February.
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