Naval News – Australia’s latest National Defence Strategy (NDS) has underlined the country’s need to secure critical undersea infrastructure (CUI). To meet this seabed warfare mission quickly, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is looking to the commercial underwater industry to provide the required capability.
China is testing underwater drones the size of submarines, 148 feet long with an estimated range of 10,000 miles, the largest ever built, and U.S. analysts say they could one day reach the West Coast
autoNotion – For as long as anyone has war-gamed a fight with China, the Pacific Ocean has been America’s best defense. It is more than 5,000 nautical miles of open water, and the working assumption has always been that Chinese warships and submarines simply could not cross it in any numbers, which kept the West Coast a long way from any shooting. China is now building underwater drones the size of submarines, and crossing that ocean is more or less the entire point of them.
(Thanks to Alain)
A 132-pound underwater drone with no propeller can now sit on the seabed for three months listening for submarines with an AI trained on decades of ocean sound. Germany built it, and the UK just ordered a program around hundreds
autoNotion – Finding a submarine that doesn’t want to be found is one of the most expensive problems in modern defense. Norway spent most of 2025 shopping for an answer and picked at least five British-designed Type 26 frigates, a deal Breaking Defense put at roughly $13.5 billion, which works out to about $2.7 billion per hull. A Munich company called Helsing thinks the future of the hunt looks less like a 6,900-ton warship and more like hundreds of 132-pound (60 kg) gliders drifting along at walking pace, each one running an AI that was trained the way you’d train a chatbot, except on decades of recorded ocean sound instead of internet text.
(Thanks to Alain)
Russia’s submarine sales pitch meets hard realities in Asia
Asia Times – Amur-1650 reflects Russia’s buoyant sub export ambitions, but turning offers into real contracts and ships will be a rough ride
(Thanks to Alain)
Armed men on board: mercenaries deployed to protect Putin’s ghost oil tankers
7Sur7 – While the Kremlin’s ghost oil tankers avoid the English Channel for fear of being intercepted by the British, the French or the Belgians, an investigation shows the growing presence of armed men on board. These mercenaries, often linked to the Wagner Group, could well be there to intimidate the Western Coast Guard. It is difficult to say, however, if they would dare to open fire.
(In French) (Thanks to Alain)
U.S. Navy Looks to Fleet-wide Expeditionary Mine Warfare in Wake of Operation Epic Fury
Naval News – The U.S Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training and Evaluation Unit One (EODTEU1) will evaluate a new form of mine-clearing capability after identifying a series of new requirements in the Indo-Pacific—particularly for the service’s doctrine of distributed maritime operations, according to new documents published by EODTEU1.
Sea Trident SL-1000: New Ukrainian Underwater Drone
Covert Shores – The Sea Trident SL-1000 is an extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicle (XLUUV) built by Ukrainian firm Global Mark. The company is already associated with a range of aerial drones (UAVs) and electromagnetic warfare (EW) systems, but this is its first publicly revealed underwater drone.
China is Rehearsing More Than Amphibious Landings
CIMSEC – For years, the public debate over a possible Chinese Communist invasion of Taiwan has focused on a single question: Does the People’s Liberation Army have sufficient amphibious lift to move an invasion force across the Taiwan Strait? That question remains important. However, recent Chinese exercises suggest that the People’s Liberation Army is not simply trying to solve the problem of getting forces onto a Taiwanese beach. It is rehearsing how to move, sustain, and conceal a large amphibious campaign across multiple locations.
Fincantieri CEO Opens Up About The Constellation Class Frigate Debacle
The War Zone – Fincantieri Marine Group CEO George Moutafis gives us exclusive insights into what sunk the frigate and what needs to change because of it.
How Japan Could Co-Produce the Navy’s Future Fleet
War on the Rocks – Although Japan is well-positioned to support high-tech manufacturing at scale, there are still significant legal, political, and security barriers on both sides of the Pacific. Overcoming these barriers, including security risks overseas and political resistance to offshoring in the United States, requires the correct balance of policy and financial incentives.
South Korea Could Build Nuclear Submarines, But It Shouldn’t
War on the Rocks – South Korea’s nuclear-powered submarine program risks leading South Korea’s defense industry off course. The high costs and technological complexity of developing a niche capability like nuclear submarine shipbuilding are more costly, complex, and less beneficial than Seoul may realize. Moreover, these dynamics run counter to the export-oriented strategy that has made K-defense an international success and could drain talent and resources from an innovative economic engine. Ultimately, the entire endeavor risks creating unintended budgetary and political pressures that could undermine South Korea’s procurement flexibility and constrain long-term defense spending.
Tanker capture: political theatre, or genuine crackdown on shadow fleet?
Navy Lookout – The seizure of the tanker, MV Smyrtos, on 14th June showcased the ability of the Royal Navy and other agencies to conduct a complex maritime interdiction operation. However, the timing of the boarding, against a backdrop of political turmoil over defence spending, raises questions over the political motivation and scale of assets involved.
HMS Scott finally goes back to sea on completion of life extension refit
Navy Lookout – HMS Scott, the Royal Navy’s ocean survey vessel, sailed from Falmouth yesterday on completion of her Ship Life Extension Programme (SLEP), which will see her in service until 2033.
British armed forces intercept Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in Channel
The Guardian – British armed forces intercepted and boarded a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the Channel in the early hours of Sunday.
Royal Navy considers lessons from 2025 carrier strike group deployment
Navy Lookout – Operation HIGHMAST was the RN’s major set-piece of 2025, a 222-day global carrier strike group deployment. At CNE 2026, Rear Admiral Anthony Rimmington, Director, Force Generation, laid out some of the lessons the RN can draw from the deployment.
SWOs Assume Amphibious Command: Why it Matters
CIMSEC – The Surface Fleet must help maximize the Marine Corps’ ability to execute its mission from the sea. That mission remains the foundation of the amphibious force, and every institutional decision surrounding amphibious command must be judged—without stint or reference to parochialism—against that standard.
The Weaponization of Frozen Assets: A New Instrument of Maritime Financial Warfare
CIMSEC – Financial warfare is conventionally understood as an instrument applied to declared, identifiable assets. Common tactics include freezing accounts, cutting off correspondent banking access, and market delisting of entities. The Hormuz conflict of March 2026 introduced a structurally distinct mechanism operating on none of those principles. What follows is an analysis of that mechanism — how it emerged, how it functions, and why existing maritime security frameworks are not adapted to recognize it.
U.S. Disables 3 Tankers As Part of Iranian Blockade, 3 Mariners Killed in Tuesday Strike
USNI News – American forces disabled three merchant ships in the Gulf of Oman this week that were allegedly violating a U.S. naval blockade of Iran.
Latin America: Donations and Sales of Second Hand Hulls
CIMSEC – Latin American shipyards are undergoing a golden age, with a variety of platforms being produced regionally. This trend includes submarines, frigates, corvettes, and patrol vessels. Brand-new platforms from extra-regional suppliers are also being procured. However, second-hand platforms are cost-effective alternatives that provide additional capabilities to the fleet and serve as a stopgap until other procurement projects are completed. Donation of vessels serves to strengthen alliances or create new partnerships.
Five Issues For the National Commission on the Future of the Navy
CIMSEC – In 2022, Congress established the independent National Commission on the Future of the Navy to conduct two overarching studies, one examining naval force structure and the other focused on shipbuilding and innovation. The former will recommend the size and composition of the Navy, while the latter will identify opportunities to better integrate advanced technologies into shipbuilding, new construction, and repair shipyards. China now possesses the world’s largest navy by ship count, and its shipbuilding capacity vastly exceeds that of the United States. Chinese shipyards are producing warships faster than American yards can repair them. China has spent a generation building a fleet capable of contesting sea control and converting industrial scale into military power, while the United States has allowed its shipbuilding capacity, naval industrial base, and force structure to deteriorate over the same period. The Commission is required to submit an unclassified report in 2027, and its recommendations could shape American naval power for years to come. To fulfill its mandate, the Commission must resolve five foundational issues.
Taiwanese Forces Deploy American-made Attack Drones Against Maritime Targets
USNI News – Taiwan’s newly acquired American attack drones struck maritime targets for the first time last week along the island’s west coast during live-fire drills designed to validate long-range strike systems that would play a crucial role in a potential invasion of the self-governing island.
Four Fleet Designs: Which Navy is Best For America?
CIMSEC – Four options for fleet composition have gained purchase within the U.S. Navy.
Chinese Small-Sail Submarine
Covert Shores – In the past month China has launched the first two boats of a new class of submarine. The new type is longer than the proceeding Type-093C designs at around 120 meters, and appears 10-11 meters across. This makes it longer but slightly narrower than the other new boat, the presumed Type-095, which was launched in February at the Huludao shipyard.
Selective Sea Denial: The Rise of Land-Based Anti-Ship Missiles as Political Instruments
CIMSEC – Land-based AShMs should be understood not primarily as tactical enablers, but as relatively easy-to-use instruments of controlled strategic escalation. Accordingly, the strategic focus must shift from targeting platforms to shaping the behavior of the actors and networks that employ them.
Upcoming U.S. Depot in the Philippines to Support Fueling of Navy Destroyers, Combat Logistics Force Ships
USNI News – The Pentagon’s planned energy depot in the Philippines will be able to refuel the U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyers and Combat Logistics Force ships, according to new documents.
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