The following is the Aug. 14, 2021 Congressional Research Service Infocus report, Russia: Foreign Policy and U.S. Relations. Read More
Category Archives: China
Lawmakers Quiz SOUTHCOM’s Faller on Littoral Combat Ship Program
The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Sioux City (LCS 11), transits the Caribbean Sea, April 10, 2021. Sioux City is deployed to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations to support Joint Interagency Task Force South’s mission, which includes counter-illicit drug trafficking missions in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. US Navy Photo
Two lawmakers raised questions on the future of the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship during a Wednesday hearing, as the service continues to wrestle with a crucial design flaw, how it will use the ships operationally and retirements of early hulls in the class. Read More
CNO Gilday: China, Russia Deliberately Testing Allies ‘Cohesion’ in Actions in Ukraine, Near Taiwan
Chinese participating troops pass the reviewing platform during the opening ceremony of Kavkaz-2020 strategic exercises on Sept. 19, 2021. Chinese Defense Ministry Photo
Russia massing troops on the border of Ukraine and China continuing military overflights and maritime operations near Taiwan are in part a test of the resilience of the U.S.-led web of alliances, the chief of naval operations said on Wednesday. Read More
French Navy Exercise Combines Ships from 5 Navies on Short Notice
U.S. Navy Ensign Micael Lozano, left, and Lt. Erik Bohman observe (from left to right) HMAS Anzac, IN Satpura, and FS Tonnerre from the bridge wing of the amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) during La Perouse 2021. US Navy Photo
Amphibious warship USS Somerset (LPD-25) joined ships and aircraft from five countries in the Bay of Bengal last week for a multi-lateral exercise designed to help the navies quickly organize and operate as an integrated, combined maritime force. Read More
Navy Software Factory, The Forge, Wants to Reshape How Ships Get Upgraded
The Forge software factory was set up in Riverdale, Md. — just off the University of Maryland College Park campus — in March 2021 to begin using a rapid software development and testing approach to bring maintenance fixes and new capabilities to the fleet. USNI News photo.
RIVERDALE, Md. – The Navy’s potential enemies are quickly increasing the size and sophistication of their fleets, which means the Navy needs to move faster too in bringing in new capabilities. Read More
Persistent Chinese Maritime Militia Presence off Philippines Raises Concerns in Manila
Overview of Whitsun Reef in the South China Sea and Chinese vessels moored in the waters surrounding the boomerang-shaped coral reef on March 23. MAXAR Photo
MANILA – Chinese maritime militia vessels remained berthed at the Whitsun Reef, which is located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, lending credence to what Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana described as China’s plot to permanently occupy the feature. Read More
U.S. Carrier Strike Group, Amphibious Warships Massed in South China Sea as Regional Tensions Simmer
USS Makin Island (LHD-8) and the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) transit the South China Sea on April 9, 2021. US Navy Photo
A U.S. carrier strike group and amphibious ready group are in the South China Sea as tensions increase between Manila and Beijing over a Chinese maritime militia incursion into the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, the Navy announced on Friday. Read More
Biden Administration Seeks $715B Pentagon Budget; Calls for Investment in SSN(X), Shedding Legacy Platforms
This post has been updated to include a statement from Republican senators about the Biden administration’s request and comments from Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.
The Biden administration is requesting a $715 billion budget for the Pentagon, keeping defense spending largely flat when adjusting for inflation, the White House announced today.
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Report to Congress on Japan-U.S. Relations
The following is the April 6, 2021 Congressional Research Service report, Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress. Read More
Russian and Chinese Nuclear Threats Pose Problem for U.S. Deterrence, Experts Say
Borei-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine Vladimir Monomakh (SSBN). Russian Navy Photo
Russian and Chinese threats to use nuclear weapons in Europe or across the Taiwan Strait pose “stark real-world problems” in defining deterrence as the United States modernizes its strategic forces, security experts agreed Wednesday. Read More
