The following is the Pentagon’s annual report to Congress, Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2019. The report was released on May 2, 2019. Read More
Category Archives: China
Royal Navy-Friendly U.K. Defense Secretary Williamson Removed Over Huawei Leak
Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson in 2018. U.K. Royal Navy Photo
LONDON — British prime minister Theresa May has sacked her defense secretary for leaking sensitive information relating to Chinese involvement in the country’s future telecommunications projects. Read More
Panel: Russia Will Reap Benefits from Iranian Oil Crackdown
Undated photo of Russian president Vladimir Putin. Kremlin Photo
Vladimir Putin could turn out to be the big winner economically and diplomatically if the United States sticks to its pledge of no more sanction waivers for countries buying Iranian oil, a leading expert on the Middle East said on Monday. Read More
Berger: Marine Corps May Have to Shrink to Afford Modernization, Readiness Goals
U.S. Marines with 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, currently attached to 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, conduct morning accountability before dawn on April 5, 2019 during Exercise Balikatan at the Navy Education Training Command, Philippines. US Marine Corps Photo
CAPITOL HILL – The next commandant may need to reduce the size of the Marine Corps and focus on a smaller number of priority missions, to ensure that the service can stay ready to meet its requirements under the National Defense Strategy in a resource-constrained budget. Read More
U.S. Will Unveil New Indo-Pacific Strategy Next Month
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), left, and the Japanese helicopter destroyer JS Hyuga (DDH 181), right, sail in formation with 16 other ships from the U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) during Keen Sword 19 on Nov. 08, 2018. US Navy Photo
KUALA LUMPUR — The Pentagon will unveil a new Indo-Pacific strategy at the Shangri-La Dialogue this May, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver told a media roundtable in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last week. Read More
Next Chief of Naval Operations Will Lead a Navy Facing Readiness, Personnel, Technology Challenges
Adm. Bill Moran, the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, speaks with sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73). US Navy Photo
When Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson took charge of the Navy in 2015, the service was still largely a support element for the larger U.S. effort in the Middle East. When Richardson leaves this summer, his successor will be at the helm of a service that is being grown and reshaped into a key role for the U.S. military’s drive toward high-end warfare in a new era of great power competition. Read More
Two U.S. Warships Pass Through Taiwan Strait in 7th Transit Since 2018
Navy file photos of guided-missile destroyers USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110) (top) and USS Stethem (DDG-63) (bottom).
Navy file photos of guided-missile destroyers USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110) (top) and USS Stethem (DDG-63) (bottom).Two U.S. guided-missile destroyers conducted a transit through the strait separating Taiwan and mainland China on Sunday, U.S. 7th Fleet officials told USNI News on Monday. Read More
Former USS Fitzgerald CO Outlines Defense in Rebuttal to SECNAV
Cmdr. Bryce Benson, then-executive officer, assists in bringing down the battle ensign aboard USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) in 2016. US Navy Photo
The former commander of USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) is pushing back against a rebuke from the Secretary of the Navy, disputing major facts in the service’s argument he was criminally negligent leading up a June 17, 2017, fatal collision, according to a copy of the April 26 rebuttal obtained by USNI News. Read More
VIDEO: U.S. Navy Sails ‘200,000 Tons of Diplomacy’ in the Mediterranean Sea
TUSS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) steams alongside the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72), background, in the Mediterranean Sea on April 24, 2019. US Navy Photo
The U.S. Navy sent a not-so-subtle message to adversaries in the form of a dual-carrier, multi-national operation this week in the Mediterranean Sea. Read More
UPDATED: VT Halter Marine to Build New Coast Guard Icebreaker
An artist’s rendering of VT Halter Marine’s winning bid for the U.S. Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter. VT Halter Marine image used with permission
This post has been updated to include a rendering of the VT Halter Marine bid and the names of the two other shipyards who bid for the Polar Security Cutter contract.
VT Halter Marine Inc. has been awarded a $745M detailed design and construction contract for the Coast Guard’s next-generation heavy icebreaker, according to a Tuesday Pentagon contract announcement. Read More
