Category Archives: Russia

SECDEF Nominee Esper Commits to High-End Direction for Pentagon

By: Ben Werner

July 16, 2019 5:35 PM

U.S. Secretary of the Army Dr. Mark T. Esper enters the room before his confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., July 16, 2019. Esper was nominated for Secretary of Defense by President Donald J. Trump on July 15, 2019. (DoD photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Amber I. Smith)

CAPITOL HILL – Maintaining a technological edge, improving the lives of military families and continuing to present potential adversaries with an assured strong U.S. response to hostile acts would be among Secretary of the Army Mark Esper’s priorities if the Senate approves his nomination to lead the Department of Defense.

From Russian Presence to Sailboat Traffic, U.S. Learning What’s ‘Normal’ Far From Home

By: Megan Eckstein

July 12, 2019 5:16 PM

Russian Steregushchiy-class corvette Boikiy (532) approaches Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Gravely (DDG-107) in the Baltic Sea during the BALTOPS 2019 exercise. Exercise and regional leaders have said that all recent interactions with the Russian Navy had been safe and professional. USNI News photo.

ABOARD USS GRAVELY, IN THE BALTIC SEA – “Away, SNOOPIE team, away. Surface contact on port side.” Read More →

Report to Congress on Hypersonic Weapons

July 12, 2019 7:36 AM

The following is the July 11, 2019 Congressional Research Service report, Hypersonic Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress. Read More →

Milley Details Vision as Next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Senate Panel

By: Ben Werner

July 11, 2019 2:40 PM

The 2019 Army Birthday Ball takes place in honor of the 244 Army Birthday at the Hilton in Washington, D.C., June 15, 2019. US Army Photo

For Army Gen. Mark Milley, nominee to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, upgrading and maintaining the nation’s nuclear triad ranks top of his priority list.

Report to Congress on Russian Compliance with INF Treaty

July 11, 2019 1:16 PM

The following is the June 27, 2019 Congressional Research Service report, Russian Compliance with the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty: Background and Issues for Congress. Read More →

Kremlin Releases New Details on Russian Submarine Fire, Identifies Sailors Killed

By: Sam LaGrone

July 3, 2019 4:03 PM

Vladimir Putin and Sergey Shoigu at Navy Parade. Saint-Petersburg in 2017. Kremlin Photo

The head of the Russian military released a handful of additional details about the fire aboard a specialized submarine that killed 14 submariners in the Barents Sea on Monday. Read More →

Navy Needs To Think Small When Planning Irregular Surface Warfare Strategies

By: John Grady

July 3, 2019 10:47 AM

A boarding team from dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) approaches merchant vessel Golden Nori after pirates released the Japanese chemical tanker Dec. 12, 2007. The pirates seized the ship off the coast of Somalia in late October. The release of Golden Nori marked the first time in more than a year that no ships were held by Somali pirates. Navy Photo

Great power competition dramatically expands the challenges of confronting irregular naval warfare such as defending against maritime pirates or preserving the security of data sent through undersea cables, a panel of experts said at the Hudson Institute last week.

UPDATED: 14 Sailors Die on Secretive Russian Nuclear Submarine; Putin Calls Incident ‘Great Loss’

By: Sam LaGrone and Ben Werner

July 2, 2019 12:02 PM

Undated photograph of Losharik submersible. via Military Russia blog

This post has been updated with a comment from the Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A fire that broke out on a secret Russian submarine has killed 14 sailors, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense in Moscow. Read More →

USS Carney, USNS Yuma Enter Black Sea Ahead of Sea Breeze 2019 Exercise

By: Cem Devrim Yaylalı

July 1, 2019 1:46 PM

USS Carney entering the Black Sea. Cem Devrim Yaylalı Photo used with permission

ISTANBUL — A pair of U.S. Navy ships entered the Black Sea on Friday and Saturday just as Sea Breeze 2019, the 19th iteration of the multinational land, air and land exercise held annually in the region, got underway on Monday. Read More →

Panel: Rise of Authoritarian Governments Pose Biggest Threat to NATO