Attack boat FS Emeraude (S604) and frigate FS Vendemiaire (F734). French Armed Forces Photo
A French Navy Rubis-class nuclear-powered submarine (SSN) patrolled the South China Sea, the French minister of armed forces announced in a series of tweets. Read More
U.S. Army AH-64E Apache and UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters assigned to 1st Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) participate in Eddie’s Odyssey, a first-time joint exercise with U.S. and Greek aviation and special operation forces in the Aegean Sea in Greece, Jan. 14, 2021. National Guard Photo
The Army is concentrating this year’s major European Defender exercise on training for high-end warfare in the Balkans and the Black Sea, the service’s top general there said last week. Read More
USS Makin Island (LHD-8) and the embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) transit the Strait of Hormuz, Feb. 8, 2021. US Navy Photo
Amphibious warship USS Makin Island (LHD-8) , its Amphibious Ready Group and elements of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit transited the Strait of Hormuz and is now in the Persian Gulf, according to U.S. 5th Fleet. Read More
Deputy Secretary of Defense nominee Kathleen Hicks reacts to the start of her Senate confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C. Feb. 2, 2021. DoD Photo
The Senate on Monday voted to confirm Kathleen Hicks as the deputy defense secretary. Read More
Rear Adm. John Meier, commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic, communicates with pilots assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 from the landing signal officer platform on USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) flight deck, Feb. 7, 2021. Meier is onboard to observe Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106’s inaugural use of Precision Landing Mode during carrier qualifications(CQ). Ford is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting CQ. US Navy photo.
The Navy is in the final stages of fully adopting a Precision Landing Mode for fighter pilots, with young fleet replacement squadron pilots for the first time conducting carrier qualifications with the tool that significantly cuts down on the work required during an approach to the back of an aircraft carrier at sea. Read More
French President Emmanuel Macron in 2019
French President Emmanuel Macron is pushing Europeans to embrace “strategic autonomy” as the best way to revitalize NATO and address global challenges from the pandemic to arms control to climate change. Read More
U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment, currently attached to 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division, demonstrate expeditionary advanced basing capabilities Oct. 7 to 8, 2020, as part of Exercise Noble Fury, from Okinawa to Ie Shima and across surrounding waters. U.S. Marine Corps Photo
As the Marine Corps reorganizes to prepare for a potential conflict with China, the service is considering three new Marine Littoral Regiments for its campaign of land warfare in the Indo-Pacific.
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USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) transits the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 18, 2020. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated to clarify remarks made by Rear Adm. Doug Small.
The Navy envisions a future fleet with manned and unmanned ships, submarines and aircraft operating in a dispersed manner and collecting a ton of data to fill in a common operating picture – which operational commanders could then use to, if ever needed, have the best sensor platform send targeting data to the best shooter to attack an enemy. That entire vision, though, would require a robust network that could withstand an enemy cyberattack; that could have enough bandwidth to manage video, voice, and targeting data coming and going; and could present a huge amount of data in a visual way that helps commanders make quick and good decisions. Read More
USNI News Graphic
These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of Feb. 8, 2021, based on Navy and public data. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship. Read More
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.)
Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee will maintain their focus on building a larger Navy to counter China in the Indo-Pacific, the panel’s new number-two Republican told USNI News. Read More
