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Russian solider in Syria in 2016. Kremlin Photo
While the Kremlin’s newly professionalized military is armed with top-of-the-line ship-launched cruise missiles, flying more capable strike aircraft and firing precision munitions Russia, “does not have the ability to sustain forces far from the border,” a military expert said on Wednesday. Read More
Her Majesty The Queen on Tuesday in a decommissioning ceremeony HMS Ocean (L12). Royal Navy Photo
Queen Elizabeth II decommissioned one of the largest British warships, the former Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean (L12), during a ceremony Tuesday aboard the amphibious ship at the RN’s Devonport Naval Base.
USNI News polled its writers, naval analysts and service members on what they consider the most important military and maritime stories in 2017.
The following is part of a series. Please also see Top Stories 2017: Navy Acquisition, Navy Operations, Marine Corps Operations, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Acquisition, International Operations and New Administration.
Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), marking the beginning of a June day of Fast Cruise. Ford is conducting a three-day Fast Cruise to familiarize the crew with the ship’s systems for an extended period of time on June 8, 2016. US Navy Photo
India could be the first export customer for the aircraft launching system that is key to the new Gerald R. Ford-class carriers, according to reports in the Indian press this week. Read More
The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) transits alongside the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) during exercise Saxon Warrior 2017. US Navy Photo
LONDON — A spirited initiative by Royal Navy leaders to accelerate the adoption of autonomous systems in the British fleet has been gently challenged by the senior admiral at the U.S. Office of Naval Research. Read More
BMT Defence bid for the Royal Navy Type 31E Frigate
LONDON — The Royal Navy’s planned Type-31e light frigate will transform the dismal export record of U.K.-based shipbuilders, a senior government minister told attendees at the DSEI exhibition in London. U.K. defense secretary Sir Michael Fallon said that Britain’s shipyards have not built a frigate for another country since the 1970s. Read More
First Sea Lord Adm. Sir Philip Jones on Sept. 12, 2017. Royal Navy Photo
LONDON — Britain’s naval chief has unveiled plans to deploy unmanned systems for routine mine hunting missions as part of a wider Royal Navy vision that includes the rapid adoption of autonomous air systems, open architectures and artificial intelligence. Read More
A Russian guided-missile frigate fired three cruise missiles on targets on ISIS positions Syrian city of Deir al-Zor, according to a Tuesday release from the Russian Ministry of Defense. Read More
U.K. Defence Minister Michael Fallon
Britain’s defense minister said London views its departure of the European Union as an opportunity to step up its ability to deter the Kremlin’s aggressiveness along its borders with the West, monitor Moscow’s increased submarine activity in the North Sea and the Atlantic and ward off Russian intrusions into the United Kingdom’s and other nations’ airspace. Read More
Two Russian Navy ships fired four cruise missiles into Syria from the Eastern Mediterranean on Tuesday, U.S. defense officials confirmed to USNI News. Read More
