AUKUS Connect’s Post

Submarines will be key to the future of naval power, especially in any conflict with China. According to a recent article, submarines' stealth and ability to evade surface threats make them crucial. China's submarine capabilities have improved, but they still lag behind the US and Russia. Additionally, China's underinvestment in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities and challenges of operating in the Asian littoral make submarines a key priority for the US Navy. Lastly, the article suggests that the US Navy should prioritize the procurement of more submarines, particularly Virginia-class SSNs and successor platforms to the Ohio-class SSGNs. Samuel Associates provides specialized knowledge and strategic advice in defence and maritime procurement to clients in Canada and allied countries. Link to the article: https://lnkd.in/ev8njFzX

 🚢 Russia to Send Combat Vessels to Caribbean in Show of Global Power ❗This summer, Russia plans to send combat vessels to the Caribbean, with potential port calls in Cuba and Venezuela. These naval exercises, a response to US support for Ukraine, aim to demonstrate Russia's global power projection, according to a senior US official. ❗While the US Navy will monitor these activities, the relatively small number of vessels and planes do not pose a direct threat. The Biden administration views this as routine naval activity and is not alarmed. However, these deployments come at a significant cost to the struggling Russian navy. ❗The exercises will culminate in a global Russian naval exercise this fall. #GlobalSecurity #NavalPower #Russia #US #Caribbean #MilitaryExercises #InternationalRelations

Kudos to you Prof Alessio Patalano for this article on the articulation of the new age of naval power and how we are inextricably dependent on stable and secure maritime trade routes. https://lnkd.in/dkaZyjTB

A necessary read as navies are required to play their traditional and non-traditional roles simultaneously or in tandem. The outcomes are however of a common nature - for the oceans to be a safe and sustainable stock and flow resource.

Interesting essay for the unintended irony: "In contrast, if the PLAN was able to deploy super-quiet SSNs on par with the best U.S. and Russian boats, that would represent a major strategic change—not only for its ability to defend on the open ocean but also in terms of China’s capacity to threaten U.S. naval forces well outside the first island chain. Such a capability would give China transoceanic reach with single platforms, absent the extensive logistical support or need for the overseas bases a carrier strike group requires." Oh yeah... Russia is now aware that NATO would like to destroy it. #AUKUS has given China an excellent reason to advance Anti-Submarine Warfare and submarine quieting. There is a country called Russia, to the north, that is reasonably competent. Meanwhile, the USA, and its allies, have decided that it is a really smart idea to tool up and down the South China Sea 24x7 to give the Chinese every possible opportunity to build their signature database. What we have, at this time, is the very dumbest imperial project in history. Presume that China actually wants to rule the waves, and then go give them the perfect motivation to do exactly that, plus 24x7 daily instruction on whether they can make a contact and hold it for targeting purposes. The West deserves to lose these conflicts. We are phenomenally stupid.

Yesterday marked a significant development in the naval domain – Sweden has officially joined NATO. This decision carries profound implications for global security and, particularly, the maritime landscape. Sweden in NATO: A Strategic Integration: Sweden's entry into NATO signals a strategic alignment that will reshape the dynamics of the alliance. With a well-established and innovative naval force, Sweden brings a valuable addition to NATO's maritime capabilities. Enhanced Maritime Capabilities: Sweden's naval expertise, spanning advanced surface vessels to cutting-edge submarine technology, strengthens NATO's maritime prowess. This collaboration amplifies the alliance's capabilities in maintaining security and responding to evolving threats. Baltic Sea Stability: The Baltic Sea region, of strategic importance, stands to benefit from Sweden's NATO membership. Collective efforts in naval patrols, intelligence sharing, and coordinated responses contribute to reinforcing stability in this vital maritime area. Community Reflection: With Sweden now a NATO member, how do you foresee this impacting global security and naval operations? Share your thoughts in the comments, and let's foster a dialogue on the evolving dynamics of this significant integration. For an in-depth exploration of the implications of Sweden joining NATO on naval operations, we invite you to register for our upcoming Combined Naval Event. Click the link below to secure your spot and participate in discussions about the future of naval alliances. Register Now:  https://lnkd.in/eFAd-Gai Credit to Jay Janzen for the Ikea/NATO pic 😂 Let's continue the conversation and stay informed about the evolving landscape of naval affairs. Your insights contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of global security. #NavalIntegration #NATOAlliance #GlobalSecurity

ICYMI - "Rebuilding Scapa Flow ‘can help Nato defend North Atlantic’", SNP Defence Spokesperson, The Times, 13/1/24 https://lnkd.in/eFzKZD98 is behind a £wall I suspect but in essence the article reflects SNP defence spokesman, Martin Docherty-Hughes', proposal to re-establish a naval base in Scapa Flow, to enhance NATO's capabilities in the North Atlantic and Arctic regions. Docherty-Hughes argues that the current UK focus on the Channel is a "Napoleonic-era hangover," and that an independent Scotland should prioritise defending the gap between its own coast, Iceland, the North Sea, and the new Arctic, ice-free route. He believes that Scapa Flow, the RN's principal WW1/WW2 home base, strategically aligns with these areas. What is less clear - in the article at any rate - is how many warships an independent Scotland would have to deploy to the Orkneys and how enthusiastically young men and women of a Scottish Navy might view a posting there. For additional background on possible SNP defence policy, Docherty-Hughes has contributed two interesting, full essays in https://lnkd.in/e8Kktg8G from which this Scapa Flow angle has been plucked. #snp #geopolitics #uk #maritimesecurity #defencepolicy #generalelection

I have published an opinion essay in the The Wall Street Journal that highlights how continued under-investment in our Navy and its infrastructure as well as a series of foreign policy missteps by the current administration have eroded the deterrent value of our naval presence, thus threatening sea lines of communications throughout the middle east and disrupting global supply chains. Please give it a read. https://lnkd.in/eF7i9BAR

The New Age of Naval Power | TIME - these past weeks, from the Black Sea to the Red Sea to the SCS - lots happening in the naval world. Here I explain why naval power matters today, it has to do with the connectivity that powers prosperity.

EXCLUSIVE EXTREMARATIO Chinese sources: the Chinese Navy, in a real exercise, launched an attack to practice breaking through the second island chain and attempt to block the U.S. Navy's passage through the Bearing Strait #ChineseNavy operations to advance its battle formations in the western and northern #Pacific continue unabated. Meanwhile, continued joint naval operations between the #Russian and #Chinese navies in the area add up. A July 14 "Chinese Ministry of Defense Communiqué," in accordance with the annual plan between #China and #Russia, reports that Chinese and Russian naval formations recently carried out the fourth joint maritime patrol in the waters of the North and West Pacific #PLAN #China #US #USNAVY #BearingStrait #IndoPacific #secondislandchain #OSINT #ExtremaRatio #HUMINT https://lnkd.in/dBXpakCE