US Navy’s Post

A significant move forward in the Indo-Pacific.

US Navy Needs More Ships It Can Arm With Missiles: Congress - Business Insider https://lnkd.in/ebfwcGPh My take: The Navy can start by equipping ALL Independence class Littoral Combat Ships with Naval Strike Missile (NSM) AND move out on equipping the Freedom class with them as well or at least with Harpoon for the Freedom class, if NSM is not feasible due to availability or other reasons.

Great catch by Isaac "Ike" Harris here. We see Iran using these militias for horizontal escalation to tie down US forces and sap our bandwidth. China already verges on complicity with this Barbary Pirates 3.0 activity. Plus, it has huge incentives to do nothing as its Axis of Revision partners conduct these malign activities that drain scarce US missile stockpiles. This Houthi activity is likely to continue even after the Gaza Conflict wanes because the group will have enormous incentive to impose six-figure "tolls" on shipping that are cheaper than passage around South Africa but still lucrative for their operations. It will be almost impossible for them to relinquish the power they've tasted from their operations thus far. I agree with Ike that "non state actors advanced anti-ship weapons = several rough decades for maritime security and our Navy." We need a lot more missiles, a lot faster, and a lot cheaper. Anduril Industries

Operation Prosperity Guardian - Wikipedia https://lnkd.in/exRSYZ2y Operation Prosperity Guardian is a United States-led military operation by a multinational coalition formed in December 2023 to respond to Houthi-led attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. Following the breakout of the ongoing Israel–Hamas war in October 2023, the Houthi movement in Yemen blockaded Israel. Following the breakout of the ongoing Israel–Hamas war in October 2023, the Houthi movement in Yemen blockaded Israel in the Red Sea and launched a series of attacks against commercial vessels heading or related to Israel.[7][8] On 18 December 2023, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the formation of an international maritime security force aimed at ending the blockade[9] and countering threats by Houthi forces against international maritime commerce in the region.[10] The coalition currently has more than 20 members, of which ten are anonymously involved.[11][12] Egypt and Saudi Arabia, both economically reliant on unhindered commercial shipping in the area, are absent from the listed participants.[13] France, Italy and Spain have also declined to participate.[14] The chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, Usama Rabia, claimed that "navigation traffic in the Suez Canal was not affected by what is happening in the Red Sea".[15] Nevertheless, on 10 January, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted a resolution demanding a cessation of Houthi attacks on merchant vessels. https://lnkd.in/eHG-e-mV #CombatCamera #OperationProsperityGuardian #fightlikehell #WikiPedia

Russia, China vs. United States Russia Kicks Off Major Naval Combat Drills That China Will Join : Codename ‘Ocean’ echoes largest Soviet-era postwar navy drills : Exercises by more than 400 ships planned in five locations

WSJ: "How an Iranian-Backed Militia Ties Down U.S. Naval Forces in the Red Sea" It is a testament to the professionalism and skill of the U.S. Navy destroyer fleet and the defense industrial base that stories about successful anti-ship ballistic missile engagements are no longer big news. This article was on page 6 of the WSJ this morning. However, this success diminishes that fact that the world has crossed a threshold in warfare. Prior to the Houthis, there has been extremely limited sustained use of anti-ship cruise missiles in combat and no use of anti-ship ballistic missiles. The fact that it is coming from a non-state actor should give us all pause. As is the case in the Red Sea today, these weapons can effectively cut off seaborne commerce in a confined area. If they are to proliferate beyond Yemen, the world's Navies are in for a rough few decades. "“These things are telephone pole-sized, you get three minutes of flight time, you detect it for 45 seconds, you get like 10 seconds to determine whether you’re going to shoot at it or not,” said Capt. David Wroe of U.S. carrier strike group in the Red Sea." Gabriel Collins Andrew Erickson

Summary: The USS Lewis B. Puller, a floating Navy SEAL base, is stationed in the Arabian Sea and plays a crucial role in military operations, including supporting Navy SEAL missions. Named after the most decorated Marine in history, it is the first purpose-built mobile base vessel in the US Navy. The ship has been involved in various operations, including seizing illicit weapons and conducting counter-narcotics missions. Takeaway: The USS Lewis B. Puller, with its unique design and capabilities, is a key asset in supporting military operations and maintaining maritime security in the region. Hashtags: #USSLewisBPuller #NavySEALs #MilitaryOperations #MaritimeSecurity #ExpeditionarySeaBase #USNavy #ArabianSea #DefenseOperations

https://lnkd.in/ecAgec2z Not a news flash here, but it is pretty disturbing that a political outlet reports this as one of its headlines. Hopefully the new team of SEVNAV, CNO, and VCNO (all Surface Warefare Officers (SWOs) BTW) will finally face this issue head on and make some hard and long overdue decisons. Unfortuantely Amphibous Ships or "Gators" in Navy speak have been looked down upon for years as unglamorous and rank at the bottom of the pecking order in the the allocation of dollars and human capital against their more "sexier" Cruiser/Destroyer brethern. However, amphibious assault ships are a unique tool for American commanders that allows them to launch airstrikes, provide humanitarian support and Marines to use large ship-to-shore landing craft to evacuate civilians from hostile areas. While not considered aircraft carriers, the amphibious flattops are considered workhorses for U.S. military commanders around the globe, who frequently request their presence to showcase American presence and power. "Delays are emblematic of a wider issue with repair and maintenance in the Navy that has seen warships languish pierside for months after they had been scheduled to leave. This comes down to poor maintenance management overall,” said Bryan Clark, a retired submarine commander now at the Hudson Institute. “This is also the problem you have when the fleet gets older, you have no surge capacity, and with the ship repair capacity that is not aligned with Navy plans, which keep changing,” he added. “You’ve got a real shortfall in the number of amphibs you can deploy.” The DOD official said there are few options for commanders to speed up the movement of amphibious ships out of port as conditions worsen in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific allies look for the U.S. Navy to provide presence in the face of an increasingly aggressive China. Asked what can be mobilized to meet a crisis quickly, the official conceded, “the answer is no one.” Ugh .... US Navy Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Naval Special Warfare Command - Navy SEAL & SWCC Teams #marinecorps #navy #USNI