All articles tagged with #maritime warfare
Ukraine reportedly used a new unmanned underwater drone, 'Sub Sea Baby,' to strike and likely damage a Russian Improved Kilo-class submarine at Novorossiysk naval base, marking a significant escalation in Black Sea maritime conflict and highlighting vulnerabilities in Russian naval defenses.
The French and UK naval chiefs emphasize the need for rapid innovation and adaptable warship designs to address evolving maritime threats. They highlight the importance of integrating new technologies like drones, AI, and hypersonic missiles, and stress closer collaboration with industry to accelerate development. The navies aim to detach operational capabilities from ship platforms, allowing for frequent updates to weapon systems, and are adapting to lessons learned from conflicts in the Black Sea and Red Sea.
Houthi rebels have announced an expansion of their maritime operations, targeting vessels in the Indian Ocean and the Cape of Good Hope route in the Atlantic Ocean, as part of their support for Palestinians. They have already conducted operations against Israeli and U.S. ships, and are tightening cooperation with Palestinian factions. The rebels have received praise from the "axis of resistance" for their impact on Israel and have claimed to possess hypersonic missiles, posing a significant challenge to missile defense systems.
Ukraine is implementing a systematic strategy to "demilitarize" Russia's Black Sea Fleet, gradually eroding its support infrastructure and targeting valuable naval assets. As Ukraine aims to isolate and eventually liberate Crimea, the safe spaces for the Black Sea Fleet are diminishing. The ongoing asymmetric maritime warfare has resulted in the destruction or damage of several Russian vessels, posing long-term challenges for Russia's shipbuilding sector. Ukraine is also conducting daily drone, missile, and commando attacks on Crimean targets, identifying and exploiting security gaps in Russian defenses. The Black Sea remains a dangerous flashpoint between NATO and Russia, with no signs of easing tensions. Ukraine is seeking advanced Western weapons and aims to establish control over its territorial sea and maritime exclusive economic zone.