All articles tagged with #naval operations
The U.S. military has been firing on boats from South America over the past three months, killing over 80 people, prompting bipartisan concerns and questions about the legality of these actions, especially after a second missile strike on survivors, raising potential war crime allegations.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, comprising 7,000 sailors, has been engaged in an unrelenting battle against Iranian-backed Houthi militants in the Red Sea, launching about 100 flights daily to thwart drone and missile attacks. The group's efforts have significantly reduced the militants' activity, allowing safe passage for over 2,000 ships. The sailors, enduring a grueling pace without port calls, face frequent attacks and have been compared to World War II battles, but remain committed to the mission of safeguarding the vital waterway.
Reports suggest that undersea cables in the Bab el Mandeb have been severed, potentially by a covert underwater operation, raising concerns about increasing threats to undersea infrastructure. Denmark has ended its investigation into the Nord Stream attacks, while Germany remains interested in the case. The lack of finger-pointing has led to various conspiracy theories. The author speculates that Russia may have been involved in the cable cutting, highlighting the need for Western nations to enhance their capabilities to deter, detect, and respond to such threats.
The head of Ukraine's main intelligence agency, Vasyl Maliuk, revealed in a televised documentary that a Ukrainian sea drone attack on Russia's Crimean bridge in July had disrupted naval operations and forced Russia to rely on ferries for transporting weaponry. Maliuk claimed that the attack had shattered the notion of Russian invincibility and highlighted the vulnerability of the bridge. The documentary showcased video clips of the explosive attack and stated that six supporting structures were destroyed, prompting Russian forces to switch to ferries for supplying their troops. This attack is part of a series of Ukrainian offensive actions in the Black Sea, including a missile assault on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has claimed that Ukraine has seized the initiative from Russia in the Black Sea, thanks to the use of naval drones.
The Royal Navy's newest aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, is a fifth-generation warship equipped with the latest autonomous systems and luxurious living accommodations. With a length of 920ft and weighing over 70,000 tons, the ship showcases Britain's commitment to maintaining its maritime power. Unlike US carriers, HMS Prince of Wales has a deck designed for vertical landings and a ramp for takeoffs. The ship supports over 1,000 crew members and features impressive facilities such as 288 toilets, generators producing 110 Megawatts of electricity, and desalination plants delivering 500 tons of water per day. The ship's galley serves 4,000 meals daily, including themed nights like Caribbean night. The vessel has been working with American pilots to expand its capabilities, and its young crew, including 22-year-old quartermaster Olivia Ryder-Maddocks, plays a crucial role in operating the ship.
Ukraine reportedly conducted drone attacks on a Russian missile carrier and patrol ship, using experimental weapons, in separate incidents this week. The attacks were carried out by the Ukrainian Security Service and naval forces. The extent of the damage is unknown, but Russian minesweepers and divers were unable to detect the Ukrainian weapons after the first detonation. Tensions in the Black Sea region have been escalating since Russia withdrew from a grain export deal in July. Ukraine has launched successful missile and naval drone attacks on Russia's Black Sea fleet in an effort to regain control of vital shipping routes and deny Russia control of the Black Sea. In a separate incident, Ukraine's Special Operation Forces claimed to have blown up a railway line in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, damaging a train delivering ammunition and fuel to the Russian army.
UK intelligence suggests that Russia is likely relocating some of its naval operations from Crimea to the port of Novorossiysk on its western coast in response to increased Ukrainian attacks on its Black Sea Fleet. The attacks have targeted the headquarters in Sevastopol, damaged a submarine and a landing craft, and utilized naval drones. Russia is now relying on elements of its naval air force, including the Be-12 MAIL flying boat aircraft and Su-24 Fencer and Flanker variant combat jets, to maintain its presence in the region.
China's Defense Minister, Gen. Li Shangfu, warned foreign powers not to operate warships and aircraft close to its territorial waters and blamed Washington for recent provocative encounters between US and Chinese units. Li said other nations used the freedom of navigation and innocent passage as a pretext to exercise hegemony of navigation. The US and its allies send warships and aircraft on freedom of navigation operations which test what Washington considers excessive territorial claims. Beijing has routinely called US FONOps in the South China Sea destabilizing and provocative.
Commodore Jukka Anteroinen, chief of staff of the Finnish Navy, discussed the changes he expects to come from joining NATO, how Russia has treated his naval forces over the last year, and whether Ukraine will spill into the seas. He expects no dramatic changes in the short term, but Finland can bring advanced unmanned systems to NATO. Anteroinen said that Russia has acted professionally and in accordance with their code of conduct, and he has not seen any increase in territorial integrity violations by Russians. He also said that it is hard to say whether there will be direct conflict between Russia and Ukraine on the water in the near future.