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Category: Global News Watch
Global news is important because it helps people to be informed, engaged, and aware of what is happening in the world. It can promote understanding, facilitate action, and lead to positive change.
The Philippines has reported the presence of a Chinese navy ship and 42 Chinese maritime militia vessels around Thitu island, a Philippine-occupied island in the South China Sea according to press reports by Reuters.
Thitu is the Philippines’ largest and most strategically important outpost in the disputed region. The Chinese embassy in Manila has not responded to the assertion. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has previously stated that the Philippines “will not lose an inch” of territory and has protested against China’s “aggressive activities” in the area according to press reports.
The United States Navy is one of the largest and most advanced naval forces in the world, responsible for maintaining the country’s maritime security and protecting its interests around the globe. To effectively carry out its mission, the Navy is organized into a number of commands and offices, each with its own unique responsibilities and functions.
One of the most important commands within the Navy is the United States Fleet Forces Command, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia. This command is responsible for overseeing the training and readiness of all naval forces on the East Coast, as well as providing support for joint military operations with other branches of the armed services.
Another key command is the United States Pacific Fleet, based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This command is responsible for maintaining naval operations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as providing support for allied forces in the region.
In addition to these commands, the Navy also has a number of specialized offices and organizations dedicated to specific functions, such as the Naval Sea Systems Command, which oversees the development and maintenance of naval ships and equipment, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts investigations into criminal activity involving Navy personnel and assets.
Overall, the various commands and offices within the U.S. Navy work together to ensure that the Navy is able to carry out its mission effectively and efficiently, both at home and abroad.
United States Fleet Forces Command (formerly Atlantic Fleet) United States Naval Forces Central Command United States Naval Forces Europe – Naval Forces Africa United States Pacific Fleet Modern US Navy fleets
US Navy fleets are numbered odd in the Pacific or West, and even in the Atlantic or East:
United States Second Fleet (HQ Norfolk, Virginia) – North Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, & Homeland Defense.
United States Third Fleet (HQ San Diego, California) – East Pacific
United States Fourth Fleet (HQ Mayport, Florida) – South Atlantic
United States Fifth Fleet (HQ Manama, Bahrain) – Middle East
United States Sixth Fleet (HQ Naples, Italy) – Europe, including Mediterranean Sea & Black Sea.
United States Seventh Fleet (HQ Yokosuka, Japan) – West Pacific
United States Tenth Fleet (HQ Fort Meade, Maryland) – Reactivated as Fleet Cyber Command. Formerly anti submarine warfare coordinating organization.
Two Iranian warships, the IRIS Makran and IRIS Dena, have been granted permission to dock in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, despite pressure from the US to bar them. The ships had previously been denied permission to dock in late January, but Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government allowed them to dock after his trip to the US. The US has expressed concerns about the presence of the Iranian warships on Brazilian shores. The decision to allow the ships to dock comes as Lula seeks to bolster Brazil’s international standing. Diplomacy with Iran was one of the highlights of Lula’s previous presidential terms according to publised reports from Reuters.
Fox is reporting has quoted a ‘Warning sign’: Iran’s military reportedly sending warships to Brazil, Panama Canal in challenge to US ‘Tehran’s ability to expand its military presence in our hemisphere should be a warning sign,’ Sen. Rubio says
The Iran Marine Industrial Company is repairing a Russian ship that crashed into ice on the Volga River and is joining China in helping Russia dredge the Volga-Caspian Seaway Canal, further strengthening the emerging Moscow-Tehran axis, integrating Iran into the Russian-Chinese alliance, and threatening Ukraine. The involvement of China and Iran in the dredging project benefits Moscow’s ability to address bottlenecks, while allowing larger naval vessels from Russia’s Caspian Flotilla to transit to the Sea of Azov. The move will also counter Western influence and integrate Iran into the Russian-Chinese alliance in the military and economic spheres. The Kremlin’s decision to involve Iran in the dredging project will give Russia the advanced ability to project force westward more quickly. The author of the article is Paul Goble and it was published in Eurasia Daily Monitor and the Jamestown Foundation.
Admiral Enrico Credendino warned Italian MPs that Moscow is increasing both the number of ships and its “aggressive attitude” in the Mediterranean Sea. According to Admiral Sanfelice di Monteforte, they’re here to stay Russian ships in the Med are rising in number and adopting an increasingly aggressive posture “that was not usual in the Mediterranean.” Speaking at the Defence Commission of Parliament’s Lower House, the Navy’s Chief of Staff Enrico Credendino warned of a “high risk of incident,” according to press reports at Decode39.
The knock-on effects of the war in Ukraine are reverberating on the sea, he said, noting “the impressive increase in the numbers of the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea – to a level not even seen in the days of the Cold War.” Although the high number of ships does not represent a direct threat to Italy’s national territory, Admiral Credendino warned MPs that Russia’s bolstering of forces and assertiveness “increase the tension so much.” There is an “unstable balance” due to the presence of four allied aircraft carrier groups in the Med – a never-seen-before scenario, composed of the Italian, French, American and Spanish ships – and a Russian naval group with three modern ships posturing in the Ionian Sea, near Italian waters, warned the Navy’s Chief of Staff.
“The most modern ship is […] currently in South Africa and has embarked the hypersonic missiles: we don’t know whether they are effective or not, we will see, but the ship will enter the Mediterranean,” said Admiral Credendino, stressing that the situation “is complex and turbulent.” The expert’s take. The presence of Russian ships is nothing new, and according to Admiral Ferdinando Sanfelice di Monteforte, a military expert and lecturer in strategic studies, “they will remain in the Mediterranean for quite a long time” with at least two different configurations. “those that seek to intimidate European countries in the Mediterranean, and those following the allied carrier groups in a function of counter-deterrence.”
While it’s reminiscent of the Cold War days, this situation entails a new threat: “the risk of a limited use of force by the Russians, with attacks on gas pipelines or submarine telecommunications cables” that crisscross the Med. This novel tactic is a consequence of Russia being “in greater difficulty than in the Soviet Union era.” Meanwhile, this scenario does not facilitate relations between the Northern and Southern shores of the Mediterranean basin. The Southern countries, explained Admiral Sanfelice di Monteforte, are worried “by the noise of sabre rattling” heard over the waters. Upping the (cyber-)game. Given the political will to increase defence spending to 2% of GDP, the Navy official urged MPs to bridge the Italian Navy’s capability gaps. He also said that the month-long, all-fleet exercise in April would feature “a major cybersecurity training” to test the crew’s response time and the ships’ overall cyber resilience.
Admiral Enrico Credendino, the Navy’s Chief of Staff, warned Italian MPs that Russia is increasing its number of ships and adopting an increasingly aggressive posture in the Mediterranean Sea, which is increasing the risk of an incident. He noted that the impressive increase in the numbers of the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea to a level not seen even in the days of the Cold War is due to the knock-on effects of the war in Ukraine. While the high number of ships does not represent a direct threat to Italy’s national territory, he warned that Russia’s bolstering of forces and assertiveness is increasing tension. Admiral Credendino also highlighted the risk of limited use of force by Russia, with attacks on gas pipelines or submarine telecommunications cables, which crisscross the Mediterranean. According to Admiral Ferdinando Sanfelice di Monteforte, a military expert and lecturer in strategic studies, the Russian ships will remain in the Mediterranean for quite a long time, with at least two different configurations. Additionally, Admiral Credendino urged MPs to bridge the Italian Navy’s capability gaps and to increase the Navy’s overall cyber resilience, which would be tested in a major cybersecurity training exercise in April writes Marco Battaglia at Decode39, a news and analysis website from italy.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel have jointly unveiled their first unmanned surface vessel (USV), which has advanced sensors and imaging systems and can be used for surveillance, reconnaissance, and detecting mines the Times of Israel has reported. The USV was created by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Emirati defense consortium EDGE and was demonstrated off the coast of Abu Dhabi during the Naval Defence and Maritime Security Exhibition. The two countries have been steadily deepening their military partnership, including defense procurement, since they normalized relations in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords. The USV is expected to counter maritime threats in the Gulf region and can be deployed abroad.
The leaders of five Pacific island nations, namely Kiribati, Palau, Nauru, Marshall Islands, and Federated States of Micronesia, announced that U.S. President Joe Biden will soon visit the region for a leaders’ summit, as part of the U.S.’s efforts to counter China’s influence in the areaPacific island leaders say Biden to visit region soon for summit: communique according to press reports from Reuters. The leaders expressed their support and cooperation to ensure the success of the visit. However, the White House National Security Council said it had no travel to announce, and U.S. officials declined to comment. The invitation for the Biden visit is expected to be agreed upon and issued by the Pacific Island Forum during its meeting in Fiji on Feb. 24.
Rear Adm. Mike Studeman, the commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence, has criticized the “China blindness” of most Americans in understanding the threat posed by China. Speaking at the West 2023 conference in San Diego according published accounts from Justin Katz, BreakingDeadefense.com. Reports also quoting Studeman “blamed the problem on a “knowledge crisis,” but also accused the Pentagon of overclassifying information”. The admiral also addressed the issue of the US policy on Taiwan, saying that the country should maintain its policy of “strategic ambiguity” regarding the possibility of military intervention in the event of a Chinese invasion. The comments came in the wake of the Chinese government deploying a high-altitude balloon over US airspace.
Radiophone Transmitter courtesy of Naval History Museum
1913 – The Naval Radio Station, Arlington Va., begins operations. The station is a pioneer in communications, most notably with the Eiffel Tower in France.
1917 Marine Capt. Francis T. Evans performs the first loop with a seaplane in an N-9 float plane at 3,000 feet, then forces it into a spin and successfully recovers. For this contribution to the science of aviation, he is later awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
1943 Women Marines were reestablished as the Marine Corps Womens Reserve. Col. Ruth Cheney Streeter, the first Director of the United States Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, serves until Dec. 7, 1945.
1945 USS Sennet (SS 408) is damaged by gunfire of Japanese gunboat (No.8 Kotoshiro Maru or No.3 Showa Maru), east of Tanega Shima, but then Sennett sinks No.8 Kotoshiro Maru after it had been shelled by USS Lagarto (SS 371) and USS Haddock (SS 231). Haddock then sinks No.3 Showa Maru, which had already been shelled by Lagarto and Sennett .
Washington, D.C. – Americans for a Stronger Navy today announced several new initiatives aimed at supporting the U.S. Navy and promoting its role in protecting American interests and defending the country.
Fleet Forward initatve will focus on the development of new and improved shipyards and maintenance programs, as well as the expansion of the Navy’s fleet with the latest and most technologically advanced ships. This initiative will also prioritize the development of trained personnel and shipyards to meet the needs of Navy programs.
This WeekinNavy History Initiative will educate the public on the positive role of the U.S. Navy and the brave individuals who have served in the past exploring a different moment in the rich history of the U.S. Navy each week.
Tell us your Story initiative will highlight the day-to-day life of active-duty personnel and veterans of the U.S. Navy, sharing the latest developments and innovations in naval technology and strategy, as well as the experiences and perspectives of those who serve in the Navy. Click here for complete detail
Why Join the Navy initiative highlights the unique skills and experiences that military veterans, particularly those who served in the Navy, bring to the tech industry. These include leadership, problem-solving, and technical skills, making Navy veterans valuable assets in the fast-paced tech industry. Click here for complete detail.
Americans for a Stronger Navy will launch a comprehensive public relations and lobbying campaign as part of the Fleet Forward initiative, and will work closely with members of Congress and the Administration to promote legislation and policies that support the modernization and expansion of the Navy.
“The U.S. Navy plays a critical role in protecting American interests and defending the country, and it is more important than ever to support its modernization and expansion,” said a spokesperson for the Americans for a Stronger Navy organization. “We are excited to launch these initiatives and work with the public and our elected officials to ensure that the Navy has the resources and support it needs to continue to be a powerful and capable force.”
