The Unsung Heroes of World War II: The Collaborative Effort of the U.S., the U.K., and Australia in Defeating the Axis Powers

Press reports from Politico reflect that a plan by the United States, Australia, and the U.K are to share submarine technology as part of a strategic effort to counter Chinese naval power in the Pacific. The three countries have agreed to deepen their defense cooperation and share information on the development of new submarines, including advanced propulsion systems and stealth technology. The plan is aimed at strengthening the allies’ ability to detect and deter Chinese submarines, which have become increasingly active in the region. The article also notes that the plan is likely to further strain the already tense relationship between the three allies and China.

Takeaways:

  • The US, Australia, and the UK plan to share submarine technology as a strategic effort to counter Chinese naval power in the Pacific.
  • The plan includes deepening defense cooperation and sharing information on the development of new submarines with advanced propulsion systems and stealth technology.
  • The aim is to strengthen the allies’ ability to detect and deter Chinese submarines that have become increasingly active in the region.
  • The plan is likely to further strain the already tense relationship between the three allies and China.

The Power of Collaboration: The Story of the U.S., the U.K., and Australia in World War

Historical Context

  • The U.S., the U.K., and Australia collaborated in World War II to defeat the Axis powers.
  • The allies faced significant challenges, including the threat posed by German U-boats in the Atlantic.
  • The U.S. and the U.K. developed a plan to build aircraft carriers capable of tracking and destroying enemy subs
  • Australia provided the necessary shipbuilding expertise to build two carriers, which played a key role in the final months of the war.
  • The collaboration between the three nations continued after the war and remains strong today, reflecting the enduring power of collaboration and shared values.
  • In the early days of World War II, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia came together in a collaborative effort to defeat the Axis powers. The three nations formed an alliance that would prove to be instrumental in turning the tide of the war.

As the war raged on, the Allies faced numerous challenges and setbacks. One of the most significant was the threat posed by German U-boats, which were wreaking havoc on Allied shipping in the Atlantic. To combat this threat, the U.S. and the U.K. came up with a plan to build a new type of vessel – an aircraft carrier that could launch planes capable of tracking and destroying enemy subs.

The U.S. and the U.K. quickly realized that they didn’t have the resources to build these carriers on their own. They needed help from a nation with a strong naval tradition and the necessary shipbuilding expertise. That nation was Australia.

Australia eagerly joined the project and quickly set to work building two of these new carriers – the HMAS Melbourne and the HMAS Sydney. The carriers were launched in 1945 and played a key role in the final months of the war, helping to track down and destroy numerous German U-boats.

The collaboration between the U.S., the U.K., and Australia didn’t end with the war, however. In the years that followed, the three nations continued to work closely together on a wide range of issues, from defense to trade and beyond.

Today, the bond between the U.S., the U.K., and Australia remains strong, a testament to the enduring power of collaboration and the shared values that unite us all.

American Destroyer arrives in Japan

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn (DDG 113) arrives at Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY). Finn arrives from Naval Base San Diego to CFAY, becoming the latest forward-deployed asset in the U.S. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Kaleb J. Sarten

The USS John Finn (DDG 113), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, has arrived in Yokosuka, Japan to join Commander, Task Force (CTF 71)/Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15. The ship is designed for air warfare, submarine warfare, and surface warfare, and can operate independently or with other groups. Its deployment supports the US commitment to the defense of Japan and the security, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region. The ship’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Angela Gonzales, stated that the crew is ready to support allies and partners in maintaining maritime security in the region

In April, 2021, the guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn (DDG 113) launches an Extended Range Active Missile (SM-6) during U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem (UxS IBP) 21. UxS IBP 21 integrates manned and unmanned capabilities into challenging operational scenarios to generate warfighting advantages.

Top 10 Navies

Navies have played a crucial role in shaping the course of history, from ancient times to the modern era. In the 21st century, with the increased globalization and interconnectivity of the world, the role of navies has become even more important. They are responsible for safeguarding national interests, protecting territorial waters, maintaining maritime security, and ensuring freedom of navigation on the high seas.

In this blog post, we will explore the world’s top 10 navies based on various factors such as fleet size, capabilities, technology, and operational experience. Understanding the relative strengths and weaknesses of the world’s navies is crucial in today’s global landscape as it provides insights into a country’s military power and geopolitical influence.

Moreover, as tensions continue to rise in various regions of the world, knowing which navies have the capability to project power and defend their interests is becoming increasingly important. This post will provide readers with an overview of the world’s top naval powers and their capabilities, enabling them to stay informed about the latest developments in the field of naval warfare.

Top 10 Navies of the World

Here are the top 10 navies in the world based on their number of ships and specific types:

United States Navy: The US Navy is the largest navy in the world, with a total of 490 ships, including 11 aircraft carriers, 22 cruisers, 67 destroyers, 11 frigates, and 72 submarines.

People’s Liberation Army Navy (China): China’s navy is rapidly expanding and currently has a total of 350 ships, including 2 aircraft carriers, 25 destroyers, 52 frigates, and 76 submarines.

Russian Navy: The Russian Navy has a total of 352 ships, including 1 aircraft carrier, 4 cruisers, 13 destroyers, 78 corvettes, and 60 submarines.

Indian Navy: The Indian Navy has a total of 295 ships, including 1 aircraft carrier, 11 destroyers, 14 frigates, and 16 submarines.

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force: Japan’s navy has a total of 154 ships, including 4 destroyers, 43 frigates, and 16 submarines.

Republic of Korea Navy: South Korea’s navy has a total of 166 ships, including 1 aircraft carrier, 12 destroyers, 13 frigates, and 22 submarines.

Royal Navy (United Kingdom): The UK’s navy has a total of 76 ships, including 2 aircraft carriers, 6 destroyers, 13 frigates, and 7 submarines.

French Navy: France’s navy has a total of 118 ships, including 1 aircraft carrier, 4 destroyers, 11 frigates, and 10 submarines.

Italian Navy: Italy’s navy has a total of 153 ships, including 2 aircraft carriers, 6 destroyers, 14 frigates, and 6 submarines.

Turkish Navy: Turkey’s navy has a total of 194 ships, including 16 frigates, 12 corvettes, and 12 submarines.

Chinese vessels near Philippines

Thitu Island, NASA • Public domain

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.

Who’s Who – U.S. Navy Commands

U.S. Deparment of the Navy Commands

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.

Iranian warships dock in Brazil

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

Iran and China join Russia in dredging Volga River, strengthening anti-Western alliance says reports

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.

Russian Fleet Increases Mediterranean Risk

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.

UAE and Israel Unveil Jointly Created Unmanned Vessel

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.

Pacific island leaders say Biden to visit region soon for summit: communique

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.