United States Marine Corps’ Post

I do think it is a frigate because of its size and the scope of its general capabilities. If ships designations were to be governed by political acceptance or wishfulness most ships would be patrol boats or APV:s. The Sw RN is better served by a correct ship type designation than by a politically correct one. Our Navy needs the self esteem that this new ship may bring about after its experience of diminutives in ship sizes as well as numbers.

DF-21D: China's Ultimate Weapon to Sink U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers The DF-21D missile, part of China's strategic anti-area/access denial (A2/AD) arsenal, represents a pivotal component of Beijing's military posture against US naval power in the Indo-Pacific. Stemming from a long history of prioritizing innovative defense mechanisms, the DF-21D is designed to thwart US military influence near China's borders, particularly concerning

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Does Singapore have a Marine Corps?”   No, the USMC is an expeditionary force, tasked with quick deployments before the main elements of the US Army arrive to provide support, and with establishing beachheads for naval invasions, a mission they excelled at during World War II. The SAF is geared towards preemptive strikes in force, not sending expeditionary forces to the far corners of the planet.  All our missions are geared towards the near abroad, since we are expected to fight for the survival of Singapore, or defend its sovereignty in a regional conflict.   Since we are an island in an archipelago, the entire SAF is trained in establishing beach heads in neighbouring islands.  In that sense, every infantry unit is a sort of marine unit.  There are units in the SAF that have deep strike capabilities behind enemy lines.  The most notable are the Guards, who are our premier heliborne force in the region, and the Commandos.  Both units were modelled originally from British special forces units, the SAS and the British Commandos. In that note, the SAF has invested heavily in our aerial and naval superiority to secure the area of a naval landing, as well as bridging capabilities and a large motor pool. Terence Nunis Terence K. J. Nunis, Consultant

China vs. United State U.S. revives Cold War submarine spy program to counter China : The U.S. Navy is carrying out the biggest overhaul of its top-secret undersea surveillance network since the 1950s as China’s naval power surges and new technologies are fast reshaping maritime warfare. Beijing has similar plans of its own

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

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