The U.S. military has fired more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles in four weeks of war with Iran, burning through the precision weapons at a rate that has alarmed some Pentagon officials.
An amphibious helicopter carrier has been deployed in the Mediterranean to reinforce the presence of the French armed forces in the context of the Middle East crisis. A similar ship was sent off the shore of Lebanon as a precautionary measure to help with repatriations if needed during the 2024 war between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The PLAN "is executing a significant strategic shift from diesel-electric to all-nuclear construction, representing a fundamental departure from historical construction patterns." Expanded investments at three shipyards, major construction efforts, and infrastructure upgrades have increased China's nuclear submarine production rate from less than one boat a year "to significantly higher rates."
The US military is broadly targeting Iran's naval combat capabilities, expanding strikes beyond just warships to mines, drone boats, and torpedoes, the admiral overseeing the Middle East operations said on Monday. Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, reiterated in a video statement that eliminating Iran's naval threats is one of three military objectives of the American strike campaign.
WWII began with most naval powers still believing the battleship ruled the seas. Fleets were built around heavily armored ships with massive guns meant to destroy enemy navies in decisive surface battles. By the war's end, that thinking had changed dramatically. Aircraft carriers could strike targets hundreds of miles away, while submarines choked off supply lines across entire oceans.
The USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier is setting sail for a new test at sea, specifically its shipbuilder sea trials. It marks a major milestone for the US Navy's next supercarrier. The trials will be overseen by top shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries, allowing for evaluations of the vessel before it's delivered to the Navy. Though the ship has gone through river-based propulsion testing, these trials are when the new warship leaves the yard and proves that it actually works at sea.
David versus Goliath stories captivate us, especially when David brings a slingshot that looks like alien technology. Enter Stavatti Aerospace, a 25-person firm from Niagara Falls taking on Boeing and Northrop Grumman for one of the most lucrative defense contracts in naval aviation. Their weapon of choice? The SM-39 Razor, a fighter design so visually striking it demands a double-take. The triple-fuselage "Batwing" configuration breaks from a century of conventional aircraft architecture, presenting a form that's more science fiction than traditional aerospace engineering.
US Southern Command said in a statement that Marines and sailors, working in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and captured the tanker, Olina, "without incident." It appears to be the first time that the US has directly acknowledged the Ford's involvement in the five boarding and seizure operations that began in early December. However, the government has indicated that the carrier was used for at least one of the other missions.
The US Navy is betting on 3D printing parts to speed up work on the fleet while also cutting costs after two wins last year, the service said recently. A Naval Sea Systems Command release said that additive manufacturing moved "from a promising capability to a warfighting capability in 2025." Two examples the Navy said were among the service's most significant achievements last year involved putting 3D-printed parts on its most in-demand and complex vessels.
