Naval and Defense News

[thewood1]

Which stealth submarines would those be?

[Broncepulido]

Interesting analysis of evolution of Russian attack helicopters in Ukraine:
https://bulgarianmilitary.com/2025/03/0 ... nightmare/

[Broncepulido]

From here, EMALS and other Ford-class problems, "Naval Air: USS Truman Gets Dent":

https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htnav ... #gsc.tab=0

Quote: "...EMALS less reliable than the older steam catapult. EMALS was also more labor intensive to operate and put more stress on launched aircraft than expected. Worse, due to a basic design flaw, if one EMALS catapult becomes inoperable, the other three catapults could not be used in the meantime as was the case with steam catapults. This meant that the older practice of taking one or more steam catapults offline for maintenance or repairs while at sea was not practical. The navy admitted that in combat if one or more catapults were rendered unusable, they remained that way until it was possible to shut down all four catapults for repairs. During the initial at-sea tests the EMALS failed once every 75 aircraft launches. The standard for steam catapults is one failure every 4,166 launches. The landing and recovery system also had reliability problems, failing once every 76 landings, which is far below the standard of one failure per 16,500 landings. In effect, these problems with launching and recovering aircraft make the Fords much less effective than the older Truman and other Nimitz class CVNs"

[Blast33]

CCTV has released pictures of the ongoing PLAAF deployment for a training exercise in Egypt. This training deployment includes at least one J-10C, at least one J-10S, at least one YY-20A aerial refuelling aircraft/tanker, and at least one KJ-500.

Clipboard_04-20-2025_02.jpg (25.24 KiB) Viewed 1748 times

[Blast33]

A helpful drawing of theItalian CVL Cavour.
Maybe a nice one for the Database..

Gpd_QC3WkAEvF4S.jpg (115.25 KiB) Viewed 1617 times

[Nikel]

With the anniversary on the sinking of the Moskva: "Dmitry Shkrebets, the father of one of the missing sailors, has compiled an extremely detailed dossier of the events that led up to the sinking and how the sinking itself took place. It includes survivors' first-hand accounts. The ship was in a very poor condition at the time."


‪Link to ChrisO_wiki‬ long series of threads related to this new information.

https://bsky.app/profile/chriso-wiki.bs ... ifkrr4np2s


Direct link to Shkrebets' dossier in russian.

https://psv4.userapi.com/s/v1/d/6lqyCBJ ... Moskva.pdf



India strikes on Pakistan, map according to Damien Symon.

https://www.twz.com/news-features/india ... n-responds







The curse of the Truman continues.

https://www.twz.com/air/super-hornet-cr ... -in-a-week

[Tcao]

https://armyrecognition.com/news/army-n ... ment-plans
Analysis | How far have US hypersonic weapon programs currently progressed compared to initial deployment plans?.

[Knightpawn]

This is interesting

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/doe ... -pakistan/

"Pakistan likely used the PL-15E air-to-air missile to shoot down the Indian jets. The PL-15E is the export version of China’s PL-15. It has a range of approximately 145 kilometers, compared to 200 to 300 kilometers for the domestic variant. It has a dual-pulse motor (which has two separate motor burns) capable of accelerating the missile to speeds over Mach 5.

Pakistan integrates the PL-15E with its JF-17 Block III and J-10CE fighter aircraft, which it also received from China. The J-10CE has a large nose cone with a powerful radar, enabling it to detect and engage targets beyond the missile’s maximum range. In contrast, the JF-17 Block III’s radar is limited to a range of approximately 100–120 kilometers.

Given that the downed Indian aircraft were located deep within Indian territory, it stands to reason that it was launched from a J-10CE, although this remains unverified. Midcourse guidance may have also been provided by Pakistan’s Erieye aircraft (acquired from Sweden’s Saab) or by Chinese-origin ground-based radar systems deployed by Pakistan."

[Nikel]

Damien Symon map on the last India-Pakistan strikes.






All the B-2s have left Diego Garcia, according to EISNspotter. B-52s remain.


https://video-s.twimg.com/amplify_video ... kz5JD-.mp4



Satellite pic from 7 may by MT Anderson









Is the Nuclear battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov finally coming back to town after years of modernizing? Pic by Thord Are Iversen.





https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_b ... l_Nakhimov



According to zlatti71:

Code: Select all

“Admiral Nakhimov” Returns – Russia’s Battlecruiser Nearly Ready for Duty

After 25 years in dry dock, the heavy missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov is set to return to active service. Commissioned in 1986 and part of the Kirov class, the ship has undergone extensive modernization at Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk and is expected to begin sea trials later in 2025.

At 252 meters in length, displacing around 25,000 tons, and powered by two nuclear pressurized water reactors, the Admiral Nakhimov remains one of the largest and most powerful surface combatants in the world. 

The modernization includes:

• Launch systems for Kalibr, Onyx, and the hypersonic Tsyklon missiles

• Fort-M air defense system (comparable to the S-300F)

• Pantsir-M close-in weapon systems

• New electronic combat and command systems

While modern corvettes and frigates can now carry similar weapons, a vessel of this size still serves vital strategic functions, particularly as a long-range power projection platform with endurance and command capability.

With the Admiral Nakhimov, Russia reinforces its commitment to large surface combatants in naval strategy -  not only as weapons platforms but also as mobile command centers and instruments of maritime presence on the global stage.

The best part of Putin's show aka Victory day parade

https://video-s.twimg.com/amplify_video ... 2Y4Nlb.mp4

[Nikel]

H I Sutton: "Ukraine is showing off the Sidewinder armed Magura V7 (left)".





More info:

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... ace-drone/



Ian Ellis text and map, USN CSGs and ARGs situation.

Code: Select all

• The first ship from the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deployed on 6 May. The rest of the group will follow, en route to the Middle East/CENTCOM AOR.
• Harry S. Truman CSG, on station in the Red Sea, will soon begin the journey home, leaving Vinson as the sole carrier in the Middle East.
• Vinson CSG is coming up on 6 months deployed and nearing the latter end of its deployment. TBD if there will be any overlap with Ford/dual carriers in the region.
• Nimitz CSG is operating in the South China Sea and monitoring heavy Chinese PLA Navy activity, but could move to the Middle East if an additional carrier is required.
• Washington is forward deployed in Yokosuka, Japan
• Lincoln and Bush are at their respective homeports and available (and would be next to deploy).
• Ike, Roosevelt, and Reagan are in Planned Incremental Availabilities (PIA), which typically last 6-18 months. Stennis is getting a refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) with expected completion in 2026.

[Knightpawn]

That is worth reading regarding about Operation Rough Rider. Not very encouraging though.

https://unherd.com/2025/05/americas-mil ... miliation/

[JFS737]

That's a good read and many good observations. Certainly a glass is half empty view, but not without basis. I would say that although the brokered ceasefire was for US shipping.... Trump has said they agreed to stop attacking shipping in the red sea... and it appears that has been the case. So we did get more than the stated ceasefire and as I understand it, our main goal has effectively been achieved with no loss of life on our side?

Cost? Very high for such a low end adversary... but there seems to be at least some hope that we, as well as the Europeans and our other allies are all taking a serious look at armaments stockpiles and readiness... defense spending in general. Not sure if it's timely enough, we'll see.

[Blast33]

‪Shashank Joshi‬
‪@shashj.bsky.social‬
Interesting modelling on how the US' collaborative combat aircraft - drones that accompany fighter jets - could work in Taiwan. "a CCA fleet conducting rapid return could launch over 2,000 missiles in the first 24 hours."
https://csbaonline.org/research/publica ... lication/1

bafkreiffywf2mareqs5povipmr4bndc2xqter6t65zfnxsz2vyo5db6sq4.jpg (172.86 KiB) Viewed 181 times

[Nikel]

Ukrainian attack on russian strategic assets and bases, FPV drones were launched from trucks. Still appearing more information. The port of Severomorsk was also attacked.

SBU attacked 4 military airfields in Russia. Planes are currently burning at the Belaya, Diaghilevo, Olenya and Ivanovo airfields. Also Voskresensk.







Satellite images of the airbases' status a couple of days ago, - AviVector

Belaya (31.05):
7 Tu-160;
6 Tu-95MS;
2 Il-78M;
6 An-26;
2 An-12;
39 Tu-22M3;
30 MiG-31.

Olenya (26.05):
11 Tu-95MS;
5 An-12;
40 Tu-22M3.








Reportedly videos of the attacks.

https://video-s.twimg.com/amplify_video ... c_Xg7E.mp4

https://video-s.twimg.com/amplify_video ... Dgg-8w.mp4



Confirmed losses at Olenya airfield as a result of SBU drone attack - DniproOsint

At least 4 Tu-95s and 1 An-12

[Nikel]

Ukrainian war journalist Yuri Butusov has detailed the operation "Spiderweb" against Russian strategic assets:


- At the moment, according to our sources, the destruction of 41 aircrafts of strategic and military transport aviation of the Russian Armed Forces at four bases has been recorded.

- Some of the drones attacked the target with auto-homing, the results of their strikes will be determined using satellite images.

- A group of SBU agents transported 150 small attack drones and 300 ammunition to the territory of the Russian Federation. 116 drones took to the air.

- The drones were controlled via Russian telecommunications networks, using auto-homing.

- Drones attacked from a short distance during the day in the deep rear of the enemy.

- The air bases were covered by significant air defense forces - anti-aircraft missile systems, electronic warfare systems, regular patrols with small arms. But the Russians expected night strikes by heavy large strike drones, which are clearly visible in the air, and did not expect an attack by small quadcopters during the day.

- The attack on the Tu-95 strategic missile carrier base at the Olenya base was especially successful, the drones accurately hit the refueled fuel tanks and a significant number of aircraft burned to the ground. An operation of such a scale and with such a colossal economic and military effect, at such a high technological level, has no analogues in the world.

- SBU agents successfully returned to Ukraine. Ukraine did not suffer any losses.

Consequences:

- Military equipment worth billions of dollars was destroyed

- Strategic aircrafts which Russia does not produce were destroyed.

- the enemy's strike capabilities are weakened, since these aircraft were an important component of constant terrorist attacks on Ukrainian cities.

- the enemy will have to spend a lot of money to strengthen the defense of its bases and facilities.




SBU General Malyuk during the special operation "Pautyna" (“Spiderweb”)






Ukrainka was not attacked due to an explosion of the truck transporting the drones. So it could have been even worse.