Naval and Defense News

[Dysta]

https://m.lenta.ru/news/2018/04/14/perehvat/ (Russian)

SGA intercepted 13 out of approx. 100 of Tomahawks, doubled the amount from last year's strike stated by Mattis.

If SGA did launched the same amount of SAM to counter all the missiles, this will make Tomahawk has 90% penetration rate per one SAM. However given by a very degraded SAM system by several years of civil war and Israeli strikes, the amount of SAM launched is very likely reduced dramatically, making the Tomahawk penetration rate may be even lower.

Still, the advantage of cruise missile is undeniable, if being intercepted, other cruise missiles can change course to hit the missed target. The loss of 13 missiles for US and alliances are surely expected.

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https://mobile.twitter.com/EBKania/stat ... 8382882816

In the meantime, PLAAF also announced an open competition of drone-swarm challenges, including operation routines, formations, obstacle avoidance and more. People speculate it's an direct response to DARPA's military drone swarm research conducted by USAF and US Navy:

[Grazyn]

Apparently, the JASSM and the french MdCN saw their first operational use tonight

[ultradave]

ORIGINAL: Dysta


China should take 'Cute' as a compliment, because Queen Elizabeth, Charles de Gaulle, and carrier-wannabe Izumo are also adorable.

"Cute" was a sarcastic commentary on them appropriating an old poster slogan, and not a commentary on the beauty of the ship at all.

[Dysta]

ORIGINAL: ultradave

ORIGINAL: Dysta


China should take 'Cute' as a compliment, because Queen Elizabeth, Charles de Gaulle, and carrier-wannabe Izumo are also adorable.

"Cute" was a sarcastic commentary on them appropriating an old poster slogan, and not a commentary on the beauty of the ship at all.

I forgot to add semi-quotation marks to 'adorable'.

Like I said, there are many shortcomings of the rising naval power with the first-ever carrier, especially without proper training or thoughtful experiences from pioneers, whom took practices for a century and becomes the archetype for the world navies.

If China don't do it earlier and faster (not just either one), the gap will only be widen further. Which I've stated that displacement doesn't matter if the efficiency is inferior to the smaller-tonnage, but catapult-installed carriers. Even without catapult like QE, the F-35B will easily outperform J-15 in almost every aspects. This is what China must not get cocky about it.

[kevinkins]

Update on the LCS readiness situation:

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/20 ... oy-in-2018

Interesting unconfirmed but "breaking news" timeline from last night:

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/20 ... ating-live

[Dysta]

Despite of the abstain in UNSC, Chinese state spokesman blames the air strike against Syria could leads nowhere but more complications. Urging for fair and objective investigations, and resolve by negotiations. He also keep updating of Chinese safety in Syrian regions.

If Russia's retaliatory response is a huge bluff, then Chinese response would be the most boring to all of the involved:

http://news.china.com/domestic/945/2018 ... 10203.html (Simplified Chinese)

[mikeCK]

No one is going to respond to the strike. It was limited and neither the US not Russia has any interest in engaging the other

[Zaslon]

ORIGINAL: mikeCK

No one is going to respond to the strike. It was limited and neither the US not Russia has any interest in engaging the other

I agree. The attack was for the mass media. more than 100 M$ spent in PR. This attack don not change the course of the war or the fate of the Islamist terrorists (Douma was controlled by Army of Islam...).

They exposed the characteristics of SCALP and Storm Shadow meawhile russian SAMs were silent.

[OldSarge]

DefenseNews has a nice article of the operation: Coalition luanches 105 weapons. The article confirms that the B-1 fired the JASSM-ER and were only escorted by a single USMC EA-6B.

The bulk of U.S. seapower was employed against the Barzah Research and Development Center in Damascus. A total of 57 Tomahawks were fired the at the facility, which the U.S. considered the heart of Syrian chemical weapons program, said spokeswoman Dana White. An additional nine Tomahawks were fired against a chemical weapons storage facility in Homs.
In the Red Sea, cruiser Monterey fired 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles, and the destroyer Laboon fired seven Tomahawks, McKenzie said. In the north Arabian Gulf, destroyer Higgins fired 23 Tomahawks. In the Mediterranean, the French Frigate Longuedoc fired three versions of their variant of the SCALP missile and the Virginia-class submarine John Warner fired six Tomahawk cruise missiles.
This is believed to be the first known combat use of a Virginia-class submarine.

[Rongor]

ORIGINAL: niemand303
since CVN-75 battlegroup left Norfolk today and might be near Syria cost in about a week.

This would require them to maintain 32 kts 24/7...

[kevinkins]

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedi ... nd-freedom

Very recent article by the writer Captain Sam Tangredi advocating "Joint Mobile Offshore Bases". There are a lot of unused oil rigs that could be used to counter China (Paracels and Spratleys) at low cost. Not sure if this will ever happen since they might be considered sitting ducks. But it's a short read by a well known author.

[Gneckes]

Interesting. Especially since they could be used for refuelling VTOL F-35Bs.

[Dysta]

ORIGINAL: kevinkin

Not sure if this will ever happen since they might be considered sitting ducks. But it's a short read by a well know author.

Depends on how fortified the rig is. Even it can move like a merchant ship, it still may risk to get hit just like Atlantic.

[Broncepulido]

Flight Global World Air Forces 2018 inventory:
Here (requires registration):
https://www.flightglobal.com/asset/21905/waf/

[Dysta]

CCTV reported and unveiled one DF-26 brigade, repeatedly confirmed it's the newest ASBM against large surface vessels. Henri also found the document that ASBM is guided with SAR, but still yet to confirm if it's by internal sensor or satellite assisted.

https://mobile.twitter.com/HenriKenhman ... 1730068480

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If airstrike on Syria is getting boring, how about an electronic warfare on SCS? This is the first-ever US Navy pilot being jammed by Chinese EW, and some commenters want to bring this incident with 2 Burke collisions back in 2017 together, conspiring that Chinese has disrupted their routes before their collisions.

Yet, there is no confirmed statement of what Chinese EW been used, or what kind equipment was scrambled:

https://mobile.twitter.com/LyleJMorris/ ... 4043528197

[SunlitZelkova]

ORIGINAL: Dysta

CCTV reported and unveiled one DF-26 brigade, repeatedly confirmed it's the newest ASBM against large surface vessels. Henri also found the document that ASBM is guided with SAR, but still yet to confirm if it's by internal sensor or satellite assisted.

https://mobile.twitter.com/HenriKenhman ... 1730068480

-----------

If airstrike on Syria is getting boring, how about an electronic warfare on SCS? This is the first-ever US Navy pilot being jammed by Chinese EW, and some commenters want to bring this incident with 2 Burke collisions back in 2017 together, conspiring that Chinese has disrupted their routes before their collisions.

Yet, there is no confirmed statement of what Chinese EW been used, or what kind equipment was scrambled:

https://mobile.twitter.com/LyleJMorris/ ... 4043528197

Does the PLARF create new brigades for new missile launcher battalions? Or do they swap/add missile battalions to certain brigades.

[jtoatoktoe]

Legacy Hornets are done on U.S. Carriers.

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/20119/navy-f-a-18-legacy-hornets-have-taken-their-last-cruise-aboard-a-u-s-aircraft-carrier

[Dysta]

ORIGINAL: FlyForLenin

ORIGINAL: Dysta

DF-26

Does the PLARF create new brigades for new missile launcher battalions? Or do they swap/add missile battalions to certain brigades.

There is no report about the origin, but I believe it's a new brigade, since relocation from old is mostly for IRBM like DF-15 and 16.

More news about DF-26, official PLA news also posted a new article about these ASBM, they are both capable for conventional and nuclear strikes, as well as to be used for land attack. Making it as capable as TEL-Based ICBM like DF-31 and rumored DF-41:

http://3g.china.com/act/military/111327 ... 17421.html (simplified Chinese)
http://www.81.cn/depb/2018-04/16/content_8005627.htm (simplified Chinese)

UPDATE: Official report now has English version:

http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2018-04 ... 005761.htm

The missile system, capable of firing both nuclear and conventional weapons (warheads), is able to conduct rapid nuclear counterattacks and carry out conventional medium and long range precision strikes against important land targets and large and medium-sized ships at sea.

[SunlitZelkova]

ORIGINAL: Dysta

ORIGINAL: FlyForLenin

ORIGINAL: Dysta

DF-26

Does the PLARF create new brigades for new missile launcher battalions? Or do they swap/add missile battalions to certain brigades.

There is no report about the origin, but I believe it's a new brigade, since relocation from old is mostly for IRBM like DF-15 and 16.

More news about DF-26, official PLA news also posted a new article about these ASBM, they are both capable for conventional and nuclear strikes, as well as to be used for land attack. Making it as capable as TEL-Based ICBM like DF-31 and rumored DF-41:

http://3g.china.com/act/military/111327 ... 17421.html (simplified Chinese)
http://www.81.cn/depb/2018-04/16/content_8005627.htm (simplified Chinese)

UPDATE: Official report now has English version:

http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2018-04 ... 005761.htm

The missile system, capable of firing both nuclear and conventional weapons (warheads), is able to conduct rapid nuclear counterattacks and carry out conventional medium and long range precision strikes against important land targets and large and medium-sized ships at sea.

Does this mean the DF-26 is a nuclear ASBM? Or are they referring to the other nuclear and conventional non-ASBM versions.

[Dysta]

ORIGINAL: FlyForLenin

Does this mean the DF-26 is a nuclear ASBM? Or are they referring to the other nuclear and conventional non-ASBM versions.

The latter. This is why Henri was quite hesitant to separate DF-26 designations. He want to name nuclear version as DF-26B. Other than that, both versions are having the same functionality, so PLARF can use DF-26 to nuke Nimitz if needed.