


US commander says China has failed to coerce rivals in South China Sea
Adm. Stephen Koehler gave assurances of U.S. commitment to help defend freedom of passage and the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific region.

Naval
New aircraft carriers face years of delivery delays
Delivery of the Navy's next Ford-class aircraft carrier, the John F. Kennedy, was delayed two more years to 2027, budget documents show.

Italy readies quick sale of patrol ships to Indonesia amid China fears
Shipbuilder Fincantieri has several PPA vessels in the pipeline that Jakarta could receive soon, an Italian junior defense minister said.

US Navy mulls timing of new double-carrier award amid Enterprise delay
Construction delays on carrier Enterprise are one factor in ongoing discussions about when to sign a contract for the next two carriers, 82 and 83.

Lawmakers worried Navy’s ongoing sub spending hasn’t fixed fleet woes
A new spending request would raise submarine industrial base investments to $8.7 billion. The fleet is still set to shrink, worrying some lawmakers.
Navy test-fires missile from mobile launcher aboard LCS Savannah
The sea service continues to test the possibilities of placing mobile missile cells aboard littoral combat ships.

US State Dept. clears UK’s $1B purchase of Joint Air-to-Ground Missile
The UK is one step closer to adding Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles to its weapons inventory.

Navy aims to hasten remaining Columbia sub work in case of test delays
To hedge against first-in-class test delays, the Navy wants to build back a schedule buffer for the District of Columbia.

US, South Korea conduct anti-submarine warfare exercise near Guam
The Silent Shark exercise comes as the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan completed a port visit to Busan this month.

Philippines rethinks military modernization plan after China clashes
Lawmakers have relayed support in passing supplemental budgets for intelligence and materiel acquisitions related to South China Sea operations.

Australia makes decision on Chinese firm’s lease of critical port
The U.S. is concerned that foreign control could be used to spy on its military forces.
