Naval - MGG Geopolitics

UK Commits £26 Billion to Naval Bases, Including £15.1 Billion for Faslane

Britain will invest approximately £26 billion over the next decade to modernise the Royal Navy’s three main bases, including £15.1 billion for HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane, in what the Ministry of Defence calls the largest naval infrastructure programme since the end of the Cold War. Defence Minister Luke Pollard confirmed the funding on Tuesday during a visit to HMNB Clyde. The government forecasts investment of £7.1 billion at Devonport in Plymouth and £3.9 billion at Portsmouth on the Sole

News Europe

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 15, 2026 — 2 min read

US Deepens Guam Submarine Support Amid China Missile Threat

The US Navy is building Guam into a more capable submarine hub, able to keep its boats ready closer to potential flashpoints in Asia. The arrival of USS Tucson this month—an outwardly routine exchange of one vessel for another—highlights the supporting network behind that effort. USS Tucson, a Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine commissioned in 1995, reached its new home port at Naval Base Guam in July. Navy photographs and captions show the boat arriving on 10 July, although the

Analysis Naval

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 13, 2026 — 3 min read

Canada’s TKMS Submarine Bet Comes With Strategic Costs

Canada has chosen a highly capable German submarine and a partnership that fits comfortably within its established NATO role. It has also passed up a rarer opportunity to connect its Arctic defence requirements with its ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on 6 July that TKMS had been selected as the preferred supplier for as many as 12 new submarines, beating South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean in the largest defence procurement Canada has attempted. The German shipbuild

Analysis Defence Exports

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 11, 2026 — 4 min read

Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness: Is the Quad Moving Fast Enough?

The Indo-Pacific maritime surveillance picture is becoming clearer. In May 2026, Australia, India, Japan and the United States launched the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration, or IPMSC. The new Quad initiative will coordinate national surveillance efforts, facilitate real-time information sharing and initially concentrate on the Indian Ocean. The announcement builds upon the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, known as IPMDA. Launched in 2022, IPMDA supplies r

Analysis Naval

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 10, 2026 — 7 min read

US Navy Tests UUVs and Harpoon Missile Strikes at RIMPAC 2026

The US Navy is using RIMPAC 2026 to test how unmanned underwater drones can support submarine targeting and long-range anti-ship fires, a pairing it says is central to holding its edge under the Pacific as China’s own submarine fleet keeps growing. Commander, Submarine Force, US Pacific Fleet, known as COMSUBPAC, said this year’s exercise highlights two capabilities: unmanned undersea vehicles that simulate autonomous operations in contested waters and provide targeting data, and submarines sch

News United States

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 8, 2026 — 2 min read

What CARAT Thailand Reveals About Indo-Pacific Alliances: A Web of Diverging Interests

Thai and American forces opened the 32nd iteration of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training, known as CARAT, at Sattahip on 6 July. This year's version included two firsts: the debut of US Coast Guard fast response cutters in the exercise, and the integration of a Royal Canadian Navy boarding team alongside American and Thai sailors. The opening ceremony produced the expected images of allied unity, with a Thai admiral and an American admiral shaking hands at Laem Tian Pier. Look past the h

Analysis United States

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 8, 2026 — 4 min read

HMS Prince of Wales in NATO's High North: What Britain's Carrier Mission Achieves

British F-35B jets have flown NATO air policing missions from HMS Prince of Wales off Iceland, the first time the alliance has generated such patrols from a European aircraft carrier. The deployment places the Royal Navy flagship at the centre of collective defence in the High North. The Ministry of Defence announced the mission on 6 July, as Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis visited the carrier alongside Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir. Operating under NATO command as part

Analysis Europe

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 7, 2026 — 3 min read

China's Submarine Missile Test in the Pacific: Why It Matters

China test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile into the South Pacific on Monday, dropping a dummy warhead inside the South Pacific's nuclear-free zone within hours of Australia and Fiji signing a mutual defence pact. The People's Liberation Army Navy described the launch as routine annual training that complied with international law and was aimed at no particular country. State media reported the missile struck its designated target in the open ocean after a launch at 12:01pm local ti

Analysis Indo-Pacific

MGG Geopolitics

Jul 6, 2026 — 4 min read