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Naval

Navies, shipbuilding, submarines and the contest for maritime power.

Canada’s TKMS Submarine Bet Comes With Strategic Costs

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

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

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

US Navy Tests UUVs and Harpoon Missile Strikes at RIMPAC 2026

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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

China Surrounds Scarborough Shoal With Patrols as Coast Guard Presence Hits Record

China Surrounds Scarborough Shoal With Patrols as Coast Guard Presence Hits Record

China's military and coast guard staged combat-readiness patrols around Scarborough Shoal on 30 June, days after Philippine and United States forces drilled in nearby waters, in the latest turn of a confrontation cycle that has become routine at one of Asia's most contested reefs. The