No. 250 December 2015

December 2015

Front cover

Contents

POKER-FACED PYONGYANG’S SUB FLUSH

CHINESE SUBMARINES GET THEIR CUE FOR SHOTS AT US CARRIERS

RAIDS ON SOMALI FISH STOCKS COULD PROVOKE NEW PIRACY SPIKE

‘ARC OF STEEL’ WARNING ISSUED BY USN EUROPE BOSS

ITALY’S HIGHER SPEC FREMM FRIGATE

ALLIANCE QUITTERS MAY NOT WIN A MARITIME FUTURE

IRELAND CHARTS TEN-YEAR COURSE

SPECTACULAR REVIEW HERALDS NEW HORIZONS

 

POKER-FACED PYONGYANG’S SUB FLUSH

SUBFLUSH

Dr Dave Sloggett examines the extraordinary gambit taken by rogue state North Korea to increase pressure in its enduring face-off with the outside world by deploying dozens of submarines at once.

Photo: US DoD.

 

CHINESE SUBMARINES GET THEIR CUE FOR SHOTS AT US CARRIERS

CHINESE SUBS

Special Correspondent David Axe reports on how China has acquired the confidence and capabilities to tackle US Navy strike carriers.

Photo: RAN.

 

RAIDS ON SOMALI FISH STOCKS COULD PROVOKE NEW PIRACY SPIKE

NEW PIRACY

Chief Analyst Usman Ansari examines how illegal activity that was a catalyst for the spike in Somali piracy of recent years remains unchecked. He suggests that without commensurate action piratical activities could return in the Gulf of Aden with renewed vigour.

Photo: US Navy.

 

‘ARC OF STEEL’ WARNING ISSUED BY USN EUROPE BOSS

ARC OF STEEL

Harking back to the legendary post-WW2 ‘Iron Curtain’ speech by Winston Churchill, the head of American naval forces in Europe has described Russia as constructing “an arc of steel from the Arctic to the Mediterranean”. Iain Ballantyne reports.

Photo: US Navy.

 

ITALY’S HIGHER SPEC FREMM FRIGATE

FREMM FRIGATE

As of early October 2015 four of the planned ten Carlo Bergamini Class frigates of the Italian Navy were operational. Special Correspondent Guy Toremans profiles the new warships.

Photo: Italian Navy.

 

ALLIANCE QUITTERS MAY NOT WIN A MARITIME FUTURE

ALLIANCE QUITTERS

Dr Duncan Redford surveys shifts in the UK’s political tectonic plates and ponders how national defence may shape up in the near future.

Photo: US Navy.

 

IRELAND CHARTS TEN-YEAR COURSE

IRISH NAVY

Phil Rood surveys the naval implications of Ireland’s latest defence review, which sees a considerable investment in new platforms.

Photo: Babcock.

 

SPECTACULAR REVIEW HERALDS NEW HORIZONS

FLEET REVIEW

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) put on an impressive display of naval power at its 2015 Fleet Review. Yoshiharu Fukushima reports, with additional words by Charles Strathdee.

Photo: RAN.