Railguns

Despite efforts from countries like China, Japan, and the U.S., challenges like the immense energy required and the wear on conductive rails have hindered progress.  The U.S. Navy invested heavily in electromagnetic railguns, but the technology remains mostly in the research stage.  Future success hinges on overcoming power and durability issues, making practical deployment still a distant goal.

Why Railgun Development Faces Immense Hurdles
Among the earliest efforts occurred during the First World War, when French designer Andre Louis Octave Fauchon-Villeplee proposed an electric cannon could fire a projectile further than the explosive ordnance of the era. 

His concept caught the attention of the French military, which was seeking a weapon that could rival such long-range cannons as Germany's so-called "Paris Gun." Under the direction of the Director of Inventions at the French Ministry of Armaments in 1918, Fauchon-Villeplee was charged with developing a thirty to fifty millimeter electricannon based on his simple design.

The First World War ended before Fauchon-Villeplee's design could be perfected – and more than a century later, the development of the weapons has continued with only limited success.     READ MORE...

Russian Typhoon-class Submarines

Summary: Tom Clancy's "The Hunt for Red October" features the Soviet Typhoon-class submarine, chosen for its formidable size and capabilities, which outstripped even America's Ohio-class in terms of terror potential. These submarines, built for absolute destruction, were equipped with nuclear and conventional armaments, and featured unique designs like saunas and swimming pools for crew comfort. 

Portrayed as a doomsday weapon in the film, the Typhoon-class represented the pinnacle of Soviet naval engineering, embodying the Cold War era's fears and strategic dynamics. Decommissioned in 2021, they've since been replaced by the more advanced Borei-class submarines.

“British intelligence obtained these pictures two days ago. She’s the Red October. The latest Typhoon-class,” Jack Ryan explained, laying out the grainy black-and-white surveillance images of the latest Soviet undersea behemoth. 

“She’s a big son of a b----!” Admiral Greer huffed, as he reviewed the blurred images splayed across the square oak able in his office on the seventh floor at CIA headquarters in Langley. “Twelve meters longer than the standard Typhoon. Three meters wider.” Ryan continued matter-of-factly.   READ MORE...

The Comeback of the Russian Navy

According to reports from the Kremlin, the Russian Navy will receive 12 surface warships and four submarines in 2024 – while it also claimed to achieved total import substitution in the construction of those vessels.

The Resurgence of the Russian Navy is Already Underway - The United States has increasingly put a focus on the size of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), which is now the largest naval force in the world. However, it may not just be China that should be seen as a potential concern.

According to reports from the Kremlin, the Russian Navy will receive 12 surface warships and four submarines in 2024 – while it also claimed to achieved total import substitution in the construction of those vessels. Import substitution industrialization (ISI) is a policy that has been typically enacted by developing countries with the intention to enable domestic development and self-sufficiency through the creation of an internal market. However, Russia faced international sanctions following its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago.   READ MORE...

Stealth Submarine

T

he Navy Has Big Plans for a New Stealth Submarine.  Designated as the SSN(X), the service’s next-gen attack submarine is expected to blow competitors out of the water once introduced. The upcoming program is a critical component of the Navy’s submarine force and will help the U.S. retain naval superiority in the forthcoming decades.

While the U.S. Air Force’s Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program has gained media attention recently, the Navy’s future Virginia-class submarine replacement needs its place in the analysis 'sun' as well.

Designated as the SSN(X), the service’s next-gen attack submarine is expected to blow competitors out of the water once introduced. The upcoming program is considered a critical component of the Navy’s submarine force and will help the U.S. retain naval superiority in the upcoming decades.

As China and Russia simultaneously work to develop their respective sixth-generation platforms, the race to produce the SSN(X) is on.      READ MORE...

The Future for US Aircraft Carriers

The United States has decided to spend many billions of dollars on the CVN-78 (“Ford”) class of aircraft carriers to replace the venerable Nimitz class. 

The latter has served the U.S. Navy since 1975, with the last ship (USS George H. W. Bush) entering service in 2009. The Fords could be in service, in one configuration or another, until the end of the 21st century.

Just as the U.S. government has determined to make this investment, numerous analysts have argued that the increasing lethality of anti-access/area denial systems (especially China’s, but also Russia and Iran) has made the aircraft carrier obsolete.  

If so, investing in a class of ships intended to serve for 90 years might look like a colossal waste of money.

As with any difficult debate, we should take time to define our terms, and clarify the stakes. The anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) systems around the world may indeed curb the effectiveness of the Ford class, but the U.S. will still find uses for this ships.  READ MORE...