Two armed ships operated by the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries (مجلس شورى ثوار بنغازي, Majlis Shura Thuwar Benghazi) were blown up at dawn on 31st March 2016 in Misrata. The ships were involved in supporting anti-government forces. Details are limited but it is rumored to be, and is consistent with, a limpet mine attack by Special Forces combat swimmers. Read More >....
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Innovation -Medusa anti-piracy shipboard defense system
Anti-piracy ship defense may have changed forever. Imagine that you are a pirate sneaking up on a merchant ship. You approach from astern, or from directly ahead where you think the blind spot will be. Your unwashed friends are armed with rusting AK47s and an RPG7. As you approach you hear an unfamiliar roar of spraying water – it is not regular ship’s hoses, that sound you know. This is different. Suddenly, 80ft above your head and off to the side, far away from the ship itself, a machine opens up with pinpoint accuracy! You have attacked a sea monster, armed with tentacles and on the end of each tentacle is a machine gun.
Armed guards are probably still the best defense against pirate attacks on the high seas but failing that, the next best thing is probably the MEDUSA Shipboard Defense System from Innovative Sea Solutions. It is something entirely new and outside-the-box, combining a hydrojet pack with a remote weapons mount(!). Read More >....
Ha201 Sen-Taka-Sho fast attack submarine
During the latter stages of WW2 Japan information on the revolutionary German Type-XXI U-Boat. In Japan the technology was employed on the similarly advanced I-201 class which, as in Germany, were complemented by a smaller submarine with similar technology. This was the Ha-201 ‘Sen-Taka-Sho’ (High Speed Small Submarine). Read More >....
Jetboots Diver Propulsion System
Special Forces technology is always a hotbed for innovations with new ideas and products cropping up all the time. One disruptive innovation is the Jeboots Diver Propulsion System (DPS) from Patriot 3 Maritime (P3M). Read More >....
World survey of AIP submarines
There are currently over 50 AIP submarines in service around the world, with the number likely to double in the coming decade. The largest single operator is China. Read More >....
Styx riverine Special Forces craft
The Seawolf ERF1 Styx is a small riverine craft especially designed for Special Forces and elite forces in inland waterways. Aimed at the French market, it is particularly suited to the jungle and swamp environments that some units often find themselves in, particularly with the scaling back of operations in Afghanistan and the Middle East. Read More >....
United Nations Security Council report uses Covert Shores pic
It’s not every day that you can provide information to the UN Security Council! More seriously, it validates some of the original analysis posted on this blog. The United Nations Security Council has made public a report by The DPRK Panel of Experts advising on Sanctions in light of North Korean missile and nuclear tests. The Feb 2016 report centers on the May 2015 test launch of the KN-11 (“북극성-1” (Pukgeukseong-1)) ballistic missile and related Sinpo Class ballistic missile submarine (SSB). Page 22 uses an original illustration from this blog to show the submarine. And yes they did ask permission before using it, and of course the answer was an unequivocal yes. Read More >....
Infographic -North Korean MS-29 YONO midget sub
Ever since the loss of a North Korean submarine was reported on USNI News I have been trying to find out which type of submarine it was. I don’t have a definite answer, but the rumors (‘RUMINT’ as someone called it!) all point to an MS-29 YONO Class midget submarine, the same class credited with sinking the ROKN corvette Cheonan on 26 March 2010. Here is my quick infographic comparing the type to other North Korean submarines.
Torpedo SEAL diver propulsion device
Following the latest trend in wet subs ('chariots') the Swedish 'Torpedo SEAL' is designed to fit into a regular 533mm torpedo tube to allow easy deployment from minimally modified submarines. Two Torpedo SEALs can be carried in a single torpedo tube. The type has enjoyed significant early sales and is promoted by British firm James Fisher Defence (JFD) as part of the SEALPod range together with the SEALCarrier submersible RIB and SubSEAL SDV.Read More >....
Book Review -The Modern Russian Navy by Neil Harvey
This book is an up to date continuance of a much missed book format once typified by the Janes’ Warship Recognition Guides and handbooks and as such is an essential guide for any naval enthusiast. The book contains a mind-boggling range of submarine, warship and naval aircraft currently in service or construction for the Russian Navy.
Every major class is represented and almost every minor class too. By default classes get one page each with some spanning multiple sheets. Hull number lists with construction yards and service dates are provided, as are specifications and commentary. Each page has a color photo with a few side profiles and diagrams thrown in also. Highly recommended.
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