Covert Shores

During World War One the Italian flair for technical inventiveness and unconventional thinking was applied to the problem of the Austro-Hungarian Navy.The first ingenious approach was termed a Barchino Saltatore (jumping punts), often known by the name of

Putting weapons onto a merchant vessel is nothing new of course, and the concept of containerized missiles in standard ISO 40ft (12m) is very much in vogue.Yet the latest Chinese vessel stands out in several important ways…Read More ….

The vessel is clearly designed for submerged or semi-submerged operations yet is equally clearly intended to principally sail on the surface….Read More ….

China's development of extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles (XLUUVs) is now unmatched globally, and accelerating rapidly. No other nation is pursuing undersea autonomy at comparable scale, scope, or speed.Four factors set China's program apart from al

China continues to be able to develop new military systems in almost complete secrecy. Images shared on Chinese social media, almost certainly sanctioned 'leaks', reveal a new 'Ekranoplan' being tested.The aircraft remains a mystery, so here are some furt

It is no secret that many of the small drones used on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukraine War are built in China. They are sold online and used by both sides. Now that Ukraine has created the market for attack maritime drones (OWA-USVs) Chinese firms are

A weaponized Yamaha Waverunner FX jet ski has been found on Turkish beach near Istanbul.Two small black cylinders, mounted either side of the forward body, appear to be explosive charges…Read More ….

Narco-submarines are transporting tons of cocaine across the Atlantic from South America to Europe. There have been indications of this going back ten years, but evidence was rare.Now four more incidents, over a few months, hints at the scale and persiste

UPDATED USVs (uncrewed surface vessels) have been under development for navies for some years, but the war in the Black Sea has redefined them.Ukraine in particular has exploited emerging communications technologies to create effective USVs…Read More ….

A massive storm battered Crimea on the November 27. Preliminary analysis of the damage done to Russian defenses reveals that the dolphin pens in Sevastopol harbor are gone as a result.It is plausible that some or all of the trained dolphins have been free