Todd Lyons’ Post

Unveiling the #LEVENT Close-Air Defense Missile System by #Roketsan at #IDEAS2024! Designed for superior air defense with precision targeting. Key Specifications: Guidance: IIR (Imaging Infrared) Warhead: Proximity & Impact Fuse Platforms: Naval & Ground Length: 1.25 m Diameter: 125 mm Weight: 30 kg

The Marine Corps' Force Design strategy is a pivotal initiative aimed at countering the growing military threat from China. In a recent discussion at the Brookings Institution, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith highlighted the progress made and the challenges faced in this strategic endeavor. #amphibiousships #Chinamilitarythreat #ForceDesignstrategy #MarineCorpscapabilities #MarineCorpsmodernization #militarymunitionsproduction #militaryoutpostsSouthChinaSea #USdefensestrategy #USmilitarydeterrence #thxnews

Food for thought… the proposed FY 2025 Defense budget from the White House calls for procuring 6 Battle Force ships and RETIRING 19! I understand that many of these platforms are reaching their projected service life but how does it make sense to propose such a significant disparity in Naval resources? Is there planning going on to extend the service life of some platforms rather than immediately retiring them? Now the proposal to expand the VLS capability on other vessels or even adding a new vessel to provide this capability. Maybe extending the service life of some of the CG or SSGN platforms and pre positioning them in the Indo-Pacific theater as a stop gap until new platform are available in the Fleet. Given all the geopolitical dynamics in the world today, I don’t understand why other considerations for redeploying and maintaining resources are fully utilized rather than quickly opting to decommission them… Seems like this vessel is “not under command”… red over red… 🇺🇸

Below you'll see a photo of the historic statistics of U.S. Navy Fleet Ballistic Missiles beginning with the Polaris (A-1) in the 1960s to the most recent, currently deployed Trident II (D-5) which were developed in the late '80s, which are now used by U. S. A. and U. K. for Strategic Deterrence. In the link below you can view more in-depth information. Click here: https://lnkd.in/ewTrCaGu

Today in Asia Times, I wrote about the transformation of the USS Zumwalt into a hypersonic weapon platform to counter China's naval advancements. The US Navy is retrofitting the Zumwalt with the Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missile system, enabling it to launch hypersonic glide vehicles at speeds seven to eight times the speed of sound. This modernization aims to leverage the Zumwalt's advanced technologies, including electric propulsion and a stealthy design, despite its reputation as an expensive misstep. Additionally, the article discusses the broader context of the US Navy's efforts to maintain its operational capacity amid delays and cost overruns in other naval programs. The Navy has decided to extend the service lives of its aging Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to bridge the capability gap until the next-generation DDG(X) destroyers are ready. This strategy reflects the urgent need to counter rising threats from China's Type 055 cruisers and other advanced missile systems.

Johns Hopkins APL — in cooperation with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the US Navy — played a critical role in the successful execution of Flight Test Other-23 (FTX-23). https://jhuapl.link/abd The Feb. 8 test — also known as Stellar Sisyphus — demonstrated sensor tracking and communications link capabilities of the Aegis Weapon System, a cornerstone of naval missile defense for which APL has served as the technical direction agent for many years. Used by the U.S. Navy and other allied navies, the Aegis Weapon System is designed to track, engage and destroy enemy missiles and aircraft while providing protection to ships and their accompanying fleets. The system is constantly evolving to address new threats and incorporate advancements in technology, so the MDA and the Navy schedule frequent flight tests to validate new capabilities and assess system performance. The test not only verified the missile’s functionality but also underscored the Aegis Weapon System’s capacity for conducting some of the most challenging target discrimination and intercept missions to date. #JHUAPL | #MissileDefense | #FlightTest | #SensorTracking | #CommunicationsLink | #Aegis | #BallisticMissileDefense

#Japan, #RepublicofKorea and #US forces are in the middle of their inaugural execution of exercise #FreedomEdge -- a trilateral #multidomain exercise. This is a good first effort to expand the #training readiness and #interoperability of these forces beyond legacy-era focal points -- with a focus on training for #BallisticMissileDefense #AirDefense #AntiSubmarineWarfare #SearchandRescue #MaritimeInterdiction and #DefensiveCyber. Perhaps the next iteration could include low-level, trilateral #minewarfare and #space events? A summary is available at https://lnkd.in/gAqwyH4K. Marty Kauchak, editor U.S. Indo-Pacific Command US Navy Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Republic of Korea Navy Jongho YANG, ROK Navy CAPT(Ret.) Colonel Jeff Hollman Guy Boekenstein Masashi OGINO #IndoPacific #KoreanPeninsula Kawazu C.

Simulations are illusory, may be misleading or illustrative at best. They may not necessarily be realistic Red Sea: China 'Sinks' US Navy Warship In Simulation Drills Using Its Fire Dragon Missile; Expert Analyzes https://lnkd.in/dGGijh4z

𝐔𝐒 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐚: 𝐈𝐬 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐀 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚?  A hulking warship bobbing in the Pacific, its missile silos as empty as a politician’s promises. Until last week, that ship would’ve been limping back to port, tail between its legs. But on October 11, 2024, the USS Chosin pulled off a magic trick that would make David Blaine jealous – reloading its missiles at sea. On October 11, 2024, sailors aboard the USS Chosin used the Transferrable Rearming Mechanism (TRAM) to load an empty missile canister into the ship’s vertical launch system (VLS). This marks a significant milestone for a military branch limited to pier-side missile reloading for decades. Yet, as impressive as this feat is, the Navy still lags behind commercial technology. Moreover, it faces a far greater challenge—a real-world strategic game unfolding off our shores, from the Red Sea to the South China Sea. TRAM, developed by engineers at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Port Hueneme, California, where shoreside testing was resumed in July is meant to change the way the Navy fights. Historically, U.S. warships had to make time-consuming trips back to port to reload their missile silos. With TRAM, they can now do that while still steaming ahead, keeping ships in the fight longer. It’s a game changer. Or at least, it should be.

On October 11, 2024, sailors aboard the USS Chosin used the Transferrable Rearming Mechanism (TRAM) to load an empty missile canister into the ship's vertical launch system (VLS). This marks a significant milestone for a military branch limited to pier-side missile reloading for decades. Yet, as impressive as this feat is, the Navy still lags behind commercial technology. Moreover, it faces a far greater challenge—a real-world strategic game unfolding off our shores, from the Red Sea to the South China Sea. We must also ask the Navy to reload faster than drone swarms can be deployed in future wars. https://lnkd.in/g4PVM872