News•Mar 4, 2026
Can an Interagency Task Force Work in the Arctic?
The article argues that the United States needs a Coast Guard‑led interagency task force to address the expanding security and operational challenges in the Arctic, where melting ice is opening new shipping routes and exposing valuable resources. Russian militarization and increased Chinese activity heighten geopolitical competition, while the Coast Guard alone lacks the capacity to manage the region’s complex demands. The authors point to the Joint Interagency Task Force‑South (JIATF‑S) as a successful coordination model, but note significant differences in mission scope, geography, and partner dynamics. They conclude that a clear mandate, dedicated resources, and robust allied buy‑in are essential for any Arctic task force to succeed.
By CIMSEC
News•Mar 2, 2026
Enduring the Storm: Reflections on the U.S. Navy’s “Fat Leonard” Scandal
Retired Rear Admiral Bruce Loveless reflects on his decade‑long ordeal stemming from the “Fat Leonard” scandal, the largest corruption case in U.S. Navy history. After an initial suspension in 2013, he was arrested in 2017, endured a protracted trial, and...
By CIMSEC
News•Feb 27, 2026
Useful Lemons
The article proposes converting decommissioned U.S. vessels into sea‑going factory ships and power‑plant ships to slash logistical delays in the Indo‑Pacific against a rising Chinese threat. It argues that current stockpiles could be exhausted within a week of conflict, making...
By CIMSEC
News•Feb 24, 2026
Taiwan’s Layered Air Defence and the Calculus of Deterrence
Taiwan’s integrated, multi‑layered air‑defence system is designed to detect, track, and engage ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, and aircraft across the Taiwan Strait. The architecture combines early‑warning radars such as Pave Paws, airborne E‑2K Hawkeyes, and a network of fixed and...
By CIMSEC
News•Feb 20, 2026
A Concept of Operations for Achieving a Navy Fleet of 500 Ships
Captain George Galdorisi outlines the U.S. Navy’s ambition to field a 500‑ship “hybrid fleet” of 350 crewed vessels and 150 large uncrewed maritime vessels (USVs), emphasizing the need for a concrete concept‑of‑operations (CONOPS) to satisfy congressional requirements. He details ongoing...
By CIMSEC
News•Feb 18, 2026
Optimizing Reactor Plant Maintenance: The Case for Shipboard SLMs
LT P.J. Greenbaum and LT Vince Freschi discuss how shipboard Small Language Models (SLMs) combined with Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) can overhaul nuclear propulsion plant maintenance by turning static manuals and logs into a live, searchable knowledge base. They explain that...
By CIMSEC
News•Feb 13, 2026
A Sustainable Approach to Counter Piracy and Armed Robbery?
Julian Pawlak and Deniz Kocak explore the persistent threat of piracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping in the Gulf of Guinea, contrasting it with past successes off the Horn of Africa. They argue that counting incidents is insufficient and advocate for...
By CIMSEC
News•Feb 9, 2026
What the Royal Thai Navy’s Offshore Fire Support Reveals About Its Approach to Littoral Warfare
The episode examines the Royal Thai Navy’s use of offshore fire support during the 2025 Cambodia‑Thailand border conflict, focusing on the patrol gunboat HTMS Thepa’s naval gunfire missions. It highlights how small navies like Thailand’s shift fluidly from constabulary duties...
By CIMSEC
News•Feb 2, 2026
Russia’s Strategic Brown Water Capabilities: A NATO Blind Spot?
The episode examines Russia’s expanding use of inland waterways—its “brown water” zones—as a strategic platform for long‑range missile strikes, highlighting the 2015 Caspian Sea Kalibr launch as a watershed moment. It explains how the universal 3S14 vertical launch system equipped...
By CIMSEC
Podcast•Jan 28, 2026•0 min
Sea Control 595: China’s Command Revolution with Elsa Kania
In this episode, Dr. Elsa Kania discusses her Harvard dissertation, “China’s Command Revolution,” which analyzes how the People’s Liberation Army is reforming its command structures, integrating new technologies, and fostering innovative decision‑making processes. She explains the shift from rigid, hierarchical...
By CIMSEC
Podcast•Jan 27, 2026•0 min
Sea Control: 594: From Hulls to Pods with Emma Salisbury
In this episode, Dr. Emma Salisbury examines the risks of NATO navies embracing overly modular ship designs, arguing that the shift from traditional hull‑based platforms to interchangeable mission pods can undermine combat effectiveness and strategic cohesion. She highlights how modularity,...
By CIMSEC
News•Jan 22, 2026
Trilateral Shipbuilding: Build a Missile Corvette Fleet with Asian Allies
In this episode, CDR Chase E. Harding outlines a proposal for a trilateral shipbuilding program among the United States, Japan, and South Korea to produce fast‑attack missile corvettes that can counter China’s expanding naval fleet. He details the historic decline...
By CIMSEC
News•Jan 21, 2026
The Arctic Is a Strategic Distraction
In this episode, T.X. Hammes argues that the U.S. focus on the Arctic is a strategic distraction that diverts scarce defense resources from higher‑priority theaters. He dismantles the hype around new Arctic shipping routes, showing that current traffic on the...
By CIMSEC
News•Jan 19, 2026
Charting a Course: Addressing Chinese Maritime Coercion Around Taiwan
In this episode Anthony Marco and Nils Peterson examine the Chinese Coast Guard’s escalating gray‑zone incursions around Taiwan’s peripheral islands, especially the recent series of violations at Dongsha Atoll. They explain how these maritime coercion tactics aim to erode ROC...
By CIMSEC
News•Jan 14, 2026
RDML T.J. Zerr on Strengthening Surface Force Lethality
In this interview, RDML T.J. Zerr outlines how the Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) is translating Red Sea combat lessons into faster, data‑driven training and tactics, notably through the Surface Warfare Combat Training Continuum (SWCTC) and increasingly sophisticated...
By CIMSEC