Monthly Archives: December 2012
The Mark II Eyeball
If you ask Sailors in the U.S. Navy to list the most important sensors for accomplishing their mission, a likely response is the high-tech name for that fundamental, but decidedly low-tech device – the Mark I Eyeball. In light of recent developments the Mark II may well be only a short way off. Earlier this year we [...]
Maritime Futures Project
As a small note, will be posting to the NextWar blog only sporadically over the holiday season to give everyone some time to clean off their running rust and run off shore power for awhile. In early January we’ll resume our normal flow with something we’re calling the Maritime Futures Project. We’ll be making predictions [...]
The Royal Canadian Navy in NATO
By Tomasz Trembowski On August 16, 2011, the Canadian government announced the re-naming of Canada’s naval forces from ”Maritime Command (MARCOM)” to its original designation, the “Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).” The last time Canada’s naval forces were known as the RCN was in 1968, when Lester B. Pearson amalgamated the three branches of the Canadian military [...]
Read MoreDrones of the Navy SEALs
The mystique of Navy SEALs has been heavily celebrated in the media and films due to recent real-world exploits. Yet Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Sailors have been heavily engaged in combat operations for more than 11 consecutive years. Warfare is still a decidedly human endeavor, and America’s naval special warriors are quick to embrace the truth that “humans are [...]
Read MorePiracy in West Africa: Preventing a Somalization of the Gulf of Guinea, Pt. 1
Gulf of Guinea Pirate Attacks in 2012. Source: IMB On August 4, 2012, pirates attacked an oil barge, killing two local security personnel and kidnapping four foreign workers. Two weeks later, pirates hijacked and held for five days a British-managed oil tanker as they unloaded its cargo, a style of attack that repeated the following [...]
On the Wings of the Sun? Harnessing Solar Power for Aviation
A few months back we had a guest post from NavalDrones on the site discussing power needs for drones, focusing on the advantages of batteries compared to today’s combustion engines. Engines are noisy, limiting drones’ stealthiness, and both engines and batteries require refueling/recharging. Thus, lengthy, days-long on-station operations aren’t in the cards for today’s drones. (For [...]
Read MoreFoaming at the Abdominal Chest Cavity
A New Darpa Advance Mass Might Offer Hope for Shipboard Injuries A DARPA announcement today touted the initial results of the Wounded Statis Sytem. The pre-clinical tests showed injecting a polyurethane polymer foam into the chest cavity of an injured servicemember suffering from internal hemorrhaging could increase stoppage of blood loss 6-fold, and boost chances of survival at three hours post-injury from ~8% to 72%. Removing the [...]
Read MoreThe Royal Navy’s Type 26
In 2020, the first of the new Royal Navy frigates – the Type 26 Global Combat Ships – will enter service, replacing the current fleet of 13 Type 23s. The ships are designed to be versatile and adaptable, making them useful within a broad range of strategic, operational, and tactical circumstances. The First Sea Lord, [...]
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