Charlie B Profile picture
Maritime Security in Indo-Pacific. Relax: It's only Twitter.
fche Profile picture Xudong Zhang Profile picture 2 subscribed
Mar 11 28 tweets 12 min read
📢 Calling all Defense Budget nerds 🤓!

The time to assemble has been announced.
Get your pdf readers & spreadsheets ready!

@salisbot
@cgberube @profmarlowe
defense.gov/News/Advisorie…
Image When do you all start hitting refresh on the DoD Comptroller Budget page?

Do you wait until the press conference starts?
Or do you start now?

🤓

@salisbot
@cgberube Image
Apr 6, 2023 4 tweets 3 min read
1/ 🇺🇳 United Nations UNSC Resolution 1718 DPRK sanctions Panel of Experts publsihed their Annual Report.

It is loaded with details on North Korean deceptive shipping practices, Ship-to-Ship (StS) transfers and illicit activity.

un.org/securitycounci… Image 2/ Illicit Ship-to-Ship transfets in the East China Sea & Taiwan Strait continue...

@TankerTrackers @claire_jungman Image
Mar 16, 2023 4 tweets 3 min read
1/ FSO Off Thailand Taking on Water After Fatal Explosion

maritime-executive.com/article/fso-of… Image 2/ US Navy's Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV) maintains the
Emergency Ship Salvage Material (ESSM) System, with prepositioned response kit around the world, including in Singapore.

@johnkonrad

navsea.navy.mil/Home/SUPSALV/E…
Mar 13, 2023 32 tweets 43 min read
I wonder if I am the only one hitting refresh every ten seconds on the DoD Budget Material Website
🤓

comptroller.defense.gov/Budget-Materia…

@salisbot Image It's Posted! Image
Nov 16, 2022 4 tweets 2 min read
1/ CRS Report by Ron O'Rourke:
Defense Primer: Geography, Strategy, and U.S. Force Design

This report really breaks down the baked-in force design assumptions.
Although the word "Army" is not in there once.🤔

crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF… ImageImage 2/ "Although U.S. policymakers do not often state explicitly in public the goal of preventing the emergence of regional hegemons in Eurasia..."

huh. Image
Nov 15, 2022 4 tweets 3 min read
1/ US-China Economic and Security Review Commission @USCC_GOV
🔖2022 Annual Report to Congress

An important reference for all China watchers.
Will some take time to read & digest this. Image 2/ "In foreign policy, 🇨🇳’s leaders chose to preserve close ties with 🇷🇺even after the country’s unprovoked invasion of 🇺🇦, increased the brazenness of 🇨🇳’s confrontations in the #SouthChinaSea and around 🇹🇼, and made more aggressive pushes for overseas basing options" ImageImage
Nov 12, 2022 21 tweets 32 min read
1/ ASEAN-China Summit:
Joint Statement on The 20th Anniversary of The Declaration on The Conduct of Parties in The #SouthChinaSea

@raylockman @CollinSLKoh @GregPoling @graham_euan @Sharon__Seah @AsiaMTI @Scs_Connect @ChongJaIan @alessionaval @becstrating ImageImage @raylockman @CollinSLKoh @GregPoling @graham_euan @Sharon__Seah @AsiaMTI @Scs_Connect @ChongJaIan @alessionaval @becstrating 2/ "Continue to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation"

This stmt historically precedes a 🇨🇳 missile test into #SouthChinaSea
Oct 27, 2022 28 tweets 51 min read
1/ National Defense Strategy finally released publicly.

defense.gov/National-Defen… 2/ My first favorite quote:
"Campaigning requires discipline...In service of strategic prioritization, we will focus day-to-day force employment on a more narrow set of tasks than we do currently."
➡️Look fwd to see how this is implemented, esp by the Navy in the IndoPacific.
Oct 17, 2022 5 tweets 3 min read
1/ Look fwd to the critical analysis of the new TRANSCOM Strategy by @mercoglianos & @johnkonrad. 2/ "Global Mobility Posture is the foundation of power projection and depends on operational access, basing, and overflight (ABO)"

➡️Can't do anything without ACCESS in & through partner countries.

@SEA_NFAO @zach_ota
Oct 12, 2022 18 tweets 15 min read
1/ US National Security Strategy is finally published.

whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/… 2/ On Integrated Deterrence:

"Our National Defense Strategy relies on integrated deterrence: the seamless combination of capabilities to convince potential adversaries that the costs of their hostile activities outweigh their benefits."
Oct 11, 2022 13 tweets 14 min read
1/ Started browsing Army FM-3-0, to look at it form the Maritime angle and also regarding #Sealift.

This will be a rambling🧵over several days ....

@mercoglianos @zach_ota @Navy_Hipple @cdrsalamander @cgberube @WDMills1992 @salisbot @johnkonrad @NavMechEng @will_yale Image 2/ Firstly, the word counts:
"Maritime" is found 232 times, but mostly in part of a list of the various domains
"Sealift" is found 9 times
Sep 22, 2022 6 tweets 6 min read
1/ Very helpful contextual data on 🇨🇳PLAN Gulf of Aden Escort Task Force deployments since 2009.

@cgberube (and @CollinSLKoh, as well) really adding helpful awareness & understanding of PLAN deployments.

BZ

@ryankakiuchan
@AndrewSErickson
@jaytaryela 2/ During RIMPAC 2022, 3rd Flt Cdr Adm Boyle "called for a centralized command-and-control structure — a standing maritime force similar to those elsewhere around the globe" ...

@BDHerzinger @SEA_NFAO @MarSec_Bradford

defensenews.com/naval/2022/08/…
Jul 19, 2022 32 tweets 52 min read
1/ #FY23NDAA Senate SASC draft #S4543:
James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (NDAA)

Some of my favorite sections, starting with IndoPacific issues: 2/ #FY23NDAA #S4543:
Sec 1072
SecDef "shall develop a Joint Concept for Competing" to "define the role of the US Armed Forces in long-term strategic competition with specific adversaries"

Good to get this concept less squishy.

@BDHerzinger @DEricSayers
Jul 17, 2022 4 tweets 3 min read
1/ Industry Engagement Day event for the DoD Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve (RDER).

Opportunity for #SeaPlane ideas.

@david_alman
@zach_ota

defense.gov/News/Releases/… 2/ Components will propose experiments to be conducted in near-term Joint exercises and compete for RDER funding. The Secretary will select among proposed experiments based on alignment to the Joint Warfighting Concept and potential to yield demonstrable warfighting utility.
Jun 22, 2022 6 tweets 5 min read
Get your 🍿🍿🍿 & Buzzword Bingo Cards ready.
😎 2/ Rep Courtney explaining the Sealift Subcommittee Mark....

Mentions #Sealift and designates MARAD for design & construction for up to 10 ships for NRDF.

@mercoglianos @johnkonrad
Jun 21, 2022 17 tweets 38 min read
1/ House version of draft #FY23NDAA:
It's time to review 547 pages...
🧐🧐🧐

Looking fwd to @CavasShips & @defaeroreport podcasts.

@DEricSayers 2/ I jumped right to this section:
Sec 1304
REPORT ON RESOURCING UNITED STATES DEFENSE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION AND REPORT ON ENHANCING DEFENSE COOPERATION WITH ALLIES AND PARTNERS IN THE INDO-PACIFIC.

Because I am a 🤓
@BDHerzinger @MarSec_Bradford @zach_ota
Jun 11, 2022 31 tweets 29 min read
1/ Here we go:
@IISS_org #ShangriLaDialogue #SLD22
Special Session 3: #MaritimeSecurity: From Codes of Conduct to Crisis Communications

Chaired by @graham_euan

@IISS_org @graham_euan 2/ 🇮🇳 @indiannavy Admiral Dasgupta up first. Discusses #UNCLOS and other codes like COLREGS & CUES, at a practical level regarding potential flashpoints & crises.
Jun 11, 2022 4 tweets 5 min read
1/ Probably the most exciting moment so far at #SLD22 is the 🇰🇭 Defense Minister discusses Ream Naval Base.

Finally, some (minor)🎇🎆🎇 Fireworks.

@graham_euan @Sharon__Seah @willschoong 2/ Wonder if he read @BDHerzinger's article:
"Washington Should Chill About China’s Cambodia Base"

@JackDetsch
foreignpolicy.com/2022/06/10/cam…
Nov 7, 2021 26 tweets 11 min read
1/ This report from 1988 is a really interesting read, esp thru lens of the geopolitical situation in 2021, regarding China-US competition.

@cgberube @cdrsalamander @lawofsea @JerryHendrixII @graham_euan @ElbridgeColby @Rory_Medcalf @BDHerzinger @mercoglianos @man_integrated 2/ This report is also interesting after listening to @Ng_Eng_Hen speech at #AspenSecurity, with his sweeping historical view, and quotes from Singapore's LKY on the nature of US and China.

mindef.gov.sg/web/portal/min…
Oct 7, 2021 7 tweets 4 min read
1/ "Today, the People’s Liberation Army Navy is the largest fleet in the world, with around 350 ships.
Complementing its fleet of modern surface combatants are hundreds of coast guard and maritime militia vessels."
- SECNAV

@cdrsalamander
@BDHerzinger
@cgberube
@JerryHendrixII 2/ Full text here:
navy.mil/Press-Office/S…
Oct 5, 2021 6 tweets 8 min read
#FPDA Ex #BersamaGold 2021:
"#XBG21 will see the participation of 2600 personnel, 10 ships, one submarine, six maritime helicopters, three maritime patrol aircraft, 25 fighter aircraft, two support aircraft, and one command and control aircraft."
🇬🇧🇲🇾🇦🇺🇸🇬🇳🇿 2/ #FPDA #XBG21:
"Naval assets will be involved in a contactless exercise held in the southern parts of the #SouthChinaSea in international waters, where serials such as anti-air and anti-submarine exercises, gunnery firings and manoeuvring drills will be conducted."