June MARITIME 2021 a7.50 Security D 14974 E &Defence MSD From the Sea and Beyond ISSN 1617-7983 • Key Developments in... • Amphibious Warfare www.maritime-security-defence.com • • Asia‘s Power Balance MITTLER • European Submarines June 2021 • Port Security REPORT NAVAL GROUP DESIGNS, BUILDS AND MAINTAINS SUBMARINES AND SURFACE SHIPS ALL AROUND THE WORLD. Leveraging this unique expertise and our proven track-record in international cooperation, we are ready to build and foster partnerships with navies, industry and knowledge partners. Sovereignty, Innovation, Operational excellence : our common future will be made of challenges, passion & engagement. POWER AT SEA WWW.NAVAL-GROUP.COM - Design : Seenk Naval Group - Crédit photo : ©Naval Group, ©Marine Nationale, © Ewan Lebourdais NAVAL_GROUP_AP_2020_dual-GB_210x297.indd 1 28/05/2021 11:49 Editorial Hard Choices in the New Cold War Era The last decade has seen many of the foundations on which post-Cold War navies were constructed start to become eroded. The victory of the United States and its Western Allies in the unfought war with the Soviet Union heralded a new era in which navies could forsake many of the demands of Photo: author preparing for high intensity warfare. Helping to ensure the security of the maritime shipping networks that continue to dominate global trade and the vast resources of emerging EEZs from asymmetric challenges arguably became many navies’ primary raison d’être. Fleets became focused on collabora- tive global stabilisation far from home and structured their assets accordingly. Perhaps the most extreme example of this trend has been the German Navy’s F125 BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG class frig- ates – hugely sophisticated and expensive ships designed to prevail only in lower threat environments. Today, the world in which BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG and her sisters were conceived no longer exists. The idea that high intensity naval warfare has been definitively confined to the past has been shattered, first, by the emergence of China as a ‘near peer’ rival to the US Navy in the western Pacific and, subsequently, by the increasingly assertive actions of a revitalised Russia along and beyond its borders. Perspectives about the motivations of these new naval powers will inevitably differ; this edition’s article on China’s maritime expansion attempts to look at this subject from Beijing’s perspective. However, whether con- sidering the construction of new islands in the South China Sea or the support for an ally who has forced down a European airliner to seize a political opponent, this editor views the actions of these emerging challengers of the status quo as often being far from benign. The nature of the new danger to the established “rules based” world order is seemingly clear; the most appropriate way to respond is more uncertain. Although a new age of naval rivalry is rising, the security of the arteries of maritime trade that under- pin the world economy remains crucial to potential friends and enemies alike. As demonstrated by the recent mishap to the container ship EVER GIVEN in the Suez Canal, any significant disruption to these crucial commercial links could have considerable global economic consequences. Achieving this security depends far more on naval collaboration than competition. The example of EMASOH/Opera- tion AGÉNOR in the Strait of Hormuz is a case in point. Given this reality, it seems sensible to aim for cooperation at sea where this is achievable. Efforts to achieve the resumption of joint “confidence building measures” with rival navies that have largely become a casualty of recent frictions would be one potential way forward. This need for balance is reflected in broader economic and political choic- es. Although, for example, European leaders may condemn Russian adventurism, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline still continues with its “march” across the Baltic on the way towards completion. Achieving the correct balance will never be easy. Whilst, therefore, it may be in the West’s interests to maintain cooperation at a practical level in an ex- ample of “hoping for the best”, there is also no excuse other than to “prepare for the worst.” Essen- tially, this means rebuilding capabilities that have been allowed to atrophy in the Cold War’s aftermath and – at the same time – seeking fresh approaches to ensuring a maritime advantage. The efforts that are now underway to achieve the revitalisation of Europe’s submarine flotillas – often accorded a low priority in the post-Cold War years – is an excellent illustration of the former plan of action. This is covered in two articles in this edition. Meanwhile new approaches to maritime superiority can take many forms. One example is the ac- quisition of more advanced systems, such as Italy’s integration of F-35B strike fighters on its carrier CAVOUR described in our interview with the Italian Navy officers leading this effort. An alternative is the fielding of entirely new technologies, typified by the autonomous ships of the type detailed in our coverage of current American and British programmes. Yet another example is the development of new operational methods and doctrines, demonstrated by the United States Marine Corps’ cur- rent adaptation to distributed naval operations in the Pacific. Again, many of these approaches have required hard choices, be they the surrender of existing capabilities to finance new equipment or the surrender of tried and tested operating concepts in favour of new methods of fighting. These subjects are just some of the many topics of current maritime interest that are assessed in this issue of Maritime Security & Defence. As always, we hope that they will make interesting reading. Yours aye Conrad June 2021 · Maritime Security & Defence 1 Contents Photo: US Navy Photo: Italian Navy The Philippine Navy frigate JOSE ROZAL was Page 6 The Italian Navy prepares for air superiority Page 58 built in the Republic of Korea. in the Mediterranean with its new F-35B JSF MARITIME POLICY, STRATEGY & FORCES MARITIME OPERATIONS & DOCTRINE 6 South East Asian Navies: 53 A Renaissance in Amphibious Warfare Challenges and Priorities Sidney E. Dean Dr. Peter Layton 58 The Italian Navy: 11 Naval Programmes in Bulgaria and Romania Getting Ready to Operate the F-35B JSF Eugene Kogan Guy Toremans 16 China’s Maritime Expansion: 62 MV POLARSTERN’s MOSAiC Expedition The Perspective from Beijing A portrait of endurance and strategic research in the remoteness Felix Lauber and Thomas Wolf Wunderlich SHIP DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGIES 66 European Maritime Engagement in the Strait of Hormuz: A Simple Mission in a Complex Area 21 Submarine Combat Systems: Interview with Commodore C. Fjord-Larsen Europe is Expanding its Offer Luca Peruzzi COLUMNS 28 European Submarines: Patience is the Key Jaime Karremann 1 Editorial All Hands off Deck: US & UK Navies Explore the 33 3 Periscope/The Watch Bill Potential of Autonomous Surface Vessels Richard Scott 57 Masthead 38 RSS INDEPENDENCE: New Approaches to Defending the Littoral Hsing Lim Index of Advertisers Ak Bars 14-15 MARITIME INDUSTRY DNV 13 DSEI 3rd cover 42 The Threat of Hazmat Terrorism at Sea GA-ASI 4th cover Anna Paternnosto Hagenuk 31 45 The Ship That Launched 1,000 Memes – HGH 17 and Nearly Destroyed 12% of World Trade IMDS/ Laskin 30 Dr Salvatore R Mercogliano kta Naval Systems 23 48 The Security Situation in the Naval Group 2nd cover Mozambique Channel Sea Air Space 35 Helmoed Römer Heitman tkMS 29 50 The Sea in Focus – Germany's Sea Trade as UDT 41 an Element of a Globalised Economy USC Rubin 26-27 Ludolf, Baron von Löwenstern 2 Maritime Security & Defence · June 2021 Periscope United Kingdom: Royal Navy will be required to integrate the ships in a United States: US Navy Exercises Carrier Strike Group Deploys UK shipyard. A previous international ten- Option for its Second CONSTELLA- (cw) At the end of May 2021, the Royal der to acquire the ships was suspended in TION (FFG-62) Class Frigate Navy aircraft carrier QUEEN ELIZABETH de- 2019 in line with a change in policy that (cw) The US Navy’s Naval Sea Systems parted Portsmouth, UK to lead the widely is seeing greater emphasis being placed Command (NAVSEA) announced the anticipated Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) on building ships for British government award of a contract option to Fincantieri service in domestic yards. Argentina: Third Argentine OPV Launched (cw) STORNI, the third of the class of four graphic: US Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel 87s (OPV 87s) or- dered from Naval Group by Argentina was Photo: Crown Copyright 2021 launched on 10 May 2021. The ship, which was partly built in Lanester, Lorient by A graphic of a CONSTELLATION class frigate British and US Marine Corps F-35B Marinette Marine (FMM) to build its sec- jets on QUEEN ELIZABETH ond CONSTELLATION Class Guided Mis- sile Frigate, CONGRESS (FF-63) on 20 deployment to the Indian Ocean and the Photo: Naval Group May 2021. According to the shipbuilder, Far East. The first British carrier deployment the value of the contract is estimated at for over a decade, the group includes the c. US$555M. The CONSTELLATION pro- Dutch frigate EVERTSEN and US destroyer gramme was awarded to FMM in 2020, THE SULLIVANS (DDG-68) as well as various PIEDRABUENA pictured at the time encompassing a contract for the first-in- Royal Navy warships. However, possibly the of her delivery class frigate and options for a further nine most interesting aspect of the deployment ships, as well as post-delivery availability is the embarkation of F-35B strike fight- Kership (the joint venture between Naval support and crew training. The total value ers from US Marine Corps Fighter Attack Group and Piriou) and assembled in Con- for Fincantieri amounts to US$5.5Bn if all Squadron 211 on QUEEN ELIZABETH for carneau by Piriou Shipyards, is due to be options are exercised.