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It is on rare occasion that we do a guest post here, but friend to the blog, Midrats Podcast alumnus, and co-host the CavasShips podcast, Chris Servello put together an inspired review of the moment we are at, this decision point, our nation has as a naval power. A must read. Chris, over to you. Standing in Greenwich, on the outskirts of London, surrounded by museum ships, artifacts and reminders of centuries of British seapower, I found myself thinking less about the past than about America’s maritime future. That may sound like an odd conclusion to draw in a museum. But every gallery seemed to make the same point: naval power is not inherited forever. It depends on decisions made years before the consequences become obvious. I came to London last week for APEX Europe, a thought and defense tech conference where defense leaders from across NATO are talking about the approaches, capabilities and investments that will shape future security. Those conversations felt more urgent after spending time in Greenwich. The museums made clear that maritime strength is about much more than ships. It depends on industrial capacity, technological imagination, national will and the willingness to act before a crisis makes action unavoidable. That raises a difficult question for the United States: Are we making the decisions today that will preserve American maritime power tomorrow? I’ll acknowledge something up front. I know I can sound like a broken record on this subject: act now, make hard choices, invest in the industrial base, embrace new technology, take care of our sailors and save our Navy. But it’s hard not to keep saying it. I can’t read another story about shipbuilding, listen to another speech about maritime strategy or visit another American or allied naval museum without reaching the same conclusion: This is our moment. For the United States Navy. For the maritime services. And for the nation. Walk through the quaint town of Greenwich and you are surrounded by evidence of what maritime power meant to Britain—not just militarily, but economically, technologically and strategically. British seapower was never an isolated military capability. It was tied to the country’s industrial strength, commercial reach, technological innovation and national ambition. What struck me most is that these museums are not really about old ships, paintings or artifacts. They are about choices. Some were smart. Some were disastrous. Some were made early enough to shape history. Others came only after events had made the cost of waiting impossible to ignore. There is a lesson in that for America today. Maritime power is not something a nation inherits forever because previous generations built a great Navy. Every generation has to choose it again. Ours is making that choice right now. We are making it through the ships we fund—and the ones we do not. Through the capacity we add to our shipyards, the workforce we recruit and retain, the weapons and munitions we procure, and the infrastructure we modernize. We are making it through our willingness to experiment with autonomous and unmanned systems, super intelligence and other emerging technologies. More important, we are making it through our ability to move successful ideas out of demonstrations and into the hands of sailors. And we are making it through our people: whether we give sailors, Marines, civilians and industry partners the resources, training, tools and leadership they need to solve hard problems instead of simply discussing them. None of these challenges are secrets. We know the condition of the American maritime industrial base. We know how long it takes to build and maintain ships. We know the pressures facing our workforce and supply chains. We can see the pace at which potential adversaries are expanding their maritime capacity. We also know that technology is changing warfare at remarkable speed. So this is not primarily a problem of awareness. It is a problem of action. America still has enormous advantages: remarkable sailors and Marines, world-class engineers and entrepreneurs, tremendous technological capacity, experienced allies and partners, and a private sector capable of moving quickly when given the opportunity. But opportunities have expiration dates. That is the part I keep coming back to—the part that, I admit, can make me sound like an old compact disc stuck on repeat. Someday, there will be museums telling the story of the Navy we are building—or failing to build—right now. Future generations will know what we knew. They will know what China was building. They will know the condition of our shipyards and industrial base. They will know which technologies were emerging. They will know what military leaders, policymakers, analysts and industry executives were saying. They will also know what we chose to do about it. That is why protecting America’s maritime legacy is not about nostalgia. History should not become an excuse to admire the past while competitors build for the future. The point of preserving history is to learn from it. The museums in Greenwich are a powerful reminder of what can happen when a nation understands that its security, prosperity and global influence are inseparable from the sea. It is also a reminder that maritime dominance is neither permanent nor guaranteed. America has its own extraordinary maritime inheritance. But inheritance is not destiny. We have to build. We have to experiment. We have to learn faster. We have to accept some risk and tolerate some failure. We have to expand industrial capacity, invest in our people and move promising technology from PowerPoint slides and demonstrations into the hands of sailors at sea. Most of all, we have to act with the urgency this moment demands. History will not simply record the challenges America faced during this period. It will record the choices we made. And the opportunities we either seized—or allowed to expire. Chris Servello is the co-founder of Provision Advisors PR and Government relations firm, as well as the co-host of the award winning maritime podcast CavasShips. Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

The U.S. Navy is building up its stocks of spare parts for the radars and fire-control gear on its Aegis warships, ordering $15.1 million worth of components from Raytheon in a deal it tied directly to the surface fleet’s goal of keeping 75 mission-capable ships ready on any given day. The Department of War contract […]View the full article

The U.S. Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a $117.1 million contract to keep supporting the second-generation radar frequency interferometer on its Apache attack helicopters, a passive sensor that lets crews find and pinpoint enemy radars without giving away their own position. The Department of War contract announcement describes an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity deal that mixes cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee […]View the full article

The U.S. Navy has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding a $56.2 million contract for engineering and design work on nuclear-powered submarines for America’s AUKUS partners, with foreign partner funds covering the full cost of the deal. The Department of War contract announcement describes a cost-plus-fixed-fee deal covering engineering and technical support, along with […]View the full article

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Raytheon a contract worth up to $8 billion to modernize and restart production of the satellite communications terminals that link the president and military commanders to U.S. nuclear forces, the U.S. Department of War announced on Oct. 13. The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract covers development work to modernize the Air […]View the full article

Russian state defense conglomerate Rostec is pitching its new 30 mm ZAK-30 “Tsitadel” anti-drone gun as a direct competitor to Western systems such as Germany’s Skynex and the U.S.-made Phalanx, saying its combat use has shown advantages in automation, cost per shot, and effectiveness on the world market. Rostec made the claim in a statement […]View the full article

Ukraine’s partners warned it about three of the four waves of Russian ballistic missiles launched overnight into Oct. 14, but sent no alert before the first wave hit Kyiv, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Col. Yurii Ihnat said on national television. Ihnat said he wanted to clarify the issue because many people had asked whether Ukraine […]View the full article

Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian strikes has been limited by two U.S. moves in a single night: the country went without early warning of Russian ballistic missile launches from its partners for a second time in a row, and Starlink, the U.S. satellite service its frontline units depend on, was cut back for […]View the full article

Russia fired 39 ballistic missiles and more than 120 attack drones and loitering munitions at Ukraine’s energy and critical infrastructure overnight into Oct. 14, knocking out power to at least 600,000 people days after President Donald Trump announced a halt to strikes on energy facilities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy said that the attack […]View the full article

China has developed a new light, highly mobile rocket launcher built on an upgraded version of the Dongfeng Mengshi MV3 tactical truck, carrying a 20-round launch pod that can fire guided or unguided 122 mm rockets out to 40 km (25 miles), according to images and details shared by Chinese military commentator DS北风 on X. […]View the full article

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has opened a new national defense museum packed with the country’s missiles, rocket launchers and drones, and among the exhibits is a previously unseen 4×4 armored vehicle that closely resembles the Canadian-made Roshel Senator used by Ukraine. State news agency KCNA reported on Oct. 13 that Kim attended the […]View the full article

Russia has nearly finished the steel frames for the first three of 16 large aircraft shelters it is building at Engels-2, the main base for its strategic bomber fleet, satellite imagery published by open-source analysis group AviVector shows. An Airbus Defence and Space image dated Oct. 12 shows three side-by-side shelter frames standing on new […]View the full article

DARPA, the Pentagon’s research agency, has awarded Abram Scientific a contract worth up to $8.3 million to develop CoagCare, a handheld device that shows how well a wounded person’s blood is clotting in under 10 minutes from a single drop, so medics can decide on transfusions far from a hospital. The Defense Advanced Research Projects […]View the full article

BIRD Aerosystems has installed its Airborne Missile Protection System on a Bombardier Global 7500 business jet and received European Union Aviation Safety Agency certification for the installation, giving the long-range VIP aircraft protection against shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missiles. The Israeli company, part of U.S.-listed Ondas Holdings, announced the milestone on Oct. 12. EASA approval means the […]View the full article

Leonardo DRS has won a $63 million U.S. Army production order for its Family of Weapon Sights–Individual, a clip-on thermal sight that sends its image wirelessly to a soldier’s night vision goggles so a target can be found and aimed at without raising the rifle to the eye. DRS announced the order on Oct. 13, […]View the full article

Israel Aerospace Industries and SIG SAUER have completed a live-fire test of FIRE STORM 250, a vertical-takeoff drone armed with SIG SAUER’s M250 machine gun, in which the aircraft hovered over a simulated battlefield, picked out targets with its onboard camera and hit them in single-shot and semi-automatic modes. The companies announced the result on […]View the full article

Retired Rear Adm. John Meier, the first commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), has joined mining investor Appian Capital Advisory as a senior advisor on defense supply chains. Appian announced the hire on Oct. 13 together with two other appointments. Brian Greeley, who was chief banking officer at the […]View the full article

Northrop Grumman has teamed up with Barrett Firearms to build the launcher for its Precision Grenadier System, a shoulder-fired 25 mm grenade launcher meant to let infantry squads hit enemies hiding behind cover and shoot down small drones, the companies announced on Oct. 12 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting in Washington. […]View the full article

Norway’s Kongsberg will build a factory in northern Poland to manufacture and maintain counter-drone systems for the Polish SAN program, investing more than 200 million zlotys (about €45 million, or $51 million) in a plant that will create over 100 permanent jobs once it reaches full capacity, the company announced on Oct. 13 at the […]View the full article

A former Italian Navy mine warfare officer has launched Sentiq Defence, a company based in Bordighera on Italy’s Ligurian coast that will supply navies, coast guards and port and energy operators with uncrewed boats, underwater surveillance sonars, remotely operated submersibles and aerial drones, the company announced on Oct. 13. Sentiq starts out as an integrator, […]View the full article

MARTAC, the Florida maker of high-speed unmanned surface vessels used by the U.S. Navy, has selected SEA.AI’s maritime machine vision system for its drone boat fleet, adding cameras that spot and classify other vessels on their own without a human watching a video feed. SEA.AI announced the integration on Oct. 13, saying MARTAC has made […]View the full article

Radar maker Echodyne and Allen Control Systems have signed a strategic collaboration agreement to pair Echodyne’s EchoShield counter-drone radar with ACS’s Bullfrog autonomous weapon station, combining long-range radar tracking with an AI-guided gun that fires standard ammunition at drones on land and at sea. The companies announced the agreement on Oct. 13, saying they have […]View the full article

The last 12 months have been good for our Navy. Regardless of what you think of this year’s operations against Iran and her proxies: Our surface forces built off their years of success in the Red Sea over the last year and have a level of experience in actual warfighting not seen since…well…WWII really. We saw a little bit of a threat in Korea, Vietnam, and a spot of bother now and then…but a sustained threat like this? Not seen in generations. Everything from low-speed drones to anti-ship cruise missiles to anti-ship ballistic missiles was thrown at our Aegis destroyers and our remaining cruisers…and nothing got through to them or the carriers and auxiliaries they supported. They sent a lot of ordnance downrange to top it all off. Speaking of auxiliaries, our merchant mariners started this conflict short of mariners and ships, but they supported sustained combat operations at sea with limited access to good and safe ports in a way that, again, we only have a whisper of understanding of. We have a lot of lessons here, and I hope to see action on them soon. In line with the above, we only know the wafer-thin details of the strikes Navy and Marine Corps aviation conducted. Everything from strafing runs to anti-mine work to sinking submarines. Our submarines managed to sink an enemy destroyer… in case you forgot… and I’m sure they did all sorts of fun things we’ll read about in 2040. Ditto our Marines and Naval Special Warfare bubbas. We saw hints of what you were doing if we knew where to look…but we don’t need the details. Tip of the hat. Long deployments, extended combat operations, few safe and friendly ports to support them…and still…they excelled in everything that was asked of them. Excellence was expected and provided. It was clear that we practiced until we were perfect, and then practiced perfection...or as close as we humans can get to it. Oh, did you forget we took down the Marxist dictatorship in Venezuela and sent the Cubans, Chinese, and Russians packing? Yes, a joint operation…but…from the sea. We are starting to see movement on the industrial front in shipbuilding, shipyards, and new programs. The Primes are being challenged by nimble, and quick-moving new players. The competition will be good for everyone…and a net positive for the tools our Sailors will take with them the next time their nation asks them to go in harm’s way. There are 364 other days of the year when we can look at areas that need improvement or discuss some sub-optimal people or activities…but today is as good a day as any to say what is clear to see: Navy had a good year. May the next year be even better. Speaking of birthday presents…if you have not already pulled the trigger to be an underwriter of the CDR Salamander Substack, well, maybe today is your day! In celebration of our Navy’s birthday, we’re offering a 20% discount on monthly and annual paid subscriptions today only. Your subscription will provide you with… My undying gratitude and thanks for supporting what we do here. Extra attention to your comments…as I know you are invested in the creative friction we try to promote here. Access to the paid-subscriber-only UNCLAS Read Board Podcast. You have until midnight Eastern Time to claim your discount. Click here. Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

Turkish state defense company MKE has destroyed a drone at a distance of 760 meters (about 2,500 feet) with a new 20-kilowatt fiber laser weapon developed for its TOLGA close-in air defense system, scoring a direct hit during the Ateş Serbest-2026 live-fire event at Polatlı, west of Ankara. MKE announced the result on X on […]View the full article

Oshkosh Defense has started building the first prototype of the Dutch Expeditionary Patrol Vehicle, a version of its Joint Light Tactical Vehicle known in the Netherlands as the Kaaiman, for the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps, the company said on Oct. 13. The Netherlands Ministry of Defence ordered 150 of the vehicles in June 2025 at […]View the full article