The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush arrives in Souda Bay, Crete for a scheduled port visit, Oct. 6, 2022.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush arrives in Souda Bay, Crete for a scheduled port visit, Oct. 6, 2022. Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Chandler Ludke

The Naval Brief: Missile defense training; Repair or not repair LSDs; Bonhomme verdict; and more...

Welcome to The Naval Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the sea services’ future.

Warships exercise in Pacific. Two U.S. warships participated in a trilateral missile defense exercise with South Korea and Japan as North Korea continues to launch ballistic missiles, Defense One reports. The exercise was one of three held in response to a missile launched over Japan earlier this week. 

Ships for Marines. The Navy and Marine Corps are struggling to see eye-to-eye on what to do with several amphibious dock landing ships in need of repair, which the Marines use to conduct their crisis response mission, Defense News reports. The Navy wants to decommission them and use the repair money to invest in other capabilities, but the Marine Corps is concerned that they will not have enough available ships to move forces around.

Arson verdict. Seaman Recruit Ryan Mays was found not guilty by a military judge for the fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard amphibious assault ship in 2020. There was no physical evidence that indicated someone purposely set the fire, and another investigation found multiple failures with equipment, oversight, and training that put the ship at risk. 

Sign up to get The Naval Brief every Thursday from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On this day in 1958, the USS Seawolf nuclear submarine surfaced after setting a record of 60 consecutive days submerged undersea.


From Defense One

US Denies Ukraine's Request for Long-Range Missiles in Latest Arms Gift // Kevin Baron and Patrick Tucker

Ukraine can reach the "vast majority" of targets with what they already have, a Pentagon official says.

Baltic Worries Mount as Russian Draftees Flood into Regional Training Sites // Patrick Tucker

"Imagine hundreds of thousands training 70 kilometers from a NATO border," said one senior defense official from a Baltic state.

What Surprised One Drone Maker About Russia's War on Ukraine // Patrick Tucker

Swarmly updates its unarmed, jam-resistant drones as new information comes in from Ukraine's battlefield.