The People’s Republic of China continues to expand its already well-established contestation of ownership, access, and control of ports throughout the world. They have done this in parallel with building the world’s largest navy and a diverse set of military capabilities clearly designed with one purpose—defeating the U.S. military in the Indo-Paci…

With each new administration, there is opportunity for change and reform. In the new Trump Administration, reform isn’t seen as a secondary effect of a leadership change but as a requirement.What reform options should the new Pentagon leadership explore under the Trump Administration? Joining us to discuss this and related topics is Gary Anderson, …

Many frustrated by the perceived lack of understanding of our nation’s maritime heritage requirements want new leaders with fresh ideas, unburdened by legacy entanglements. It is hoped that a younger cohort with military experience, preferably naval, in the House of Representatives and the Senate who bring to the job an additional background in bus…

Returning for the full hour will be Dr. Sebastian Bruns. Sebastian is a seapower expert and maritime strategist. His current project as Senior Researcher at the Institute for Security Policy Kiel University (ISPK) is “NATO Maritime Strategies and Naval Operations since 1985”, a multi-year effort to explore the Alliance’s maritime and naval roles be…

Summary Sal and Mark delve into the current state of the U.S. Navy, discussing the size and capabilities of the fleet, the challenges of operating as a two-ocean Navy, and the potential for utilizing alternative naval assets such as offshore supply vessels. They explore the ongoing debate between manned and unmanned aircraft. Discussed some of the …

The origin story of the United States of America begins, in no small part, with maritime trade issues. Most of the declared and many of the undeclared, wars our nation has fought can be traced to the safety of our maritime commerce and unfettered access to the open seas. Look at any map, and you’ll see we have oceans to the east and west of us, bet…

Having trouble keeping up with all the developments in the national security realm over the last two months? Well, let not your heart be troubled, Sal & Mark are here for you this week with the ever-popular Midrats Melee format! No guest this week for the podcast, just your two humble hosts, solving the world’s problems in 60-minutes. Show Links Re…

A firm and lasting peace treaty, a ceasefire, in or out of NATO, in or out of the EU, European or international peacekeeping forces, an unending slog, or Russian tanks in downtown Kyiv? What are the realistic…and unrealistic…options for Ukraine as they enter the 4th year of the Russo-Ukrainian War of 2022?Is the best path for Ukrainian security ins…

In the first month of the new Trump Administration, much of the attention outside our borders has focused on Europe and the Middle East—the two regions that always seem to divert our focus from America’s greatest competitor, the People’s Republic of China (PRC). We often think of the challenge in terms of the most obvious arena—the Pacific—but it e…

Returning to Midrats this week to discuss his latest non-fiction novel is Seth W.B. Folsom, Colonel, USMC (Ret.). From the Amazon page: Nothing Here Worth Dying For tells the story of his command of Task Force Lion—a “purpose-built” combat advisor team—and his frenetic 2017 deployment to Iraq’s Al Anbar Province. Charged with the daunting task of a…

Does the US Navy have the right number and mix of amphibious ships, and are those ships being properly maintained? The Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent report to Congress explored this topic in depth, and today’s Midrats Podcast will delve into it further. From the summary of the report: Amphibious warfare ships are critical for Mari…

When a report has an opening like this, you know you have to find a way to get the author on Midrats. As a nation, we are in an undeclared state of emergency.…This is a hot Cold War II. The West has empirically lost deterrence. We must respond to this emergency to regain it. We have a peer adversary: China. “Near-Peer” is a shibboleth, a euphemism …

There is almost a cottage industry in appreciating the decades-long shortfall in America’s maritime industrial base for shipbuilding and repair.After more than a decade of self-delusion in labeling the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as merely a ‘Pacing Challenge’, people are increasingly waking up to the fact that the PRC has overtaken the USA in…

Happy New Year to everyone…and Midrats is back with you. Join us today for a broad-ranging discussion for our 15th Anniversary Show with a regular guest since the start, Claude Berube. The conversation will go who knows where, but we will begin by reflecting on how the defense media and information environment has evolved since 2010—not just from t…

With one of the most militarily and energy strategic states in our union, Alaska, being in the Arctic, and the extensive interests we have on the other side of the planet in Antarctica, do you wonder why our nation’s icebreaking “fleet”—being what it is—amounts to an antique road show? Are you curious how our plan to replace them is making the LCS …

Trying to get your mind around who the actors are in Syria as this 'frozen conflict' from the last decade begins to thaw?If you are concerned about international jihadist organizations, the security of Israel, instability caused by mass migration, rights of religious minorities in the Middle East, or human suffering, the cascading events in Syria s…

Before everyone dives into a week of family and fasting, time to catch up with Sal and Mark on Midrats.From the retention crisis to some stark comments from senior leaders about the Western Pacific, we’ll cover the waterfront and more. Showlinks Fighter pilot burnout Admiral Paparo at Brookings Dereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chie…

With 63 days until President Trump’s second inauguration and a new national security team lining up, what are the expected opportunities they will be looking to make an impact quickly? What should people be looking at? Where is the fruit ripe for the picking? For the full hour we have returning guest, Jerry Dunleavy IV, author of Kabul: The Untold …

Summary The conversation delves into various themes surrounding innovation, customization, and future planning. It highlights the importance of bespoke solutions in development and addresses the challenges faced in implementing these ideas. The speakers reflect on their insights and look forward to new developments in the field.Show Links Trump Dec…

Showlinks Joint Sword 2024 off Taiwan. TAFFY-3 off Samar. USAF NGAD Pause. Narrow Seas, Small Navies, and Fat Merchantmen: Naval Strategies for the 1990s. USS Carney’s 1 year anniversary. Debt service now greater than spending on defense. Summary In this episode of Midrats, Sal and Mark discuss the evolving geopolitical landscape, focusing on China…

It’s mid-October, and time for another no-hold-barred Maritime Melee from Midrats!You can listen at this link, or via the Spotify widget below. Show Links Happy 249th Birthday Navy! Kaman K-MAX helicopters Starlink Lifestraw Iodine tablets CNOC bag Katadyn filters Ukraine’s Baba Yaga drones Navy relearns how to reload at sea Heavy lift ships Net As…

What can be done to reform The Pentagon? Returning to Midrats to discuss the challenge of real reform to our military bureaucratic establishment will be Steve Deal. Steve Deal, Captain, U.S. Navy (Ret.) served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Navy and Deputy Chief Learning Officer for the Department of the Navy. During his twenty-se…

For the last 23 years, the major powers outside the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have been engaged in a series of imperial police actions like in Afghanistan, small wars turning into inextricable problems, like Iraq, and not-insignificant medium sized wars as we see in Ukraine.The PRC chose to stay out of these conflicts, but has been learning …

Summer is over, and it's time to focus on adult things once again. If it is of interest to from the Pacific to the Red Sea to the Potomac River—we have you covered. Showlinks: Royal Navy Ship Availability graphic CO USS John S. McCain relieved Egypt in Yemen Civil War 1960s/70s US Army Typhon (not Typhoon, I know) launcher Egypt's Interest in PRC A…

Where there appears to be a fair bit of shock and surprise in the general public, for those who have tracked the story closest, the feeling could be found along the spectrum from resignation to dismay. This did not happen overnight - and for those given responsibility for our nation’s sea power, this was only a matter of time. By acts of commission…

If you find a message that is consistent over time, through times of ease and times of challenge, and at each challenge in the real world this message is validated, reinforced, and found to be correct — is that a message you need to pay attention to? Since the Houthi joined a second front with the Gazans against Israel by attacking international sh…

Look who we have on a short-turnaround visit to Midrats, Dr. Emma Salisbury!We’re going to cover the waterfront issues in the Anglosphere, but we’ll kick off the discussion with the issues she outlined in her recent Behind the Front post, Franken-FREMM: How the Constellation Class Became a Monster. Emma recently completed her PhD at Birkbeck Colleg…

What has the People’s Republic of China been doing to grow its influence in the Pacific Island nations that proved so crucial in the Pacific theater in WWII, and will be just as important for the next Great Pacific War? Our guest for the full hour is be Cleo Paskal.Cleo is Non-Resident Senior Fellow focusing on the Indo-Pacific at the Foundation fo…

Summary In this conversation, Sal and Mark discuss various topics related to national security and the military. They start by questioning the purpose and effectiveness of the US presence in the Red Sea. They also touch on the lack of accountability in the executive branch, the importance of congressional oversight, and the decline in military pres…

How have the modern European navies developed since the start of the Cold War, and how are they positioned to address the challenges we see today? Returning to Midrats this Sunday at 3pm Eastern will be Dr. Jeremy Stöhs.Jeremy is an Austrian-American security and defense analyst. He co-heads the Austrian Center for Intelligence, Propaganda & Securi…

In a news cycle dominated by the attempted assassination of former President Trump, give yourself a break with an update on the Russian military in year three of the Russo-Ukrainian War, with regular Midrats guest Dr. Dmitry Gorenburg. Dmitry Gorenburg is Senior Research Scientist in the Strategy, Policy, Plans, and Programs division of CNA, where …

Law. Ethics. Morality. Character. What do these words mean, and why are they important in the profession of arms. That is the subject of this week’s Midrats. We have just the right person to dig in to this topic, returning to Midrats, Dr. Pauline Shanks-Kaurin. Professor Shanks-Kaurin is the Admiral James B. Stockdale Chair in Professional Military…

Anyone even remotely around the Navy or the national defense area in DC and the Pacific knows this two words, “Fat Leonard” and the unprecedented impact it has had on the navy as an institution and its very highest uniformed leadership for well over a decade. Visiting the topic on Midrats for the full hour will be Craig Whitlock, investigative repo…

Hope you enjoy the new audio quality for this month's melee! We kick things off with an overview of the Gaza Pier debacle, the Eisenhower deployment extension, the Constellation Class frigate purgatory, the potential fun with the #AsianNATO, and finish things up with a former VCNO who is not in a happy place. Showlinks: Better Tabletop Exercises fo…

Midrats returns for a broad-reaching discussion on maritime and national security issues from the Gaza Beaches to the South China Sea! My audio was a bit poppy early in the show, but it gets better. Mentioned links: PRC is playing games with undersea cables CONGRESSIONAL GUIDANCE FOR A NATIONAL MARITIME STRATEGY Reversing the Decline of America’s M…

Just as they share a common tradition going back to before the American Revolution, the United State's Navy and Britain's Royal Navy, today both nations' navies share a similar challenge of prioritizing and finding the navy - and the industrial base to support it - that both nations need in order to secure their nation's from global threats and cha…

For the first two decades of this century, as the West and her friends were distracted by small wars in Central Asia and the Middle East, the People's Republic of China slowly, deliberately, and steadily grew her economic, diplomatic, and economic power. As we are in the last year closing out the first quarter of the 21st Century, the West distract…

For navalists from Souda Bay to San Diego, April has started not with a whimper, not a grin - but with a scream. For the full hour, we'll start in Baltimore, review the latest revelations about shipbuilding, and some enlightening developments on our allies from Australia to NATO…and end things up after a little spot of tech bother, with a discussio…

For our last podcast of March, come join us for and open-ended free-for-all format to look at the national security environment as we head in to April. From the water cannons off the Philippines to the folly of keeping your naval bases in range of your enemies missiles ... and perhaps a dive in to the long winter for navalists that 2024 is lining u…

If people are policy and policy shapes decisions, then that is the start in understanding why a nation like the USA wound up neglecting what should be a core sector of not just its economy, but its strategic advantage - its civilian maritime industry. Using his recent article, The Urgent Need for U.S. Maritime Reform as a starting point, our guest …

Especially for the Royal Navy, it was assumed the military leaders, politicians, and the general population understood that they were island nations and that their security and prosperity depended on a strong navy and civilian maritime commerce. Even the greatest naval power of the last century, the United States of America seems to be unable to ha…

Feel like the chaos from the Black Sea, Red Sea, South China Sea and various places ashore seems just too much to keep track of? Well, if you need an hour to catch up and ponder as Sal & Eagle One will take you from the Houthi's sinking their first ship, Darwinism at war, to the US Navy heading in to Haiphong witih guns blazing ... for peace.…

From the February 12th guest post over at Sal's substack, our guest today opened with a firm point;"..the combat performance of U.S. Navy destroyers in the Red Sea against a variety of weapons employed by the Houthis from Yemen stands as a monument to decades of brilliance, hard work, and dedication across generations of naval officers, government …

The vulnerability of aircraft carriers is nothing new. They are vulnerable not just because of how they are designed - really just a thin hulled ship full of fuel and explosives - but because of what they do. At peace and at war, there is no other platform that can project power and national will on a global scale at sea than an aircraft carrier. A…

Feel like there is too much going on in the national security world to keep up with? Well, let your heart not be troubled. Mark & Sal will deliver a full hour of discussion of not just what's breaking in to the news in the last week of January 2024, but whatever else pops up. Iranian proxies causing American military losses from Jordan to the Horn …

If we are approaching the end of the almost century-long age of the aircraft carrier, for the United States Navy, what are some of the options we could have in fleet designed to execute the Navy's mission in its place? Challenges, opportunities, and compromises - we'll dive into it all with guest Jeff Vandenengel, CDR USN.The reference point for ou…

While everyone is focused on the Red Sea or the goings on in Ukraine, there are serious developments between The Philippines and the Peoples Republic of China that is not going to wait for the other world's problems to finish up their time in the sun. If the main game is in the Western Pacific, then The Philippines are the center square. Returning …

From moving grain to the world markets from the Black Sea to global trade through the Red Sea, and the People’s Republic of China’s unabashed bullying of The Philippines and the nations surrounding the South China Sea – the US Navy is not large enough to carry the burden of maintaining the international order at sea. We have a series of alliances w…

With a few exceptions on the sidelines by Japan and France, what has been clearly apparent in the last two months has been the absence of the International Community's presence in the Red Sea to enforce the International Order everyone seems to consider of utmost importance to the economic system that gives us the standard of living the globe is ac…

With Thanksgiving behind us and another month of the Holiday Season to go, it's time to catch up on the goings on at the waterfront with a special guest calling in who we decided to hijack and keep for the rest of the show - returning listener favorite Mark Vandroff.By Midrats