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A new class of destroyer for the Russian Navy is currently under development by the Krylov State Research Center (KSRC), IHS Jane’s was told during a visit to the company.

The new design is called Project 23560E or Shkval (Squall), KSRC’s deputy director, Valery Polyakov, who added that a scale model of the design is going to be exhibited for the first time during the International Maritime Defence Show 2015 in St Petersburg from 1-5 July.

“The Project 23560E destroyer is intended to conduct operations in off-shore maritime and oceanic zones, to destroy land and naval targets, to provide combat stability to naval forces, to maintain area anti-air and anti-missile defence, and to complete peacetime tasks in all zones of the world’s oceans,” said Polyakov.

The Project 23560E destroyer has full-load displacement of 15,000-18,000 tons, a length of 200 m, beam of 23 m, draft of 6.6 m, high speed of 32 kt, cruise speed of 20 kt, endurance of 90 days, and a crew of 250-300.

via Russian destroyer design revealed – IHS Jane’s 360.

That’s one big ship. On a par with the upcoming DDG-1000 Zumwalt design. By contrast, the DDG-51 Burkes top out at around 9500 tons.

Of course, whether it will actually get built, and how effective its combat systems will be remains to be seen. Putin’s Russia has an affinity to say what they will be doing in the future. But long term lower energy prices are making paying for those grandiose announcements somewhat more difficult to bring to fruition.

Last month I wrote about LCDR Jack Curtis’s excellent article at the Bridge regarding the Navy’s need to resurrect its late Cold War-era skills for fighting in opposed electromagnetic environments. I also noted Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work’s commentaries along the same lines.

It isn’t often that electronic warfare topics like these get public attention. That’s extremely unfortunate given the centrality of electronic warfare to maritime combat. Granted, classification can be a barrier with respect to specifics. But the general principles are—and have always been—unclassified. I’m often amazed by how often electronic warfare considerations are overlooked in commentaries on modern warfare; such oversights detract from informed debate.

That’s why I truly appreciate the publication of good articles on electronic warfare in widely-read defense journals. This month’s Proceedings contains two pieces that meet this standard. Unfortunately, both lie behind the Naval Institute’s paywall. If you subscribe or have access to the magazine hardcopy, they are must-reads.

via Information Dissemination: Restoring the U.S. Navy’s Electronic Warfare Prowess: The Gospel Spreads.

Jon Solomon has been contributing some graduate level pieces on naval warfare over at ID the last couple months.

One point he raises here about commanders operating in an EMCON or contested electronic environment is that by practicing it, you foster a mission command atmosphere. That is, tell your subordinates what you want them to accomplish, in terms of an end state, not every tiny little step for them to take. You want to foster initiative, and flexibility, in your subordinates. That has effectively become impossible in an era where the White House can call down to the individual ship (or squad leader, in the Army) and nag and give direction.

“Sorry, I can’t come to the phone right now” means a commander on the scene can use his own initiative and best judgement, all while denying the enemy information.

Our Navy used to be very, very good at this sort of thing. But we’ve fallen out of  practice in the post Cold War era. And it’s high time we return to our proficiency there.

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that a convicted felon cannot be prevented by the government from trying to sell his guns after they are confiscated.

In a unanimous decision, the court sided with Tony Henderson, a former DHS agent, who turned over his collection of 19 firearms to the FBI as a condition of release after his conviction for distributing marijuana.

Henderson plead guilty and subsequently wanted to sell his collection, reportedly valued at $3,500, to a friend. Lower courts had previously ruled that allowing Henderson to do so would technically give him possession of the firearms, in violation of the law.

via Second Amendment: Supreme Court Makes Major Gun Rights Ruling | NoozSaurus.

Seems reasonable. Also avoids any issues with a takings clause.

I’ve forgotten how annoying it is to have to configure a new Kindle.

Having a bit of a rough day here, not as much time to write as I’d hoped. Here’s an Army M198 155mm howitzer crew firing 10 rounds for calibration. The other gun in the platoon is off camera, but it too can be hear firing. Gun bunnies are a bunch of morons, half-wits and cretins, but they can do the gun bunny hop right quick when they want to.

On Monday, six F-35B Lightning IIs arrived aboard the USS Wasp for two weeks of sea trials. The two-week operational test mission fulfills a Marine Corps requirement before its first squadron of 10 F-35s reaches IOC, or Initial Operational Capability, later this summer.

Two of the jets come from MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina, and the other four have made the journey out from MCAS Yuma, Arizona. The Wasp, an amphibious assault ship, is currently at sea off the coast of Virginia, and the test marks the first time this many F-35s have been aboard a US Navy vessel.

via Six Marine Corps F-35Bs Go To Sea | Fighter Sweep.

Well, we’ll see how it goes. It’s unclear if Wasp also has aboard the augmented MV-22 squadron that forms the heart of the Air Combat Element of the embarked Marine Expeditionary Unit, or if it is just the F-35s.