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330 Years Of The Russian Navy. A Conversation With The Commander-In-Chief, July 2026, Russia Maritime Studies Institute, Anna Davis, Richard Moss

RMSI Research

On the 330th Anniversary of the Russian Navy, Admiral Alexander Moiseyev gave his first long interview since he assumed his position as Commander-in-Chief two years ago (2024). Speaking with interviewer Aleksey Egorov on the program Voennaya Priyomka (Military Acceptance) on TV Zvezda (Russian Ministry of Defense TV), Moiseyev discussed the Russian Navy's past, present, and future.

Chapter 1: Sanctions And The Shadow Fleet: Terrorism Forfeiture And Operation Economic Fury, James Kraska

International Law Studies

No abstract provided.

Cmsi Translations #36: The First Joint Underwater Patrol: Starting With The China-Russia "Joint Sea-2025" Exercise, Guan Hai

CMSI Translations

In August of this year (2025), deep within the waters of the Northwestern Pacific, an underwater patrol was reshaping the strategic landscape of the Asia-Pacific. The Russian submarine Volkhov and the Chinese Navy’s submarine Changcheng 210 came together in a joint formation for the first time, traversing the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea to complete a joint underwater patrol spanning more than 2,000 nautical miles.

The joint underwater patrol conducted by Chinese and Russian submarine formations represents a new form of joint maritime patrol for the two navies, following their joint surface ship patrols. This move not …

8th Annual Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference, Stockton Center For International Law

Cushing International Law Conference

Conflict at Sea
Seoul, Republic of Korea | 8-9 June 2026   The Stockton Center for International Law, in partnership with the Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy (KIMS), hosted the 8th Annual Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference, Conflict at Sea, in Seoul, Republic of Korea, on 8-9 June 2026. The conference brought together military leaders, government officials, legal advisers, policymakers, and scholars to examine emerging challenges in maritime security and international law.

The conference attracted approximately 80 participants, including 40 registrants and 40 speakers, representing 10 countries, with significant participation from the Republic of Korea Navy and regional maritime-security …

Guardians In Orbit: Legal Justifications And Limits Of Defensive Satellite Operations, Yurika Ishii

International Law Studies

The deployment of “bodyguard satellites”—spacecraft designed to autonomously detect and counter hostile space objects—has moved from classified capability development to explicit national security policy across a growing number of States. This article examines the circumstances under which interference with another State’s satellite may be legally justified under international law, analyzing several possible grounds: self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, forcible countermeasures, non-forcible countermeasures, and necessity. Drawing on a survey of national space defense policies, jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice, and the law of State responsibility, the article reaches two principal conclusions. First, across all justificatory frameworks, …

Cmsi Translations #35: How To Leverage The "Butterfly Effect" To Cause The Collapse Of "Taiwan Independence" Elements?, Su Ming

CMSI Translations

Intelligent Tools for Designing Operational Concepts: Intelligent Agents Innovating Mechanisms for Victory

If a large model is likened to a machine, interacting via conversation is akin to a worker manually operating that machine. Although machine tools have significantly reduced human workloads, “manual operation” still entails challenges: demanding skill requirements for operators; difficulty in resolving complex, specialized tasks through conversation alone; difficulty in standardizing and reusing repetitive workflows; susceptibility to hallucinations; and the time- and labor-intensive nature of verifying results. To this end, the Department of Theoretical Innovation Research has proposed a technical roadmap for programming large models. The underlying concept …

Cmsi Note 24: Crossing A Hellscape: Pla Views On New U.S. Military Concepts To Defend Taiwan, Ian Easton

CMSI Notes

Key Takeaways:

• In August 2023, the United States Pacific Command (PACOM) first used the term “Hellscape” to describe a future Taiwan Strait battlefield. That same month the Pentagon unveiled the Replicator Initiative, which reportedly aims to rapidly field thousands of expendable uncrewed systems.
• Official People’s Liberation Army (PLA) sources have reacted to the U.S. military’s public remarks about Hellscape in a strident fashion. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) defense ministry spokesman said Americans advocating for the Hellscape concept “should prepare to burn in hell” and called such individuals “extremely psychotic.”
• China’s flagship military media outlet claimed the United States …

An Exceptional Model At Sea: Functionalist Targeting And The Legal Vulnerability Of Maritime Civil Defense In Japan, Kentaro Furuya

International Law Studies

The intensifying security competition in East Asia, characterized by persistent territorial disputes and the potential for major regional contingencies, has placed the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) at a strategic crossroads. The 2023 Control Guideline, which outlines the JCG’s role during armed attacks, has further heightened interest in the agency’s legal status. This article examines the critical gap between Japan’s domestic legal framework and the international law of naval warfare, specifically addressing how the potential classification of JCG assets as military objectives undermines the safety of maritime civil defense operations.

While the Japanese government firmly maintains the JCG’s status as a …

Volume 1 Issue 7 Full Issue - From Coastal Defense To The Far-Seas: China’S Naval Strategic Transformation, China Maritime Studies Institute

CMSI Quarterly Review

No abstract provided.

China Maritime Report #57: Sailing Thousands Of Miles Without Losing Course: The Roles And Authorities Of The Plan Party Standing Committee, Jeffrey Becker, Brian Waidelich

CMSI China Maritime Reports

Main Findings:

• The Navy Party Standing Committee (NPSC) is the Chinese Navy’s core leadership body, but it does not operate independently; it functions within the broader Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and PRC military hierarchy.
• Politically, the NPSC ensures that China’s Navy remains loyal to the CCP with Xi Jinping at its core. Administratively, it ultimately directs personnel, training, procurement, logistics, fiscal management, readiness, and modernization.
• Military reforms have preserved the NPSC’s authoritative role within the Navy, and today’s members have gained more diverse operational experience earlier in their careers than their predecessors. 
• At the same time, members’ shorter average tenures …

Cmsi Translations #34: Research On Integrated Defense Against Precision Strikes By The Powerful Enemy At Sea, Zhang Debao, Sun Yunxing, Hu Xiaolong

CMSI Translations

The United States has initiated substantive preparations for high-end warfare and continues to exert coercive pressure on China. Drawing on insights from over a dozen localized conflicts, this article analyzes the US military’s strike capabilities, operational patterns, and systemic ground vulnerabilities. Grounded in the concepts of resilience and survivability, systems-based confrontation, and tiered defense, it proposes targeted operational principles, countermeasures, and strategic recommendations for countering precision strikes by the powerful enemy.

Cmsi Note 23: Vice Admiral Zhang Zheng Likely At The Helm: The Pla Navy’S Apparent New Most Senior Officer, Andrew S. Erickson, Christopher Sharman, Jordan Shaw

CMSI Notes

Key Takeaways:

• Vice Admiral (VADM) Zhang Zheng (张峥) appears to have been promoted to the most senior billet in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy (PLAN). He seems to have taken up this responsibility as early as December 2025.
• An experienced surface warfare officer, with prior service as the captain of the PLAN’s first aircraft carrier, Liaoning (辽宁舰), as well as commander of the Shandong aircraft carrier battle group (山东航母编队), VADM Zhang is well prepared to lead the PLAN in the “era of three aircraft carriers” (三航母时代).
• Zhang’s wide-ranging experience across the East Sea Fleet (东海舰队); his professional military education …

Cmsi Note 22: Testing Boundaries: The Lan Hai 201 Mission East Of Taiwan, Ryan D. Martinson

CMSI Notes

Key Takeaways

• From 17-23 July, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) deployed a 3,000-ton fisheries research ship, the Lan Hai 201, to waters east of Taiwan. China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, which owns the vessel, declared that the cruise was intended to “comprehensively understand the state of fisheries resources in China’s jurisdictional space.”
• During its cruise, the Lan Hai 201 engaged in survey activities in the EEZs of Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines, in clear violation of their sovereign rights to regulate fisheries resources under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
• On 22 July, …

Cmsi Translations #33: A Super-Aip Submarine Under The Bayi Flag, Ming Di

CMSI Translations

Foreign media sources believe that, in recent years, the Chinese Navy has shown keen interest in “small-reactor” nuclear submarines—vessels utilizing compact nuclear reactors as air independent propulsion (AIP) systems—and do not rule out the possibility that engineering trials have already been conducted. So, what exactly is the Chinese Navy’s requirement for such submarines, and through what technical pathways might this requirement be realized?

Sustaining The Carrier War: The Deployment Of U.S. Naval Air Power To The Pacific, Viktor M. Stoll, Stan Fisher

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Research & Debate—Forms Of Military Strategy: Historical Parallels Between The American Confederacy And Imperial Japan, And A Way Forward, Robert C. Rubel

Naval War College Review

Two cases, almost eighty years apart, in which a weaker power—the Confederacy and imperial Japan—sought to achieve an end to the war before the United States could mobilize its material advantages and before the weaker side’s limited resources ran out provide useful insights into this western Pacific conundrum. Studying the failure of both challengers bears particular lessons for the United States in its potential conflict with China, in ways that studying our past victories against these adversaries cannot.

Review Essay—A Wake For Objective Control—"The State And The Soldier: A History Of Civil-Military Relations In The United States", Frank Hoffman, Kori Schake

Naval War College Review

Just five years ago, scholars with extensive Washington policy experience assessed that a civil-military relations crisis existed. They perceived that military perspectives were dominating the Pentagon during the first Trump administration. One book accused Secretary of Defense James Mattis of shirking his responsibility to maintain meaningful civilian control. Frustrated, midlevel policy officials faced a slew of bureaucratic initiatives and pressures from an aggressive Joint Staff. Was it a crisis, or were civilians outmaneuvered or unresponsive? Did the military have undue influence, and was civilian control really undermined? The timely publication of The State and the Soldier delivers historical context and …

Fighting Without Mastery—Italian Naval Strategy And The Defeat Of The Regia Marina In The Mediterranean, 1940–1943, Fabio De Ninno

Naval War College Review

Fascist Italy’s campaign to secure and command oceanic sea-lanes in the period between 1935 and 1943 marks a noteworthy failure in interwar strategy. Such a glaring historical moment—particularly the failure to raise a suitable navy capable of achieving Italy’s geopolitical objects—demands further inquiry to uncover how and why this project fell far short of its projected aims.

“A True Sailor-Statesman”—The Ethical Quandary Of Ambassador Raymond A. Spruance In The Philippines, Andrew K. Blackley

Naval War College Review

After retiring from the Navy, Admiral Raymond A. Spruance took on the role of U.S. ambassador to the Philippines. Thomas Buell, a prominent Spruance biographer, previously has claimed that Spruance’s involvement in the 1953 Philippine presidential election was ethically questionable, a perspective challenged by new research.

The Cognitive Dimension Of Mobilization—Reconsidering American War Preparation In An Age Of Persistent Cognitive Warfare, Robert "Jake" Bebber

Naval War College Review

American war mobilization doctrine is built on an industrial-era paradigm that assumes the primary contest is material: who can most efficiently convert economic capacity into military power. An evaluation suggests that this paradigm, while necessary, is no longer sufficient.

Narrowing Seas—The Littoral Strike Complex And The Future Of Naval Warfare, Charles A. Richard, John Robinson

Naval War College Review

Ukraine’s suppression of Russian naval activity by using unmanned surface and aerial vehicles provides a backdrop against which the concept of a “reconnaissance strike complex” is updated for naval warfare today. This framework reflects a path forward for future naval operations.

Summer 2026 Full Issue, The U.S. Naval War College

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

From The Editors, Sam J. Tangredi Editor-In-Chief

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

China Maritime Report #56: The Silent Service: Assessing Plan Influence In The Central Military Commission, Natalie Shen, Joel Wuthnow

CMSI China Maritime Reports

Main Findings

• Despite its impressive expansion, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is more of a "decision-taker" than a "decision-maker," with its growth driven by top-down political directives from leaders like Xi Jinping rather than by its own institutional influence.
• The PLAN's bureaucratic influence within the high command remains modest, with minimal representation on the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) or in its subordinate departments.
• The PLA Army (PLAA) continues to dominate top leadership and management roles, limiting the navy's ability to compete for resources and influence key decisions despite a strategic shift toward the maritime domain.
• Career progression for …

Education And Engagement, China Maritime Studies Institute

CMSI Quarterly Review

No abstract provided.

Cmsi Research In The News, China Maritime Studies Institute

CMSI Quarterly Review

No abstract provided.

Cmsi Quarterly (Summer 2026) Full Issue, China Maritime Studies Institute

CMSI Quarterly Review

Full issue of Issue 1 of the CMSI Quarterly Review.

Cmsi Translations #32: The U.S. Marine Corps Concept For “Stand-In Forces”—Analysis And Response, Yue Zhiqiang, Wang Li, Li Jinqiao

CMSI Translations

“Stand-In Forces” (SIF) is an operational concept proposed by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) within the context of strategic transformation, emphasizing the development of combat forces capable of sustained forward presence within the “weapons engagement zone” (WEZ). These forces can conduct surveillance and reconnaissance, gain long range target custody, and engage in interference, deception, littoral zone harassment, rapid littoral strike, sustainment, protection, and security operations, as well as other actions to address changing conditions and challenges. To counter the continuous penetration and encroachment into our near seas, we must proactively engage and establish effective countermeasures. We must focus on …

Cmsi Note 21: The New Normal East Of Taiwan, Ryan D. Martinson

CMSI Notes

Key Takeaways

• Since early June, the China Coast Guard (CCG) has maintained a continuous presence in waters east of Taiwan. Beijing describes these operations as a response to a joint statement issued by Japan and the Philippines in late May, in which the two countries pledged cooperation to delimit their maritime boundary.
• Given their duration, these operations differ from past practice, in which CCG cutters appeared east of Taiwan for short periods of time, ostensibly to signal dissatisfaction with the island’s political leadership.
• On 4 July, the original CCG task force deployed after the joint statement was issued was relieved …

Narrowing Seas: The Littoral Strike Complex And The Future Of Naval Warfare, Charles A. Richard, John Robinson

Naval War College Press Preprints

Navies worldwide are once again grappling with the implications of emerging technologies, most notably autonomous systems and artificial intelligence (AI). The anticipated disruptions these technologies likely will cause should not be taken lightly, but historical context helps add perspective.