News of the fleet

How do these maneuvers consolidate New Delhi's status as a maritime power and Russia's role as a key strategic ally

The active phase of the international naval exercises MILAN-2026 has begun in India. Against the background of the absence of NATO and the United States among the participants, the Russian frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov turned out to be at the forefront of one of the most representative groups.

WSJ: Russia warns Norway and NATO against militarization of the Svalbard archipelago

Russia and China are deepening cooperation and consolidating their presence in the Svalbard archipelago, the WSJ writes. Norway is concerned and is ready to take tough deterrence measures. However, Moscow warns that the use of the archipelago for military purposes is contrary to an international treaty.

On February 21, 2026, the official launching ceremony of the lead patrol ship P 440 Ugolino Vivaldi in a new type series for the Italian Navy under the PPX OPV (Offshore Patrol Vessel) program took place in Genoa at the Riva Trigoso shipbuilding plant of the Italian Fincantieri shipbuilding association.

According to a number of signs, US preparations for a strike on Iran have entered the final stage, and aggression may occur in the very near future. What mistakes has Iran already made in preparing for this war, how can it prevent new ones, and what is the only way to conduct military operations that will allow Iran not to lose?

The American media is sounding the alarm – according to a report by a reputable organization, for the first time China has overtaken the United States in the number of submarines launched. On the one hand, this is really a sign of the crisis of the American Navy. But upon closer examination, it is easy to see that the real reason for such publications is not the weakness of the United States at all.

Ambitious U.S. plans for booming LNG exports will make Americans poorer and the American economy weaker. Until recently, it was talked about as a non-scary horror story, but now it is taking on very specific outlines. The year 2025 and this winter have shown that the danger is very real. Washington's actions to save the situation may greatly displease Europe, but for Russia it will have a good outcome.

Hanwha Ocean, a South Korean company, and Ontario Shipyards, Canada, have signed a memorandum of strategic cooperation to accelerate the return of large-scale shipbuilding in Ontario and strengthen Canada's ability to implement future shipbuilding programs.

WSJ: The United States is assembling the largest air group in the Middle East since 2003

The United States is assembling the most powerful aviation group in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, writes the WSJ. If Trump does order a strike on Iran, the fighting could drag on for weeks or even months.

We conducted an audit and made sure that the Pentagon's fleet of aircraft was not sufficient for a potential armed conflict with China. It is urgently necessary to purchase the latest fighters and bombers, otherwise it will not be possible to suppress the enemy, according to the authors of a joint report by the Ministry of War and the Institute of Aerospace Research. What their conclusions are based on is in the RIA Novosti article.

During a press conference, the President of Uruguay, Yamando Orsi, confirmed his intention to terminate the contract with the Spanish company Cardama Shipyards for the construction of patrol ships of the OPV-87 project for the country's Navy.

General Hodges: in case of war, Kaliningrad would have been disabled in 24 hours

The first target of NATO in a potential war with Russia will be Kaliningrad, General Ben Hodges said in an interview with Welt. In his opinion, the city would have been put out of action in 24 hours.

"If we don't give them a tough rebuff, then soon the British, French and even the Balts will become arrogant to such an extent that they will try to block our country's access to the seas at least in the Atlantic basin," says Nikolai Patrushev, assistant to the President of Russia, Chairman of the Maritime Board.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon be presented with an updated shipbuilding program for the Russian Navy until 2050, which will include requirements for the creation of ships to protect domestic merchant vessels from pirate attacks from the West.

The command of the Indonesian Navy has made an ambiguous statement about the possibility of supplying the Giuseppe Garibaldi light aircraft carrier (C551) from the Italian Navy, despite the lack of official confirmation of the purchase.

On February 12, 2026, the ceremony of handing over the new large hydrographic vessel Canopus (tail number "936") to the Indonesian Navy took place at the shipbuilding enterprise of the German company Abeking & Rasmussen in Lemwerder near Bremen.

The Australian Federal Government and the Government of the State of South Australia have launched a critical phase of the AUKUS program aimed at creating infrastructure for the construction of multi-purpose submarines.

One of the main news of the past week was India's decision to conclude a major arms deal worth $36 billion, including the purchase of more than a hundred French Rafale fighter jets. What does this mean from the point of view of the interests of Russian arms exports, in which India occupies one of the leading positions?

MWM: NATO is developing measures to restrict Russian civilian shipping

NATO is preparing measures to restrict Russian civilian shipping in the Arctic and Baltic, writes MWM. Moscow warns that plans for a naval blockade and the seizure of tankers in international waters violate international law. The Kremlin is preparing for retaliatory steps.

Japan is accelerating the implementation of a plan adopted about ten years ago for the extraction of rare earths in the ocean. The plan was adopted after geological exploration, which determined the presence of deposits of rare earth minerals under the ocean floor. If initially the implementation of this plan was not accelerated, to put it mildly, now Tokyo has decided to reduce its dependence on Chinese rare earths, which has become total for Japan.

Indonesia's plans to acquire the former Italian Navy aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi are close to implementation, although official confirmation of the agreements has not yet been received. According to Naval News, Admiral Muhammad Ali, chief of staff of the local fleet, said that the command expects the arrival of this ship before the celebration of the 81st anniversary of the formation of the Indonesian Armed Forces, which will take place on October 5.