Houthi Red Sea Attacks Turn to Drone Boats

 Reuters published on 3 July 2024 an article titled "Houthi Explosive Drone Boat Attacks Escalate Red Sea Danger" by Jonathan Saul and Renee Maltezou.  

In recent weeks, at least 3 ships in the Red Sea have been attacked by Houthi unmanned surface vehicles (USVs).  In one of the attacks, the USV contributed to the sinking of a bulk cargo carrier.  The USVs are a relatively new asymmetric Houthi tactic to interrupt international shipping in the region.  The USVs strike ships at the waterline and have the potential for considerable damage.  

Security Implications of China's Military Presence in the Indian Ocean

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) published in March 2018 a brief titled "Security Implications of China's Military Presence in the Indian Ocean" by Zack Cooper, fellow for Asian security at CSIS.

The author argues that the security implications of China's push into the Indian Ocean are mixed. In peacetime, these efforts will expand Chinese regional influence. In wartime, however, China's Indian Ocean presence will likely create more vulnerabilities than opportunities. China's new military base in Djibouti provides a rudimentary power projection base, which is bolstered by its access to ports in Bangladesh, Burma, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

China: A Global Security Power?

World Politics Review published on 9 May 2017 an analysis titled "Does China Have What It Takes to Become a Global Security Power?" by Richard A. Bitzinger, Nanyang Technological University.

The author comments on the recent buildup of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and notes that it is in the Indian Ocean where China has established its first overseas base--Djibouti--and where its footprint has been most significant. At the same time, the PLAN is not a blue-water navy in the strictest sense. It has a long way to go before it can create a sustainable open-ocean power-projection capability and its footprint will likely remain confined to the Western Pacific and parts of the Indian Ocean region.

Chinese Anti-Piracy Operations in the Gulf of Aden

The Naval War College published in November 2013 a massive study titled "No Substitute for Experience: Chinese Anti-Piracy Operations in the Gulf of Aden" by Andrew S. Erickson and Austin M. Strange.  The authors address six major aspects of China's anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden since their inception in December 2008: modern piracy and the relevance to China; institutional underpinnings: domestic political and policy issues; China's views on multilateral coordination; China's recent anti-piracy activities in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean; operational trajectories; and lessons learned and implications for global maritime governance.