Episode 61: More Captain Martin - More Cowbell

As piracy continues to be in the news and by popular demand - today's Episode of Midrats will be a replay the 30 January episode with Captain Alexander Martin, USMC - the leader of the team that took back merchant ship, The Magellan Star.

One of the reasons I picked this episode is not just because Captain Martin was such a good guest that made for a quick hour - which he was - but that looking long range at the development of the last few weeks encourages one to keep a thought on Piracy.

Piracy comes from failed states, and with the turmoil in much of the Arab world - there is a concern that we may have a few more failed states in the running. Could they create the conditions that allow piracy as we have seen off Somalia develop in more areas such as the Red Sea and the Med? Hard to say - but we do know that weakness invites aggression, and in spite of the isolated incident or two of spine and fortitide - and proven by the expansion of piracy over the last few years --- the argument can be made that we are inviting more piracy if conditions will allow it.

There is a solution though, and a large part of that was demonstrated by CAPT Martin, his marines, and the Sailors who supported them. Please join us for a show well worth a second listen. And I'll have the chat room up for those who do join us live.

Eagle One and I will be back our next week with our ever-popular returning guest, Mackenzie Eaglen, Research Fellow for National Security Studies, Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation.

Remember, if you miss the show or want to catch up on the ones you've missed - you can always reach the archives at blogtalkradio - or set yourself to get the podcast on iTunes.

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Piracy and the Stolen Sea, on Midrats

We have heard from industry, military leaders, Marines, and private security providers, this Sunday we are going to look at piracy at a more personal level with director Thymaya Payne of the documentary, Stolen Seas; Tales of Somali Piracy. 

He will be our guest for the full hour this Sunday from 5-6pm EST. 

From the show promo:

The filmmakers have spent the past three years traveling to some of the world's most violent locales in order to make this documentary on Somali piracy, Stolen Seas. Utilizing exclusive interviews and unparalleled access to real pirates, hostages, hostages' relatives, ship-owners, pirate negotiators and experts on piracy and international policy, Stolen Seas presents a chilling exploration of the Somali pirate phenomenon.

The film throws the viewer, through audio recordings and found video, right into the middle of the real-life hostage negotiation of a Danish shipping vessel, the CEC Future. As the haggling between the ship's stoic owner Per Gullestrup, and the pirate's loquacious negotiator, Ishmael Ali, drags on for 70 days, these two adversaries' relationship takes an unexpected turn and an unlikely friendship is born.
Stolen Seas is an eye opening refutation of preconceived ideas on how or why piracy has become the world's most frightening multi-million dollar growth industry.

Join us live if you can, but if you miss the show you can always listen to the archive at blogtalkradio.

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Anti-piracy - the facts

The great thing about numbers, trend lines, and analysis is that when done right, it is exceptionally hard to spin.

Though your first stop for all things piracy should be Eaglespeak, both here and over at Midrats we've covered piracy on a regular basis. It is important for a variety of reasons.

Besides the actual implication of lawlessness at sea, it also tells us quite a lot about what does and does not work at the Tactical, Operational, Strategic, and Pol/Mil level. Generally, when something is successful, it expands. When rewarded, it grows. When it is winning, it expands.

If we can accept these general concepts, then we should next examine the topic as covered by The Economist,

The Northwood centre was established in late 2008 as part of Operation Atalanta, a European Union (EU) naval initiative against Somali piracy. It works with the Royal Navy’s UK Maritime Trade Operations office in Dubai as a reporting hub for pirate activity and as a communications hub for the multinational naval forces in the area. The seizure of the Blida was the fourth attack on New Year’s Day; the other three were unsuccessful, thanks to evasive action and other protective measures.

Since then attacks have been running at the rate of more than one a day. According to the International Maritime Bureau, which posts live data on raids, Somali pirates hold 33 vessels and 758 hostages. In January alone the bureau recorded 35 attacks. The raiders took seven ships and 148 new hostages. The United Nations estimates the annual cost of piracy in the Indian Ocean at between $5 billion and $7 billion. Later this month, as the monsoon ends and the seas calm, attacks will multiply and the numbers of ships and hostages held will rise (see chart).

If what we have been doing since 2008 has not been working - then is doing more of it the right thing to do? If not, do we need to try something else?

One thing most agree with, going back to our core concepts, is that to see a decrease in piracy - you have to decrease the number of people engaged in piracy. You can do that is a few ways, but the most effective is to impact the economic equation and risk-benefit analysis of the enterprise. So far, the numbers show that in spite of all the international community's efforts - piracy is still worth it. To argue otherwise is folly.

Midrats: Episode 2 - Piracy

OK folks, time to arrange your Sunday afternoons now so you don't have an excuse.

Sunday, 10 JAN 10 at 1700R/2200Z will be Navy Milblog Radio's Midrats: Episode 2 - Piracy: policy, protection, and power projection.

Come join Eagle1, Galrahn and myself as we discuss how we found ourselves in 2010 with a pirate problem, what is being done to address it, and the pros and cons of different courses of action going forward.

Special guest will be Claude Berube, a teacher at the U.S. Naval Academy with a background in naval research and development, acquisition, and intelligence. He is also co-author of two books, a former Senate Staffer, and as a LCDR in the USNR has experience in maritime interception operations, humanitarian relief, and anti-piracy. We'll be taking callers in the second half of the hour.

As usual, regular readers go to the front of the line. Send me an email with your phone number when it is time for calls, and I will move you right up to the top of the queue.

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Midrats: Growing the seed corn at USNA

Where does the Navy and Marine Corps grow the leaders of tomorrow? Well, a critical source is the United States Naval Academy.

Please join my co-host EagleOne and me this Sunday at 5pm EST as we spend an hour discuss educating tomorrow's leaders with three of those chartered with that task from Annapolis.

Our guests will be, Associate Professor Virginia Lunsford, History Department; Professor Steve Frantzich, Political Science Department; and Professor Bruce Fleming, English Department.

Virginia W. Lunsford is an associate professor of history at the U. S. Naval Academy. She is a specialist in maritime history, especially the history of piracy and privateering; the history of Early Modern Europe; the history of European expansion and colonialism; and the history of the Netherlands. Professor Lunsford holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in History from Harvard University. She also earned an M.A. in Government and a B.A. with High Distinction in History and Rhetoric & Communication Studies from the University of Virginia. At the Naval Academy, Professor Lunsford currently teaches courses on “Warfare in the Age of Sail”; “The Golden Age of Piracy: Myth and Reality”; “The Buccaneers: A Case Study in Asymmetrical Warfare”; and “American Naval History.”

Professor Lunsford is the author of Piracy and Privateering in the Golden Age Netherlands (New York and London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005) and is currently researching and writing "Dead Men Tell No Tales: A Cultural History of Piracy in the Modern Age" under contract with Routledge.

Steve Frantzich is Professor of Political Science at the U.S. Naval Academy where he was selected as the outstanding professor in 1990, runner-up as outstanding researcher in 2001 and as one of the first USNA Teaching Fellows in 2002. He is the author of over a dozen books, most recently "Citizen Democracy: Political Activism in a Cynical Age" (Rowman and Littlefield, 2004) and Cyberage Politics 101: Mobility, Technology and Democracy (Peter Lang Publishers, 2002). He has won awards from the American Political Science Association, C-SPAN, and a variety of publishers for the use of computers and video in teaching. He is the co-author of two interactive texts (Congress and American Government) Professor Frantzich has been a senior Fulbright Scholar in Denmark and the Czech Republic and serves as a consultant to the U.S. Congress and a variety of foreign governments and foundations.

Professor Bruce E. Fleming has been an English Professor at the U.S. Naval Academy for two decades. He specializes in Modernism, creative writing, and usable philosophy. A prolific author of books, articles, short stories and more, he will have two books coming out in 2010; "Bridging the Military-Civilian Divide: What Each Side Must Know About the Otherand About Itself," (Potomac Books, June 2010) and "Running is Life: Transcending the Crisis of Modernity," (Rowman and Littlefield, 2010).

He is the author of fifteen previous books on subjects ranging from aesthetics to cross-cultural perceptions to dance, and has just been named one of the two recipients of the 2005 Antioch Review Award for Distinguished Prose. He graduated from Haverford College, and holds subsequent degrees from the University of Chicago and Vanderbilt University. He also studied at the Free University of Berlin as a Fulbright Scholar, as well as in Paris and at the University of Siena, and taught at the University of Freiburg and the National University of Rwanda.

He is also a regular columnist with military.com and is a frequent commentator on the U. S. Naval Academy.

If you miss the show or want to catch up on the shows you missed - you can always reach the archives at blogtalkradio - or set yourself to get the podcast on iTunes.

See you Sunday!

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Midrats - Episode 8: The Response to Piracy

It is time to adjust your Sunday schedule again - and not Nancyboy, "...but it's Valentine's Day" snivil'n.

Sunday, 14 FEB 1700R/2200Z/5pm EST, our second visit to the subject of piracy, join us.

We will have two guests. The first will be author, journalist and documentary film maker Daniel Sekulich (see links below).

Our second guest will be former Marine and Special Agent Kevin Doherty, owner of Nexus Consulting Group of Alexandria. You may remember Kevin from the interview I did with him over at USNIBlog last year.

After our guests, we will continue with our usual panel discussion with EagleOne from EagleSpeak, Galrahn from InformationDissemination and me. We will expand the discussion we had with our guests to include the latest developments and trends related to the international response to piracy.

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Anti-Piracy @ Heritage

Earlier today at The Heritage Foundation, there was a panel on piracy titled, Anti-Piracy Hardware: Keeping Ships Out of Harms Way.

The host was Jena Baker McNeill, Homeland Security Policy Analyst, Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation, and the panel was moderated by Ethel Machi Homeland Security Science and Technology Consultant.

The panel members were Martin Murphy, Senior Fellow, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, Josh Robbins, Project Director, American Defense Systems, Inc. - and someone very familiar to the the listeners to Navy milblog radio's Midrats; Claude Berube who teaches at the United States Naval Academy.

It's OK if you aren't a member of the Potomac Flotilla and couldn't make it in person - thanks to the good people at Heritage, we have the video.

Enjoy, this is varsity intellectual football.



If you liked listening to Claude, check him out on Midrats on Episode 2 and Episode 7.

The 21st Century Pirate Threat, on Midrats

The problem with piracy is not going anywhere. Each year in places like Somalia it is becoming part of the local economy. In areas near poorly governed areas, it threatens the free flow of goods at market prices through the world's sea lines of communication.

Is it an economic problem, a global security problem, a political problem, or a mixture of that and more?

What is the impact of international aid, military action, and the paying of ransom? What are the best solutions, and what is working and what is not working to slow the impact of piracy?

To discuss these issues and more, EagleOne and I have as our guest this Sunday from 5-6pm EST for the full hour Rear Admiral Terry McKnight, USN (Ret.), former Commander of the anti-piracy CTF-151 off the horn of Africa.

Join us live if you can, but if you miss the show you can always listen to the archive at blogtalkradio - the best way to get the show and download the archive to your audio player is to get a free account and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

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Defense Against Piracy; the Tactical & Operational, on Midrats

With the killing of four Americans by pirates this week, the focus is returning to the international community's surrender of security on the high seas. If governments do not have the will to prevent pirates, then what can civilian individuals and corporations do to make themselves a "tough target" and mitigate the odds that they will become the next piracy headline?

What are the tactical and operational steps mariners can take to defend themselves and their ships from pirates - and if their ship is taken - what they can do to best enable coalition forces to re-take the ship?

This Sunday, 27 FEB from 5-6EST for the full hour will be returning guest to Midrats, Kevin Doherty, former Marine and owner of Nexus Consulting Group of Alexandria.

Join us live and pile in with the usual suspects in the chat room during the show where you can offer your own questions and observations to our guests. If you miss the show or want to catch up on the ones you've missed - you can always reach the archives at blogtalkradio - or set yourself to get the podcast on iTunes.

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The Outlaw Ocean with Ian Urbina, on Midrats

Stowaways, poaching, piracy, smuggling, and murder - the global commons of the open ocean is as wild of a place as it is vast.

Using as a baseline his series on lawlessness on the high seas in the New York Times, The Outlaw Ocean, our guest for the full hour this Sunday from 5-6pm Eastern to discuss the anarchy of crime and violence on the high seas in the 21st Century will be Ian Ubina.

Ian is a reporter for The New York Times, based in the paper’s Washington bureau. He has degrees in history from Georgetown University and the University of Chicago, and his writings, which range from domestic and foreign policy to commentary on everyday life, have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Harper’s, and elsewhere.

Join us live if you can with the usual suspects in the chat room and offer up your questions for our guest, but if you miss the show you can always listen to the archive at blogtalkradio. 

If you use iTunes, you can add Midrats to your podcast list simply by clicking the iTunes button at the main showpage - or you can just click here.

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The Irregular History of Warfare, on Midrats

There is an echo that regular listeners to Midrats are very familiar with; the critical importance of an understanding of history in the profession of arms.

More than almost any other field, there is nothing new under the sun. The tools may change, but the play of power, economics, intellect, and drive which makes the difference in war and therefor human history remain the same.

A professional must reach back to Sun Tsu and Alexander the Great ... but he must also look closer.

Join EagleOne and me this Sunday, 25 MAR, from 5-6pm EST with returning guest LCDR Benjamin "BJ" Armstrong. He recently returned from deployment as the Officer-In-Charge of an MH-60S Armed Helo Detachment which conducted operations with the BATAAN ARG and 22D MEU in support of Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR in the 6th Fleet AOR and maritime security/counter-piracy operations in the 5th Fleet AOR.

When BJ isn't off playing helicopter pilot, he is an occasional naval historian. His research extends over the subjects of naval history and irregular warfare. He is the author of numerous articles including "The Most Daring Act of the Age: Principles for Naval Irregular Warfare" in The Naval War College Review, and "Nothing Like a Good Maritime Raid" in USNI's Proceedings.

His article "Immediate Redress: The USS Potomac and the Pirates of Quallah Batoo" is forthcoming in the May issue of Small Wars & Insurgencies.

Join us live if you can, but if you miss the show you can always listen to the archive at blogtalkradio - the best way to get the show and download the archive to your audio player is to get a free account and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

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Midrats: July 4th Echo

Don't be worried that you will have to go another Sunday without a Midrats ..... this weekend we have a best of - 5pm EST.

If you missed the good stuff the first time and don't like digg'in in the archives; then here you go!

I've picked out three guests from some of our better shows for 1hr 35 minutes total.

Special guests will be Mackenzie Eaglen, Research Fellow for National Security at The Heritage Foundation. Secondly, we have Claude Berube, a teacher at the U.S. Naval Academy with a background in naval research and development, acquisition, and intelligence. He is also co-author of two books, a former Senate Staffer, and as a LCDR in the USNR has experience in maritime interception operations, humanitarian relief, and anti-piracy. We will also have Hans de Vreij is the Netherlands correspondent at Jane’s Defence Weekly, and the Security and Defense specialist at Radio Netherlands Worldwide. Hans previously was web editor, Economics, and EU & NATO correspondent for Radio Netherlands World.

Even though it is a "best of," join us live if you can and pile in with the usual suspects in the chat room during the show, I'll bring it up so you can make snarky comments about my host goofs.

If you miss the show or want to catch up on the shows you missed - you can always reach the archives at blogtalkradio - or set yourself to get the podcast on iTunes.

Listen to Midrats on Blog Talk RadioWe'll be back next week with a live show.

21st Century Sims, with LCDR BJ Armstrong, USN - on Midrats

Who was "The Gun Doctor," the officer who over a century ago led the revolution in naval gunnery, the development of torpedo boat and destroyer operations, and during WWI served as the senior US naval commander in Europe? More than the man instrumental in the establishment of the convoy system that helped keep the United Kingdom from starvation in the conflict, following the war his leadership as president of the Naval War College he help to established the creative and innovative Navy that in the interwar period developed the operating concepts for the submarines and aircraft carriers that led the victory in World War II.

What are the lessons of a century ago taught by Admiral William S. Sims, USN that are critically important for the serving officer today?

Our guest for the full hour this Sunday from 5-6pm Eastern to discuss this latest book, 21st Century Sims, will be returning guest, LCDR Benjamin Armstrong, USN.

Benjamin "BJ" Armstrong is a naval aviator who has served as a helicopter pilot flying amphibious search and rescue and special warfare missions and as the Officer-in-Charge of a Navy helicopter gunship detachment deployed for counter-piracy and counter-terror operations. He is a PhD Candidate in the Department of War Studies, King's College, London.

Join us live if you can with the usual suspects in the chat room and offer up your questions for our guest, but if you miss the show you can always listen to the archive at blogtalkradio. 

If you use iTunes, you can add Midrats to your podcast list simply by clicking the iTunes button at the main showpage - or you can just click here.

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UPDATE: Forgot to mention that you should also get BJ's first book if you have not already, 21st Century Mahan: Sound Military Conclusions for the Modern Era.

Midrats - Episode 28: Navy and Merchant Marine Mid-year Review

Where do we stand half-way through 2010 and our plans to deal with the budgetary and strategic challenges coming up this decade?

Midrats is back live and coming at you with a packed show. Today, Sunday 11 JUN 2010 at 5pm EST for a full hour.

Please join my co-host EagleOne of "Eaglespeak" as we to discuss everything from making the case for the Navy, the coming budget crunch, piracy, Haiti, to the response to the BP oil spill - and more.

Our guests will be Dr. Daniel Goure, Vice President with the Lexington Institute, Professor Robert C. (Barney) Rubel, Dean for the Center for Naval Warfare Studies at the United States Naval War College, and blogger on gCaptain, USNIBlog and his own site, 'Fred Fry International' - our resident Merchant Marine expert extraordinaire, Fred Fry.

Dr. Goure is a Vice President with the Lexington Institute, a nonprofit public-policy research organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

Prior to joining the Lexington Institute, Dr. Goure was the Deputy Director, International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Most recently, he was a member of the 2001 Department of Defense Transition Team. Dr. Goure spent two years in the U.S. Government as the director of the Office of Strategic Competitiveness in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He also served as a senior analyst on national security and defense issues with the Center for Naval Analyses, Science Applications International Corporation, SRS Technologies, R&D Associates and System Planning Corporation.

Dr. Goure also has done extensive consulting and teaching. From 1990 to 1991 he led a study for the U.S. Institute of Peace on deterrence after the INF Treaty. Dr. Goure has consulted for the Departments of State, Defense and Energy. He has taught or lectured at the Johns Hopkins University, the Foreign Service Institute, the National War College, the Naval War College, the Air War College, and the Inter-American Defense College. Since 2001, Dr. Goure has been an adjunct professor in graduate programs at the Center for Peace and Security Studies at Georgetown University, and an adjunct professor at National Defense University since 2002 -- teaching a Homeland Security course at both.

Dr. Goure has appeared on all the major networks, CNN, Fox, the BBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. He has been published extensively in over two dozen journals and periodicals. He is also an NBC national security military analyst.

Dr. Goure holds Masters and Ph.D. degrees in international relations and Russian Studies from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Government and History from Pomona College.

Professor Robert "Barney" Rubel, a retired 30-year Navy captain, is currently Dean of the Center for Naval Warfare Studies. Prior to assuming this position, he was Chairman of the Wargaming Department of the Naval War College. Receiving this Commission through the NROTC program at the University of Illinois, his tactical background is in light attack naval aviator, with the A-7 and F/A-18. He commanded Strike Fighter Squadron 131 and also served as the Inspector General at U.S. Southern Command.

His focus ashore was professional military education. He is a graduate of the Spanish Naval War College the U.S. Naval War College. He completed three separate faculty tours at the U.S. Naval War College as a joint military operations instructor and the Deputy Dean of the Center for Naval Warfare Studies. In addition, he has been a visiting lecturer at a number of international professional military education institutions, including the German Armed Forces Staff College, the Mexican Naval War College, the British Joint Services Staff College and the Colombian Senior War College.

Professor Rubel has earned master’s degrees from Salve Regina University and the Naval War College. He has published a number of articles on a variety of subjects including naval strategy, security engagement strategy, joint operational art, advanced wargaming and air warfare.

Fred Fry is a Marine Transportation graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy and MBA graduate of Finland's Helsinki School of Economics. He has worked in the maritime industry both at sea and ashore for his whole career and has experience working both in the US and in Europe. Fred is the creator and first author of the weekly series 'Maritime Monday' which covers weekly maritime news and events. He is a guest blogger on gCaptain and the US Naval Institute Blog and also blogs on his own site, 'Fred Fry International.'

Join us live if you can and pile in with the usual suspects in the chat room during the show where you can offer your own questions and observations to our guests. If you miss the show or want to catch up on the shows you missed - you can always reach the archives at blogtalkradio - or set yourself to get the podcast on iTunes.

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Midrats - Episode 50: The USCG in the 21st Century

Piracy, maritime terrorism, oily water separators, criminalization of seafarers, underwater autonomous vehicles, fatigue, salvage, arctic issues, and the recycling of ships; how is the United States Coast Guard responding to today's challenges?

EagleOne and my guest today for the full hour from 5-6pm EST will be, Dennis Bryant, CAPT USCG (Ret), presently the head of Bryant’s Maritime Consulting.

After graduating from the US Coast Guard Academy, he served 27 years active duty, retiring as a Captain in 1995. While on active duty, he made three Arctic patrols (and was seconded to the icebreaking tanker MANHATTAN during its Northwest Passage transit in 1969). After law school, he served in a variety of legal assignments, including as the agency’s Law of the Sea Officer. He supervised implementation of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). This project involved preparation of regulations relating to double hulls for oil tankers and vessel response plans, among others.

In 1995, he joined the law firm of Haight Gardner Poor & Havens, specializing in the government regulation of ships. He advised clients worldwide on compliance with international, US, and state laws impacting vessel operation. He published via email to 5,000 readers worldwide the daily newsletter Maritime Items on governmental developments impacting the industry.

In 2009, Mr. Bryant moved into maritime regulatory consulting. He continues to publish a daily newsletter, but it is now distributed via the Blog. He writes extensively, speaks at fora worldwide, and is quoted frequently in the trade press.

Join us live if you can, and pile in with the usual suspects in the chat room during the show where you can offer your own questions and observations to our guests. If you miss the show or want to catch up on the shows you missed - you can always reach the archives at blogtalkradio - or set yourself to get the podcast on iTunes.

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Spring Free For All; on Midrats

No guests on this week's show - just open phone and open topic. 

Alone and unafraid, it is just EagleOne and me today, Sunday, May 6th for the full hour covering the full range of maritime and national security issues. 

Shipbuilding, procurement programs, maritime strategy, piracy, larger national security trends, and who knows what else will come up - we'll cover it all. 

This is also the listener's chance to ask us about the topics and issues they would like addressed, or to amplify topics from other shows. Here's your chance ..... 

Join us live if you can, but if you miss the show you can always listen to the archive at blogtalkradio - the best way to get the show and download the archive to your audio player is to get a free account and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Listen to Midrats

USMC and the Long War, on Midrats

Much of the conversation about the USMC over the last decade has been about its "Second Land Army" status .... well .... Marines are still second to none at their core skill set. In case someone forgot that - our guest this week and his Marines reminded everyone of not just that - but the power of the Navy-Marine Corp team.

Over a 48 hour period , the 15th MEU/PELARG team conducted offensive air operations in Afghanistan resulting in the deaths of 5 confirmed enemy fighters, provided disaster relief in Pakistan to 120 victims who had been without aid since July, and seized a pirated vessel, rescuing a crew of 11 hostages and detaining 9 suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia. Our guest will be Captain Alexander Martin, USMC - the leader of the team that took back The Magellan Star.

A 2004 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, his career has been dominated by the Long War. It is that perspective and experience that EagleOne and I will tap in to today, Sunday 30 JAN 2011 from 5-6pm EST. From Piracy to proper manning and equipping our Marines - we'll try to run the spectrum

Join us live if you can, and pile in with the usual suspects in the chat room during the show where you can offer your own questions and observations to our guests. If you miss the show or want to catch up on the shows you missed - you can always reach the archives at blogtalkradio - or set yourself to get the podcast on iTunes.

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The Navy's next decade, on Midrats

What is the view of the medium term future for the Navy?

Join EagleOne and me on Sunday 14 NOV starting at 5pm EST as we discuss the way forward for the Navy in the coming decade with John Patch, CDR USN (Ret.), Associate Professor of Strategic Intelligence at the U.S. Army War College's Center for Strategic Leadership.

We will touch on Counter-piracy vs. Antipiracy, the relevance of the Carrier, the Littoral Combat Ship, Naval Surface Fire Support, the relevance of Amphibious capability, and other topics that may come up.

Join us live if you can, and pile in with the usual suspects in the chat room during the show where you can offer your own questions and observations to our guest. If you miss the show or want to catch up on the shows you missed - you can always reach the archives at blogtalkradio - or set yourself to get the podcast on iTunes.

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Defense Against Piracy; Again on Midrats

Today from 5-6pm EST, step back with us a couple years to a persistant problem; piracy.
 
Not much has changes since we first played this interview two years ago. We've brought on a lot of new listeners since then, so if you missed it or want a refresh; here you go! 

For the full hour we will discuss the tactical and operational steps mariners can take to defend themselves and their ships from pirates - and if their ship is taken - what they can do to best enable coalition forces to re-take the ship. Our guest will be Kevin Doherty, former Marine and owner of Nexus Consulting Group of Alexandria.

Sunday Funnies

PLAN Caption Contest!

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.... and don't forget - today, 5pm/1700R/2200Z, listen to Midrats LIVE. This week's topic will be piracy with special guest Claude Berube - and as always, well be taking callers.

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