The inaugural week of 2026 witnessed significant naval and defense activity, from advances to European surface combatant programs to autonomous vessel initiatives across North America and Asia, subsea infrastructure protection moves in the Philippines and even a significant U.S. defense budget signal. This report covers some of the most noteworthy and verifiable developments between 1 January and 8 January 2026.
US Navy officials welcomed the 78th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ted Stevens from HII Ingalls Shipbuilding into their fleet capabilities, increasing fleet capabilities. At the same time, Japan approved its record $58 billion defense budget on December 26, which will fund JMSDF vessel constructions, Aegis upgrades, and unmanned systems for coastal defense to combat regional tensions.
On December 19th, the US Navy revealed plans for a new FF(X) frigate class based on the Legend-class cutter design to bolster its small surface combatant fleet by 2028. Meanwhile, Indonesia launched their largest surface combatant (KRI Balaputradewa) on 18 December, marking a key step in Southeast Asian naval capabilities and underscoring global naval modernization efforts. These developments highlight global efforts in this regard.
Last week saw everything from high end carrier deployments in the Caribbean to ballistic missile tests in Asia: US operations near Venezuela, Indian nuclear submarine progress, Pakistani anti ship ballistic tests and Iranian frigate recommissioning all flagged the rapidly changing maritime security environment that shipbuilders, weapons suppliers and regional force posture have to positively operate in.
Of late it would seem that navies and defence ministries have made substantial strides on key carrier, submarine and surface-combatant programmes in the face of regional tensions. NATO completed carrier strike integration; Brazil and Poland picked up the pace on submarine modernisation; and, on the surface side South Korea announced yet another advanced frigate. Handy, uniform regional moves by them tell us of their growing emphasis on deterrence, autonomous systems, and forward naval presence across multiple theatres.
During these five days, a whole host of naval developments took place that suggested an accelerating trend toward modernization of many of the world’s sea forces; Turkey trials the LEVENT missile system for naval air defence functions, South Korea unveils the latest FFX Batch III frigate, to be ROKS Jeonnam, and Brazil commissioned its third Riachuelo-class submarine, Admiral Karam, as tangible proof of changing priorities and broadened aspirations.
On November 15th 2025 in Panama City Florida, the US Navy commemorated the commissioning of USS Pierre (LCS 38) - the last of the Independence-class littoral combat ships: marking the end of a class perhaps best exemplified by unexpected hiccups or hiccoughs (we still don’t know the correct spelling!) that delayed some ships and contributed to an overall rocky start to a class that eventually served with distinction. As the rest of the Navy prepared to commission Ship #1 in this new class, tensions in the maritime regions simmered as Chinese naval modernization, Russian exercises in Southeast Asia, and Venezuelan mobilization in response to US Carriers in the Caribbean showed how emboldened global powers were willing to be.