In the second of our podcast episodes devoted to the State of the US Navy - as it and a troubled world sail into 2025 - guest David Axe chats with host Iain Ballantyne. A range of topics, including many covered in the recently published Warships IFR ‘Guide to the US Navy 2025’, are covered in the discussion.

After giving his overall take on the America’s navy David provides his perspective on how Donald Trump taking office as President for a second time might affect NATO. Iain wonders even if the new POTUS does not pull the US out of the Alliance, might he still scale back the number of destroyers committed to providing Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) for Europe?

Also touched on is the US-led naval and air campaign to stop Houthi rebels of Yemen firing missiles and drones at merchant shipping. Can even the mighty US Navy sustain such a commitment and expenditure of munitions?

Looking to Indo-Pacific, Iain asks what the chances are of China invading Taiwan in 2027, as some are suggesting and could the US Navy lose that battle if it happens?

Turning to the AUKUS defence pact, David weighs up how the plan to provide Australia with nuclear submarines is faring and whether or not President Trump might axe it.

Looking at the specific arms of the US Navy, Iain asks David for his perspective on how the following are shaping up as we head into a turbulent future: the surface force; the submarine force; naval aviation; the US Marines

 

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* A long-time Warships IFR contributor David Axe also writes for ‘Forbes’ and 'The Daily Telegraph’. His most recent book is ‘Drone War: Vietnam’ (Pen & Sword Military). Follow him on X @daxe

* Iain Ballantyne is the founding and current Editor of Warships IFR (first published in 1998) along with its ‘Guide to the Royal Navy’ (since 2003) and ‘Guide to the US Navy’ (since 2018). Iain is also author of the books ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion) and ‘The Deadly Trade’ (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), both about submarine warfare, plus ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron’ and ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ (published by Canelo). In 2017 Iain was awarded a Fellowship by the British Maritime Foundation, which promotes awareness of the United Kingdom’s dependence on the sea and seafarers. Visit his web site Bismarckbattle.com and follow him on X @IBallantyn