"The 2013 edition . . . includes four articles on significant ships, respectively; French Navy, US Coast Guard, German Navy and Indian Navy."—Firetrench Reviews Launched in 2009, this annual has rapidly established a reputation as an authoritative but affordable summary of all that has happened in the naval world in the previous twelve months. It combines the standing features of regional surveys with one-off major articles on noteworthy new ships and other important developments. Besides the latest warship projects, it also looks at wider issues of importance to navies, such as aviation and electronics, and calls on expertise from around the globe to give a balanced picture of what is going on and to interpret its significance. Special features for the 2013 edition include in-depth studies of the navies of Italy and Ireland, plus analyses of significant new warship classes: the French Aquitaine class frigates, Indian Shivalik class Project 17 frigates, German Braunschweig class corvettes, and US Bertholf class national security cutters. Intended to make interesting reading as well as providing authoritative reference, there is a strong visual emphasis, including specially commissioned drawings and the most recently released photographs and artists' impressions. This annual has become "a must for those wishing to keep up with world naval affairs" (Scuttlebutt).