Asian coastal background

A warship appears in the South China Sea.
Sonar says it's real.
Radar says the water's empty.
One submarine commander has to decide which system is lying.

From former U.S. Navy submariner Gary Bonneau comes a modern techno-thriller where the first casualty isn't truth—it's trust in the sensors.

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The Rotterdam Variant

BOOK ONE OF THE SARAH REEVES SERIES

The Rotterdam Variant by Gary Bonneau

A SARAH REEVES NOVEL

THE ROTTERDAM VARIANT

BOOK ONE OF THE SARAH REEVES SERIES

A warship appears in the South China Sea. Sonar says it is real. Radar says the water is empty.

Join the launch list for The Rotterdam Variant, Book One in the Sarah Reeves series.

FOR READERS

BACKGROUND RESEARCH

· OTHER

I'M EXCITED TO SHARE THAT THE ROTTERDAM VARIANT IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR KINDLE PREORDER.

I'm excited to share that The Rotterdam Variant is now available for Kindle preorder.

JUL 19, 2026

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LAUNCH UPDATE

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS…

The countdown begins…

JUL 15, 2026

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TECHNOLOGY

U.S. EMPLOYS ONE-WAY ATTACK SEA DRONES IN COMBAT FOR THE FIRST TIME

U.S. employs one-way attack sea drones in combat for the first time According to the United States Central Command, U.S. forces employed one-way attack unmanned surface vessels (USVs) during operations against Iranian military targets, marking the first publicly acknowledged combat use of this type of weapon by the United States.

JUL 13, 2026

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NAVAL HISTORY

FROM COMBAT TO COVERT: AMERICA'S MOST DECORATED SUBMARINES

JUL 9, 2026

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TECHNOLOGY

· OTHER

ROYAL NETHERLANDS NAVY COMPLETES MUST 2026 MULTI-DOMAIN AUTONOMOUS MARITIME EXERCISE

The Royal Netherlands Navy announced the successful completion of Maritime Uncrewed Sea Trials (MUST) 2026, the first exercise of its kind to integrate unmanned systems operating in the air, on the surface, and underwater around a single crewed command vessel.

JUL 7, 2026

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TECHNOLOGY

COMMON COMBAT VESSEL UK

Shape of Future Royal Navy Fleet Emerging

JUN 29, 2026

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TECHNOLOGY

· THE NOVEMBER PROGRAM

LIONFISH UUV

Lionfish as a U.S. Navy small uncrewed undersea vehicle/SUUV program

JUN 8, 2026

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NAVAL HISTORY

· THE NOVEMBER PROGRAM

USS WAHOO — WWII SUBMARINE BACKGROUND

USS Wahoo (SS-238)

JUN 8, 2026

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TECHNOLOGY

DARPA LAUNCHES "DEEP THOUGHTS" PROGRAM FOR FULL-OCEAN-DEPTH AUTONOMOUS UUVS

DARPA's Deep Thoughts

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NAVAL HISTORY

THE REAL USS ASHEVILLE — A CLASS OF SHIPS THAT DEFINED COLD WAR STEALTH

The fictional USS Asheville in The November Program draws from a real lineage of submarine design that prioritized silence above all else.

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FROM THE DESK

READER LETTERS

CURRENT ISSUE

AUGUST 16, 2026

TODAY IS THE DAY.

After all the writing, rewriting, research, editing, and preparation, **The Rotterdam Variant is officially published.**

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PAST ISSUES

AUG 9, 2026

NEXT SUNDAY, YOU BOARD USS WAHOO

Next Sunday, You Board USS Wahoo

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JUL 28, 2026

MEET SARAH REEVES

The first person I want you to meet isn't the submarine. It's her captain.

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JUL 10, 2026

# 🛰️ THE DEEP BRIEF 7_10_26

## Weekly Military Technology Update **July 10, 2026** Every week I track developments in submarines, autonomous warfare, AI, drones, and undersea technology. Much of what appears in the **Sarah Reeves** novels begins as a real-world trend before it becomes fiction. Here are this week's biggest stories.

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JUL 5, 2026

JUNE 2026

June 2026 Update

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ISSUE #2

JUL 1, 2026

THE GHOST IN THE WATER

On phantom contacts, acoustic illusions, and the long history of submarines hearing things that aren't there.

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ISSUE #1

JUN 20, 2026

WELCOME TO THE READER CIRCLE

An introduction to the Sarah Reeves series, the real-world naval history behind The Rotterdam Variant, and what to expect in these letters.

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