All posts by Dmitry Filipoff

Russia-Ukraine Week

Russia-Ukraine Week Kicks Off on CIMSEC

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By Dmitry Filipoff

This week CIMSEC will be featuring submissions sent in response to our call for articles on Russia, Ukraine, and the related dimensions of naval power.

The war between Russia and Ukraine rages on, with mounting losses and destruction. While primarily a land conflict, the maritime dimension has witnessed its fair share of contested operations. Russia’s broader development of naval capabilities and strategy has gained especially acute salience with the outbreak of conflict and as the possibility of escalation remains ever present.

Below are the articles and authors featuring in the topic week, which may be updated with further submissions.

“Reconsidering Russian Maritime Warfare,” by Michael B. Petersen
“An Anti-Access Denial Strategy For Ukraine,” by Jason Lancaster
“For Ukraine, the 1,000-Ship Navy Finally Sets Sail,” by J. Overton
“Russian Naval Strategy for the Indo-Pacific,” by David Scott

Dmitry Filipoff is CIMSEC’s Director of Online Content. Contact him at Content@cimsec.org.

Featured Image: Destroyed Russian tanks are seen amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in the Sumy region, Ukraine, March 7, 2022. (Press Service of the Ukrainian Ground Forces/Handout via Reuters)

Call for Articles

Call for Articles: Transforming the Marine Corps

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Submissions Due: May 13, 2022
Topic Week Dates: May 23-27, 2022
Article Length: 1,000-3,000 words
Submit to: Content@cimsec.org

By Dmitry Filipoff

The ongoing transformation of the Marine Corps has become more controversial. A new working group of senior retired Marine Corps generals is reportedly engaged in opposing initiatives of the incumbent Commandant, General David Berger. These initiatives are aimed at modernizing the Marine Corps for modern great power competition, as expressed in key documents such as the Commandant’s Planning Guidance, Force Design 2030, and the tentative manual for Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO). These initiatives have been implemented through the divestment of legacy force structure, among other lines of effort, and are characterized as a return to the maritime identity of the USMC. 

What are the merits of these operating concepts and their associated force structure, including EABO, stand-in forces, and Marine units equipped with more missiles and sensors instead of heavier armor and cannon artillery? Are these concepts fit to meet modern threats, and if so, how best to proceed with implementation?

If these concepts are not fit to meet modern threats, especially China, then what should the Marine Corps do instead? Do the Marine operating concepts and force structure of preceding decades effectively meet the challenges of today and tomorrow? Or should the Marines move in a different direction, and if so, what should that look like? What scope and pace of change is necessary?

Authors are invited to answer these questions and more as we debate the merits and implementation of the ongoing transformation of the Marine Corps. Send all submissions to Content@cimsec.org.

Dmitry Filipoff is CIMSEC’s Director of Online Content. Contact him at Content@cimsec.org.

Featured Image: A Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System launcher deploys into position aboard Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, Hawaii, Aug. 16, 2021. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Maj. Nick Mannweiler, released)

Wargames

Naval Wargaming SITREP: Join our First Community Fight Night This Friday

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By Dmitry Filipoff

This Friday, April 8th, from 730-830pm (Eastern Time), CIMSEC’s dedicated naval wargaming server will be gathering for our first ever community fight night. Join us to play and spectate naval wargames, especially Nebulous Fleet Command. We will be facing off in head-to-head multiplayer matches, with players pitting their custom fleets against one another in contested matches. Join us this Friday to play and spectate naval wargaming on our growing community server, and make sure to get a glimpse of the action down below.

Join our public CIMSEC Wargaming Discord server here.

A salvo of missiles breaks through flak defenses to land devastating hits on a light cruiser.

A fleet under missile fire closes to short range to bring lasers to bear on an immobilized enemy light cruiser while deploying chaff and point defenses.

Heavy cruiser RICK Heart of Tempest floating in space, heavily damaged and combat ineffective after an intense exchange of railgun fire.

Dmitry Filipoff is CIMSEC’s Director of Online Content. Contact him at Content@cimsec.org.

Featured Image: Author screenshot of Nebulous Fleet Command.

Warfighting Flotilla

Flotilla SITREP: Marine Corps Transformation, Warfighting Culture, and Lying to Ourselves

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By Dmitry Filipoff

This month the CIMSEC Warfighting Flotilla will be discussing the latest in naval force development and topics concerning warfighting culture and institutional barriers to excellence. 

Down below is a look at the invites for our upcoming April discussions. The Flotilla will be holding discussions on the ongoing transformation of the Marine Corps, improving feedback in warfighting culture, and the themes of the Lying to Ourselves report that was recently republished on CIMSEC. If you haven’t already, sign up through the form below to become a Flotilla member and receive the invites to our upcoming off-the-record April sessions.

Last month the Flotilla held sessions on the Russia-Ukraine war, the Navy’s first F-35C deployment, and the standup of the first Marine Littoral Regiment. These conversations generated robust discussion on current events and naval force development, and helped connect likeminded navalists focused on these issues.

Feel free to visit the Flotilla homepage to learn more about this community, its activities, and what drives it.

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Upcoming Sessions

Stand-In Forces and Transforming the Marine Corps

The Marine Corps is in the midst of a transformation. After decades of focus on low-end conflicts in the Middle East, Marine Corps leadership is looking to transform elements of the force into units that can hold the line against China in forward island chains. But this transformation is not without internal friction and much uncertainty. What are the merits of the concepts of EABO and stand-in forces? How can the Marines better implement these concepts? Join us to discuss these questions and more as we consider the ongoing transformation of the Marine Corps.

Read Ahead: “Stand-in Forces: Adapt or Perish,” by ACMC General Eric Smith, USMC and “Jeopardizing national security: What is happening to our Marine Corps?” by Lt Gen Paul Van Riper, USMC (ret.)
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Developing Feedback Culture for Warfighters

Warfighting culture demands healthy and robust feedback mechanisms to ensure professional growth and pursue tactical excellence. But organizational culture can often stifle feedback and allow issues to fester or go unresolved. How can warfighters give better feedback? How can leaders create an atmosphere where feedback is encouraged and delivered constructively? Join us to discuss how to improve feedback in warfighting culture.

Read Ahead: “Encourage a Feedback Culture,” by LCDR Andrew Poulin
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Lying To Ourselves and Navigating Zero Defect Culture

Overwhelming requirements and zero-defect imperatives can combine to erode culture and norms of trust that are critical for warfighting effectiveness. How can warfighters better navigate these contradictions and dilemmas? How can leaders change the broader conditions that yield these dynamics? How can warfighters interpret the extent of their responsibility and agency in these circumstances? Join us to discuss these questions and more.

Read Ahead: “Lying To Ourselves,” by Dr. Leonard Wong and Dr. Stephen Gerras (Parts One, Two, Three).
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Completed March Sessions

Russia-Ukraine War

Major conflict has broken out between Russia and Ukraine. Russia is receiving broad international condemnation and punishment while embattled Ukraine is earning widespread support. How may this conflict play out over the coming weeks and months? How could NATO respond and reinforce itself? Join us to discuss the many dimensions of this new major European conflict.

Read Ahead: Michael Kofman thread on Russian military effectiveness so far.
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Navy’s First F-35C Deployment

The Navy just completed its first ever deployment of the F-35C onboard the USS Carl Vinson. With this new aircraft comes an opportunity to reform the carrier air wing, including with respect to tactics, composition, and concepts of operation. How can the Navy make the most of the F-35C and adapt the air wing of the future to field this new platform? What challenges may the Navy face in transitioning much of naval aviation to the F-35? Join us to discuss these questions and more as we consider the Navy’s fielding of this fifth-generation aircraft.

Read Aheads: “Three takeaways from the US Navy’s first F-35C deployment,” by Megan Eckstein

“What it is Like to Fly an F-35: Interviews with Three F-35 Pilots,” by Kris Osborn
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Standing Up the First Marine Littoral Regiment

The Marine Corps is ushering in a wave of reform to make itself more capable in great power competition. Among these reforms is a new formation — the Marine Littoral Regiment. MLRs will be a centerpiece of the new EABO and DMO warfighting concepts, and are intended to employ a variety of novel capabilities and tactics. How could the Marines make full use of the MLRs and fully implement the new formation? What challenges must be managed in transforming Marine units into these new littoral regiments? Join us to discuss these questions and more as we consider the implementation of Marine Littoral Regiments.

Read Ahead: “Standup of Marine littoral regiment will usher new gear into Pacific theater,” by Megan Eckstein
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Dmitry Filipoff is CIMSEC’s Director of Online Content and Community Manager of the Warfighting Flotilla. Contact him at Content@cimsec.org.