By Dmitry Filipoff
CIMSEC had a strong year in 2024. Numerous authors wrote for CIMSEC to offer useful insights and analysis on a broad range of maritime security topics and naval affairs. We are grateful to our readers and authors for contributing to the conversation on our pages. Our top ten most-viewed articles from 2024 are listed below. We look forward to an exciting year in 2025!
1. “Basing U.S. Ships in Nearby Waters to Counter Threats in the Red Sea,” by Michael D. Purzycki
“The need for a U.S. naval presence in and around the Red Sea, combined with the uncertainty of America’s ability to regularly send vessels to that region, portends the basing of U.S. vessels in or around the Fifth Fleet area of responsibility. First, a willing host country must be found.”
2. “Analyzing the German Frigate Hessen’s Near-Miss of a U.S. Drone in the Red Sea,” by COL Jörg Stenzel, German Army, and CDR Michael Posey, U.S. Navy
“In February 2024, a fortunate mishap prevented German Navy air defenders from shooting down an American MQ-9 Reaper in the Red Sea. The frigate misidentified the U.S. drone and fired two Standard Missile 2s at the target – which both subsequently missed. This near-miss incident in the Red Sea and reports about minimal ammunition stocks have triggered many controversial discussions about the German Navy’s capabilities and readiness.”
3. “Transitioning Away from the Carrier Strike Group and Toward Distributed Maritime Operations,” by CDR Anthony LaVopa, USN
“Since World War II, the Navy’s principal means of seizing command of the seas has been the carrier group. However, the service’s warfighting concept of Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) is fundamentally predicated on a different set of capabilities and force packages…To effectively win a war against a peer competitor, the Navy should transition to the decentralization and distribution inherent in DMO by empowering the surface fleet to take the lead in prosecuting sea control.”
4. “The 50-Year Dilemma In Aircraft Carrier Design and the Future of American Naval Aviation,” by Brent Sadler
“Today, the aircraft carrier faces evolving challenges and emerging technological opportunities. Amidst these challenging times, there is no single or clear picture of how these warships and their airwings will best perform in a modern blue-water war. However, with the next major war shaping up to be a modern replay of the last war in the Pacific, geography shows it is highly likely the aircraft carrier will play a leading role again, but not in traditional battle or strike group formations.”
5. “Quality from Quantity: The PLAN’s Road to Achieve American Skill via Size,” by Matthew Hipple
“Without the opportunity afforded by scale, the U.S. Navy will fall behind an adversary with a world of opportunity to explore new skills, new systems, and grow its force-wide professionalism. The potential qualitative impact of quantity shows at every level – from the shipyards to fleet training for individual sailors.”
6. “To Prepare for Pacific War by 2027, the United States Must Harden its Southern Flank,” by Henry Ziemer
“The 2022 National Security Strategy proudly proclaims that No region impacts the United States more directly than the Western Hemisphere,’ but the U.S. defense posture in LAC is at risk of being outflanked by extra-hemispheric competitors, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) first among them.”
7. “China’s Calculated Inaction in the Red Sea Crisis,” by David Scott
“This crisis is a result of attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, carried out by the Iranian-backed Houthis in solidarity with Hamas. These attacks have been ongoing since November and show little sign of abating. China has maintained a studied and deliberate distancing from the issue, whose strategic inaction rather than action has been noticeable.”
8. “Red Dragon Rising? Insights from a Decade of China Conflict Studies and Wargames,” by Robert Kitchen
“In most cases, wargaming studies still show that a China and Taiwan conflict, featuring a United States intervention, would be close run and incredibly bloody for all sides. There would also be severe effects on the global economy. If the People’s Liberation Army replicates these studies, they should have some deterrent effect on China.”
9. “The Queen Sacrifice: Use the Carrier for Naval Deception,” by Trevor Phillips-Levine and Andrew Tenbusch
“In a world of near-perfect information, deception becomes crucial, and the more believable the ruse, the higher the chances of success. Ruses can be made more believable by capitalizing on an adversary’s cognitive biases, such as their perceptions on what platforms are especially crucial to naval operations.”
10. “The Theoretical Edge: Why Junior Officers Should Study Military Classics,” by Jack Tribolet
“Studying prominent military theorists before mid-level Professional Military Education would give junior officers a comprehensive understanding of the warfighting domains, enhancing their situational awareness and decision-making abilities. By studying theorists like Carl von Clausewitz, Alfred Thayer Mahan, and John Boyd before mid-level Professional Military Education (PME), junior officers can enhance their situational awareness and decision-making capabilities, increasing their lethality.”
Dmitry Filipoff is CIMSEC’s Director of Online Content. Contact him at [email protected].
Featured Image: Multinational ships sail in formation on July 22, 2024, off the coast of Hawaii during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC). (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Corban Lundborg)
