All posts by Dmitry Filipoff

Call for Articles

Call for Articles: Readiness for Pacific War by 2027

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Articles Due: October 21, 2024
Topic Week Dates: November 11-15, 2024
Article Length: 1,500-3,000 Words
Submit to: [email protected]

By Dmitry Filipoff

PRC President Xi Jinping has instructed the People’s Liberation Army to be able to invade Taiwan by 2027. While this capability benchmark does not necessarily indicate a predetermined policy of invasion, it has served as a driving force behind the PLA’s rapid modernization. The 2027 date has also fueled intense speculation in the U.S. that war with China may only be a few years away.

But has this date crystallized the focus of the U.S. military as much as it has for the PLA? If senior leaders are genuinely concerned that war could be soon at hand, is the U.S. military truly acting like it, in terms of its operations, readiness, and sense of urgency? 

Authors are invited to submit analysis and recommendations on what the U.S. military and its allies can do in the near term to enhance readiness for war with China by 2027. How can the sense of urgency be more clearly communicated, and how can that urgency be more effectively translated into concrete changes to warfighting readiness? How can leaders across all levels take a hard look at their responsibilities and adapt for potentially looming war?

It is unclear to what extent the critical tension between near-term readiness and long-term modernization can be resolved within this short timespan. As the U.S. military struggled to break away from decades of short-term habits and thinking focused on low-end operations, China diligently maintained its focus on expansive modernization for the high-end fight. China has effectively stolen a march on the U.S. when it comes to military modernization, and has now achieved a level of capability that may leave the U.S. military believing it has little choice but to stay the course on near-term thinking. As the 2027 date looms, this disparity in generational strategic focus may come to a head, with potentially serious consequences for the rules-based order.

Send all submissions to [email protected].

Dmitry Filipoff is CIMSEC’s Director of Online Content. Contact him at [email protected].

Featured Image: PLA Navy Type-055 guided-missile destroyer Wuxi steams during a maritime training exercise. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wang Zezhou)

Announcements

CIMSEC Call for Volunteers: Editors, Podcasters, Officers, and More

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By Dmitry Filipoff

CIMSEC is looking for multiple volunteers to bolster our organization across a range of operations. These volunteers will help CIMSEC improve its content, grow the organization, and execute future initiatives.

The types of positions and functions are described in more detail below. Beyond these categories, we also welcome individuals interested in maritime security who wish to contribute their skillsets to CIMSEC in some fashion.

Editors: Senior editors work with authors to provide substantive feedback, sharpen their writing, and finalize their drafts for publication.

Podcasters: Podcast hosts regularly bring guests onto our flagship Sea Control podcast to discuss a wide range of topics on naval affairs and maritime security. Podcast producers refine episodes with audio editing and finalize them for publication.

Officers: Officers conduct high-level administrative and governance functions, include managing the organization’s finances, elections, and membership.

Discussion Facilitators: Facilitators run regular off-the-record discussions for the CIMSEC Flotilla, which organizes candid conversations on naval warfighting and force development topics for the Flotilla membership.

Technical Experts: Support our WordPress functions and web hosting. Play a role in upgrading the CIMSEC website with new aesthetics and functionality.

As an all-volunteer organization, CIMSEC strives to afford our staff great flexibility and initiative in shaping the nature of their commitment. Many volunteers have participated in a variety of capacities and contributed to the organization in unique ways. CIMSEC is an excellent opportunity to deepen one’s interest in maritime security, form connections with likeminded individuals, and craft original contributions to the field.

To learn more and discuss opportunities, send all interested inquiries to [email protected].

Dmitry Filipoff is CIMSEC’s Director of Online Content. Contact him at [email protected].

Featured Image: “U.S. Men’s Eight – Morning Row” via Rowing News.

Fleet Warfare Week

Fleet Warfare Week Concludes on CIMSEC

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By Dmitry Filipoff

Last week CIMSEC featured analysis submitted in response to our call for articles on fleet warfare. Authors explored many themes, including the potentially decisive tactic of homeport strikes, more deeply integrating fleets into acquisition and interagency processes, and putting the surface fleet at the forefront of U.S. sea control doctrine.

As great power competition endures and intensifies, navies must consider the specter of fleet warfare and what it implies for naval policymaking and reform. Intense clashes between fleets may decide major historical outcomes and radically alter the balance of power for years to come.

Below are the authors who featured during Fleet Warfare Week, and we thank them for their excellent contributions.

“Homeport Strike: A Decisive Tactic in Fleet Warfare,” by Hee-Cheol Jung

“The criticality of homeport infrastructure to naval power makes bases an attractive target. Neutralization of a homeport not only stands to neutralize the warships located at the homeport, but can significantly damage the operational longevity of fleets operating at sea.”

“The Numbered Fleet: The New Main Supported Force,” by Major Robert Holmes, USMC

“The Navy’s numbered fleets must now prepare to assume the role of the primary supported unit in a major theater of operations, one that can integrate effects in all domains in pursuit of large-scale sea control. Significant changes can be made in how fleets integrate with the acquisitions process acquire capabilities and how they leverage non-Defense Department agencies.”

“Transitioning Away from the Carrier Strike Group and Toward Distributed Maritime Operations,” by CDR Anthony LaVopa, USN

“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.”

Dmitry Filipoff is CIMSEC’s Director of Online Content. Contact him at [email protected].

Featured Image:  The PLA Navy guided-missile destroyer Kunming (Hull 172) fires its close-in weapons system at mock aerial targets during a maritime actual combat training exercise in April 2018. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Yu Lin)

Fleet Warfare Week

Fleet Warfare Week Kicks Off on CIMSEC

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By Dmitry Filipoff

This week CIMSEC will be featuring analysis submitting in response to our call for articles on fleet warfare.

Fleet warfare between great powers has not transpired since the second world war, but it has become a tangible threat with the rise of great power competition. Navies must consider the wide-ranging implications of fleet warfare across the whole of their enterprise, including for their operations, force development, and procurement. How navies will adapt to fleet warfare may strongly determine how effectively they perform in a future great power war at sea.

The articles featuring during the topic week are listed down below, which will be updated with further submissions as the topic week unfolds.

“Homeport Strike: A Decisive Tactic in Fleet Warfare,” by Hee-Cheol Jung
“The Numbered Fleet: The New Main Supported Force,” by Major Robert Holmes, USMC
“Transitioning Away from the Carrier Strike Group and Toward Distributed Maritime Operations,” by CDR Anthony LaVopa, USN

Dmitry Filipoff is CIMSEC’s Director of Online Content. Contact him at [email protected].

Featured Image: PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 30, 2020) Live fire from ships and aircraft participating in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise sink the decommissioned amphibious cargo ship ex-USS Durham (LKA 114). (U.S. Navy photo)