All posts by Dmitry Filipoff

Current Operations

Alternative Naval Force Structure Week Kicks Off on CIMSEC

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By Dmitry Filipoff

This week CIMSEC is hosting articles that explore alternative naval force structures. Naval force structure is the composition of a fleet and is guided by strategic imperatives, technological enablers, and has far-reaching implications for activities across the naval enterprise and maritime space. The Call for Articles may be read here. Below is a list of articles featuring during the topic week, which will be updated as the topic week rolls out and as prospective authors finalize additional publications.

The Perils of Alternative Force Structure by Steve Wills
Unmanned-Centric Force Structure by Javier Gonzalez
Proposing A Modern High Speed Transport –  The Long Range Patrol Vessel by Tom Meyer
No Time To Spare: Drawing on History to Inspire Capability Innovation in Today’s Navy by Bob Hein
Enhancing Existing Force Structure by Optimizing Maritime Service Specialization by Eric Beaty
Augment Naval Force Structure By Upgunning The Coast Guard by Chuck Hill
A Fleet Plan for 2045: The Navy the U.S. Ought to be Building by Jan Musil
Closing Remarks on Changing Naval Force Structure by CAPT Wayne P. Hughes Jr., USN (Ret.)

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

Featured Image: PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 23, 2016) USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) lead a formation of Carrier Strike Group 5 and Expeditionary Strike Group 7 ships including USS Momsen (DDG 92), USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), USS Stethem (DDG 63), USS Benfold (DDG 65), USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54), USS Germantown (LSD 42), USS Barry (DDG 52), USS Green Bay (LPD 20), USS McCampbell (DDG 85), as well as USNS Walter S. Diehl (T-AO 193) marking the completion of Valiant Shield 2016. Valiant Shield is a biennial, U.S. only, field-training exercise with a focus on integration of joint training among U.S. forces. This is the sixth exercise in the Valiant Shield series that began in 2006. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christian Senyk)

Recap

August Recap

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Announcements and Updates
South China Sea Week Wraps Up on CIMSEC by Dmitry Filipoff
Distributed Lethality Task Force Launches CIMSEC Topic Week by William Burke
July Recap by Dmitry Filipoff
Take the CIMSEC Reader Survey by Sally DeBoer
Distributed Lethality Week Kicks Off on CIMSEC by Dmitry Filipoff
Invite: 2nd Annual CIMSEC DC Beer Garden Book Swap by Scott Cheney-Peters

Distributed Lethality Topic Week
Beans, Bullets, and Benezene: A Proposal for Distributing Logistics by Elee Wakim
Tactical Information Warfare and Distributed Lethality by Richard Mosier
Roles for Up-Gunned LCACs in Adaptive Force Packages by Megan McCulloch
Which Player Are You? Warfare Specialization in Distributed Lethality by Jon Hill
After Distributed Lethality — Unmanned Netted Lethality by Javier Gonzalez

Publication Releases
The Future of Naval Aviation Compendium

Podcasts
Sea Control 123: Brexit and Book Reviews Introduction with Alex Clarke and Chris Stockdale-Garbutt
Sea Control 124: The Thai Military, Coups, and Strategic Culture with Natalie Sambhi and Greg Raymond

Interviews
 Talking Strategy with Richard Bailey Jr., James Forsyth Jr., and Mark Yeisley by LCDR Christopher D. Nelson

Members’ Roundup
Members’ Roundup: July 2016 Part One by Sam Cohen
Members’ Roundup: July 2016 Part Two by Sam Cohen

Naval Affairs
Farsi Island: Surface Warfare’s Wakeup Call by Alan Cummings
Naval Applications for LiFi: The Transmitting Tool by Terence Bennett
Themistocles: The Father of Naval Warfare by David Van Dyk
Electronic Warfare’s Place in Distributed Lethality: Congressional Testimony by Jon Solomon
crossposted from Information Dissemination

Asia-Pacific
The Strategic Support Force: China’s Information Warfare Service by John Costello
crossposted from the Jamestown Foundation
Breaking the Silence: Why Canada Needs to Speak out on the South China Sea by Dave Beitelman
crossposted from the Conference for Defence Institutes Association
China’s Expanding Ability to Conduct Conventional Missile Strikes on Guam by Jordan Wilson
China and Freedom of Navigation: The Context of the International Tribunal’s Verdict by Gurpreet S. Khurana
crossposted from the National Maritime Foundation
The PLA’s Latest Strategic Thinking on the Three Warfares by Elsa Kania
crossposted from The Jamestown Foundation

Arctic 
The Changing Arctic by Ian Birdwell
The Rise of the Latin American Shipyard by W. Alejandro Sanchez

South America
The Rise of the Latin American Shipyard by W. Alejandro Sanchez

Book and Publication Reviews
Initiative of the Subordinate: Dudley Knox and the Modern U.S. Navy by Dale Rielage

General National Security
Making High Velocity Learning Work For You by Charlotte Asdal and Scotty Davids
Full Spectrum Anti-Theatre Missile Warfare by Jon Solomon
crossposted from Information Dissemination

Featured Image: South China Sea (April 25, 2006) – USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), USS Russell (DDG 59) and USS Shoup (DDG 86) perform a Pass Exercise with the HTMS Rattanakosin (FSG 441) of the Royal Thai Navy in the South China Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Intelligence Specialist 1st Class John J. Torres)

Current Operations

Call for Articles: Alternative Naval Force Structures Topic Week

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By Dmitry Filipoff

Week Dates: October 3 – October  7, 2016
Articles Due: September 30, 2016
Article Length: 1000-2500 Words (with flexibility)
Submit to: Nextwar@cimsec.org

CIMSEC is hosting a topic week where contributors are invited to propose alternative naval force structures to spur thinking on how the threat environment is evolving, what opportunities for enhancing capability can be seized, and how navies should adapt accordingly. Contributors can choose to write about any nation’s navy across a variety of political contexts, budgetary environments, and time frames. 

What is the right mix of platforms for a next-generation fleet, how should those platforms be employed together, and why will their capabilities endure? All of these decisions reflect a budgetary context that involves competing demands and where strategic imperatives are reflected in the warships a nation builds. These decisions guide the evolution of navies.

In a modern age defined by rapid change and proliferation, we must ask whether choices made decades ago about the structure of fleets remain credible in today’s environment. Navies will be especially challenged to remain relevant in such an unpredictable era. A system where an average of ten years of  development precedes the construction of a lead vessel, where ships are expected to serve for decades, and where classes of vessels are expected to serve through most of a century is more challenged than ever before.

Editor’s Note: This topic week has since concluded and the writings submitted in response to this call for articles may be viewed here. 

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

Featured Image: Russian Navy Slava-class cruiser graphic. (Desktopimage.org)

Capability Analysis

Distributed Lethality Week Concludes on CIMSEC

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By Dmitry Filipoff

This week CIMSEC featured a series of articles submitted in response to the Distributed Lethality Task Force’s Call for Articles issued at the beginning of this month. The Task Force challenged authors to contribute creative thinking and solutions that can help refine the distributed lethality concept. Authors proposed various ideas such as specializing warships and commanders within a surface action group, mitigating logistical challenges through creative basing constructs, conceiving a long-term plan for unmanned-centric distributed operations, and other topics of relevance to distributed lethality. We thank our authors for their contributions and the Distributed Lethality Task Force for its partnership in executing this topic week. 

Beans, Bullets, and Benzene: A Proposal for Distributing Logistics by Elee Wakim

“One possible solution harkens back to the late 19th century, when nations desiring to project naval power around the world were confronted with a need for coaling stations to support their relatively short legged ships. The 21st century Navy, borrowing from this concept, could build a series of logistics hubs throughout the Western Pacific.”

Tactical Information Warfare and Distributed Lethality by Richard Mosier

“The Navy strategy is for these SAGs to transit to positions to attack enemy ISR, command and control, and defending forces; and deny them sea control. The success of distributed operations ultimately depends on Information Warfare (IW) operations to deny the enemy the data required to target and attack Surface Action Groups.”

Roles for Up-gunned LCACs in Adaptive Force Packages by Megan McCulloch

“In the event of a conflict within the littorals, operating a group of distributed small crafts may be a better option than sending an Aegis ship or CVN into the fray. One option for adaptive force packages (AFP) might be to employ “up-gunned” LCACs, possibly pairing them with a San Antonio-class LPD or a pair of Platform Supply Vessels (PSV), and an LCS.”

Which Player Are You? Warfare Specialization in Distributed Lethality by Jon Hill

“As easily as a coach can substitute a player, the Navy, too must be ready and flexible. With each ship’s warfare focus clearly defined, commanders will have the ability to add or subtract specific vessels in support of various mission sets and theaters of operation.”

After Distributed Lethality – Unmanned Netted Lethality by Javier Gonzalez

“The real challenge for the Navy then is to continue finding ways to innovate and rapidly incorporate new technologies such as unmanned systems to ensure that distributed lethality does not yield to distributed attrition. The best way to prevent distributed attrition is to fully integrate unmanned technologies into the fleet to ultimately transform distributed lethality into a new concept, hereby referred to as Unmanned Netted Lethality.”

Dmitry Filipoff is CIMSEC’s Director of Online Content. He may be contacted at Nextwar@cimsec.org. 

Featured Image: PACIFIC OCEAN (Nov. 19, 2014) U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships are underway in formation at the conclusion of Keen Sword 15. Keen Sword is a joint-bilateral training exercise involving the U.S. military and the Japan Self-Defense Force to increase combat readiness and interoperability of U.S. forces and the Japan Self-Defense Force. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chris Cavagnaro)