By Dmitry Filipoff
Last week CIMSEC ran pieces submitted in response to our call for articles on pitching novel capability ideas.
As technology changes and the threat environment intensifies, the ability to harness disruptive innovation will be a major source of competitive advantage. Authors assessed platform concepts for contested logistics and fielding modular capability, as well as for fulfilling burgeoning ISR demand. Such capabilities and concepts offer novel sources of advantage that could change the character of the competition and drive rival powers toward costly counters.
Below are the authors who featured during CIMSEC’s Pitch Your Capability Topic Week. We thank them for their excellent contributions.
“Procuring Modular Containerships for Flexible and Affordable Capability,” by Tyler Totten
Containerships can act as valuable force multipliers and retain a significant amount of modularity in a time when conventional naval force structure is at risk of falling behind the rapidly evolving state of capability.
“When the Balloon Goes Up: Naval Mesh Networking with Stratospheric Balloons,” by Mark Howard
Traditional conceptions of what military capability “ought” to look like must give way to more nuanced visions of what is possible amidst the evolving technological landscape. In the case of stratospheric balloons, the capability is already quite mature and ripe for exploitation.
“The NightTrain: Unmanned Expeditionary Logistics for Sustaining Pacific Operations,” by CDR Todd Greene
The USMC is aware of the logistics challenges accompanying their shift in doctrine against a peer adversary. There are many efforts to address the problem, but none cohesively solve it end-to-end. A solution is needed to address not only the challenges of long-distance contested transit across the open ocean, but also the last mile from sea to shore. A new, simple, and survivable system and its attendant concepts of operation could address these challenges and help provide consistent logistical support to stand-in forces.
Dmitry Filipoff is CIMSEC’s Director of Online Content. Contact him at Content@cimsec.org.
Featured Image: Arabian Gulf (March 8, 2023) An Aerovel Flexrotor unmanned aerial vehicle takes off from the flight deck of the guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) in the Arabian Gulf, March 8, 2023, during International Maritime Exercise 2023. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Elliot Schaudt)
