By Dmitry Filipoff

This month the CIMSEC Warfighting Flotilla will be hosting sessions on how warfighters can be better managers at cultivating warfighting skill, and debating how war is an art and science, including how this debate is reflected in modern naval command. 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 September discussions. The full listings for these upcoming discussions are featured down below.

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

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Upcoming September Sessions

Management for Warfighting Excellence

Warfighters are often encumbered by numerous demands that challenge their ability to develop deep skill in warfighting. How can warfighters act through the multitude of management responsibilities to better prioritize warfighting? What management practices can make a focus on warfighting more tangible at the deckplate level? Join us to discuss these questions as we consider how to practically orient management more toward warfighting. 

Read Ahead: “Management Makes Warfighting Possible,” by CDR DeVere Crooks.
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Debating the Art and Science of Naval Warfighting

The debate on whether war is more art or science is almost as ancient as conflict itself. This debate has real consequences for how military leaders and organizations conceive of conflict, and develop formal processes to structure preparation. Is naval warfare more art than science? What is the interrelationship, and how is it reflected in how naval command is exercised today? Join us to discuss these questions as we consider the impact of the art vs. science debate on modern naval operations and planning.

Read Ahead: “Planning for the Next War Must Be a Mixture of Art & Science,” by RADM Patrick Piercey (ret).
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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.

By Dmitry Filipoff

This month the CIMSEC Warfighting Flotilla will be hosting sessions on the implications of naval tactical nuclear weapons and contested maritime logistics in the Pacific. 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 July discussions. The full listings for these upcoming discussions are featured down below.

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

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Upcoming July Sessions
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Bringing Back Naval Tactical Nuclear Weapons 

Tactical nuclear weapons were commonplace aboard warships during the Cold War, but were removed as nuclear arsenals shrunk in tandem with decreasing tensions. Now that all great powers are modernizing their nuclear arsenals amidst a new era of competition, the choice to exclude tactical nuclear weapons from U.S. naval forces may have to be reconsidered. What are the implications of fielding tactical nukes at sea? What are the gaps in seaborne nuclear capability between competing great powers? Join us to discuss these questions and more as we consider the possible roles of naval tactical nuclear weapons. 

Read Aheads: “Time To Recalibrate: The Navy Needs Tactical Nuclear Weapons . . . Again,” by CDR Paul Giarra (ret.) 

“Declassified: US Nuclear Weapons At Sea,” by Hans Kristensen
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Maritime Logistics for Pacific Conflict 

The Pacific is a sprawling theater, yet many forces and critical areas lay well within range of China’s military capability. U.S. and allied forces will be challenged to provide logistical sustainment that can traverse large oceanic spaces yet still be risk-worthy enough to brave the opposing weapons engagement zone. What novel sustainment concepts can meet these challenges? What are the implications of failing to provide effective sustainment in a Pacific conflict, especially to stand-in forces? Join us to discuss these questions as we consider contested maritime logistics in the Pacific.

Read Ahead: “Sustaining Distributed Forces in a War Against China,” by Col. John Sattely and Col. Jesse Johnson, USMC
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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.

By Dmitry Filipoff

This month the CIMSEC Warfighting Flotilla will be focusing on China’s naval mine warfare capability and revamping the training administration of the U.S. Surface Navy. 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 June discussions. The full listings for these upcoming discussions are featured down below.

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

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Upcoming June Sessions
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Addressing China’s Mine Warfare Advantage

China has built up a large and diverse arsenal of naval mines that could pose a major challenge in a Pacific conflict. The U.S. Navy has historically undervalued mine warfare compared to rival great powers, and heavily leans on allies to provide mine countermeasure capability. What are the implications of China’s naval mine arsenal and how can the U.S. better address the threat? Join us to discuss these questions and more as we consider the Pacific mine warfare challenge.

Read Ahead: “Get Serious About Countering China’s Mine Warfare Advantage,” by Lieutenant (Junior Grade) A. J. Douglas, U.S. Navy.
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Streamlining Surface Navy Training Administration

The U.S. Surface Navy’s training program is rife with administrative overhead. As these administrative requirements accumulate unchecked, they threaten to crowd out time for possibly more meaningful uses of warfighters’ time and attention. How can the Surface Navy better streamline its training administration? How well does this administration meet the spirit of its intent? Join us to discuss these questions and more as we consider the challenges of navigating the administrative culture and requirements of the U.S. Surface Navy.

Read Ahead: “The Surface Navy’s Training Program Remains an Administrative Nightmare,” by Lieutenant Brendan Cordial.
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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.

By Dmitry Filipoff

This month the CIMSEC Warfighting Flotilla will be focusing on anti-submarine warfare and the role of bombers in naval force structure and concepts of operation. 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 discussions. The full listings for these upcoming discussions are featured down below.

Last month the Flotilla held sessions on systemic naval cyber compromise and contested-network warfighting. These discussions yielded many candid insights and shed light on critical warfighting challenges, while helping connect the participating navalists. 

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

Upcoming April Sessions
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Anti-Submarine Warfare and Cross-Community Integration

ASW is a mission many Navy communities have a stake in. But how well do the communities come together to jointly pursue capabilities and develop tactics and doctrine? How has the immediate post Cold War-era affected the Navy’s ability to regenerate ASW capability for renewed great power competition? Join us to discuss these questions as we consider how the Navy’s communities can better pursue ASW together.

Read Ahead: “ASW: Will We Ever Learn?” by Vice Admiral James R. Fitzgerald and Rear Admiral Richard F. Pittenger, U.S. Navy (Retired)
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Bombers for Maritime Strike

Bombers have featured prominently in naval force structure and anti-ship doctrine for decades, but mostly for other great powers besides the U.S. How can bombers and Air Force assets be leveraged in maritime missions and complement U.S. naval concepts of operation? What can be done to deepen the interservice ties that would help realize the potential of these aircraft? Join us to discuss these questions and more. 

Read Ahead: “Maritime Strike,” by Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula USAF (Ret.)

“The B-21’s possible future role in maritime strike,” by Ben Ho Wan Beng
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Completed March Sessions
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The Threat of Systemic Naval Cyber Compromise

Cyber threats are pervasive yet underappreciated. As great powers compete, they can leverage their cyber capabilities to undermine opposing militaries in peacetime, and set the stage for wartime compromise. How can navies grow their awareness of how deeply competitors have penetrated into their systems? What may be the ramifications of pre-positioned cyber capabilities being activated in wartime? Join us to discuss these questions and more as we consider the potential for systemic naval cyber compromise.

Read Ahead: “Paralyzed at the Pier: Schrödinger’s Fleet and Systemic Naval Cyber Compromise,” by Tyson Meadors
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Network-Contested Warfighting

Modern military forces rely heavily on networks to function. But are these forces doing enough to prepare for when the network is a contested battlespace? Are militaries challenging their own network in simulated crucibles, wargaming, and other venues to ensure warfighters can operate in spite of contested networks? Join us to discuss network-contested warfighting and its implications for force employment and force development. 

Read Ahead: “Fighting When the Network Dies,” by Capt. Sam Tangredi (ret.)
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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.