Notes to the New CNO Series

By Paul Nickell

The new CNO’s vision to place the Sailor at the center of the Foundry, the Fleet, and the Way We Fight provides a powerful focus for the U.S. Navy. The enduring question is how we build the intellectual foundation to connect these pillars. While our service possesses an abundance of technical and procedural manuals, we lack a unifying warfighting philosophy that informs Sailors on not just what our forces do, but also how to think about the fundamental nature of combat at sea.

The central challenge of modern naval warfare is grappling with profound decision-making under uncertainty. Our current doctrine, NDP-1 Naval Warfare, is an essential description of our forces, but it is insufficient as a guide for thinking through the friction, fluidity, and ambiguity inherent in conflict. To truly equip our Sailors to fight and win for tomorrow, the CNO should supplement this document with a doctrine focused on the cognitive art of warfighting. The solution is to champion a new, companion publication – NDP-1.1 Naval Warfighting.

Modeled on the transformative success of the Marine Corps’ classic MCDP-1 Warfighting, this new, concise doctrine would provide the philosophical depth that NDP-1 currently lacks. It should serve as the intellectual framework for every Sailor, Marine, and Coast Guardsmen, fostering a common framework for understanding the challenges of combat. Drawing from the lessons that made MCDP-1 so effective, NDP-1.1 Naval Warfighting should be founded on the following three principles:

A Philosophy-Driven Approach. Doctrine should articulate a clear philosophy for action that values initiative, adaptation, and decentralized decision-making in the face of uncertainty. It should be a guide to thinking through the complexities of the maritime domain in joint operations, not a rigid playbook.

A Strong Conceptual Foundation. Doctrine should be supported by theoretical underpinnings of developing the foundry, and will describe the fundamental nature of naval warfighting to establish common ground among the sea services. This includes examining the unique challenges of the maritime domain, including the fluidity of the environment, the immense scale, and the complex interplay of technology, geography, and human factors that create friction.

An Elevation of Leadership and Decision-Making. Doctrine should place leadership and decision-making at its core. It is time to codify concepts like Mission Command and the Charge of Command, moving them from a standalone document into the fabric of our warfighting philosophy. By focusing on the human factors like experience, training, and critical thinking skills, this doctrine arms our leaders of all ranks to overcome uncertainty in the fog of war.

The publication of NDP-1.1 Naval Warfighting must be the capstone of a service-wide campaign of engagement, dialogue, and education, integrated into our Naval University System and schoolhouses from accession to flag. It deserves to be read and revisited in wardrooms and ready rooms across the fleet. Publication alone is not enough, it must be formally incorporated into curriculum and training, and deliberately socialized into the fleet.

To truly place the Sailor front and center, we must first invest in their mind. NDP-1.1 Naval Warfighting can provide the enduring intellectual framework to strengthen the Fleet, empower the Foundry’s purpose, and master the Way We Fight. It is a foundational reform and a legacy worthy of the CNO’s tenure.

Captain Paul Nickell recently completed his tour as a Military Professor at the College of Leadership and Ethics within the Naval War College. He is starting his training to take over as commanding officer of the Navy’s largest master jet base at Naval Air Station Lemoore in 2026. As part of the naval aviation community, he has commanded a squadron, facilitated learning at the Navy’s Leadership and Ethics Command for major commanders and commanding officers, and developed tomorrow’s joint force leaders. His graduate thesis at the Naval Postgraduate School focused on how the Navy can become a better learning organization.

Featured Image: NEWPORT, R.I.— Adm. Daryl Caudle, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFFC), delivers a lecture to students, staff and faculty at the U.S. Naval War College (NWC) onboard Naval Station Newport, RI, Apr. 30, 2025. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Connor Burns)