New Maritime Strategy

[Randy Daytona]

I remember reading this article in Proceedings and wonder if the powers that be are giving it any new thought as we are in a funding crunch. BLUF: keep the CSG's (and their high operating expenses) for the most part close to home ready to surge while using destroyers, LCS's and LPD's for presence.
http://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2009-04/buy-fords-not-ferraris

 

[Brett327]

It would be interesting to go back to look at some of the NSS/NMS documents from the Cold War to see in what ways they're different... and the same.

 

[Spekkio]

Someone already beat you to it...

 

[squorch2]

The Evolution of the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Strategy, 1977–1986

Can't find a copy of The Maritime Strategy (1986), but Sal has some thoughts and primary sources.

U.S. Naval Strategy in the 1980s

...From the Sea is in here somewhere, but again, can't find a copy.

Forward ...From The Sea (1994)

Sea Power 21 (2002)

Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower (2007)

And just for shits and grins - and because history rhymes - THE U.S. NAVY’S “...FROM THE SEA” STRATEGY: SIR JULIAN CORBETT REVISITED?

ETA: CNA's longitudinal analysis of Navy strategies

 

[Brett327]

Great, now I'm going to have to read all of this. Good stuff, guys! This is what I was looking for, and I'll have to digest it later. Apparently, NSS was created as a statutory requirement in Goldwater-Nichols, so they only go back to 1987.

 

[SynixMan]

Isn't the hidden part of doing FDNF the basing of the crews and their families overseas (Housing/COLA/support functions/etc)? Do we hope that get's lost in the manpower budget that congress won't mess with? Who's paying to making Rota/Naples/Souda Bay have better facilities?

 

[ea6bflyr]

Who's paying to making Rota/Naples/Souda Bay have better facilities?

Who are you kidding? The first thing they'll do is make a bigger pier and that's about it.

 

[Brett327]

These details are usually part of the negotiations with the host nation. Since moving US forces there has a significant economic impact, the host government will oftentimes provide or chip in on the infrastructure, but I'm not read in on the specifics for Rota. All I know is that the line to Shorty's fried rice is going to be a lot longer.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Transit time to WESTPAC is the real killer. Maybe the perpetual collective fantasy of forward-deploying a CSG to Australia will happen one of these days...

The idea of homeporting a Boat in Guam or Pearl keeps floating up and then sinking back out of sight every few years. At least that would avoid "host nation" complications.

 

[SynixMan]

Transit time to WESTPAC is the real killer. Maybe the perpetual collective fantasy of forward-deploying a CSG to Australia will happen one of these days...

The idea of homeporting a Boat in Guam or Pearl keeps floating up and then sinking back out of sight every few years. At least that would avoid "host nation" complications.

Two Words: Diego Garcia

 

[Pags]

Isn't the hidden part of doing FDNF the basing of the crews and their families overseas (Housing/COLA/support functions/etc)? Do we hope that get's lost in the manpower budget that congress won't mess with? Who's paying to making Rota/Naples/Souda Bay have better facilities?

The offset to that is that you can still have regional presence when in homeport.

 

[Flash]

Transit time to WESTPAC is the real killer. Maybe the perpetual collective fantasy of forward-deploying a CSG to Australia will happen one of these days...

The idea of homeporting a Boat in Guam or Pearl keeps floating up and then sinking back out of sight every few years. At least that would avoid "host nation" complications.

I seriously doubt Australia for several reasons, Guam or even Pearl are a lot more viable for several reasons host nation issues being a big one you pointed out.

 

[Pags]

I seriously doubt Australia for several reasons, Guam or even Pearl are a lot more viable for several reasons host nation issues being a big one you pointed out.

First and foremost would be the tyranny of distance. AUS is still a long way from 7th fleet hotspots. It took us over 10+ days to get from OKI to Northern AUS for TALISM SABER.

 

[Flash]

First and foremost would be the tyranny of distance. AUS is still a long way from 7th fleet hotspots. It took us over 10+ days to get from OKI to Northern AUS for TALISM SABER.

Even longer if you avoid the chokepoints between there and the rest of the AOR, support and infrastructure are also concerns.

 

[AllAmerican75]

Will be interesting to see how more overseas time without major overhaul periods will impact ship maintenance. The other thing that was a pain being overseas was access to classes/facilities such as DC and Firefighter trainers. If you're in a fleet concentration area that's a quick trip on no-cost orders. If you're not near a fleet concentration areas, the TAD funding required to get everyone trained is not insignificant.

CNRMC is setting up an RMC facility in Rota for our FDNF ships. For training purposes, SURFLANT has set up an I-stop at Little Creek for everyone heading to Rota- and Bahrain-based ships. While they're I-stopped they'll complete all of the training they need in order to be ready to deploy. It's a mess right now, but hopefully they figure it out. PCRON made it work alright with Bahrain-based PCs, but that's only a handful of people at a time instead of hundreds.