Trees Without a Forest
A good measure of a military’s intellectual health is it’s dedication to firmly connect present procurement to future purpose. In discussions with peers in the American Navy, I often find myself a...
View ArticleAn Influence Squadron in the Making?
Commander Henry Hendrix’s Proceedings article “Buy Fords, Not Ferraris” has entered the canon of innovative naval concepts and has received extensive attention at Information Dissemination and...
View ArticleThe Counter-Piracy Failure: Andromeda Strain
We Won but We Failed: What We Should Learn In Andromeda Strain, the scientists of the Wildfire Team struggled against their pathogen foe, (spoiler alert) only to have their problems solved by...
View ArticleSecuring the Swarm: New Dogs, Old Tricks
As the tide of automated warfare rises, optimists are already attempting to ride the wave. I do so in Proceedings, suggesting possible paths of development for autonomous platforms, and at the...
View ArticleStealing a Long March
Falling Out Force development is much like agriculture. Seeds appear trifling things; but such small objects can engulf entire fields or grow to incredible height. Investing early in incubator programs...
View ArticleMaritime Janus
January is named for the Roman God Janus, the two-faced deity of the doorway or the threshold. With one face looking toward the future, and the other contemplating the past, Janus inspires the...
View ArticleSea Control 7: Defense Knitting Circle
Grant Greenwell and Chris Barber join us for the 7th edition of Sea Control. We careen around the road, covering with particular attention intelligence collection, the DDG-1000, and force planning for...
View ArticleQuantity over Quality
This article is part of our “Sacred Cows Week.” As articles and blog posts often point out, US naval forces have been largely unchallenged at sea since World War II. Today we face the largest danger...
View ArticleAmerican Defense Policy: 8 Reality Checks
This article is part of our “Sacred Cows Week.” The fight over funding the federal government and raising its debt limit may be over for the moment, but other debates rage on. One of the more vexing...
View ArticleSea Control 8: Sacred Cows and Amphibians
CDR Salamander joins Matt and Grant for a podcast on writing as a member of the military, anonymity, and some sacred cows military planners hold dear: benefits, high-end systems, equal budgeting, etc…...
View ArticleA Strategic Thinker Can Bloom from a STEM
Recent U.S. Navy guidance directed at least 85% of new officers must come from technical degree programs commonly known as STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). This has rightfully...
View ArticleMembers’ Round-Up Part 6
Welcome back to another edition of the Member Round-Up. As always there is a wide variety of topics covered by CIMSEC members. There his, however, a distinct ‘air power’ flavour from our USAF members...
View ArticleThe LCS and SSC Survivability Dilemma
Chief Pentagon Weapon Tester Dr. Michael Gilmore remains fundamentally dissatisfied with the survivability of the Navy’s littoral combatant ship (LCS) and its upgraded follow-on, the small surface...
View ArticleThe Brazilian Navy: Green Water or Blue?
Although much attention has been directed toward the uncertain fate of the Mistral-class amphibious assault ships that were being built in Saint-Nazaire, France for export to Russia, there has been...
View ArticleThe Coast Guard’s Role in 21st Century Seapower
By David Van Dyk With standing room only and camera crews capturing their footage, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert, Commandant of the Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford and...
View ArticleStrategic Insights Arctic Special Issue – Call for Papers
The December 2015 special issue of Strategic Insights magazine will deal with maritime security problems associated with the Arctic. Although international attention in recent months has shifted to...
View ArticleMembers’ Roundup Part 18
Welcome back to another edition of the Roundup! After a brief hiatus we are back to share with you more of our members’ works. There are plenty of articles to share, ranging from maritime...
View ArticleGeographic Re-balance the Solution to Right-Sizing the Navy
Geographic Re-balance is the best strategy for the U.S. Navy
View ArticleChina’s Military Strategy: Assessment of White Paper 2015
This article can be found in its original form at the National Maritime Foundation here and was republished with permission. China has been issuing Defence White Papers biennially since 1998. The...
View ArticleWhere is the Navy Going To Put Them All? (Part One)
Where is the U.S. Navy Going To Put Them All? Part 1: More Drones Please. Lot’s and Lot’s of Them! Sketch by Jan Musil. Hand drawn on quarter-inch graph paper. Each square equals twenty by twenty feet....
View ArticleWhere is the U.S. Navy Going To Put Them All? (Part Two)
Where is the U.S. Navy Going To Put Them All? Part 2: UUVs, Fire Scouts and buoys and why the Navy needs lot’s of them. Sketch by Jan Musil. Hand drawn on quarter-inch graph paper. Each square equals...
View ArticleWhere is the U.S. Navy Going To Put Them All? (Part Three)
Where is the U.S. Navy Going To Put Them All? Part 3: Two New Ship Classes. Sketch by Jan Musil. Hand drawn on quarter-inch graph paper. Each square equals twenty by twenty feet. This article, the...
View ArticleIs There a Class of Armored Cruisers in the U.S. Navy’s Future? (Part Four)
Is There a Class of Armored Cruisers in the U.S. Navy’s Future? Sketch by Jan Musil. Hand drawn on quarter-inch graph paper. Each square equals twenty by twenty feet. This article, the fourth of the...
View ArticleOK, Explain Again Just Why the American Taxpayer Should Pay For All This...
CIMSEC content is and always will be free; consider a voluntary monthly donation to offset our operational costs. As always, it is your support and patronage that have allowed us to build this...
View Article‘Indo-Asia Pacific’ Explained: An Assessment of US Maritime Strategy 2015
CIMSEC content is and always will be free; consider a voluntary monthly donation to offset our operational costs. As always, it is your support and patronage that have allowed us to build this...
View ArticleChina’s Military Modernization: The Legacy of Admiral Wu Shengli
CIMSEC content is and always will be free; consider a voluntary monthly donation to offset our operational costs. As always, it is your support and patronage that have allowed us to build this...
View ArticleOctober Member Round-Up Part One
By Sam Cohen Welcome to Part One of the October 2015 Member Round-Up, covering the first two weeks of the month. Over the past two weeks CIMSEC members have examined several international maritime...
View ArticleOctober Member Round-Up Part Two
Welcome to Part Two of the October 2015 Member Round-Up, covering the second two weeks of the month. Over the past two weeks the U.S. freedom of navigation operations (FONOPS) in the South China Sea...
View ArticleIs Russia’s Maritime Strategy Adrift?
By Ben Hernandez This article originally appeared on The Strategy Bridge. You can read it in its original format here. This article originally featured on CIMSEC on Aug. 20, 2015, and has been updated...
View ArticleJanuary 2016 Members’ Round-Up Part One
Welcome to part one of the January 2016 members’ round-up! Over the past month CIMSEC members have examined several international maritime security issues, including future development programs for the...
View ArticleA Call for an EU Auxiliary Navy – under German Leadership
By Dr. Sebastian Bruns A popular quote reads “A ship in port is safe. But that’s not what ships are made for.” Correspondingly, one could quip “Navies are very good in constabulary tasks. But that’s...
View ArticleFebruary Members’ Roundup Part One
By Sam Cohen Welcome to part one of the February 2016 members’ roundup. Over the past month CIMSEC members have examined several international maritime security issues, including recent Indian Navy...
View ArticleMembers’ Roundup: September 2016
By Sam Cohen Welcome to the September 2016 members’ roundup. Throughout the month, CIMSEC members examined several international maritime security issues, including the successful testing of Raytheon’s...
View ArticleScales on War: The Future of America’s Military at Risk
Robert Scales, Scales on War: The Future of America’s Military at Risk. Annapolis, Naval Institute Press, 2016, 248 pp, $25.46. By Colin Steele “Wars break armies, and they have to be put back together...
View ArticleGame-Changing Unmanned Systems for Naval Expeditionary Forces
By George Galdorisi Perspective In 2018 the United States remains engaged worldwide. The 2017 National Security Strategy addresses the wide-range of threats to the security and prosperity of United...
View ArticleWhy Peacetime Naval Buildups are Difficult
By Steven Wills Introduction There has been much gnashing of teeth and complaint in response to the U.S. Navy’s slow build toward a goal of 355 ships. Peacetime naval buildups by free societies have...
View ArticleTwo Platforms for Two Missions: Rethinking the LUSV
By Ben DiDonato The Navy’s current Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle (LUSV) concept has received heavy criticism on many fronts. To name but a few, Congress has raised concerns about concepts of operation...
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