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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...

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An 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...

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The 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...

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Securing 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...

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Stealing 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...

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Maritime 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...

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Sea 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...

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Quantity 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...

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American 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...

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Sea 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…...

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A 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...

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Members’ 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...

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The 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...

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The 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...

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The 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...

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Strategic 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...

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Members’ 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...

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Geographic Re-balance the Solution to Right-Sizing the Navy

Geographic Re-balance is the best strategy for the U.S. Navy

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China’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...

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Where 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....

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Where 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...

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Where 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...

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Is 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...

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OK, 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...

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‘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...

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China’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...

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October 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...

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October 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...

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Is 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...

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January 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...

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A 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...

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February 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...

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Members’ 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...

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Scales 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...

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Game-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...

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Why 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...

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Two 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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