centerformaritimestrategy.org

# Center for Maritime Strategy | Maritime Analysis & Research

> Generated by All in One SEO v5.0.2, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site.

The Center for Maritime Strategy (CMS) is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank and research institution dedicated to studying maritime issues and their context within wider American national security policy.

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/4700-2/): Levine Essay FINAL online `
- [Airbus U.S. Space & Defense and CMS Partner to Counter IUUF](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/airbus-u-s-space-defense-and-cms-partner-to-counter-iuuf/): Partnership between CMS and Airbus U.S. Space and Defense advances the conversation amongst policy experts and practitioners on the role of the U.S. Sea Services in combatting illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. ARLINGTON, VA, September 21, 2023 — The Center for Maritime Strategy welcomes partnership with Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, a trusted U.S. government
- [RMC | Center for Maritime Strategy Sponsorship](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/rmc-center-for-maritime-strategy-sponsorship/): Early sponsorship supports research and analysis to improve national security through U.S. sea services ARLINGTON, VA, Dec. 20, 2022 — The Center for Maritime Strategy welcomes the sponsorship of RMC, the leader in Mission Assurance, Risk Management, and Industrial Cybersecurity solutions. “We fully endorse the nonpartisan efforts of CMS to strengthen our national security through

## Pages

- [Home](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/): America's intellectual center for the study of tAmerica’s intellectual center for expert research and analysis on maritime power, naval strategy, defense, geopolitics and international security.he role of maritime power in international security
- [Support Independent Maritime Research & Analysis](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/support/): At the Center for Maritime Strategy (CMS), we believe that independent research and analysis is key to shaping prudent national security policy. The Center conducts incisive research and analysis, connecting maritime issues to their wider national and international security policy implications – because maritime security is global security. Donors investing in CMS enable the Center
- [The MOC](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/the-moc/): The MOC (Maritime Operations Center) is an online journal produced by the Center for Maritime Strategy. It engages in critical analysis of foreign affairs and defense issues, situating subjects within their wider implications and relation to the maritime domain. Authors interested in submitting their work to The MOC should email Nick Weising at nweising@navyleague.org and
- [About](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/about/): The Center for Maritime Strategy (CMS) is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank and research institution dedicated to studying maritime issues and their context within wider American national security policy. Through its research and analysis, external outreach, publications, and high-level events, CMS engages key stakeholders across government, academia, and industry. Our mission is to strengthen American
- [Submitting to The MOC](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/the-moc/submitting-to-the-moc/): The MOC welcomes submissions from authors on a variety of subjects. Articles should not simply describe an issue but provide readers with a cogent argument. If you are unsure as to whether your concept aligns with the desired content of The MOC, please contact us and we can provide you with additional consultation. The MOC
- [Reports](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/reports/)
- [Giving](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/giving/)
- [Subscribe](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/subscribe/)
- [Center for Maritime Strategy Newsletter](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/center-for-maritime-strategy-newsletter/)
- [Commentary & Featured Appearances](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/commentary-and-appearances/)
- [Events](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/)
- [Careers](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/careers/): View our list of career opportunities below:
- [Acquisition & Sustainment](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/acquisition-sustainment/)
- [Political Economy, Energy, & Resources](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/political-economy-energy-resources/)
- [Technology & Security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/technology-security/)
- [Analysis](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/analysis/)
- [Maritime Nation](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/maritime-nation/): Maritime Nation dives deeply into the challenges facing America’s sea services and the role of the United States as a sea power on the global stage. We look forward to providing you with high-quality analysis on the most pressing security challenges, maritime strategy, and our maritime history by joining in conversation with key experts and
- [EXPERTS](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/)
- [In the News](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/in-the-news/): Optional description of news page
- [Defense & Geopolitics](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/defense-geopolitics/)
- [About Us](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/about-us/): The Center for Maritime Strategy (CMS) is a non-profit, non-partisan research institution dedicated to research and advocacy on maritime issues and their context within wider American national security policy. Through its analysis, external outreach, publications, and high-level events, CMS engages key stakeholders across government, academia, and industry. Our mission is to strengthen American national security
- [Congressional Testimony](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/congressional-testimony/): Description for congressional testimony
- [Newsletter](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/newsletter/)
- [Privacy Policy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/privacy-policy/)
- [RESEARCH AREAS](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research-areas/)
- [RESEARCH & ANALYSIS](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research-analysis-2/)

## Events

- [America’s Future Fleet: The Resurgence of Maritime Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/americas-future-fleet-2026-the-resurgence-of-maritime-strategy/): America's Future Fleet: The Resurgence of Maritime Strategy Thursday, November 19, 2026 | 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Navy League of the United States The Center for Maritime Strategy will be hosting the fifth annual America's Future Fleet, a day-long conference bringing together leaders from the think tank community, military, government, congressional staff, and industry
- [The Path Ahead for U.S.-South Korea Shipbuilding](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/the-path-ahead-for-u-s-south-korea-shipbuilding/): Leading defense and maritime policy analysts will assess what the U.S. shipbuilding and shipping industry needs to rebuild long-term industrial capacity and naval readiness, including in partnership with allies such as South Korea. Panelists will address the workforce, supply chain, regulatory, and strategic dimensions of U.S. shipbuilding revitalization amid intensifying competition with China. Organized in
- [2026 Navy & Marine Corps Procurement Conference – U.S. Navy Imperatives](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/2026-navy-marine-corps-procurement-conference-u-s-navy-imperatives/)
- [Congressional Maritime Intensive 2026](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/congressional-maritime-intensive-2026/): The Congressional Maritime Intensive is a three-day program run by the Center for Maritime Strategy in Arlington, VA. The program aims to educate Congressional staffers about the history and application of U.S. maritime power and the implications of strategy on our nation’s defense posture and budget. Participants will learn from and interact with distinguished senior
- [In-Person Report Launch | Pier Review](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/in-person-report-launch-pier-review/): The Center for Maritime Strategy (CMS) invites you to join us for the Washington D.C. launch of Pier Review: Leveraging the Allied Maritime Industrial Base for U.S. Shipbuilding. We will host a discussion with the CMS team on the trips to allied shipyards and findings on Thursday, May 21 from 9:00-10:30am. The launch will take place
- [Sea-Air-Space 2026: Center for Maritime Strategy Breakfast​](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/sea-air-space-2026-center-for-maritime-strategy-breakfast/): The 5th annual CMS Breakfast will focus on maritime dominance in an era of great power competition. The global maritime landscape has reached a critical pressure point. As the United States and its allies navigate an era of unprecedented transparency in the world’s oceans, the traditional advantages of stealth and isolation are being challenged by ubiquitous sensing, artificial intelligence, and a strained industrial base. This high-level panel
- [AI+ Expo 2026: Automation and Innovation in Allied Shipbuilding](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/automation-and-innovation-in-allied-shipbuilding/): Diving into insights from their latest study, "Pier Review: Leveraging the Allied Maritime Industrial Base for U.S. Shipbuilding," the Center for Maritime Strategy will discuss innovations in automation, robotics, and AI in shipbuilding operations of U.S. allies. For more information or if you want to attend, click here
- [Sea Air Space 2026: Gaming to Win](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/sea-air-space-2026-gaming-to-win/): CMS brings together the latest gaming solutions, both on the physical and virtual game boards for a demonstration event like no other at Sea Air Space. Participants can browse the game demonstration floor in the Cherry Blossom Ballroom, and also join demonstrations of specific games using the schedule posted outside the Cherry Blossom ballroom on
- [Sea Air Space 2026: Pier Review: Leveraging the Allied Maritime Industrial Base for U.S. Shipbuilding](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/sea-air-space-2026-pier-review-leveraging-the-allied-maritime-industrial-base-for-u-s-shipbuilding/): This panel marks the culmination of the Center for Maritime Strategy’s Allied Maritime Industrial Base (AMIB) study, a year-long effort engaging U.S. allies and partners to take a hard look at the state of global shipbuilding power. Drawing on firsthand insights from government leaders, industry executives, and leading experts, the study examines where allied maritime industry is strong, where it
- [Sea Air Space 2026: A Conversation with the Commission on the Future of the Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/a-conversation-with-the-commission-on-the-future-of-the-navy/): CMS Navalist Dr. Steve Wills sits down with members of the Commission on the Future of the Navy to hear their initial thoughts on how best to help the Navy move forward, as well as take questions from the audience on their mandate and issues for investigation. A great opportunity to interact with an ongoing,
- [America’s Future Fleet: Foundry, Fleet, and Fight](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/americas-future-fleet-foundry-fleet-and-fight/): On December 4, 2025 the Center for Maritime Strategy and the Naval War College Foundation co-hosted its fourth symposium, “America’s Future Fleet: Foundry, Fleet, and Fight,” at the Navy League of the United States Headquarters in Arlington, VA. The symposium brought together notable members of the think tank community, military, government, congressional staff, and industry
- [America’s Future Fleet: Reinvigorating the Maritime Industrial Base](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/americas-future-fleet-reinvigorating-the-maritime-industrial-base/): On December 3, 2024 the Center for Maritime Strategy and the Naval War College Foundation co-hosted its third symposium, "America’s Future Fleet: Reinvigorating the Maritime Industrial Base," at the Navy League of the United States Headquarters in Arlington, VA. The symposium brought together notable members of the think tank community, military, government, congressional staff, and
- [In-Person Book Launch | Naval Power in Action: Seizing the Initiative in the New Cold War with China](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/in-person-book-launch-u-s-naval-power-in-the-21st-century/): The Center for Maritime Strategy (CMS) invites you to join us for the in-person Washington D.C. book launch of Naval Power in Action: Seizing the Initiative in the New Cold War with China. We will host a discussion with the author of the book CAPT Brent Sadler, USN (ret.), Senior Fellow at The Heritage Foundation
- [Congressional Maritime Intensive 2025](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/congressional-maritime-intensive-2025/): The Congressional Maritime Intensive is a three-day program run by the Center for Maritime Strategy in Arlington, VA. The program aims to educate Congressional staffers about the history and application of U.S. maritime power and the implications of strategy on our nation’s defense posture and budget. Participants will learn from and interact with distinguished senior
- [In-Person Book Launch | Returning from Ebb Tide](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/in-person-book-launch-returning-from-ebb-tide/): The Center for Maritime Strategy (CMS) invites you to join us for the Washington D.C. launch of Returning from Ebb Tide: Renewing the United States Commercial Maritime Industry, CMS's first major publication. We will host a discussion with several authors of the book followed by a reception on Wednesday, March 26 from 3:30-5:30pm. The launch will take place at the
- [Global Carrier Operations with Allies and Partners](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/global-carrier-operations-with-allies-and-partners/): Tuesday, March 18, 10:00am-12:00pm The Center for Maritime Strategy invites you to a presentation & panel discussion on Global Carrier Operations with Allies and Partners. U.S. allies and partners have intensified naval cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and Arabian Sea, conducting joint deployments and exercises to enhance maritime stability. These coordinated efforts underscore a shared commitment
- [Sea-Air-Space 2025: Center for Maritime Strategy Breakfast](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/sea-air-space-2025-center-for-maritime-strategy-breakfast/): Tuesday, April 8, 7:30am-9:00am The annual Center for Maritime Strategy Breakfast is a premier gathering of top minds in maritime security, offering a dynamic forum to explore America’s evolving role as a global sea power. This exclusive event brings together distinguished leaders, including warfighters, policymakers, industry innovators, and cutting-edge technologists. This year’s panel will delve
- [Sea-Air-Space 2025: Gaming to Win](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/sea-air-space-2025-gaming-to-win/): Monday, April 7, 9:00am-3:00pm Wargaming has become a critical tool in shaping naval education and strategic thinking. Join Dr. Steve Wills alongside top game designers and defense officials to see how wargames are integrated into strategic vision and decision-making. The event floor will come to life with live wargame demonstrations, offering attendees a unique opportunity
- [Sea-Air-Space 2025: Returning from Ebb Tide, a Center for Maritime Strategy Book Launch and Discussion](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/sea-air-space-2025-returning-from-ebb-tide-a-center-for-maritime-strategy-book-launch-and-discussion/): Tuesday, April 8, 10:30am-11:30am The Center for Maritime Strategy will launch Returning from Ebb Tide, a thorough analysis of the problems facing our merchant mariners and recommendations to strengthen American commercial shipping. Editor Dr. Steve Wills will lead a discussion with the authors on how our nation’s commercial maritime capability declined over the past several
- [Sea-Air-Space 2025: Revitalizing the Maritime Industrial Base](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/sea-air-space-2025-revitalizing-the-maritime-industrial-base/): Tuesday, April 8, 2:30-3:30 Since November 2024, the Center for Maritime Strategy has convened the Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) Working Group—a series of private, Chatham House Rule workshops bringing together key members of the U.S. government, academia, industry, and select international partners. These meetings provide a forum for candid discussions on the challenges and issues
- [Red Sea Security: The Israel-Hamas Conflict a Year On](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/red-sea-security-the-israel-hamas-conflict-a-year-on/): The Center for Maritime Strategy hosted a private Red Sea Security panel discussion this morning at the Navy League of the United States headquarters in Arlington, VA. This event comes as the conflict reaches its one-year mark, highlighting the significant security implications for the broader Middle East, particularly in the Red Sea. Moderating the session
- [Task Force 59 Roundtable](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/task-force-59-roundtable/): Integrating unmanned systems into U.S. Navy operations presents both challenges and opportunities. The Center for Maritime Strategy hosted a private roundtable at the Navy League Building to explore this critical topic. Commodore John Barrientos, USN, commanding officer of Task Force 59, led the discussion, offering valuable insights into the Navy’s efforts to incorporate unmanned platforms
- [Congressional Maritime Intensive 2024](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/congressional-maritime-intensive-2024/): The third annual Congressional Maritime Intensive was a three-day program run by the Center for Maritime Strategy in Arlington, VA from August 6 to August 8, 2024. The recurring program is designed to educate Congressional staffers about the history and application of U.S. maritime power and the implications of strategy on our nation’s defense posture
- [Sea-Air-Space 2024 – Center for Maritime Strategy Breakfast | Innovation & Technology: Force Multipliers for Sea Power](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/sea-air-space-2024-center-for-maritime-strategy-breakfast/): The annual Center for Maritime Strategy Breakfast convenes leading members of the maritime security community to engage in critical discussions on the future of America's role as a global sea power. This year, on Tuesday, April 9 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., and moderated by Admiral James G. Foggo, U.S. Navy (ret.), the panel
- [Sea-Air-Space 2024 - An Integrated Strategy to Combat IUUF](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/sea-air-space-2024-an-integrated-strategy-to-combat-iuuf/): On Monday, April 8 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., the Center for Maritime Strategy’s Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF) Working Group will launch the release of the group’s policy recommendations for an integrated strategy to combat security challenges stemming from IUUF. This panel is the culminating product of an ongoing series of private
- [Sea-Air-Space 2024 - Gaming to Win: Panels & Interactive Demonstration](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/sea-air-space-2024-gaming-to-win-panels-interactive-demonstration/): Join CMS at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space 2024 for the second annual Gaming to Win event, this year taking place on Tuesday, April 9 from 2:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. To view the event recording, please click here to see Panel 1 and here to see Panel 2. 2:45 p.m. – 2:55 p.m.
- [Sea-Air-Space 2024 - Maritime Nation: Live Recording](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/sea-air-space-2024-maritime-nation-live-recording/): Join us on Tuesday, April 9 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET for the second annual live recording of Maritime Nation at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space. Moderated by Admiral James G. Foggo, U.S. Navy (ret.), the episode will feature: Dr. P.W. Singer, Futurist and Founder, Useful Fiction Stay tuned for updates on this event!
- [America's Future Fleet: Maintaining Peace & Deterring China](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/americas-future-fleet-maintaining-peace-deterring-china/): On December 5, 2023 the Center for Maritime Strategy and the Naval War College Foundation co-hosted its second symposium, "America’s Future Fleet: Maintaining Peace and Deterring China," at the Navy League of the United States Headquarters in Arlington, VA. The symposium brought together notable members of the think tank community, military, government, congressional staff, and
- [Congressional Maritime Intensive 2023](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/congressional-maritime-intensive-2023/): In-person event Between August 22 and August 24, the Center for Maritime Strategy hosted its second annual, three-day long Congressional Maritime Intensive just outside Washington D.C. The program educates congressional staffers about the history and application of U.S. maritime strategy and the implications of strategy on our nation’s defense posture, budget, and security. This year’s
- [Deterring Russia at Sea in the High North](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/deterring-russia-at-sea-in-the-high-north/): What does maritime deterrence look like in the High North? What is the right balance to deter Russia without escalating? What lessons can be learned and applied from recent Navy and Allied exercises and operations? These questions inform how the US and its Allies characterize, prioritize, and implement naval strategy in the High North,
- [Sea-Air-Space 2023](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/sea-air-space-2023/): The Largest Maritime Expo in the U.S., Sea-Air-Space brings the U.S. defense industry and key military decision-makers together for three days of informative educational sessions, important policy discussions and a dynamic exhibit hall floor. Owned and produced by the Navy League of the United States, the parent organization of the Center for Maritime Strategy, Sea-Air-Space
- [At a Crossroads: The Future of European Energy Security via Eastern Mediterranean](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/at-a-crossroads-the-future-of-european-energy-security-via-eastern-mediterranean/): The Center for Maritime Strategy and Delphi Economic Forum cohosted a private roundtable discussion on the future of European energy security via the Eastern Mediterranean. Speakers included: Admiral (ret.) James G. Foggo, Dean, Center for Maritime Strategy Symeon Tsomokos, Founder & President, Delphi Economic Forum The Honorable Geoffrey Pyatt, Assistant Secretary for Energy,
- [Washington D.C. Launch of Boots and Suits](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/washington-d-c-launch-of-boots-and-suits/): In partnership with the American Foreign Service Association, CMS was honored to host the Washington, D.C. launch of Marine Corps University Press's "Boots and Suits: Historical Cases and Contemporary Lessons in Military Diplomacy," edited by Philip Kosnett (U.S. Ambassador, Ret.). Boots and Suits discusses aspects of military diplomacy, featuring an edited collection of chapters by
- [Address to the National Sea Power Enhancement Symposium](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/address-to-the-national-sea-power-enhancement-symposium/): Admiral James G. Foggo, USN (ret.), virtually addressed the National Sea Power Enhancement Symposium, discussing the American-South Korean alliance and the value of sea power in ensuring its longevity. Attended by National Assemblyman Choi Jae-hyeong, the Chief of Naval Operations of South Korea Lee Jong-Ho, and senior leadership from across the shipping, shipbuilding, and fishery
- [Sea-Air-Space 2022 - National Security in the Maritime Century: Center for Maritime Strategy Breakfast](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/sea-air-space-2022-national-security-in-the-maritime-century-center-for-maritime-strategy-breakfast/): This breakfast discussion examined how the maritime services fit in the new National Defense Strategy. The session will featured the perspectives of a warfighter, a policymaker, a strategist and an industrialist. In this conversation, to discern how the United States, its allies and partners can harness public-private partnerships to increase vital maritime capacity in the
- [America's Force Posture in a Global World](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/americas-force-posture-in-a-global-world/): The Center for Maritime Strategy and Jerusalem Strategic Tribune cohosted a private fireside chat between Admiral James G. Foggo, USN (ret.), and General James L. Jones, USMC (ret.). Discussing various aspects of their experiences in and out of uniform, Admiral Foggo and General Jones offered insights into how the United States can better engage with
- [America's Future Fleet: Forging Resilience and Driving Innovation](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/americas-future-fleet-forging-resilience-and-driving-innovation/): The sea services must engage in critical discussions with an eye on the long-term requirements of their force. Force design demands foresight, investment, innovation, and stewardship. The United States Navy, in particular, is at an inflection point. New challenges have emerged that require the force to evolve, from peer and near-peer adversaries to emerging
- [Congressional Maritime Intensive](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/events/congressional-maritime-intensive/): In-person event The Congressional Maritime Intensive was a three-day program run by the Center for Maritime Strategy in Arlington, Virginia. The program educated congressional staffers about the history and application of U.S. maritime strategy and the implications of strategy on our nation’s defense posture, budget, and security. Participants learned from and interacted with distinguished senior

## Publications

- [No Excuses: The Power of Hard Work and Discipline | Featuring Mike Stevens, 13th MCPON](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/no-excuses-the-power-of-hard-work-and-discipline-featuring-mike-stevens-13th-mcpon/): Admiral James Foggo talks with MCPON Mike Stevens, the 13th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy and CEO of the Navy League, about his new book No Excuses: The Power of Hard Work and Discipline. From a tough start in Montana to the Navy’s top enlisted post, Stevens shares the lessons in faith, discipline,
- [Japan’s Push for Unmanned Naval Forces Doesn’t Solve the Personnel Problem](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/japans-push-for-unmanned-naval-forces-doesnt-solve-the-personnel-problem/): In fiscal year 2023, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) recruited 9,959 people, just 51 percent of their 19,598-person target, according to Nippon, citing Japan’s Ministry of Defense. In another report, the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MOD) illustrates how the number of applications to the Self-Defense Forces fell by about 40 percent between fiscal 2014 and
- [After Iranian statements. CENTCOM to "Al-Hurra": The blockade is fully imposed](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/after-iranian-statements-centcom-to-al-hurra-the-blockade-is-fully-imposed/): Steve Wills, a researcher at the Center for Maritime Strategy, told Al-Hurra that Tehran is seeking to influence public opinion and show that the United States is failing to implement the blockade.
- [The Mystery of the Unknown Sailor Who Inspired Trump to Shake Up the Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-mystery-of-the-unknown-sailor-who-inspired-trump-to-shake-up-the-navy/): More problematic: “Steam catapults have been out of production for decades—no one makes them anymore,” said Hunter Stires, the maritime strategist to former Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro. Since the order, Navy leaders have couched their public remarks.
- [Underwater Drone Threats Are Already Here. America Isn’t Ready.](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/underwater-drone-threats-are-already-here-america-isnt-ready/): In December 2025, an explosion erupted beside a Russian Kilo-class submarine docked inside the heavily defended Novorossiysk Naval Base. Ukraine said one of its underwater drones had penetrated the harbor and struck the submarine, describing the operation as the first successful attack of its kind. While Russia disputed the extent of the damage, the attack
- [The Illusion of the Fortress: How Shipbuilding Became the Beltway’s Most Controversial Foreign Policy Issue](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-illusion-of-the-fortress-how-shipbuilding-became-the-beltways-most-controversial-foreign-policy-issue/): Throughout the month of May, as the Navy’s top leaders trod dutifully up to Capitol Hill to pitch their ambitious shipbuilding plan, they faced a new adversary. They were requesting a record $65.8 billion specifically for shipbuilding. But shipbuilding’s staunchest supporters in Congress – members from Mississippi, Maine and maritime industrial districts are typically giddy
- [How a Promising Navy Drone Boat Program Got Mired in Politics](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-a-promising-navy-drone-boat-program-got-mired-in-politics/): “While politics has always been a factor in defense procurement, what we are seeing in the way companies are navigating the second Trump administration is very different from what we have seen in the past,” said Hunter Stires, who was the Navy secretary’s maritime strategist until last year.
- [Navy considers major aircraft carrier revamp to better suit Trump’s aesthetic](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navy-considers-major-aircraft-carrier-revamp-to-better-suit-trumps-aesthetic/): Hunter Stires, who served as the maritime strategist to the Navy secretary until last year, said warships are built to win in combat, not to win a “beauty pageant.” “The placement of the island on the Ford class was chosen to support the ship’s design purpose of maximizing aircraft sortie generation — which for an
- [Korea at the Heart of America’s Maritime Statecraft](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/korea-at-the-heart-of-americas-maritime-statecraft/): While the United States remains the world’s leading naval power, it has ceased to be a maritime power. This is unsustainable—history demonstrates that no great naval power has long endured without also being a great commercial maritime power.
- [America’s Logistics Blind Spot Runs Right Through the Middle of Nowhere](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/americas-logistics-blind-spot-runs-right-through-the-middle-of-nowhere/): While global rivals spend billions carving out novel maritime shortcuts through the melting ice of the Arctic—with Russia and China aggressively operationalizing the Northern Sea Route to bypass southern bottlenecks—and while Washington routinely projects staggering military force halfway across the planet to secure distant foreign choke points like the Strait of Hormuz, American supply chain
- [U.S. Navy Vessels And Shipyard Workers Strained By Lengthy Deployments](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/u-s-navy-vessels-and-shipyard-workers-strained-by-lengthy-deployments/): “We go through ‘boom-bust’ cycles of maintenance with extra-long deployments,” said Dr. Steven Wills, a navalist for the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League of the United States, in an interview. “Some of this happened after Desert Shield and Desert Storm, where we deployed a significant amount of the fleet for a longer
- [Washington’s Counter-Mine Wakeup Call](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/washingtoncounterminewakeupcall/): The Islamic Republic of Iran delivered a wakeup call to the U.S. Navy regarding the service’s ability to clear mines. The still-contested Strait of Hormuz demonstrates that mine clearing under fire is a slow, risky process.The mission served as a litmus test for the Navy’s capabilities. While some systems proved effective, improvement and scaling are
- [A Patriotic Air Defense System for Taiwan?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-patriotic-air-defense-system-for-taiwan/): “You’re looking at South Korea, Japan [and] Taiwan being the countries that are most closely affected,” said Matthew Reisener, an analyst from the Center for Maritime Strategy, pointing out that the U.S. military may still expend a lot more missiles over the coming months.
- [Protecting Undersea Cables:  Innovative Solutions to Safeguard American Security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/protecting-undersea-cables-innovative-solutions-to-safeguard-american-security/): On February 25, 2025, Taiwanese authorities detained a cargo ship crewed by Chinese nationals suspected of sabotaging an undersea cable connecting Taiwan to its Penghu Island stronghold in the Taiwan Strait. This is not the first and will probably not be the last time America’s adversaries sabotage critical undersea infrastructure. As U.S. policymakers seek to
- [Leveraging AUKUS to Meet the China Challenge](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/leveraging-aukus-to-meet-the-china-challenge/): The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is engaged in a breathtaking modernization and expansion effort. The PLA Navy (PLAN) now fields the largest surface fleet in the world, and the PLA Rocket Force (PLARF) has a deep magazine of ballistic and air-breathing missiles designed to keep the United States Navy outside of the First Island
- [Medical Logistics in a Contested Pacific: Ensuring Health Support in High-Risk Regions](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/medical-logistics-in-a-contested-pacific-ensuring-health-support-in-high-risk-regions/): The Indo-Pacific is rapidly emerging as one of the world's most strategically significant regions. As China extends its military reach and influence—particularly in the South China Sea—ensuring the health and readiness of U.S. forces deployed in these contested waters is not just a logistical challenge, it is a matter of strategic survival. Medical logistics—a lifeline
- [Strengthening Ties: Navy and Coast Guard Sail with Brazilian Partners to Commemorate 200 Years of Partnership](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/strengthening-ties-navy-and-coast-guard-sail-with-brazilian-partners-to-commemorate-200-years-of-partnership/): 2024 marks the bicentennial of relations between Brazil and the United States. To celebrate this, the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy launched Operation SOUTHERN SEAS in mid-May, sailing with two Brazilian frigates to conduct joint exercises. The ships also conducted an observer exchange. USS Porter and USCGC James sent four sailors to BNS União and
- [The Far-reaching Dockworker Strike](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-far-reaching-dockworker-strike/): Editor’s Note: This article was written and scheduled for publication prior to the announcement last night that ILA and USMX had reached an agreement to extend the current master contract and continue negotiations through January 15th, 2025 based on a tentative wage agreement. This article is published here in its original form to provide the
- [A World Without Carriers?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-world-without-carriers/): The United States Navy operates around the globe all day, every day. However, there are still those who question the raison d’etre of the 12 aircraft carriers that form the backbone of the strike groups that deploy to hot spots like the Red Sea whenever a crisis arises. Some opine that they are too expensive;
- [Sub Sunk! The Attack on the Rostov-on-Don](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sub-sunk-the-attack-on-the-rostov-on-don/): Sub Sunk! Two words that echoed across the radio waves of Europe and the United States whenever another German U-Boat went down in the First and Second Battle of the Atlantic have now been uttered in the Black Sea with the sinking of the Russian Kilo-class submarine Rostov-on-Don last Friday. According to Ukrainian Ministry of
- [The European Union as a Maritime Security Provider—What Is the EU Doing in the Red Sea?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-european-union-as-a-maritime-security-provider-what-is-the-eu-doing-in-the-red-sea/): The European Union (EU) launched its newest maritime operation in the Red Sea, Operation Aspides, in 2024. This operation is further evidence of the EU’s growing reliance on its own capabilities for defense and increasing commitment to engage militarily abroad to protect its interests. Nevertheless, it is unclear if and when this trend will lead
- [Cybersecurity Initiative at U.S. Ports A Good Start](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/cybersecurity-initiative-at-u-s-ports-a-good-start/): On February 21 the White House announced an initiative to bolster cybersecurity at U.S. ports. What was announced was a good start but there is more to be done in this area. A key aspect is to support more initiatives related to manufacturing some of the critical infrastructure and equipment used in container shipping in
- [Remaining Steadfast in the Face of Burgeoning Threats](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/remaining-steadfast-in-the-face-of-burgeoning-threats/): The North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) just celebrated another milestone with the entry of Sweden,heretofore an avowed neutral, joining the collective defense of Europe as did Finland did in 2023. Long-time NATO observers and leaders would never have predicted such a sharp change in these nations’ attitudes toward collective defense, but we live within an
- [The New Trump Administration and Incoming German Chancellor Merz – Will Berlin and Washington Strengthen Defense Cooperation?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-new-trump-administration-and-incoming-german-chancellor-merz-will-berlin-and-washington-strengthen-defense-cooperation/): Germany faces growing defense challenges as Friedrich Merz becomes Chancellor. He will need to balance strong ties with the United States while strengthening Germany’s and Europe's defense amidst global tensions, especially the threat from Russia. Merz's decisions will significantly impact Germany's future and the security of Europe and NATO. Merz's defense policy will be tested
- [Shipbuilding and the Future of U.S. Sea Power: The Role of South Korea and Japan in the Rejuvenation of the American Fleet](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/shipbuilding-and-the-future-of-u-s-sea-power-the-role-of-south-korea-and-japan-in-the-rejuvenation-of-the-american-fleet/): Whoever rules the waves rules the world — Alfred Thayer Mahan, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1890 As global geopolitical instability intensifies, the United States' ability to project sea power and safeguard critical maritime interests faces mounting pressure. The recent focus on revitalizing the American shipbuilding industry in Washington reflects a need to counter
- [Trade & U.S. National Security: What Constitutes an International Economic Emergency](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/trade-u-s-national-security-what-constitutes-an-international-economic-emergency/): The vast majority of the world’s trade moves on merchant vessels that circle the global in an amazingly efficient conveyance system. Comprised of 17,546 ships more than 600’ in length, that fleet moved $11.7 trillion worth of goods in 2017 that were equal to 15 percent of the gross world product.[1] Because more than three-fifths
- [Sea Power – The Missing Ingredient in a Strategy of Denial](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sea-power-the-missing-ingredient-in-a-strategy-of-denial/): On August 28, 1942, USS Washington (BB-56) transited the Panama Canal bound for the South Pacific. The new battleship, commissioned just a year earlier, had been operating in the North Atlantic with the British Home Fleet since March, escorting several convoys to Murmansk. After a brief refit at New York Navy Yard, she headed for
- [Dark Waters: Strategic Implications of Russian Shadow Tankers in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/dark-waters-strategic-implications-of-russian-shadow-tankers-in-the-red-sea-and-indian-ocean/): Since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia has deployed a massive “shadow fleet” of aging, obscure tankers to evade Western sanctions. Yet the fleet’s impact goes far beyond sanctions evasion: it erodes transparency, heightens environmental and operational risks, and undermines the foundations of the global maritime order. Many of these vessels sail under flags of
- [Countdown to Collapse: Why Japan and South Korea Must Secure Their Sea Lanes in a Taiwan Contingency](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/countdown-to-collapse-why-japan-and-south-korea-must-secure-their-sea-lanes-in-a-taiwan-contingency/): When the first Chinese warships move to blockade Taiwan, the world’s eyes will be on the fate of the island’s democracy—and on whether U.S. forces intervene. But a quieter, equally dangerous countdown will begin in Tokyo and Seoul. That clock will not be measured in missiles or battleships, but in barrels of oil and cubic
- [How Likely is a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-likely-is-a-chinese-invasion-of-taiwan/): A few days before President Trump’s planned meeting with China’s Xi Jinping in Seoul, Trump provided an insightful glimpse into his views on a topic that is likely to come up during this meeting: Taiwan. Asked whether he believed the American/British/Australian security alliance presents an effective deterrent against potential Chinese aggression towards Taiwan, Trump responded:
- [China, Iran, and Russia will Intervene in Venezuela to Threaten U.S. Regional Hegemony](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/china-iran-and-russia-will-intervene-in-venezuela-to-threaten-u-s-regional-hegemony/): China, Iran, and Russia sent aid, capital, and arms through illicit trade networks to enable the Houthis’ attacks on western merchants and warships transiting the Bab al-Mandeb strait. They will do the same to aid Venezuela in a bid to challenge U.S. regional hegemony. The United States must counter this strategy by countering its means
- [The United States needs to go deep (sea) with allies to compete with China](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-united-states-needs-to-go-deep-sea-with-allies-to-compete-with-china/): In April 2025, the Trump administration issued two Executive Orders (EO) to wean the United States away from China’s dominance in the maritime domain, making deep-sea mining and shipbuilding two of its priorities. However, the United States is still missing a clear strategy to link the two and make deep-sea mining its trump card against
- [Failure to Launch: How Political Backpedaling Could Hand China the Carrier Edge](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/failure-to-launch-how-political-backpedaling-could-hand-china-the-carrier-edge/): This November, the stakes in the global carrier competition snapped into focus. China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) officially commissioned the Fujian, its third and most advanced aircraft carrier, in a ceremony (headlined by Xi Jinping himself) highlighting the ship’s new electromagnetic catapults and the fifth-generation stealth fighters that will fly from them. In the
- [United We Stand: How States can Contribute to Securing the Future of America’s Maritime Industrial Base](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/united-we-stand-how-states-can-contribute-to-securing-the-future-of-americas-maritime-industrial-base/): Whether they be sailors, welders, mechanics, or students, the United States must prioritize its most valuable asset: its people. The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) malicious expansion of its armed forces necessitates a whole of nation approach from the United States to rebuild the American Maritime Industrial Base (MIB). Whereas the United States maintains a
- [A Sea Change: Can the Unted States Maintain Maritime Dominance?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-sea-change-can-the-unted-states-maintain-maritime-dominance/): For over seventy-five years, United States maritime dominance has been one of the central pillars of the international order. It has enabled global trade, deterred major-power war, reassured allies, and allowed the United States to project power without permanently occupying territory. Control of the seas has provided the strategic depth necessary for economic growth and
- [Japan–China Fisheries Enforcement Incidents: Lessons from 2010 and the February 2026 Seizure](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/japan-china-fisheries-enforcement-incidents-lessons-from-2010-and-the-february-2026-seizure/): Maritime encounters between Japan and China have long demonstrated the fine line between routine law enforcement and strategic crisis, highlighting the ways in which seemingly minor operational incidents at sea can quickly acquire broader political and diplomatic significance. The waters of the East China Sea are highly contested, not only for their rich fisheries and
- [“Zeitenwende” at Sea?: The German Navy’s Purchase of SeaRAMs and Bolstering Security in the Baltic Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/zeitenwende-at-sea-the-german-navys-purchase-of-searams-and-bolstering-security-in-the-baltic-sea/): On April 14, 2022, Ukrainian anti-ship missiles hit and ultimately sank the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the venerable Cold War veteran cruiser Moskva. The largest warship in the area succumbed to a combination of advanced Ukrainian command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (“C4ISR”), diversion, and modern weaponry, and to no small
- [Integrating Developments from Industry for Robust Acoustic Intelligence](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/integrating-developments-from-industry-for-robust-acoustic-intelligence/): Proper preparation for maritime conflict demands an intimate familiarity with the undersea environment and the assets an adversary may employ there. As such, the U.S. Navy prioritizes opportunities to collect underwater survey and acoustic data. In late 2016, the destroyer I served aboard received such prioritized tasking when satellite imagery revealed a high-interest submarine had
- [NATO’s Contribution to Critical Maritime Infrastructure Protection](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/natos-contribution-to-critical-maritime-infrastructure-protection/): As one of the key maritime security providers, NATO has a major role in critical maritime infrastructure protection. The Nord Stream pipeline attacks of 2022 brought the need of infrastructure protection at sea into the public security debate. Yet, NATO representatives had alerted to such vulnerabilities well ahead this incident. With warnings by senior military
- [Türkiye and the Russo-Ukrainian War: Cynicism and Opportunism in the Black Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/turkiye-and-the-russo-ukrainian-war-cynicism-and-opportunism-in-the-black-sea/): Türkiye in the Black Sea Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Türkiye, ever the opportunistic actor, has closely followed the war’s development in hopes of further boosting its status as a leader, mediator, and trade partner in the Black Sea. Such ambitions have been further augmented by Türkiye’s neo-Ottoman turn throughout the
- [Lessons from the Anglo-German Arms Race for the United States Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/lessons-from-the-anglo-german-arms-race-for-the-united-states-navy/): The militaries of two rival superpowers are separated by a narrow sea. The fate of a small state could provoke war between them. One is a rising power frustrated by perceived constraints on its expansion. The other is a longstanding global leader apprehensive of new dangers but reluctant to adapt. Reflective of their rivalry and
- [U.S. Naval Promises Still Matter to Abu Dhabi](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/u-s-naval-promises-still-matter-to-abu-dhabi/): The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the United States’ principal allies in the Middle East. And for good reason: The Emirati military is one of the few capable forces in the region. They have fought ISIS and Al Qaeda alongside U.S. and coalition soldiers in Afghanistan, Somalia, Bosnia-Kosovo, Iraq, Libya, and Syria. However,
- [Vilnius’ Implications for Alliance Naval Power](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/vilnius-implications-for-alliance-naval-power/): The upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania is not intended to be a pivotal event. It follows Warsaw, where the ambitious NATO Force Model and Strategic Concept was agreed and precedes Washington in 2024, to mark the 75th anniversary of the Alliance. But events intervened, thrusting several key issues onto the agenda for the Heads
- [Why BALTOPS Matters in a NATO Lake](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-baltops-matters-in-a-nato-lake/): The U.S. Naval Forces Europe Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) exercise kicked off its 52nd year of operation on June 4, 2023 with 20 nations, 50 ships, more than 45 aircraft, and approximately 6,000 personnel participating. What began as practice for a desperate NATO defense of the Baltic Sea from the Soviet Union’s Baltic Fleet and Warsaw
- [Washington Must Break China’s New Normal in the Taiwan Strait](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/washington-must-break-chinas-new-normal-in-the-taiwan-strait/): Washington’s response to Chinese aggression in the Taiwan Strait was not enough. China recently concluded a three-day series of military exercises near Taiwan, culminating in a simulated air and maritime blockade. These exercises, designated "Joint Sword," involved a significant number of People's Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes and warships. 91 PLA warplanes entered Taiwan's Air Defense
- [Reflections on Ukraine’s Place in the European Order](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reflections-on-ukraines-place-in-the-european-order/): Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its second year, has inflicted enormous suffering among Ukraine’s people and inspired heroic resilience. Ukraine’s efforts to resist Russia’s aggression, including heinous attacks on its civilians, demonstrate Ukraine’s will to fight for its national existence, independence, and, also, for Euro-Atlantic security and the values at the heart of NATO:
- [Subs to the Aussies: Impact of the AUKUS Partnership](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/subs-to-the-aussies-impact-of-the-aukus-partnership/): On March 13, 2023 President Biden announced the deal enabling Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines alongside British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as a part of the AUKUS military pact. Australia will buy 3 Virginia class submarines with the option to buy 2 more for use in the 2030s while
- [Reflecting on One Year of War: Remotely Piloted Threats, Lessons from Drone Operations in Ukraine](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reflecting-on-one-year-of-war-remotely-piloted-threats-lessons-from-drone-operations-in-ukraine/): In Ukraine, both the scale and scope of remotely piloted aircraft systems’ (RPAS) operations are exponentially broader than in previous conflicts. In this respect, the country has become a giant laboratory to test new (and older) systems against the demanding conditions of a high-intensity combat environment while experimenting and refining tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
- [Reflecting on One Year of War: The Food Crisis That Started in Ukrainian Ports is Now a Global Policy Challenge](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reflecting-on-one-year-of-war-the-food-crisis-that-started-in-ukrainian-ports-is-now-a-global-policy-challenge/): As the one year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches, the international community still has not managed to prevent the weaponization of food supply chains. That issue was urgent a year ago, and while the United Nations Black Sea Grain Initiative continues to try to get 2021 grain out of Ukrainian ports, the nature
- [Reflecting on One Year of War: The Power of Open-Source Intelligence](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reflecting-on-one-year-of-war-the-power-of-open-source-intelligence/): Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is rapidly evolving the ways navies’ movements are exposed to the enemy. And Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the first major war of the OSINT age. OSINT itself is not new. But the ways in which it permeates the conflict and grips the world’s attention is. It is creating new opportunities and
- [Time to Recalibrate (Part Two)](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/time-to-recalibrate-part-two/): This article is part two of a two-part series. Part one can be found here. It is difficult to accurately assess the resulting inflation impact without knowing actual carrier results and actual aggregate pricing. Using those two factors, in an analysis of 3Q22 carrier results the annualized inflationary impact on inbound containers to the U.S.
- [Reflecting on One Year of War: The Role of Non-Military Levers](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reflecting-on-one-year-of-war-the-role-of-non-military-levers/): In December 2021, with Russian troops massed on Ukraine’s borders, President Biden ruled out sending U.S. forces to defend Ukraine. A year after the invasion, direct military engagement between NATO and Russia remains out-of-bounds. Despite this, the West finds itself in indirect conflict with Russia, backing Ukraine with weapons, intelligence, training, and an unprecedented package
- [What to Watch 2023: The Global Competition in the Western Pacific](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/what-to-watch-2023-the-global-competition-in-the-western-pacific/): Amid the global competition between the United States and the People’s Republic of China, the Biden Administration’s National Security Strategy released in October 2022 notes “we are now in the early years of a decisive decade for America and the world.” There are an increasing number of experts and military leaders who have opined that
- [2022 A Year in Strategic Review](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/2022-year-in-strategic-review/): The passing of 2022 marks a number of milestones in human history. Never have western democracies been under siege by so many different authoritarian regimes. In fact, the number of challenges from the past year makes the bipolar world of the Cold War era look appealing. In January 2022, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin celebrated
- [On the Path to a Second Pearl Harbor?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/on-the-path-to-a-second-pearl-harbor/): On this day of remembrance, more than 80 years on, America needs to re-consider the stirring battle cry to “Remember Pearl Harbor.” In 1941 it served as a call for sacrifice and duty. In 2022, it serves as a forewarning that authoritarian regimes such as China’s only respect power, and that effective deterrence against the Chinese is much cheaper than the cost of war.
- [The Return of Infernal Machines to Naval Warfare](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-return-of-infernal-machines-to-naval-warfare/): The term “infernal machine” has been used to label many warfare innovations but in naval warfare it was often used to describes mines or torpedoes in the 19th century. As these weapons became more capable, they were seen as a serious threat to capital ships in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The torpedo boat menace was written about extensively in popular novels of the day, and the weapon was seen as a “game changer” for weaker powers unable to build large, armored warships.
- [Chip Diplomacy: Semiconductors and the Threat of Conflict](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/chip-diplomacy-semiconductors-and-the-threat-of-conflict/): Tensions continue to rise between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The Biden administration’s decision to keep many of the Trump-era tariffs until China lives up to its trade commitments...
- [No Air Superiority Means No Sea Control: The Case of the Black Sea Fleet](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/no-air-superiority-means-no-sea-control-the-case-of-the-black-sea-fleet/): A recent Politico article on the challenges facing the Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF) gets at some of the problems Russian naval forces face in the war against Ukraine but stops short of identifying the real issue which is a lack of air superiority in the Black Sea littoral.
- [American Maritime Strategy Prior to the Second World War and the Myths of US Isolationism](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/american-maritime-strategy-prior-to-the-second-world-war-and-the-myths-of-us-isolationism/): President Franklin Delano Roosevelt delivered these words in his famous Fireside Chat, colloquially referred to as his ‘Arsenal of Democracy’ speech, in December of 1940.
- [Putin's Buzz Bombs Won’t Help Him Win in Ukraine](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/putins-buzz-bombs-wont-help-him-win-in-ukraine/): This week revealed another new challenge in Ukraine’s defense of its sovereign territory – vicious drone attacks against civilian targets in Kyiv.
- [Blockade the Belt and Road or Taipei Airlift?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/blockade-the-belt-and-road-or-taipei-airlift/): A New York Times article on recent Chinese military exercises asked what the U.S. response would be if the People’s Republic of China (PRC) blockaded Taiwan by air and sea for an extended period.
- [Responding to the Russia-UN Ukrainian Grain Export Plan](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/responding-to-the-russia-un-ukrainian-grain-export-plan/): On February 24, Russia invaded Ukraine and blockades it ports. On February 27, Turkey declared the Black Sea region to be a war zone and invoked the Montreux Convention so that naval ships of non-riparian states could not enter – turning an international sea to a lake dominated by Russia and, to a lesser extent, Turkey
- [Time to Update the Salvo Equations](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/time-to-update-the-salvo-equations/): The Salvo Model of Modern Missile Combat was first fully articulated in print by their primary developer; the late Naval Postgraduate School Professor Captain Wayne P. Hughes, U.S. Navy (retired) in 1995.
- [Defense Reinvestment as Naval Strategy: Sector-Based Contributions and Industrial Base Competition](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/defense-reinvestment-as-naval-strategy-the-strategic-seas-act-and-industrial-base-competition/): How Sector-Based Contributions Address the Structural Challenge of 21st Century Naval Competition In February 2026, the White House released its Maritime Action Plan calling for a Maritime Security Trust Fund with a "dedicated, mandatory funding stream" to rebuild America's shipbuilding capacity. The directive to the Office of Management and Budget was clear: propose a legislative
- [The Amazing Beauty Of Trade & Its Manifold Benefits For America/Americans](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-amazing-beauty-of-trade-its-manifold-benefits-for-america-americansc/): On November 20, 1982, President Reagan addressed the country in a radio broadcast that remains a reminder of why trade historically and justly has enjoyed broad and bipartisan support. Reagan eloquently argued the benefits of international trade, noting that when other countries don’t grow, they buy less from us, and we see fewer jobs created
- [Iran, Stability, and Maritime Security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/iran-stability-and-maritime-security/): Objectives Peace is often lost after being won by war. This was the case in our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; it must not be so in Iran. President Trump’s and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s brave and resolute actions must presage a lasting and secure peace for the Middle East. This can only be so if
- [The Jones Act Waivers Aren’t Achieving Stated Purpose But Hinder Long Term Maritime Goals](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-jones-act-waivers-arent-achieving-stated-purpose-but-hinder-long-term-maritime-goals/): On March 17, 2026 the Department of Homeland Security issued a waiver allowing foreign flag vessels to move various energy related commodities between U.S. ports. The Jones Act reserves the movement of cargo between U.S. ports to vessels built in the U.S. and owned and crewed by U.S. citizens. The 60-day waiver was initially scheduled
- [NATO Collective Legal Interpretations: Strengthening Alliance Deterrence and Protecting Baltic Undersea Assets Against Grey-Zone Threats](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/nato-collective-legal-interpretations-strengthening-alliance-deterrence-and-protecting-baltic-undersea-assets-against-grey-zone-threats/): The Baltic Maritime Security Context Emerging as a coercive tool used to circumvent international energy sanctions after the onset of the Ukrainian-Russo War in 2022, Russian shadow vessels have since become a means of asymmetric tactics, challenging NATO states' resolve and collective response. As part of Russia’s broader maritime posture, shadow vessels are an array
- [China's Port Investments in Latin America Are About Leverage, Not Just Trade](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/chinaportinvestmentslatam/): Discussion about Chinese-backed ports in Latin America, usually includes one particular worry: what if a regular shipping dock turns into a Chinese navy base someday? While it's worth keeping an eye on, when a company builds and operates a major port, it doesn't just win a business deal. It gets control over a big part
- [Systems & Submarines- The Case for Evolving Stealth](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/systems-submarines-the-case-for-evolving-stealth/): Intro The Jilin-1 satellites rest at the edge of space, utilized by a Chinese research team to track an F-22 through cloud cover, while Chinese scientists watch Starlink's radio traffic signals to spot a stealth fighter's forward-scatter shadow. Stealth, designed to enable a prior form of invisible operations in the air, has been unveiled through
- [Do We Have Enough Dry Docks?- Part 2](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/do-we-have-enough-dry-docks-part-2/): The ICE Pact, Icebreakers, and the Limits of Existing Infrastructure The ICE Pact — the trilateral agreement between the United States, Canada, and Finland for the collaborative design and construction of a new generation of icebreakers — represents an important step toward recapitalizing America's Arctic fleet (US Department of State, 2024). However, the acquisition of
- [Do We Have Enough Dry Docks?- Part 1](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/do-we-have-enough-dry-docks-part-1/): Introduction: A Question of Maritime Survival Do we have enough dry docks? The question is simple, but the answer is deeply consequential. The United States is confronting an era of renewed great power competition with a reduced and aging naval and commercial fleet. As our nation embarks with an ambitious naval expansion agenda, a strong
- [US SHIPS Act dead in the water – needs additional push](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/us-ships-act-dead-in-the-water-needs-additional-push/): In his published comments, Wills said: “The SHIPS Act stands a better chance if Congress acts quickly to advance it before the Trump administration releases its fiscal year 2027 budget request…if they can get this going early and make progress early this calendar year, then I think they'll do better than if it waits and
- [From the Flight Deck to the Dry Dock](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/from-the-flight-deck-to-the-dry-dock/): Rear Adm. Kavon "Hak" Hakimzadeh has flown E-2 Hawkeyes off carrier decks, commanded a carrier strike group, and racked up over 3,300 flight hours and 850 arrested landings. Now he's running Norfolk Naval Shipyard — the oldest and largest public shipyard in the country. ADM Foggo sits down with him to talk about the journey
- [Remembering Ambassador Chris Stevens](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/remembering-ambassador-chris-stevens/): From the desk of Admiral Foggo: On 9/12/2012, I wrote the following in a USNI Blog. Fourteen years later (today), we remember Ambassador Chris Stevens, who made the ultimate sacrifice… Remembering Ambassador Chris Stevens — USNI Blog, September 12, 2012 The President of the United States visited the Pentagon yesterday to attend and speak at the
- [Foreign-Built US Warships? It Might Work](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/foreign-built-us-warships-it-might-work/): The United States lacks warships. A shipbuilding sector still suited to peacetime, a fast-multiplying Chinese navy, and allied yards offering impressive capabilities are aligning to provide new options for Washington.
- [Return of the Prodigal Drydock: Guam and the Navy’s Western Pacific Repair Gap](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/prodigaldrydock/): The former U.S. Navy large floating drydock once named Machinist has had an unusual journey since its construction in Germany in 1980: service at Subic Bay, later commercial work in Guam, severe storm damage in 2011, and a decade-long repair and modernization period at PaxOcean Shipyard in Zhoushan, China. Now known informally as “Big Blue,”
- [Bare Shelves: Munitions Shortages Highlight Concerns About US Warfighting Capability](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/bare-shelves-munitions-shortages-highlight-concerns-about-us-warfighting-capability/): Since the start of the Iran war in late February, American policymakers and defense experts have focused heavily on the conflict’s operational tempo, Iran’s geopolitical ambitions in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the fighting.
- [Hijacking pirates exploit regional chaos to return to seas off Somalia](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/hijacking-pirates-exploit-regional-chaos-to-return-to-seas-off-somalia/): In a comment for the Center for Maritime Security in July, Matthew Reisener, the thinktank’s national security adviser, warned that naval campaigns by Iran in the strait of Hormuz and Iran’s Houthi proxies in the Red Sea – launched in response to the US-Israel war on Iran – are allowing regional piracy “to once again thrive”.
- [From Constanța to Haifa - The Case for an Israel–Romania Port Security Partnership](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/from-constanta-to-haifa-the-case-for-an-israel-romania-port-security-partnership/): At 10:28 AM on a Friday morning this June, a debris cloud rose over Constanța, the largest port on the Black Sea. A Magura-type naval drone of Ukrainian origin, packed with dozens of kilograms of explosives, had drifted three nautical miles into the harbor after its controls were jammed at sea, coming to rest at
- [Protecting the Pacific: An Imbalance in U.S. Arctic Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/protecting-the-pacific-an-imbalance-in-u-s-arctic-strategy/): July twenty-fourth of 2024 saw two Russian Tu-95 bombers and two Chinese H-6 bombers fly in tandem over the Chukchi and Bering seas, entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone. It was the first time NORAD had intercepted Russian and Chinese aircraft flying together near United States (U.S.) airspace. The response was a deployment of
- [SPECIAL REPORT: Strait of Hormuz fight exposes Navy gaps, drives push for new capabilities](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/special-report-strait-of-hormuz-fight-exposes-navy-gaps-drives-push-for-new-capabilities/): This conflict, like every other one, is going to provoke major changes, not only in systems but also in doctrine, how the Navy looks at stuff and how the Navy fights its battle at sea,” said Steven Wills, a retired Navy officer and navalist at the Center for Maritime Strategy.
- [The Department of the Navy’s Science and Technology Board:  Building on 250 Years of Naval Innovation](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-department-of-the-navys-science-and-technology-board-building-on-250-years-of-naval-innovation/): In September of 1776, an enormous British armada lay anchored in New York Harbor. A month earlier, British forces under General William Howe had defeated the Continental Army and gained control of New York City and Long Island. Now this fleet of 400 ships, including 10 ships-of-the-line, 20 frigates, and 170 transports among many others
- [The Maritime Case for Ford](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-maritime-case-for-ford/): Ford Motor Company once formed a pillar in the arsenal of democracy. It has not been one for nearly three generations but that is beginning to change. In April 2026, the Pentagon opened discussions with Ford, General Motors, GE Aerospace, and Oshkosh about taking on defense production. In June, Ford cut their first contract with
- [White House pushes shipbuilding reform. It also might doom progress.](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/white-house-pushes-shipbuilding-reform-it-also-might-doom-progress/): The U.S. naval conflict in the Strait of Hormuz has highlighted the importance of maritime power. Maintaining that strength requires a robust industrial base that delivers new ships on schedule and keeps America’s existing vessels afloat.
- [Iran Conflict Reaffirms Need for More Aircraft Carriers](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/iran-conflict-reaffirms-need-for-more-aircraft-carriers/): The most important naval lesson emerging from the ongoing conflict with Iran is the continuing value of aircraft carriers and their embarked air wings in delivering persistent combat effects inside Iran’s weapons engagement zone.
- [Manning the Fleet | Healthy Recruiting and Retention for the Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/6792/): Admiral Foggo sits down with the Honorable Ben Kohlmann, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, for a wide-ranging conversation on recruiting, retention, and readiness and to discuss the work he does every day to modernize the Department of the Navy's workforce. The two talk recruiting, retention, and readiness across the active
- [America's Forgotten Fleet: Why the Merchant Marine Is a Foreign Policy Crisis](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/americas-forgotten-fleet-why-the-merchant-marine-is-a-foreign-policy-crisis/): The United States Navy has surpassed nearly every naval power in history. Yet for all its carrier strike groups and nuclear submarines, America is losing a quieter competition that may ultimately matter more: the ability to move goods, fuel, and military equipment across the world's oceans on American ships. The U.S. merchant marine fleet has
- [Shadow fleets, weapons, and 22 Indian sailors: How the West Asia conflict revived Somali piracy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/shadow-fleets-weapons-and-22-indian-sailors-how-the-west-asia-conflict-revived-somali-piracy/): "At least three active pirate groups are believed to be launching coordinated operations from Somalia and are increasingly targeting vessels sailing hundreds of miles into the Indian Ocean, in contrast to the previous era of Somali piracy in which attacks which were largely contained to neighboring waterways (one shipped hijacked in May was taken only
- [Deep Interior Security: Why the Appomattox Prism Holds the Blueprint for 21st-Century Supply Chain Resilience](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/deep-interior-security-why-the-appomattox-prism-holds-the-blueprint-for-21st-century-supply-chain-resilience/): Picture a map of the United States. Now, draw a hard red circle around our major coastal ports, our deep-water hubs, and our primary rail corridors. To an adversary looking across an increasingly contested Atlantic—where great powers are actively carving out foreign naval footholds and maritime chokepoints are tighter than ever—that map doesn’t show a
- [Economic Cost Realities Mean Idea Of New Battleships Doesn’t Float](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/economic-cost-realities-mean-idea-of-new-battleships-doesnt-float/): The President is keen on committing billions to building new battleships. Some background on battleship efficacy and the related construction and operating costs of battleships today argue against the idea. In 1964 I was in grade school at St. Ignatius in Mobile. I remember reaching into my pocket a couple of times for coins when
- [The US Navy has battled operational tempo ordeals for years. The Iran war exposed the flaws.](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-us-navy-has-battled-operational-tempo-ordeals-for-years-the-iran-war-exposed-the-flaws/): “We just don’t have enough aircraft carriers right now in this rotation to sustain all the things we want to do, and I think this is a long-standing problem,” said Steven Wills, a Navy surface warfare officer who retired after 20 years.
- [Somali pirate menace returns as U.S.-Iran war stokes regional chaos and saps enforcement resources](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/somali-pirate-menace-returns-as-u-s-iran-war-stokes-regional-chaos-and-saps-enforcement-resources/): What’s more, as oil prices climb, so does the value of energy tankers moving through the waters. That puts pirates in the position of holding increasingly valuable cargo at gunpoint, according to Matt Reisener, Senior National Security Advisor for the Center of Maritime Strategy “The Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have driven ships closer
- [The Department of the Navy’s Science and Technology Board Accelerates the Journey to Achieve a “Hybrid Fleet”](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-department-of-the-navys-science-and-technology-board-accelerates-the-journey-to-achieve-a-hybrid-fleet/): The Navy-After-Next will be a “Hybrid Fleet.” This concept was first articulated by then-Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday and embraced by his successor, Admiral Lisa Franchetti. The basics of this initiative were described in the Chief of Naval Operations Force Design 2045 which called for 350 crewed ships and 150 large uncrewed maritime
- [The US Can’t Build Trump’s Battleships, But Our Allies Can](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/outsourcing-the-trump-class-battleships/): Note: An earlier version of this article misstated the cost of radar systems used by the ASEVs to be $1.17 billion, when that is the cost of the whole radar system. We acknowledge mistakes in our reporting with corrections. If you spot an error, please let us know at nweising@navyleague.org. The Trump-class battleships' size, technological
- [Role of Allies Like Korea Essential to Rebuild U.S. Shipbuilding Industry](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/role-of-allies-like-korea-essential-to-rebuild-u-s-shipbuilding-industry/): “The United States is still building ships in the 1945 way. A model of cooperation with allies such as South Korea (a bridging strategy) would be a good way to transfer modern shipbuilding technology to the United States.” Steve Wills, a naval strategy expert (researcher) at the Center for Maritime Strategy (CMS), and Matthew Reissner,
- [Veterans Can Help American Healthcare’s Workforce Crisis](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/veterans-can-help-american-healthcares-workforce-crisis/): American healthcare is facing a workforce crisis. Labor shortages—a major difficulty in the wake of COVID-19—are projected to worsen in the coming decade: the healthcare industry is projected to add two million new jobs, largely driven by increased demand for senior care. Unanswered shortages threaten upheaval for American society as we know it. No solutions
- [Strategic Assets: The Intelligence Vulnerabilities of the American Shipbuilding Workforce](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/strategic-assets-the-intelligence-vulnerabilities-of-the-american-shipbuilding-workforce/): Context Despite being historically regarded as a global hegemon, unique for its unparalleled technological innovations, blue-water superiority, and lethality in the maritime domain, the United States’ shipbuilding enterprise has declined over the years, stemming from reverberating systemic issues within U.S. governance and the maritime industry sector. In comparison to near-peer competitors, namely the People’s Republic
- [2026 and All That: Another Benchmark Year in Royal Navy Declines](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/2026-and-all-that-another-benchmark-year-in-royal-navy-declines/): For other navies, including the U.S. Navy, the Royal Navy’s experience offers a blunt warning: When naval leaders rely on political leadership to preserve fleet size, industrial capacity, and force design, decline can arrive by increments and then suddenly become irreversible.
- [The Jones Act Waiver: A Diagnostic Report on America’s Maritime Capacity Gap](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-jones-act-waiver-a-diagnostic-report-on-americas-maritime-capacity-gap/): Dr. Steven Wills of the Center for Maritime Strategy argues reform, not repeal — that the law is connective tissue between America’s commercial shipyards and naval surge capacity, and removing it without building a replacement trades a flawed foundation for no foundation at all.
- [Naval Deterrence Has a Production Rate](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navaldeterrencehasaproductionrate/): A destroyer can empty its entire complement of launch cells in a single engagement. Refilling these cells requires nearly three years, and that timeline is observable by adversaries such as Beijing. Between October 2023 and January 2025, U.S. warships defending Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks fired 120 SM-2 and 80 SM-6 interceptors, 160 rounds
- [Why China’s Control of Solar Supply Chains Is a Problem for America](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-chinas-control-of-solar-supply-chains-is-a-problem-for-america/): China’s dominance in solar manufacturing is creating new geopolitical dependencies that could weaken American influence, security partnerships, and long-term energy competitiveness.
- [The Fleet America Never Built and The Future of SMRs, Featuring Captain Stephen Carmel](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-fleet-america-never-built-and-the-future-of-smrs-featuring-captain-stephen-carmel/): What does a decommissioned nuclear-powered merchant ship tell us about the future of American maritime power? In this episode of Maritime Nation, Admiral James Foggo and Dr. Steve Wills sit down again with Captain Stephen Carmel aboard the NS Savannah, the world's first nuclear-powered merchant vessel. The conversation spans the full arc of America's maritime
- [Securing the Baltic: The Strategic Imperative for a Comprehensive Maritime Security Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/securing-the-baltic-the-strategic-imperative-for-a-comprehensive-maritime-security-strategy/): Introduction: A New Era of Maritime Competition The Baltic Sea, once considered a stable backwater of European security, has reemerged as one of the world’s most contested maritime spaces. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine fundamentally altered the security calculus for every nation bordering this semi-enclosed sea, transforming it from a zone of cooperation into a theater
- [Why Forward Presence Still Matters in the Indo-Pacific](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-forward-presence-still-matters-in-the-indo-pacific/): Seapower’s focus on marine expeditionary warfare is extremely timely, with the Marine Corps’ participation in the 2026 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise concluding just days before this issue’s publication. Yet while RIMPAC draws considerable attention as the world’s largest maritime exercise, the Marine Corps also participated in two other bilateral military exercises in June
- [U.S. Seabed Mining Could Give China a New Gray Zone Playbook](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/u-s-seabed-mining-could-give-china-a-new-gray-zone-playbook/): The U.S. government is pushing to establish an ocean floor mining presence in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a vast expanse of international waters in the Pacific Ocean rich in minerals including cobalt, manganese, copper, and others that the U.S. and allies rely on for vital national security interests like advanced manufacturing and energy production. Advocates of this proposal argue that it would help
- [Live at Sea-Air-Space 2023 with RADM Kirby and David Martin](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/live-at-sea-air-space-2023-with-radm-kirby-and-david-martin/): Live from the Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center, this is Maritime Nation at Sea-Air-Space 2023. Guests RADM John Kirby and CBS News National Security Correspondent David Martin join ADM Foggo on stage as they discuss their naval careers, opinions on China in the maritime domain, and answer questions from the crowd.
- [Quo Vadis: The Commission on the Future of the Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/quo-vadis-the-commission-on-the-future-of-the-navy/): Dr. Steve Wills talks with Secretary John Lehman about the state of and direction for the Congressional Commission on the Future of the Navy. Secretary Lehman offers a unique perspective on Commission — and more broadly on commissions’ organization and functions — thanks to his service on the 9/11 Commission and experience as the 65th
- [Wargaming War in the Western Pacific](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/wargaming-war-in-the-western-pacific/): Admiral Foggo sits down with Professor James Fitzsimonds Director of the Halsey Alfa research group at the U.S. Naval War College to discuss the challenges of forecasting a war in the Western Pacific and the changes in American strategy towards China since the end of the Cold War. https://youtu.be/xtpbdFXrnYA Season 3 of Maritime Nation is
- [Naval Diplomacy and Defense](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/naval-diplomacy-and-defense/): Ambassador Anne Patterson joins Admiral Foggo to discuss the critical balance between military strategy and diplomacy in U.S. naval operations abroad. They explore how civil-military cooperation shapes foreign policy and the challenges of coordinating defense and diplomacy in conflict zones. Season 3 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [Global Carrier Operations with Allies and Partners feat. Rear Admiral Giancarlo Ciappina, ITN](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/5004/): Admiral Foggo sits down with Rear Admiral Giancarlo Ciappina of the Italian Navy to talk about Cavour Strike Group’s impressive five-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific. Season 4 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [Navy Ponders How to Best Carry Out Demining in Contested Waters](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navy-ponders-how-to-best-carry-out-demining-in-contested-waters/): Traditional sea mine countermeasures tend to flounder in contested environments, and the Navy is looking to add more autonomy to its demining practices. From the Civil War to more recent conflicts, the Navy’s history has been plagued by underwater mines. Legacy vessels are often difficult to protect in hostile environments near shores and depend on
- [The Golden Fleet: The US Navy’s pursuit of the exquisite](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-golden-fleet-the-us-navys-pursuit-of-the-exquisite/): Reisener likened it to a “barbell-shaped” fleet, with a smaller number of big surface combatants on one end, and on the other, a many small, uncrewed ships, including surface and underwater drones, which provide combat mass, but are also likely cheaper and more attributable.
- [It’s Time to Bring Back MINEWARCOM](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/its-time-to-bring-back-minewarcom/): Iran, China, and Russia continue to invest in naval mines because they are effective. The U.S. Navy needs a dedicated flag officer to ensure these threats are countered. When tensions rise in the Strait of Hormuz, Washington considers familiar threats: potential Iranian anti-ship missile launches, drone attacks, or small boat swarms targeting tankers. Oil traders
- [What the Houthi Red Sea Blockade Means for the Middle East](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/what-the-houthi-red-sea-blockade-means-for-the-middle-east/): Houthi aggression against Saudi Arabia will likely bring the Gulf states closer to more active hostilities with Iran.
- [The Mideast War Brings an Energy Crisis to America’s Shores](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-mideast-war-brings-an-energy-crisis-to-americas-shores/): Perspective In studies done both within the federal government as well as those by outside organizations, in war games, and other means, the idea that Iran would take dramatic action to close the Strait of Hormuz was always a “hypothetical’ occurrence that commanded attention but one deemed very unlikely and thus often written off. In
- [Navy Under Secretary Argues Focus On Acquisition Cost Usually Counterproductive; Explains Reform Moves](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navy-under-secretary-argues-focus-on-acquisition-cost-usually-counterproductive-explains-reform-moves/): The official performing the duties of Under Secretary of the Navy​ this month argued that the Navy’s “zealous pursuit of cost is almost always counterproductive, where our zealous pursuit of cost actually results in an increase in cost,” he said in an interview that also touched on how the Defense Department aims to improve acquisition
- [There has been no US naval ‘failure’ in the Strait of Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/there-has-been-no-us-naval-failure-in-the-strait-of-hormuz/): With renewed hostilities between US and Iranian forces, questions are certain to be raised about America’s endgame in the conflict. But as the US Navy helps enforce a blockade on Iranian vessels around the Strait of Hormuz while facilitating a wider joint campaign, there is no question that the Navy’s efforts so far have not been a
- [Fix the Jones Act—Don’t Scuttle It](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/fix-the-jones-act-dont-scuttle-it/): The better question is whether the United States should reform the Jones Act as part of a broader maritime revival—or discard one of the few remaining statutory foundations for domestic maritime capacity.
- [Learning from the ‘Voyage of the Damned’: The Making of a Russian Naval Disaster](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/learning-from-the-voyage-of-the-damned-the-making-of-a-russian-naval-disaster/): A recent War on the Rocks article on the failure of the Spanish Reserve Fleet to prepare for war with the United States in 1898 offers a useful point of entry into what may be the most significant issue of poor fleet readiness ahead of a major battle. Fought on May 27, 1905, the Battle of Tsushima ended in the destruction
- [Neptune Strike 26-3 and the Northern Turn](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/neptune-strike-26-3-and-the-northern-turn/): The execution of Neptune Strike 26-3 from 17–23 July 2026 might, on first reading, appear to be routine Alliance housekeeping — another iteration in a recurring series of maritime activities coordinated by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) out of Oeiras, Portugal. It is not. This iteration marks the first time the Neptune Strike
- [A Conversation with Bill Toti, Performing the Duties of Under Secretary of the Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-conversation-with-bill-toti-performing-the-duties-of-under-secretary-of-the-navy/): In this episode of Maritime Nation, Admiral Jamie Foggo, USN (Ret.), sits down with Acting Under Secretary of the Navy, William Toti, for a wide-ranging conversation about U.S. Navy shipbuilding, acquisition reform, submarine production and the future of the maritime defense industrial base. Season 5 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Johnson Group
- [One Tool Among Many: Uncrewed Systems in the Black Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/one-tool-among-many-uncrewed-systems-in-the-black-sea/): Although Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USV) are often associated with the success of Ukrainian sea denial in the Black Sea, these platforms are tools within a wider denial system, and not a panacea of coastal defence. Since the October 2022 attack on the port of Sevastopol, USVs and other uncrewed vehicles
- [“They Were Playing Chicken”—The U.S. Asiatic Fleet’s Gray-Zone Deterrence Campaign against Japan, 1937–40](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/they-were-playing-chicken-the-u-s-asiatic-fleets-gray-zone-deterrence-campaign-against-japan-1937-40-2/): Download the Full Report  The current environment is not the first time the United States has faced a destabilizing challenge in the western Pacific. In 1937, Japanese forces in China undertook a campaign to expel U.S., British, and other Western interests from that country as part of imperial Japan’s effort to dominate East Asia.
- [Trump Confronts Limits to US Power to Secure Strait of Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/trump-confronts-limits-to-us-power-to-secure-strait-of-hormuz/): Iran might not have a “‘grip’ on Hormuz, but they are however able to menace the safe transit of ships to the degree where it affects prices and insurance rates,” said Steve Wills, an analyst with the Navy League. Shippers remain wary of attempting passage even with US assistance, as continued Iranian strikes on commercial
- [Samuel Huntington and the U.S. Navy: A Reappraisal](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/samuel-huntington-and-the-u-s-navy-a-reappraisal/): Harvard scholar and civil-military affairs theorist Dr. Samuel Huntington was a towering presence in American political science from the mid-twentieth century into the early twenty-first. Although his post-Cold War “Clash of Civilizations” thesis has fallen out of favor in many quarters, Huntington remains one of the central figures in the intellectual debate over how civilian
- [Navy Looks at Home, Abroad to Execute Shipbuilding Plan](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navy-looks-at-home-abroad-to-execute-shipbuilding-plan/): The use of a vessel construction manager has become common practice in European nations such as Sweden, said Steven Wills, navalist at the Center for Maritime Strategy. The center recently published a report, “Pier Review: Leveraging the Allied Maritime Industrial Base for U.S. Shipbuilding,” on what the U.S. Navy can learn from the shipbuilding industries
- [Why Somali Piracy Has Returned and May be Here to Stay](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-somali-piracy-has-returned-and-may-be-here-to-stay/): Over a decade after fading from public consciousness, Somali piracy is making a comeback. Once the scourge of the maritime community, Somali mariners are responsible for at least 17 piracy-related incidents in either Somali waters or the Gulf of Aden between January-May of this year. Pirates hailing from Somalia launched their first successful attack in
- [The U.S. Should Buy France an Aircraft Carrier](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-u-s-should-buy-france-an-aircraft-carrier/): For as long as the United States and France have been allies, there has been disagreement about how deep their partnership can and should go. During the American Revolution, when France was providing essential financial and military aid to the cause of independence, John Adams complained that King Louis XVI was not providing enough support.
- [Britain’s Dangerous Defense Illusion](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/britains-dangerous-defense-illusion/): After months of delays, the United Kingdom’s Defence Investment Plan (DIP) was finally published on June 30 to outline future spending. It was not nearly enough, according to Defence Secretary John Healey, who resigned in protest at the offer of £15bn ($20bn) in additional spending over the next four years — about half the £28bn needed to cover what the military said was
- [Reflecting On And Honoring America’s Grand Maritime Heritage](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reflecting-on-and-honoring-americas-grand-maritime-heritage/): On July 4th I had the great pleasure of being aboard the designated closing vessel of the International Parade of Sail, carrying the official closing flag as the international fleet of 48 Tall Ships from more than 20 countries proceeded through New York harbor. The celebration also featured more than 40 naval vessels from the
- [FY2027 Shipbuilding Plan Provides Stark Assessment, but Questions Remain](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/fy2027-shipbuilding-plan-provides-stark-assessment-but-questions-remain/): In May 2026, the U.S. Navy released its 30-year shipbuilding plan for fiscal year 2027. This document came at a critical juncture for the Navy. While the naval operations against Iran and suspected narco-traffickers have highlighted the importance of achieving maritime dominance, the shipbuilding plan was released shortly after the ousting of former Secretary of
- [The Iran War’s Hidden Cost at Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-iran-wars-hidden-cost-at-sea/): The journey from the Nausori Airport to Suva—Fiji’s capital city in the South Pacific—would have cost $4 Fijian dollars in fuel in February 2026. Just a few months later, cab drivers say it now costs $10. While the whole world is feeling the economic squeeze caused by the major spike in energy costs following the
- [Russia’s Drone Machinations: Reflexive Control and Cognitive Warfare in the Maritime Domain](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russias-drone-machinations-reflexive-control-and-cognitive-warfare-in-the-maritime-domain/): Reflexive Control in the Maritime Domain Originating in 1960s Soviet strategic military doctrine, reflexive control (RC) allows the user to employ and orchestrate manipulative tactics, including disinformation, deception, overload, provocation, and distraction, to compel adversaries to voluntarily adopt courses of action favorable to the user’s interests. Since the intensification of the Ukrainian-Russo War and NATO's
- [Cracks in Civil-Military Trust are Widening](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/cracks-in-civil-military-trust-are-widening/): When the military’s legitimacy fractures along partisan lines, the consequences extend well beyond polling numbers.
- [Could Musandam's Fjords Reduce Dependence on the Strait of Hormuz?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/could-musandams-fjords-reduce-dependence-on-the-strait-of-hormuz/): Every time tension rises in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz becomes the center of focus. About 25% of the world’s seaborne oil trade and 20% of global liquefied natural gas (LNG), as well as other critical assets pass through this narrow passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. As
- [Maritime expert on ships passing through Strait of Hormuz: 'It's a trickle'](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/maritime-expert-on-ships-passing-through-strait-of-hormuz-its-a-trickle/): Ian Ralby, maritime and law expert, weighs in on the current status of the Strait of Hormuz after renewed strikes over the weekend.
- [“Take the Ship”: Analyzing Naval Warfare in House of the Dragon](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/take-the-ship-analyzing-naval-warfare-in-house-of-the-dragon/): Last Sunday, the highly anticipated HBO drama series House of the Dragon made a roaring return to television with one of the most captivating and impressive depictions of naval warfare to grace the screen. Fittingly entitled “Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood,” the climax of the show’s season three premiere was the Battle of the
- [John Phelan forced out as Navy secretary after 13 months](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/john-phelan-forced-out-as-navy-secretary-after-13-months/): Navy Secretary John Phelan will depart the Trump administration “effective immediately,” officials said Wednesday, an abrupt exit after 13 tumultuous months at the Pentagon. Officials said the billionaire clashed repeatedly with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- [Navy secretary leaving the Pentagon, ‘effective immediately’](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navy-secretary-leaving-the-pentagon-effective-immediately/): The then-secretary also suggested that foreign shipyards might build U.S. warships—an idea that might have led to his unexpected departure, said Hunter Stires, who served as maritime strategist to Phelan’s predecessor. “Secretary Phelan committed a grave strategic as well as political error yesterday in signaling his openness to outsourcing production of U.S. Navy warships abroad,” Stires said
- [Navy secretary is out amid Pentagon infighting](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navy-secretary-is-out-amid-pentagon-infighting/): Hunter Stires, who served as a top Navy advisor in both the Biden and Trump administrations, said Phelan had also made a misstep when he signaled an openness to building American warships abroad. “Phelan’s statements directly undercut a bipartisan strategy championed by the Trump administration to incentivize world class allied shipbuilders to invest in modernizing
- [Pete Hegseth’s blocks on promotions rankle former military leaders](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/pete-hegseths-blocks-on-promotions-rankle-former-military-leaders-2/): “Hegseth doesn’t care about merit. He cares about creating a flag officer wardrobe that looks like him,” Stires recently told The Hill. “The message to the force is extremely corrosive, because the message is that merit doesn’t matter.”
- [Navy secretary’s removal points to Trump’s anxiety over shipbuilding](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/pete-hegseths-blocks-on-promotions-rankle-former-military-leaders/): Hunter Stires, who served as a maritime strategist under former President Biden and Trump, said that Phelan made a mistake by being open to outsourcing production of the Navy’s warships to shipyards overseas. “President Trump said it himself today that ‘I’m very aggressive in the new shipbuilding.’ I have every expectation that senior leaders across
- [Exclusive: Video reveals damage from fire on US aircraft carrier after sources say fire control system failed](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/exclusive-video-reveals-damage-from-fire-on-us-aircraft-carrier-after-sources-say-fire-control-system-failed/): The fallout from the fire could’ve been worse. Hunter Stires, who served as a maritime strategist to the then-Navy secretary until 2025, said the ship’s quick recovery from the fire was a testament to the crew’s training and resiliency amid a record-breaking deployment. “Fire and flooding are the two greatest dangers aboard any ship,” Stires
- [Marco Rubio says getting allies on board with Iran peace plan is "a work in progress"](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/marco-rubio-says-getting-allies-on-board-with-iran-peace-plan-is-a-work-in-progress/): Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday ahead of meetings with U.S. Gulf allies about the memorandum of understanding with Iran. CBS News' Olivia Gazis reports and Ian Ralby, president of Auxilium Worldwide, discusses the Strait of Hormuz.
- [Why Maritime Chokepoints Continue to Strangle the Global Economy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-maritime-chokepoints-continue-to-strangle-the-global-economy/): The Iran War significantly disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil and one third of its fertilizer supply has historically transited. The now-frozen conflict amplified inflation by making it more expensive, time-consuming, and dangerous to transport essential commodities by sea. Gas prices in
- [Maritime Employment of Canine Teams](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/maritime-employment-of-canine-teams/): As we move forward with the expansion of Department of War asymmetric enterprises, I would encourage a deep dive planning effort on the identification, utilization, and employment of MWD’s in war plans and defense support to civil authority operations. In Iraq and Afghanistan, military working dogs (MWD's) were an exclusive “force multiplier”. Patrol Explosive Detector
- [Red Sky at Night, Sailor's Delight; Red Sky at Morn, Sailor Take Warn!](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/red-sky-at-night-sailors-delight-red-sky-at-morn-sailor-take-warn/): The mission of the United States Navy for the last 250 years has been to keep the sea lines of communication open and promote the free flow of maritime commerce upon which the global economy depends.
- [Strait of Hormuz reopening likely to be delayed to sweep Iranian mines](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/strait-of-hormuz-reopening-likely-to-be-delayed-to-sweep-iranian-mines/): “They’re an unknown, they’re hard to find, and they create a sense of fear that other weapons don’t,” said Steven Wills, a navalist for the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League. “They can just come out of nowhere if they’ve been laid in the right place at the right time. … I think
- [Golden's Amendment and the U.S.-ROK Shipbuilding Alliance](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/goldens-amendment-and-the-u-s-rok-shipbuilding-alliance/): On June 5, 2026, Representative Jared Golden's amendment passed the House Armed Services Committee as part of the FY 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), now heading to a House vote. Intended to promote the U.S. domestic shipbuilding industry, the amendment prohibits any FY 2027 NDAA funds from being used to obtain battle-force ships and
- [Learning from Allied Foreign Shipyards and Utilizing AI | Pier Review Study](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/learning-from-allied-foreign-shipyards-and-utilizing-ai-pier-review-study/): This podcast marks the culmination of the Center for Maritime Strategy’s Allied Maritime Industrial Base study, Pier Review: Leveraging the Allied Maritime Industrial Base for U.S. Shipbuilding, a year-long effort engaging U.S. allies and partners to take a hard look at the state of global shipbuilding power. Drawing on firsthand insights from government leaders, industry
- [Oil prices sink to lowest levels in months after Trump touts Iran deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz — here’s when gas prices could drop](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/oil-prices-sink-to-lowest-levels-in-months-after-trump-touts-iran-deal-to-reopen-strait-of-hormuz-heres-when-gas-prices-could-drop/): ”If the peace holds, expect gas prices to begin dropping over the next one to two weeks in response to the decrease in crude oil prices,” Matthew Reisener, a senior national security analyst at the Center for Maritime Strategy, told The Post.
- [Naval Expert Explains Mine Clearing Process In Strait Of Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/naval-expert-explains-mine-clearing-process-in-strait-of-hormuz/): It can be a long process depending on how many mines have been laid - and we just don’t know how many mines have been laid.” With a peace deal agreed between the US and Iran, the process of mine removal is now the biggest challenge that remains to clear the blockade in the Strait
- [U.S. Navy Imperatives – Shipbuilding and Fleet Readiness](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/u-s-navy-imperatives-shipbuilding-and-fleet-readiness/): Keith Barbish, SIOP Program Director, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic The Honorable Victorino ('Vic') G. Mercado Leader, Navy & Marine Corps Strategic Growth IBM Federal Services Nicholas Weising, Program Associate, Center for Maritime Strategy Rear Admiral (Ret.), Charles W. (“Chip”) Rock, USN, Former Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic; and Strategic Partner Hampton Roads
- [Automation and Innovation in Allied Shipbuilding](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/automation-and-innovation-in-allied-shipbuilding/): Diving into insights from their latest study, "Pier Review: Leveraging the Allied Maritime Industrial Base for U.S. Shipbuilding," the Center for Maritime Strategy will discuss innovations in automation, robotics, and AI in shipbuilding operations of U.S. allies.
- [Naval Force Design Is Not a Bottom-Up Process](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/naval-force-design-is-not-a-bottom-up-process/): Introduction The advent and continued development of missile weapons over the last sixty plus years has called into question many traditional assumptions regarding the development of U.S. Navy force design, especially since the end of the Cold War. The increasing range, accuracy and lethality of missile weapons have been used to suggest that U.S. naval
- [A US-Iran Deal Could Hinge On Israel, Says US Security Expert Matt Reisener](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-us-iran-deal-could-hinge-on-israel-says-us-security-expert-matt-reisener/): Efforts to reach a preliminary agreement between the United States and Iran have intensified despite a spate of military exchanges between the two sides that have shaken an already fragile cease-fire. Matt Reisener, senior national-security adviser at the Center for Maritime Strategy, discusses with RFE/RL in an interview why diplomacy and military pressure are likely
- [The Long, Hard Slog of Becoming a Maritime Nation](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-long-hard-slog-of-becoming-a-maritime-nation/): The United States has been—and should again become—a more capable maritime nation, able to carry a larger share of its own commerce and, when necessary, transport troops, supplies and power in war. That goal, however, has always been harder to achieve than many modern accounts suggest.
- [Humans at Sea: Understanding Slavery, Human Trafficking, and Migrant Smuggling](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/humans-at-sea-understanding-slavery-human-trafficking-and-migrant-smuggling/): [pdf-embedder url="https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026_-NATO-CJOS-CoE-Bow-Wave.pdf" title="2026_ NATO CJOS CoE Bow Wave"]
- [The Baltic Sea: Europe's Critical Frontier and Subsea Battleground](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-baltic-sea-europes-critical-frontier-and-subsea-battleground/): [pdf-embedder url="https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026_-NATO-CJOS-CoE-Bow-Wave.pdf" title="2026_ NATO CJOS CoE Bow Wave"]
- [Firing Phelan Won't Immediately Fix Shipbuilding Woes](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/firing-phelan-wont-immediately-fix-shipbuilding-woes/): On April 22, President Trump made waves by authorizing the firing of Secretary of the Navy John Phelan and appointing Phelan's undersecretary Hung Cao as acting head of the service.
- [Improving U.S. South China Sea Strategy by Addressing China’s Ideological Drivers](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/improving-u-s-south-china-sea-strategy-by-addressing-chinas-ideological-drivers/): As is the case with most analysis of China’s international relations, much of the discourse surrounding Beijing’s approach to the South China Sea (SCS) fails to accurately diagnose the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ideological and strategic underpinnings. As the dust settles following China’s June 17 confrontation with the Philippines over Second Thomas Shoal, U.S.
- [The Integrated Shipyard: Leveraging AI and Digital Twins to Mitigate Labor Shortages and Data Silos](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-integrated-shipyard-leveraging-ai-and-digital-twins-to-mitigate-labor-shortages-and-data-silos/): Introduction The need to modernize U.S. shipbuilding has grown increasingly evident. Both naval and commercial sectors require complex, customized vessels, but the supporting workforce and data infrastructure remain outdated. Consequently, the United States has lost its competitive edge in the global shipbuilding industry. Modernization of domestic shipyards is therefore essential to improve workflows and achieve
- [Shipbuilders Look to Big Budget Plus-Ups to Reverse Delays, Cost Overruns](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/shipbuilders-look-to-big-budget-plus-ups-to-reverse-delays-cost-overruns/): The Center for Maritime Strategy released a report in April analyzing five allies’ shipbuilding practices and identifying key points of transformation for the United States. South Korea, Italy, Canada, Sweden and the United Kingdom have faced similar shipbuilding struggles and are adopting a variety of solutions, resulting in lessons the United States can learn as
- [US Forces Help Ships Leave Hormuz With Quiet Project Freedom](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/us-forces-help-ships-leave-hormuz-with-quiet-project-freedom/): Steve Wills, a naval expert at the Navy League’s Center for Maritime Strategy, said the US military can coordinate protection for vessels using Navy ships equipped with a modern AEGIS command-and-control system that integrates air and missile defense as well as early warning E-2D aircraft to provide an overall picture of the area.
- [Strengthening Pacific Naval Defense](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/strengthening-pacific-naval-defense/): CMS Navalist Dr. Steve Wills and Senior National Security Advisor Matthew Reisener joined Hanwha Defense USA COO Mike Smith and Senior Fellow in the Defense and Security Department at the CSIS Dr. Cynthia R. Cook for a panel on cooperating with allies and partners for rebuilding the maritime industrial base at the 2026 Capitol Hill
- [Cuba Isn’t a National Security Threat. Here’s Why](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/cuba-isnt-a-national-security-threat-heres-why/): The risks of a Cuban regime-change operation far exceed the potential benefits.
- [Allied Shipbuilding Needs a Clear Division of Labor](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/allied-shipbuilding-needs-a-clear-division-of-labor/): The United States is trying to rebuild maritime power at a moment when its shipbuilding base is under severe strain. A recent executive order now treats shipbuilding, repair, workforce development, and maritime logistics as national security priorities. As Washington looks to allied shipyards for help, it should avoid treating Japan and South Korea as interchangeable
- [US military helps commercial ships transit Strait of Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/us-military-helps-commercial-ships-transit-strait-of-hormuz/): The Navy likely has mapped out a safe route through the strait using surface and underwater drones to hunt for mines, said Steven Wills, an analyst with the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League of the United States. The U.S. also could be providing “a kind of distant protection” for commercial ships sailing
- [Iran Punctured the U.S. Security Umbrella in the Gulf](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/iran-punctured-the-u-s-security-umbrella-in-the-gulf/): Much of the recent discussion of America’s war with Iran has focused on the prospective deal being negotiated between the two countries and the extent to which Iran’s ability to resist collapse throughout the conflict and its potential long-term control over the Strait of Hormuz will enable it to impact post-peace regional security dynamics. Yet
- [Cooperation is key to rebuilding Canada-U.S. maritime manufacturing muscle](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/cooperation-is-key-to-rebuilding-canada-u-s-maritime-manufacturing-muscle/): Decades of industrial decay and neglect, coupled with myopic political decisions, have relegated both to fringe-player status in the shipbuilding major leagues. The game is now played almost exclusively in Asia, where 90% of the world’s commercial ships are built. However, as the Center for Maritime Strategy’s (CMS) Leveraging the Allied Maritime Industrial Base for U.S.
- [Fireside Chat with Acting Secretary of the Navy, The Honorable Hung Cao](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/fireside-chat-with-acting-secretary-of-the-navy-the-honorable-hung-cao/): ADM James Foggo, USN (ret.) sits down with Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao to discuss his journey becoming a U.S. Citizen, graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy and now acting secretary of the Navy. Plus the two reflect on national security decision-making and the challenges facing the Navy and broader maritime enterprise. Season
- [Why the USA looks at the Italian Model in Shipbuilding](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-the-usa-looks-at-the-italian-model-in-shipbuilding/): [pdf-embedder url="https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Airpress_177.pdf"] Mentre gli Stati Uniti rinnovano il proprio interesse e i propri investimenti nella cantieristica commerciale e militare, è utile esaminare le migliori pratiche industriali dei nostri alleati e partner. Il Center for maritime strategy di Washington ha recentemente completato uno studio completo su cinque Paesi diversi, intitolato Pier review: leveraging the allied maritime
- [Autonomy in Dry Docking: Engineering Pathways, Operational Realities, and Strategic Imperatives](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/autonomy-in-dry-docking-engineering-pathways-operational-realities-and-strategic-imperatives/): Introduction What is autonomy in dry docking? Until recently, the question itself would have seemed misplaced in most shipyards. Dry docking has traditionally been viewed as one of the most human-dependent evolutions in the maritime industry: an operation built upon judgment, experience, timing, and coordination under constantly changing conditions. Unlike highly repetitive industrial processes, dry
- [Damn the Cruise Missiles and Full Speed Ahead in Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/damn-the-cruise-missiles-and-full-speed-ahead-in-hormuz/): The U.S. Navy is again demonstrating the power of well-equipped, well-crewed warships in the close confines of the Strait of Hormuz. With perhaps a nod to Admiral David Farragut—who rammed his fleet past multiple Confederate forts during the American Civil War—U.S. Navy destroyers supporting Operation Epic Fury have now steamed through the strait under fire
- [Dangerous Encounters in the Western Pacific](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/dangerous-encounters-in-the-western-pacific-2/): The following article is a reprint and was originally published in 2023; it can be read here. It is important to remember that, in the last two weeks, the interactions between USS CHUNG HOON and a Chinese warship and an American P-8 Poseidon Marine Patrol Aircraft and a Chinese fighter jet took place in international
- [The Tiltrotor Advantage and the Evolution of the Joint Force](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-tiltrotor-advantage-and-the-evolution-of-the-joint-force/): The history of military aviation is defined by moments of evolutionary transition: pivot points where the limitations of the past are shed, and new capabilities grow and mature. We have seen this before, from the dawn of the jet age to the space age. Today, the Joint Force is entering another radical shift: the
- [Your move: What's next in battle for Strait of Hormuz?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/your-move-whats-next-in-battle-for-strait-of-hormuz/): US President Donald Trump has said a deal with Iran could be possible as negotiations to end the war gain momentum, again. Iran is reviewing a US proposal, which reportedly sets out limits for Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Crucially, it also addresses the possibility of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The battle in – and
- [Gulf Security After the Iran War](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/gulf-security-after-the-iran-war/): With the end of the Iran war on the horizon, a unique opportunity is at hand to establish a new Persian Gulf regional security framework that provides confidence to the maritime community, world energy consumers and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The last time we had a moment like this was in the aftermath of
- [Allied Competition or Collective Strength? The Risks of U.S. Shipbuilding Reshoring](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/allied-competition-or-collective-strength-the-risks-of-u-s-shipbuilding-reshoring/): The United States has renewed its focus on revitalizing domestic shipbuilding capacity as part of a broader effort to compete with China’s dominance in the maritime domain. Policymakers have increasingly viewed shipbuilding not only as an economic concern, but as a critical element of national security, enabling both naval readiness and the sustainment of maritime
- [U.S. Launches "Self-Defense Strikes" on Iran, says Warships came under Fire in Strait of Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/u-s-launches-self-defense-strikes-on-iran-says-warships-came-under-fire-in-strait-of-hormuz/): In this interview, Dr. Wills discusses: ⚓ The strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz⚓ The risks facing U.S. naval forces in the region⚓ Iran’s anti-ship missile, drone, and mining capabilities⚓ How the U.S. Navy could respond to escalating maritime threats⚓ The broader implications for global trade, oil markets, and regional security
- [Blue-water Navies: South Korea Becoming a Responsible Stakeholder](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/blue-water-navies-south-korea-becoming-a-responsible-stakeholder/): South Korea’s geography places it in the heart of the geopolitical issues in Northeast Asia and the political relationships between its neighbors. Given the nature of the division of the Korean peninsula, the Republic of Korea (ROK) has a unique position as an emerging global leader in an increasingly destabilizing security environment. Prior to the
- [Caught in the Net](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/caught-in-the-net/): DHS shutdown fight entangles Coast Guard as well
- [Autonomy to rule the seas? Retired admiral provides analysis](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/autonomy-to-rule-the-seas-retired-admiral-provides-analysis/): The Center for Maritime Strategy’s Jamie Foggo sits down with Defense News’ J.D. Simkins to talk about the increasing role of unmanned platforms in the Navy.
- [Can Iran Really Control the Strait of Hormuz?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/can-iran-really-control-the-strait-of-hormuz/): On April 7, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, during which the two countries have used Iran’s ten-point peace plan as a starting point for negotiations to end the conflict. One wedge issue in this peace plan is Iran’s demand to control the Strait of Hormuz and establish a $2 million fee for ships transiting
- [CEPA Podcast: Admiral Foggo on the Future of Maritime Security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/cepa-podcast-admiral-foggo-on-the-future-of-maritime-security/): The CEPA Podcast is a series of dynamic interviews, bringing together leaders and experts from both sides of the Atlantic to explore the most important challenges shaping our world today. What does it mean to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, and what happens next? Auterion Senior Fellow for Defense Technology Jason Israel sits down with Admiral (ret.) James Foggo, former commander
- [Tough Lessons for Taiwan From Iran](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/tough-lessons-for-taiwan-from-iran/): Iran’s experience fighting against a great power offers lessons for Taiwan, but they won’t be easy to learn.
- [How to build and maintain a ‘Golden Fleet’ of 381 Navy ships](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-to-build-and-maintain-a-golden-fleet-of-381-navy-ships/): The White House wants to spend $66 billion for sea vessels. It should build smartly
- [3 US aircraft carriers in Middle East for first time in decades](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/3-us-aircraft-carriers-in-middle-east-for-first-time-in-decades/): Three littoral combat ships homeported in Bahrain have mine countermeasure capabilities. But the ships have limited point defense systems against cruise missiles and no defense against ballistic missiles, Wills said.
- [Pressure mounting to overcome mine fears for ship transit in Strait of Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/pressure-mounting-to-overcome-mine-fears-for-ship-transit-in-strait-of-hormuz/): “That’s just the danger of mine warfare in that one can never take for granted that mines are not present unless cleared,” said Steven Wills, an analyst with the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League of the United States.
- [Fireside Chat with Secretary Braithwaite | Live at Sea-Air-Space 2026](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/fireside-chat-with-secretary-braithwaite-live-at-sea-air-space-2026/): The Center for Maritime Strategy hosts a fireside chat with The Honorable Kenneth J. Braithwaite, 77th Secretary of the Navy and former Ambassador to Norway, and Admiral James Foggo, USN (Ret.), Dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy. The discussion will explore leadership, strategy, and the future of U.S. maritime power, with reflections on national security decision-making and the challenges facing the
- [Why mine warfare is psychological, not just physical | DW News](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-mine-warfare-is-psychological-not-just-physical-dw-news/): US President Donald Trump has ordered his military to "shoot and kill" small Iranian boats that deploy mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is accused of laying new sea mines in this vital global shipping route — but how dangerous are these weapons really? And how much does the threat of mines matter, even
- [US says it’s hunting for explosive mines in latest push to open the Strait of Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/us-says-its-hunting-for-explosive-mines-in-latest-push-to-open-the-strait-of-hormuz/): Steven Wills, a retired lieutenant commander who served on an Avenger-class ship, said the Navy is likely looking for sea explosives in order to create a safe channel through the strait. Minesweeping is a slower process that usually occurs after a conflict. “Minehunting is walking through your yard pulling individual weeds and dandelions so that
- [The War in Ukraine Two Years On](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-war-in-ukraine-two-years-on/): It has been over 700 days since the start of Russia’s most recent invasion of Ukraine. Kicking off Season 3 of Maritime Nation, Admiral Foggo sits down with Major General Borys Kremenetskyi, Ukraine’s Defense Attaché in Washington, and Major General Peter Fuller, USA (ret.) to discuss how the war has progressed and what lays ahead
- [Trump Administration Pushes Biggest Noncombat Ship Upgrade in Decades](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/trump-administration-pushes-biggest-noncombat-ship-upgrade-in-decades/): The Trump administration is pushing for the biggest upgrade in decades to the nation’s fleet of noncombat ships in a bid to boost U.S. shipbuilding and strengthen America’s ability to prosecute wars overseas.
- [The Era of Free Seas Is Unraveling—and Now Everyone’s Going to Pay](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-era-of-free-seas-is-unraveling-and-now-everyones-going-to-pay/): In just six weeks, the Iran War has shattered a system of global trade that has enriched people and nations for more than a century: the freedom to sail the open seas.
- [Mine Warfare in the Strait of Hormuz: What the U.S. Can Expect from Iran](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/mine-warfare-in-the-strait-of-hormuz-what-the-u-s-can-expect-from-iran/): Large segments of the public—ranging from senior leaders who control military forces down to the proverbial person on the street—misunderstand modern mine warfare. When journalists use visuals to illustrate naval mines, they often default to World War I– or World War II–era imagery: large, spiked spheres floating ominously on the surface.
- [The Strait of Hormuz is Full of Mines: Will the U.S. Navy Clear It?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-strait-of-hormuz-is-full-of-mines-will-the-u-s-navy-clear-it/)
- [EXCLUSIVE: How allies’ successes could jumpstart America’s ailing shipyards](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/exclusive-how-allies-successes-could-jumpstart-americas-ailing-shipyards/): In an interview with the Wyoming Star, CMS senior national security advisor Matt Reisener traced the decline to policy decisions from the 1980s onward. “America has deprioritized shipbuilding over the past several decades,” he said. He pointed to the elimination of subsidies in the 1980s, Congress’s difficulty passing budgets, and post-Cold War complacency. “The rise of
- [Navy plays deadly game of hide-and-seek with Iranian mines](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navy-plays-deadly-game-of-hide-and-seek-with-iranian-mines/): Mine hunting “is like picking dandelions in your yard so that you can create a path you can walk across your yard and not step on a dandelion,” said Steven Wills, a retired Navy officer at the United States Navy League Center for Maritime Strategy.
- [A Brief History of U.S. Naval Mine Warfare in the Persian Gulf, 1979–Present](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-brief-history-of-u-s-naval-mine-warfare-in-the-persian-gulf-1979-present/): Iran’s claim to have laid mines across a broad area astride the Strait of Hormuz has again raised the prospect of a USS Samuel B. Roberts mine strike-incident and prompted renewed scrutiny of U.S. Navy mine-warfare capabilities. Observers have questioned the decision to retire and repatriate the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ships that for decades formed
- [Trade Relies on Freedom of Navigation by Cargo Ships that Drive the World’s Economies](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/trade-relies-on-freedom-of-navigation-by-cargo-ships-that-drive-the-worlds-economies/): In 2025, some 40,000 commercial cargo ships, each more than a football field long, moved $16.5 trillion in goods across the seas. That represented 60.6% of the $26.3 trillion in the total 2025 global merchandise exports reported by UNCTAD. Compared to world GDP of $117.2 trillion disclosed by the IMF, those goods shipped on vessels
- [Europe Is Accelerating a NATO Fallback Plan in Case Trump Pulls Out](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/europe-is-accelerating-a-nato-fallback-plan-in-case-trump-pulls-out/): A Europeanization of NATO “should have come before now,” said retired U.S. Adm. James Foggo, who held senior posts in and linked to NATO. He said European members have many very professional officers and leaders. “I think they have the capability. They’ve got some of the hardware” but need to invest and develop capabilities faster,
- [U.S. sends thousands more troops to Mideast as Trump seeks to squeeze Iran](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/u-s-sends-thousands-more-troops-to-mideast-as-trump-seeks-to-squeeze-iran/): The arrival of additional American warships will put even greater pressure on Iran and provide Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, and other senior military leaders with more options should negotiations fail, said James Foggo, a retired Navy admiral and dean at the Center for Maritime Strategy in Northern Virginia. “The more tools
- [Here’s What the U.S. Blockade of Iran Looks Like](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/heres-what-the-u-s-blockade-of-iran-looks-like/): A U.S. blockade of Iranian ports relies on more than 15 warships and potentially thousands of U.S. servicemembers, including possibly Marines and special-operations forces to enforce the operation.
- [How the US Navy could enforce a blockade of Iran's ports in the Strait of Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-the-us-navy-could-enforce-a-blockade-of-irans-ports-in-the-strait-of-hormuz/): "That's a bigger aperture. So, that's a little harder to execute. That may take a little bit longer as well, but we know the regime is somewhat dependent upon money made from the movement of oil, and they may be hard pressed to try their toll booth stunt in the face of firepower," said Steven Wills,
- [Pier Review: Leveraging the Allied Maritime Industrial Base for U.S. Shipbuilding](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/pier-review/): Download the Full Report 
- [The People’s Liberation Army Navy and the China Dream](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-peoples-liberation-army-navy-and-the-china-dream/): Introduction Since the formation of the People’s Republic, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) role has undergone a number of transformational changes which run parallel to the political ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Today’s PLAN intends to project power further from China’s shores as a political aim, and to wage decisive battles through
- [Retired U.S. Navy admiral on Trump's threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/retired-u-s-navy-admiral-on-trumps-threat-to-blockade-the-strait-of-hormuz/): The strait is nobody's strait. It's everybody's strait. So nobody owns the strait. It's there for free passage of goods and services on the high seas. So technically speaking, a blockade of a country or a country's ability to export goods and services is an act of war, but it's also illegal to charge $2
- [Iran’s Chokehold on Hormuz Strait Has White House on Defensive](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/irans-chokehold-on-hormuz-strait-has-white-house-on-defensive/): And were a US warship to be hit and sink with loss of life, it would likely prompt a “massive congressional investigation” that could consume the remainder of Trump’s agenda, according to Steven Wills, an analyst with the Navy League’s Center for Maritime Strategy.
- [Vance to lead Negotiations with Iran in Pakistan Saturday](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/vance-to-lead-negotiations-with-iran-in-pakistan-saturday/): Retired Admiral Jamie Foggo joins John Bachman to break down the rapidly escalating Iran conflict and the high-stakes diplomatic push now underway. With Vice President JD Vance traveling to Pakistan to lead negotiations aimed at ending the war, Foggo analyzes the risks of regional escalation and what leverage Washington actually has at the table. The
- [Reopening the Strait of Hormuz & Saving Downed Pilots](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reopening-the-strait-of-hormuz-saving-downed-pilots/): Two retired U.S. admirals with deep experience at sea and in the air joined Ryan to discuss the military challenge of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Adm. (ret.) Jamie Foggo and Vice Adm. (ret.) John "Fozzie" Miller unpack how Iran has been able to throttle one of the world's most important waterways and what it
- [A War With China Would Look Very Different From One With Iran](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-war-with-china-would-look-very-different-from-one-with-iran/): America’s air defense systems have proven invaluable by intercepting more than 90% of Iranian projectiles so far, said Matthew Reisener, an analyst from the Center for Maritime Strategy. On the other side of the coin, the Tomahawk cruise missile, despite being around for a long time, has remained incredibly effective and has been able to
- [Defending Global Order Against China’s Maritime Insurgency – Part 1](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/defending-global-order-against-chinas-maritime-insurgency-part-1/): Hunter Stires: That is very consistent with the way China has been pursuing its strategy in the South China Sea. As you said, China seeks to impose its own laws—made in Beijing—on the civilian maritime populations of its neighbors. They seek to do this, again, not by going to war, but by going out and imposing
- [Defending Global Order Against China’s Maritime Insurgency – Part 2](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/defending-global-order-against-chinas-maritime-insurgency-part-2/): Hunter Stires: I think you got it exactly. China’s approach here is inherently continentalist. Its maritime strategy involves land-centric thinking. I would argue that’s actually a weakness of their strategy, because you can’t permanently occupy the ocean.
- [USS George H.W. Bush completes pre-deployment exercise](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/uss-george-h-w-bush-completes-pre-deployment-exercise/): The Navy does not comment on future operations, so it’s unknown when and if the Bush will officially deploy, and if so, where it will go. But Hunter Stires, a senior fellow at the Center for Maritime Strategy who served as a maritime strategist to former Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, believed the carrier’s COMPTUEX
- [Iran war: Israel says ceasefire is 'not end of campaign' | DW News](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/6210/): It only took a few hours, but the long-awaited ceasefire in Iran is already on shaky ground. Last night, the United States, Israel and Iran agreed to a two-week halt in the fighting - less than 90 minutes before Donald Trump's 8pm deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. All sides hailed the agreement as
- [Trump Made a Deal That Gives Him Nothing He Wanted](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/trump-made-a-deal-that-gives-him-nothing-he-wanted/): Until this war, Iran found other ways to exert its influence that did not depend on the strait, retired Admiral James Foggo, the dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy, told me. The regime worked largely through its proxies across the region: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, and
- [Adm. James Foggo on the Iran war: I would encourage ‘strategic and tactical patience’ here](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/adm-james-foggo-on-the-iran-war-i-would-encourage-strategic-and-tactical-patience-here/): Retired U.S. Navy Admiral James Foggo, Center for Maritime Strategy dean, joins ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss avenues for opening the Strait of Hormuz, implications the U.S. should consider in its attacks, President Trump’s attitude thus far in the conflict, and more.
- [The Strait of Hormuz Is Not the 1915 Dardanelles Campaign](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-strait-of-hormuz-is-not-the-1915-dardanelles-campaign/): A U.S. effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz would not replicate the operational problem faced at the Dardanelles in World War I.
- [Hormuz is not the only weak spot for global trade](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/hormuz-is-not-the-only-weak-spot-for-global-trade/): “A lot of people are going to wake up to the fact that maritime trade is of great value and has to be protected,” says Steven Wills of the Centre for Maritime Strategy, an American think-tank. Even in a world criss-crossed by pipelines, lorries, trains and cargo planes, ships still carry about 85% of the
- [Iran continues attacks on Israel and Gulf States](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/iran-continues-attacks-on-israel-and-gulf-states/): 🎙️ On BBC: Retired U.S. Navy Admiral James G. Foggo discusses the ongoing Iran conflict, highlighting risks in the Strait of Hormuz and the growing targeting of Israel and GCC countries, raising concerns for regional stability and global security.
- [The Hormuz Crisis and the Case for Reconnecting the Navy and Merchant Marine](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-hormuz-crisis-and-the-case-for-reconnecting-the-navy-and-merchant-marine/): Two weeks into Operation Epic Fury, twenty commercial vessels have been struck in the Persian Gulf. At least six seafarers are dead. Roughly 400 tankers sit idle. Insurance withdrew before the first mine was laid, and the cascading commercial decisions that followed shut the Strait of Hormuz faster than any weapon could. The mines and
- [How Trump’s complex operation to extract Iran’s enriched uranium could unfold](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-trumps-complex-operation-to-extract-irans-enriched-uranium-could-unfold/): Steven Wills, a navalist at the Center for Maritime Strategy, argued that the Army, Air Force and Navy’s elite military units could take part in the mission, emphasizing that the Air Force personnel “at a minimum” would be needed for setting up airstrips.
- [Patriot Missile Demand Tests Washington’s Taiwan Priorities](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/patriot-missile-demand-tests-washingtons-taiwan-priorities/): The U.S. has been pretty clear that it doesn’t anticipate delays in the shipment of Patriots to Taiwan, said Matthew Reisener, an analyst from the Center for Maritime Strategy. However, he caveated: “The longer the conflict drags on, the more likely it is that Taiwan could be delayed in its receipt of more Patriots.” But
- [New MAP Offers Wish List for Achieving White House Maritime Goals](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/new-map-offers-wish-list-for-achieving-white-house-maritime-goals/): In April 2025, the White House released its executive order on "Restoring America's Maritime Dominance," which called on the federal government to "revitalize and rebuild domestic maritime industries and workforce to promote national security and economic prosperity"
- [Is the U.S. Navy ready to clear sea mines in the Persian Gulf?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/is-the-u-s-navy-ready-to-clear-sea-mines-in-the-persian-gulf/): Retired Adm. James Foggo, dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy, says past experience has shown that mines should be one of the Navy's top priorities. "Mines tend to be an asymmetric weapon," he says. "They also tend to be a poor man's tool to exert pressure on larger, more powerful nations." Mine clearing is
- [Neptune Strike 26-1:  A Good Start to Enhanced Vigilance Activity in the Europe](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/neptune-strike-26-1-a-good-start-to-enhanced-vigilance-activity-in-the-europe/): I had the opportunity to participate in NATO’s Enhanced Vigilance Activity (EVA) “Neptune Strike (NEST) 26-1”. NEST has been ongoing for many years and allows NATO the opportunity to exercise multiple Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) or Expeditionary Strike Groups (ESG) at one time. Likewise when the ESG’s operate in theater, NATO can practice amphibious warfare
- [Jones Act waivers won’t sink California gas prices](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/jones-act-waivers-wont-sink-california-gas-prices/): As the war with Iran continues, global oil prices will remain high, with gasoline prices following, meaning the President needs to find ways to lower costs or risk political and potential strategic vulnerabilities. In hopes of solving this, the Trump Administration has moved to waive the Jones Act in large part to lower prices for gas and other energy
- [How the War in Iran Became a Race to Stabilize the Global Economic Order](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-the-war-in-iran-became-a-race-to-stabilize-the-global-economic-order/): Steven Wills, a former U.S. Navy officer and a researcher at the Center for Maritime Strategy, a nonpartisan think tank, told me that the Navy has become more adept at shooting down drones and missiles, owing to the American campaign in the Red Sea against Yemen’s Houthi militia, and mines remain the biggest threat today.
- [Russia’s Expanding Robotic Sea Capabilities](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russias-expanding-robotic-sea-capabilities/): Russia’s Expanding Robotic Sea Capabilities Recent reports on Russia’s research fleet and its underwater surveillance network, Harmony, highlights a trend that deserves closer strategic attention: Moscow is attempting to integrate these unmanned systems into a broader concept for maritime dominance, combining offensive, defensive, and dual-use functions. In recent years, Russia has deployed an expanding portfolio
- [Navy Strategist: Strait of Hormuz Can Be Reopened by Escort Operations, Mine Threat Likely Overstated](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navy-strategist-strait-of-hormuz-can-be-reopened-by-escort-operations-mine-threat-likely-overstated/): Wills said the challenge is real but manageable, noting that Iran has had more than four decades to build layered coastal defenses along its side of the strait, including anti-ship cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, coastal radar networks, and a mine stockpile estimated in the thousands. The mines range from classic contact-detonation designs to more sophisticated
- [A New Paradigm for Shipbuilding in America](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-new-paradigm-for-shipbuilding-in-america/): By the Center for Maritime Strategy Editorial Board Much has been written about the atrophy of the U.S. Maritime Industrial Base since the end of the Cold War. The globalization narrative convinced multiple administrations that the United States could import whatever it required in terms of resources or manufacturing capability from foreign countries with cheaper
- [US targets mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz amid blockade disrupting global oil markets](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/us-targets-mine-laying-vessels-in-the-strait-of-hormuz-amid-blockade-disrupting-global-oil-markets/): But mines are low-cost and easily deployed, even by small boats -- an "asymmetric weapon," said retired US Adm. James Foggo, who commanded the U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet and is now the dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy. "Some might say [mines are] a poor man's weapon," Foggo said. "So if you don't have anything
- [U.S. Pushes to Reopen Strait of Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/u-s-pushes-to-reopen-strait-of-hormuz/): Former commander of United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa and commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples Admiral James Foggo joined Blake Burman on NewsNation to break down the escalating crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. Foggo discusses the deployment of a Marine Expeditionary Unit to the region, the strategic stakes of global energy flows, and
- [The Fleet in Being in the 21st Century: A Book Review](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-fleet-in-being-in-the-21st-century-a-book-review/): With the world’s attention focused on the war in Iran, maritime observers can point to the role of the U.S. Navy in destroying the Islamic Republic’s military assets. From carrier-based aircraft striking targets on land to a U.S. submarine sinking an Iranian frigate in the Indian Ocean, modern American naval might is apparent in this
- [US Burden-Shouldering? Surprising Activism in the Indian Ocean](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/us-burden-shouldering-surprising-activism-in-the-indian-ocean/): The current US military operation against Iran in the Indian Ocean region—including most recently a submarine torpedo attack—has not come out of the blue. Since its early months, the second Trump administration has conveyed certain security priorities through public messaging and actions. The November 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) confirmed the elevation of the Western
- [How could the US safeguard Strait of Hormuz? Trump’s options explained](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-could-the-us-safeguard-strait-of-hormuz-trumps-options-explained/): Retired Admiral James Foggo, dean of the Centre for Maritime Strategy and former commander of US Naval Forces in Europe-Africa, said the US could carry out the mission with an overwhelming force. “Do we have the capability to do that? Absolutely. Can the United States Navy do this for a long period of time? Absolutely.
- [How the U.S. Navy Can Clear the Strait of Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-the-u-s-navy-can-clear-the-strait-of-hormuz/): Despite claims to the contrary, dilapidated minesweepers are not the answer.
- [US deploys additional assets to Middle East as Iran disrupts tanker traffic in Strait of Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/us-deploys-additional-assets-to-middle-east-as-iran-disrupts-tanker-traffic-in-strait-of-hormuz/): Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reports on U.S. Central Command strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island and the Pentagon deploying additional sailors and Marines to the Middle East on ‘Special Report.’
- [SPECIAL REPORT: Lawmakers race to pass SHIPS Act before midterms](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/special-report-lawmakers-race-to-pass-ships-act-before-midterms/): If SHIPS Act language is included in other legislation instead of advancing as a standalone bill, some priorities could be diminished, according to Steven Wills, a navalist with the Center for Maritime Strategy. The SHIPS Act stands a better chance if Congress acts quickly to advance it before the Trump administration releases its fiscal year
- [Keeping Strait of Hormuz safe from deadly Iran drones, mines could take months — with high-tech help](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/keeping-strait-of-hormuz-safe-from-deadly-iran-drones-mines-could-take-months-with-high-tech-help/): No escorts have yet taken place in the current conflict, following a public relations blunder where Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s X account had wrongly claimed the Navy escorted a tanker through the Strait. Wills said the Navy would need to use destroyers to conduct the escorts
- [Sea mines and small boats: Iran’s new plan for the Strait of Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sea-mines-and-small-boats-irans-new-plan-for-the-strait-of-hormuz/): “I don’t think we’re fully there, certainly in terms of limiting completely, Iran’s ability to threaten traffic in the strait,” Wills told The Australian Financial Review. “Everybody who’s down there becomes vulnerable to attack, especially by missiles and then mines. Those are the two, I think, most dangerous weapons, because there’s little reaction time really, for
- [US Hits Military Targets on Iran’s Kharg Island as War Escalates](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/us-hits-military-targets-on-irans-kharg-island-as-war-escalates/): Steven Wills, a navalist at the Center for Maritime Strategy, said the island was set up to process about 90% of Iran’s oil shipments. If the island were to be captured or destroyed, “it could, in theory, take out a significant ability of Iran to export oil, and that’s what they live off of.”
- [China’s Fishing Offensive: How China’s Fishing Fleet Monopolizes Food Around the World](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/chinas-fishing-offensive-how-chinas-fishing-fleet-monopolizes-food-around-the-world/): Beijing’s DWF fleet’s operations reveal a system where state backing enables predatory behavior at unprecedented scale. This manifests in three domains: economic predation, human exploitation, and environmental destruction. Built and backed by the state, this fleet has become a global engine of predation, and Beijing now leads the world in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing
- [Military briefing: How mines could tighten Iran’s Gulf chokehold](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/military-briefing-how-mines-could-tighten-irans-gulf-chokehold/): Steven Wills, a former officer on a US minesweeper now at the Center for Maritime Strategy, said dead sheep thrown away by livestock ships, whose legs stick out of the water when they bloat, could sometimes be mistaken for mines by lookouts. “This is potentially a hard mission,” he said.
- [Hegseth, Trump face perilous options in the Strait of Hormuz](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/hegseth-trump-face-perilous-options-in-the-strait-of-hormuz/): Wills said the U.S. has minesweeping capability in the region with littoral combat ship-based, unmanned and helicopter-based mine-hunting systems. One asset the military is missing is the retired Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low, a long-range special operations helicopter that was capable of hunting, sweeping and neutralizing mines.
- [Escalating Hormuz Crisis Raises Specter of Prolonged Closure](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/escalating-hormuz-crisis-raises-specter-of-prolonged-closure/): “This is a problem of capacity and of having a number of ships, American ships, inside the Gulf and able to do that,” said retired Adm. James Foggo, the dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy. “These guys are really busy.”
- [A Case for Airborne Mine Warfare](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-case-for-airborne-mine-warfare/): Naval mines are some of the simplest weapons in modern warfare yet among the most dangerous. Cheap, easy to deploy, and difficult to detect, they remain one of the most effective ways a weaker naval power can threaten global commerce and challenge even the most capable navies in the world. A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted
- [Why America is at War with Iran and Where the Conflict Might Go From Here](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-america-is-at-war-with-iran-and-where-the-conflict-might-go-from-here/): Since February 28, the US military has been engaged in a military conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Dubbed “Operation Epic Fury,” the US and its ally Israel have struck thousands of military targets in Iran, with Israel also attacking Iranian proxies in Beirut. Thus far, these attacks have produced over 1,000 casualties, including
- [Let Foreign Yards Build U.S. Navy Auxiliary and Service Ships Now](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/let-foreign-yards-build-u-s-navy-auxiliary-and-service-ships-now/): There is much current discussion about having foreign shipyards build U.S. Navy warships as a way to increase production and fleet numbers. That sounds good on paper, but if the target is combatant ships, then there will be significant challenges.
- [Ports of Power and China’s Maritime Toolkit](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/ports-of-power-and-chinas-maritime-toolkit/): In this episode of Maritime Nation, we debut the February 2026 report “Ports of Power: China’s Growing Maritime Network of Ports, Bases, and Dual-use Facilities” by Congressman Mark Kennedy and Lea Thome. Join us as we explore how China is expanding its global maritime presence through ports, bases, and dual-use facilities, reshaping strategic competition and
- [Silent Service, Silent Death…](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/silent-service-silent-death/): While the other fighting arms of the United States Navy, including naval aviation, the surface navy, and naval special warfare have been at war numerous times since the end of World War 2, the U.S. Navy submarine force has not actually been in recorded combat since 14 August 1945, when the Tench class submarine USS Torsk sank the Japanese
- [Taiwan’s Concerning MDA Gap facing China’s Gray Zone](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/taiwans-concerning-mda-gap-facing-chinas-gray-zone/): Taiwan’s ability to maintain maritime domain awareness (MDA) around the island to counter China’s gray zone operations is facing serious challenges, and the government needs to find a new way of doing business to mitigate the erosion of Taiwan’s deterrence and combat power, China’s exploitation of this weakness for infiltration, and Taiwan’s ability to conduct
- [Truman to Trump: The Call "Where Are the Carriers" Still Sounds](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/from-truman-to-trump-the-call-where-are-the-carriers-still-sounds/): Carrier-based aviation has been at the leading edge of U.S. joint force combat operations from President Truman’s order to the U.S. Seventh Fleet on 27 June 1950 to commence combat operations against North Korean forces invading South Korea with USS Valley Forge, to President Trump’s deployment of a second carrier (the USS Gerald R. Ford,)
- [Trump in Biden's Footsteps: Reclaiming the Sea Remains America's Goal](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/trump-in-bidens-footsteps-reclaiming-the-sea-remains-americas-goal/): Ne è convinto Hunter Stires, già stratega marittimo del Segretario alla Marina Carlos Del Toro, in carica durante l’amministrazione dem di Joe Biden, dopo una carriera breve ma intensa di specializzazione nei temi geopolitici del controllo delle vie marittime e del contrasto alla pirateria, tanto da aver lungamente lavorato presso lo U.S. Naval War College,
- [Does the US have enough aircraft carriers for all Trump’s wars?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/does-the-us-have-enough-aircraft-carriers-for-all-trumps-wars/): “This is four-and-a-half acres of sovereign American soil that you can move anywhere in the world at 30-plus knots,” Hunter Stires, former maritime strategist to the secretary of the Navy, told Vox.
- [Ports of Power: China’s Growing Maritime Network of Ports, Bases, and Dual-Use Facilities](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/ports-of-power-chinas-growing-maritime-network-of-ports-bases-and-dual-use-facilities/): Download the Full Report 
- [What the Frigate? Why the US Navy needs a new boat](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/what-the-frigate-why-the-us-navy-needs-a-new-boat/): Why does the U.S. Navy need a new Frigate? Find out in Episode 3 of Mission Critical! Host Ryan Robertson talks with several maritime experts about the new class of frigate the U.S. Navy wants, which is based on the HII-built Legend-class National Security Cutter the U.S. Coast Guard uses. Steven Wills from the
- [The Pitfalls of Present-day Privateering](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-pitfalls-of-present-day-privateering/): There is something inherently romantic about the idea of going to sea in search of fame and fortune while supporting your country at the same time. Throughout the “Age of Fighting Sail.” American citizens who were not in the navy could do just that, through the issuance of a letter of Marque and Reprisal. Through
- [Suppressing Wages of Naval Architects is the Last Thing the U.S. MIB Needs Right Now](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/suppressing-wages-of-naval-architects-is-the-last-thing-the-u-s-mib-needs-right-now/): In October 2023, a class action lawsuit was filed against many of the top shipbuilders and ship design firms in the United States. The plaintiffs allege that the shipbuilders have been conspiring together to suppress wages and not recruit each other’s naval architects though secret no-poach agreements. Regardless of the eventual outcome of this case,
- [Greece Hosts UN Event on Maritime Trade Security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/greece-hosts-un-event-on-maritime-trade-security/): An in-depth roundtable discussion was organized yesterday by the Permanent Mission of Greece, in cooperation with the Delphi Economic Forum at the UN Headquarters. The discussion moved beyond traditional threats to focus on the practical and tangible effects of maritime instability on global supply chains and consumer costs. Our speakers highlighted the importance of coordination
- [America's Maritime Strategy in the Indian Ocean Region](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/americas-maritime-strategy-in-the-indian-ocean-region/): What does the future of maritime security look like in the Indian Ocean? This session features an in-depth discussion on the recently published book, "American Maritime Strategy in the Indian Ocean: Dominance, Diffusion, Adaptation" by Vivek Mishra. This conversation explores the evolution of U.S. maritime strategy, moving from a period of unilateral dominance to a
- [Meeting the MARAD Administrator | The Honorable Stephen Carmel](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/meeting-the-marad-administrator-the-honorable-stephen-carmel/): In this episode, Admiral Foggo and Dr. Steve Wills sit down with the Honorable Stephen Carmel for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of U.S. maritime policy, shipbuilding, and national security. Drawing on decades of industry and policy experience, Carmel discusses lessons from history, the evolving role of the Maritime Administration, and the strategic challenges
- [The Middle East Is Now a Live-Fire Test of American Maritime Deterrence](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-middle-east-is-now-a-live-fire-test-of-american-maritime-deterrence/): The Middle East is no longer a peripheral conflict. It is an active battlespace in which U.S. naval power, global commerce, and allied security are being tested in real time.
- [Pitfalls in Political Warship Designs](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/pitfalls-in-political-warship-designs/): Leaders throughout history, going back at least to the Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut, have commissioned the building of great fleets for national security purposes.
- [Is Sustaining Maritime Dominance Even Possible?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/is-sustaining-maritime-dominance-even-possible/): Is sustaining maritime dominance even possible? This session examined the challenges and opportunities facing our maritime services informed by recent wargaming results and policy decisions. Join us for a focused discussion on maritime strategy and the future.
- [Russian airlines halt flights to Cuba over fuel shortage](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russian-airlines-halt-flights-to-cuba-over-fuel-shortage/): Maritime law and security expert Ian Ralby discusses Cuba’s jet fuel shortage, the impact of U.S. pressure on oil exports and what it could mean for the island’s worsening energy crisis.
- [It’s Crunch Time for Rebuilding American Shipbuilding](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/its-crunch-time-for-rebuilding-american-shipbuilding/): One year ago, President Donald Trump opened his second term with an avalanche of executive orders in his first three months in office. Many made immediate, decisive changes to policies governing key segments of the economy—energy, mineral production, and banking.
- [The Northern Sea Route and the Coming Maritime Stress Test in East Asia](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-northern-sea-route-and-the-coming-maritime-stress-test-in-east-asia/): The Northern Sea Route (NSR) could function as a force multiplier for the aggressors by exacerbating allied operational strain. By enabling Russia—acting in support of the broader coercive campaign—to dispatch its naval fleet to the Far East at a moment when U.S., Japan, and South Korean naval assets are already stretched thin the NSR would
- [Sudan’s Civil War Is a Regional Security Stress Test](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sudans-civil-war-is-a-regional-security-stress-test/): Sudan’s civil war has transitioned from an internal contest for power into a multidimensional regional security challenge. What initially appeared to be a struggle between rival armed formations has evolved into a conflict increasingly shaped by external military involvement, long-range strike capabilities, and the proliferation of unmanned systems.
- [Space– A view from the Planet’s Surface](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/space-a-view-from-the-planets-surface/): Re-printed with permission of the NATO Joint Analysis and Lessons Learned Centre (JALLC). This piece originally appeared in JALLC’s 2025 annual magazine, the JALLC Explorer. “Space is increasingly important for the Alliance’s and Allies’ security and prosperity. Space brings benefits in multiple areas from weather monitoring, environment and agriculture, to transport, science, communications and banking.”
- [The Future of Naval Autonomous Vessels: The Changing Character of Sea Warfare](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-future-of-naval-autonomous-vessels-the-changing-character-of-sea-warfare/): Autonomous vessels will forever change the character of naval warfare. Their eventual integration into America's fleet will enable commanders to perform essential combat functions at lower costs and with fewer risks to sailors.
- [The Intensification of Russian Shadow Fleet Activities](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-intensification-of-russian-shadow-fleet-activities/): Recent maritime incidents in the North Atlantic and the English Channel represent a marked escalation in the economic and geopolitical confrontation between the Russian Federation and Western states. The interception of a sanctioned Russian-linked tanker near Iceland by United States authorities, followed closely by the sanctioned transit of Russian vessels through the English Channel under
- [The Scramble for the Arctic — Greenland and Beyond](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-scramble-for-the-arctic-greenland-and-beyond/): The present center of gravity of this new geopolitical condition has been Greenland, the world’s largest island and long a possession of the Kingdom of Denmark, although also the home to many allied troops and bases during the Second World War and Cold War eras. Whoever has the right to control, and whatever happens next, there is no question
- [The Battle for American Waterways](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-battle-for-american-waterways/): In this inaugural Season 5 episode of Maritime Nation Admiral Foggo moderates a deep dive into the Jones Act and its central role in U.S. national security, economic sovereignty, and control of America’s waterways. Joined by subject matter experts Sara Fuentes and Jennifer Carpenter, the discussion moves beyond the familiar trade debate to examine the
- [Open Season on Ghost Fleets in Wake of U.S. Venezuela Operations](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/open-season-on-ghost-fleets-in-wake-of-u-s-venezuela-operations/): The U.S. recently seized a seventh Venezuelan tanker, which Washington accuses of being part of a global “ghost fleet” that surreptitiously moves Russian and Iranian oil or other illicit cargo under false flags and registry to avoid economic sanctions.
- [Dual Use Initiative By China Could Exponentially Increase Its Missile Launch Platforms](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/dualuse-initiative-by-china-could-exponentially-increase-its-missile-launch-platforms/): A December 25 article in The War Zone, a prominent online publication focusing on military, defense and technology, included pictures of a small cargo ship packed with containerized missile launchers. The modular outfitting with containers included missile radar equipment and an 11-barrel 30 millimeter close-in weapon system for air defense. The article indicated that most of the deck
- [Arsenalotti for America: Lessons from The Serene Republic for a U.S. Maritime Industrial Corps](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/arsenalotti-for-america-lessons-from-the-serene-republic-for-a-u-s-maritime-industrial-corps/): The Battle of Chioggia It was the longest night of the year, and two fleets were on the cusp of a major battle. For nearly a decade, two competing maritime powers were locked in strategic competition, which had culminated in full-scale hostilities a few years prior. Both nations had recently weathered the severe disruptions to
- [Trump is Right to Revitalize U.S. Shipbuilding](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/trump-is-right-to-revitalize-u-s-shipbuilding/): In the opening months of his second administration, President Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants to counter China’s military and economic threats to the United States and bring back U.S. manufacturing jobs. These issues coincide in the revitalization of U.S. shipbuilding—an area in which President Trump has expressed interest since before his
- [China calls Trump battleship ‘easier target’ amid mixed US reception](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/china-calls-trump-battleship-easier-target-amid-mixed-us-reception/): “So, the good news is the president is behind the initiatives to get shipbuilding going again,” said Foggo, a former commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa. “Certainly it’s a high risk because the Chinese have these very capable weapons systems. There’s a risk to anything that that floats on the sea. It’s how you deploy
- [Staying Afloat: Why America Needs the Jones Act to Compete with China and What to Do Next](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/staying-afloat-why-america-needs-the-jones-act-to-compete-with-china-and-what-to-do-next/): Download the Full Report  "Geopolitical competition between the United States and China has prompted broad policy reassessments in many industries associated with military and economic security. In no strategically important sector is China’s advantage over the US more pronounced than in the commercial maritime industry. Using extensive government support and other advantages, China has
- [Maritime Statecraft and its Future](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/maritime-statecraft-and-its-future/): With shipping and shipbuilding receiving high-level political and diplomatic attention across two administrations after decades of neglect, the United States has the chance to realize a much-needed maritime revival. Having initiated a change in course from the past forty years of stagnation, Washington should double down on its winning bipartisan strategy to build maritime power
- [International Reactions to Maritime COIN Project](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/international-reactions-to-maritime-coin-project/): It has been a year since the July 2022 launch of the Maritime Counterinsurgency Project. To date, the project has produced some noteworthy responses. Chinese experts apparently view the Maritime COIN Project through a similar lens as official U.S. strategic documents. In its coverage of the project launch, the South China Morning Post cited a Beijing-based international
- [The Maritime Counterinsurgency Project Begins](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-maritime-counterinsurgency-project-begins/): For all the attention paid to its growing capabilities for a possible future war, China’s decisive line of effort to undo the foundation of the U.S.-led rules-based international order is well underway—and has made grave inroads without firing a shot. Rather than embarking on a costly and hazardous large-scale war of aggression, China is working
- [Deterrence: Selected Articles from the Naval War College Review](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/deterrence-selected-articles-from-the-naval-war-college-review/): The subject of deterrence fell away from the forefront of American strategic thinking during the three decades following the fall of the Soviet Union. Our ability to deter much weaker states by denying them the ability to achieve their aims was long assumed. But today there is a new global security situation that makes it
- [Littoral Combat Ships for Maritime COIN](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/littoral-combat-ships-for-maritime-coin/): The U.S. Pacific Fleet is embracing its role in countering China’s maritime insurgency against the rule of international law and freedom of the seas. Persistent presence to safeguard Southeast Asian civilians from China’s depredations against their rights is the new order of the day and already is delivering favorable political-diplomatic results.
- [Win Without Fighting](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/win-without-fighting/): The prioritization of China as the Department of Defense’s pacing threat and the renewed emphasis on the core naval function of contending for command of the sea are welcome developments. Yet, what this means in terms of how the Sea Services should be equipped, trained, and employed remains unsettled. In the rush to embrace the
- [“They Were Playing Chicken”—The U.S. Asiatic Fleet’s Gray-Zone Deterrence Campaign against Japan, 1937–40](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/they-were-playing-chicken-the-u-s-asiatic-fleets-gray-zone-deterrence-campaign-against-japan-1937-40/): The current environment is not the first time the United States has faced a destabilizing challenge in the western Pacific. In 1937, Japanese forces in China undertook a campaign to expel U.S., British, and other Western interests from that country as part of imperial Japan’s effort to dominate East Asia. The gray-zone tactics used during
- [The South China Sea Needs a ‘COIN’ Toss](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-south-china-sea-needs-a-coin-toss/): The present U.S. approach to countering incremental Chinese aggression in the South China Sea has failed. U.S. Navy freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) are not achieving their long-term political-diplomatic objectives of upholding the rule of international law or substantively changing China’s belligerently revisionist attitudes and behavior in the region. But while the cancerous expansion of
- [Why We Defend Free Seas](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-we-defend-free-seas/): China’s maritime insurgency in the South China Sea has largely escaped public notice in part because it occurs through innumerable seemingly mundane daily interactions. These effectively conceal the extraordinary stakes being contended for when a Chinese ship bullies a humble Southeast Asian fishing boat. Despite its often-modest outward appearance, what is now transpiring in the
- [Understanding and Defeating China’s Maritime Insurgency in the South China Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/understanding-and-defeating-chinas-maritime-insurgency-in-the-south-china-sea/): The rule of an international system that upholds the legal and philosophical principle of the “freedom of the seas” ranks among America’s most important if uncelebrated national interests. The preservation of a free and open maritime order is imperative for a country whose ability to connect with over 80 percent of the world’s population depends
- [The Navy Is Teaching This Old Missile Some New (And Deadly) Tricks](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-navy-is-teaching-this-old-missile-some-new-and-deadly-tricks/): The SM-2 Block IIIC upgrade is a program that has largely flown “under the radar” of press attention for the past few months. This lack of popular scrutiny belies the profound operational significance of this initiative for the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet.
- [Exclusive: CNO Announces the Return of Vertical Launch System At-Sea Reloading](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/exclusive-cno-announces-the-return-of-vertical-launch-system-at-sea-reloading/): The U.S. Navy is looking to restore its ability to reload its ships’ vertical launch systems at sea, which could be a dramatic logistical game changer in the planning and execution of high-intensity contingencies against peer competitors.
- [Perrys to the Rescue: Could the U.S. Navy’s Retired Frigates Make a Comeback?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/perrys-to-the-rescue-could-the-u-s-navys-retired-frigates-make-a-comeback/): The U.S. Navy’s venerable Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate made a splash at the U.S. Naval War College’s Current Strategy Forum last week when Chief of Naval Operations John Richardson publicly acknowledged that his service is taking “a hard look” at options to rehabilitate, modernize and recommission seven or eight of its inventory of the now-retired ships.
- [1941 Asiatic Fleet Offers Strategic Lessons](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/1941-asiatic-fleet-offers-strategic-lessons/): “Air-Sea Battle.” What comes to mind when you hear that dashing phrase? How about its ungainly replacement, “Joint Concept for Access and Maneuver in the Global Commons”? Some might envision a hypothetical conflict between the United States and a certain rising power in Asia.
- [China’s Push to Master the Arctic Opens an Alarming Shortcut to U.S.](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/chinas-push-to-master-the-arctic-opens-an-alarming-shortcut-to-u-s/): Chinese research submarines for the first time traveled thousands of feet beneath the Arctic ice this summer, a technical feat with chilling military and commercial implications for America and its allies.
- [Industry Divided on USTR’s China Port Fee Suspension](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/industry-divided-on-ustrs-china-port-fee-suspension/): Hunter Stires, Non-Resident Fellow with the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League, called the suspension “a significant strategic mistake,” noting that China’s vehement opposition and retaliatory measures demonstrated how seriously Beijing took the threat.
- [What it would take to build Trump’s Golden Fleet ‘battleships’](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/what-it-would-take-to-build-trumps-golden-fleet-battleships/): Hunter Stires, who was an advisor to former Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, argued the service should conduct a competition between HII and BIW for any future surface combatant rather than allowing a teaming arrangement, which is currently envisioned for the DDG(X) program. He also suggested Hanwha, the South Korean conglomerate that has aggressively pursued a stronger
- [Harsh criticism from the US for Finland's icebreaker deal](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/harsh-criticism-from-the-us-for-finlands-icebreaker-deal/): Presidentti Joe Bidenin hallinnossa stategina työskennellyt Hunter Stires arvostelee rajusti Yhdysvaltain ja Suomen välistä jäänmurtajasopimusta. Bidenin Laivastoministerin neuvonantajana työskennellyt Stires kirjoitti aiheesta turvallisuuspolitiikkaan keskittyvässä Defense One -mediassa.
- [Understanding and Countering China's Maritime Gray Zone Operations](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/understanding-and-countering-chinas-maritime-gray-zone-operations/): China is engaged in a campaign to take control of large portions of the South China Sea, including significant portions of the exclusive economic zones of other countries, by conducting various gray zone operations that have allowed China to exert control over the region while avoiding a conventional military response from the United States and
- [Sea Control 591: Maritime Statecraft and Its Future with Steve Brock and Hunter Stires](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sea-control-591-maritime-statecraft-and-its-future-with-steve-brock-and-hunter-stires/): Host Brian Kerg talks with Steve Brock and Hunter Stires to discuss their CIMSEC article, “Maritime Statecraft and Its Future.” Steven V. Brock was appointed by the White House as the Senior Advisor to the 78th Secretary of the Navy, where from 2022 to 2025 he served as a chief strategist and key implementor of
- [Episode 737: Maritime Statecraft and its Future, with Hunter Stires](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/episode-737-maritime-statecraft-and-its-future-with-hunter-stires/): How are naval shipbuilding, commercial shipbuilding, and commercial shipping linked together to create a healthy and effective national seapower ecosystem? What did the 1990s “Last Supper” get wrong, and what can be done to correct the error?Our guest this week is Hunter Stires, founder and CEO of The Maritime Strategy Group, returning to Midrats to
- [Proceedings Podcast Ep. 276: The Maritime COIN Project Begins](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/proceedings-podcast-ep-276-the-maritime-coin-project-begins/): Host Bill Hamblet sits down with guests Hunter Stires and Dr. James Holmes to discuss The Maritime COIN Project, featured in the latest issue of Proceedings. To read Hunter's introduction to the project in the July issue, visit: https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2022/july/maritime-counterinsurgency-project-begins To read Dr. Holmes' article, click here: https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2022/july/you-have-be-there This content is made possible by the members of the
- [CAVASSHIPS Podcast [Jul 22, ’22] Episode 58…Maritime COIN in INDO-PACOM](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/cavasships-podcast-jul-22-22-episode-58maritime-coin-in-indo-pacom/): Welcome to the CavasShips Podcast with Christopher P. Cavas and Chris Servello…a weekly podcast looking at naval and maritime events and issues of the day – in the US, across the seas and around the world. This week…How should the US respond to the seemingly never-ending rise of China’s Navy? A new effort to focus
- [#BruteCast S2E7 - “Wresting Back the Strategic Initiative in the South China Sea” panel](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/brutecast-s2e7-wresting-back-the-strategic-initiative-in-the-south-china-sea-panel/): In this episode, #TeamKrulak was fortunate to host two distinguished guests to talk about the challenges facing the United States and its allies in the South China Sea. Dr. James R. Holmes is a professor of strategy, the inaugural holder of the J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy, and a two-time visiting professor of
- [Sea Control 197 – Naval Great Power Competition with Dr. Joshua Tallis and Hunter Stires](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sea-control-197-naval-great-power-competition-with-dr-joshua-tallis-and-hunter-stires/): Dr. Josh Tallis and Hunter Stires join the podcast to discuss three of their recent pieces focused on naval great power competition, the benefit of smaller combatants, fleet structure, conflict below the level of war, multiple theories about Chinese strategy, and more!
- [Episode 399: The Asiatic Fleet of 1941 and its Lessons of Today](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/episode-399-the-asiatic-fleet-of-1941-and-its-lessons-of-today/): Nothing is really new, unprecedented, or that unique. If you are willing to look with the right eye, though tools may have changed, the fundamentals often remain the same. In the opening months of WWII, there is a story we don't study enough - mostly because it is not a pleasant story. For today's episode, we're
- [Countering China in the South China Sea with Hunter Stires - on Midrats](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/countering-china-in-the-south-china-sea-with-hunter-stires-on-midrats/): China will continue to expand its holdings and presence in the South China Sea and the first and second island chain as long as it can and does not face pressure to do otherwise. They have an unmatched shipbuilding program to expand not just their traditional navy, but their coast guard and maritime paramilitary fleets.
- [Episode 458: Maritime Insurgency and Counterinsurgency with Hunter Stires](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/episode-458-maritime-insurgency-and-counterinsurgency-with-hunter-stires/): The outlaw and lawless ocean, non-state actors, intimidation, and hostile acts short of war - security on the high seas involves a lot more than fleet actions. From the South China Sea as government policy, to land conflicts and economic stress moving to adjacent seas - what exactly is the concept of insurgency and counterinsurgency
- [Emerging Technologies and Threats to the Homeland](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/emerging-technologies-and-threats-to-the-homeland/): Panel discussion from the 2025 SOAA/IWI Conference: South America in Competition Panel Topic: Emerging Technologies and Threats to the Homeland Moderator: Will Walker, Head of Growth, Onebrief Panelists: Dr. Evan Ellis, Research Professor, U.S. Army War College Hunter Stires, Maritime Strategist to the Secretary of the Navy Lino Miani, Managing Director, Aero-Eye Adam Fife, CEO,
- [Maritime Competition in the Indo-Pacific](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/maritime-competition-in-the-indo-pacific/): Panel Discussion, Sea Air Space, April 3, 2023 (panel organizer, moderator) Panelists: Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Camille Dawson; VADM Eugene Black, USN; VADM Andrew Tiongson, USCG; BGen Simon Doran, USMC; Dr. James Holmes, U.S. Naval War College
- [Maritime COIN and Integrated Deterrence](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/maritime-coin-and-integrated-deterrence/): The concept of Integrated Deterrence is prominently featured in the National Security Strategy and the recently released, unclassified version of the National Defense Strategy. Now in its 16th year, the Naval Institute’s Defense Forum Washington will assemble civilian leaders, senior military, and members of Congress, to hear their views on what Integrated Deterrence is and
- [Twelfth Annual South China Sea Conference](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/twelfth-annual-south-china-sea-conference/): The CSIS Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative are pleased to present the Twelfth Annual South China Sea Conference on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 from 9:00 am-4:00 pm ET. This full-day conference will provide opportunities for in-depth discussion and analysis of developments in the South China Sea over the past year and potential
- [Solving the Navy’s Frigate Problem: The Case for Bold, Persistent Experimentation](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/solving-the-navys-frigate-problem-the-case-for-bold-persistent-experimentation/): The U.S. Navy’s recent decision to cancel the Constellation class frigate (FFG-62) after only two ships is unfortunate but not surprising. Based on the FREMM (Frégate Européenne Multi-Mission in French, or Fregata Europea Multi-Missione in Italian), America’s new frigate was supposed to have 85% of the features of the Franco-Italian frigate, and 15% modifications. Over
- [The China-Japan Crisis Demonstrates China's Growing Influence in Myanmar](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/5792/): Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made waves with her recent comments about Japan’s willingness to potentially intervene on behalf of Taiwan if the island were attacked by China. Perhaps no response to this diplomatic spat was more surprising than the one issued by Myanmar, a country which has historically sought to cultivate strong relationships with
- [Admiral James Foggo (Ret.) on Greenland, the Arctic, and Global Security | BBC World News](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/admiral-james-foggo-ret-on-greenland-the-arctic-and-global-security-bbc-world-news/): Admiral James Foggo (Ret.), former Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, joins BBC World News to discuss the growing strategic importance of Greenland and the Arctic region. In this interview, Admiral Foggo examines how Arctic geography, great power competition, and maritime security intersect — and why developments in Greenland matter for NATO, the
- [In Venezuela, Trump Revives ‘Gunboat Diplomacy.’ What Is It?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/in-venezuela-trump-revives-gunboat-diplomacy-what-is-it/): But the practice of using naval force to bring an adversary to heel is as old as civilization itself, said Steven Wills, a former U.S. Navy officer who is a researcher at the Center for Maritime Strategy, a nonpartisan think tank that studies maritime issues. “Navies have been using this ever since the Egyptian pharaoh
- [Myanmar’s Junta Is Losing the War It Started: How Brutality Backfired, and Why It Matters for Asia](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/myanmars-junta-is-losing-the-war-it-started-how-brutality-backfired-and-why-it-matters-for-asia/): Nearly four years after the military seized power, Myanmar’s junta is losing the war it unleashed on its own people. The generals who once ruled through fear are watching their control collapse under the weight of the very violence they rely on. Each airstrike, arrest, and forced conscription order has strengthened the resolve of armed
- [A ‘COIN’ Toss in the South China Sea: Defending Free Seas and the Rule of International Law from China’s Maritime Insurgency](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-coin-toss-in-the-south-china-sea-defending-free-seas-and-the-rule-of-international-law-from-chinas-maritime-insurgency/)
- [The U.S. Navy's Strategic Focus and Modernization Priorities: The Foundry, the Fleet, the Fight](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-u-s-navys-strategic-focus-and-modernization-priorities-the-foundry-the-fleet-the-fight/): [pdf-embedder url="https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Airpress_171.pdf"] The United States Navy is committed to maintaining its role as the most dominant maritime force through a comprehensive approach centered on readiness, innovation, and warfighting excellence, all in collaboration with allies and partners. Admiral Daryl Caudle assumed the mantle of leadership as Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) on 25 August 2025. We
- [Fleet Readiness and the Eglin Gulf Testing and Training Range](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/fleet-readiness-and-the-eglin-gulf-testing-and-training-range/): America stands on the brink of a military readiness crisis. While the past century has seen tremendous growth in travel and commerce, one consequence of this progress has been the commercial encroachment on the air and sea space once reserved for military exercises. This trend, as well as the heightened concern for the environmental impact
- [Making Sense of Donald Trump’s Venezuela Blockade](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/making-sense-of-donald-trumps-venezuela-blockade/): Rather than heralding an invasion, the blockade is likely a show of force designed to underscore the seriousness of the administration’s pivot to the Western Hemisphere.
- [Key Elements of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/key-elements-of-the-2026-national-defense-authorization-act/): This year’s NDAA supports Navy shipbuilding efforts but should have included a call to fix the small combatant program in the wake of concerns about the Littoral Combat Ship and the canceled Constellation-class frigate program.
- [The Maritime Policy Statement and Ensuring National Defense](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-maritime-policy-statement-and-ensuring-national-defense/): This week, Admiral James G. Foggo (ret.) speaks with five authors of the The Navy League of the United States’ Maritime Policy statement, to discuss what the document calls for and the importance of continued American maritime dominance. Season 4 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [Celebrating Silent Servants of the Silent Service](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/celebrating-silent-servants-of-the-silent-service/): Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for allowing me to speak with you today. I am excited to share insights about a remarkable opportunity in the manufacturing and technical fields—an opportunity that not only offers rewarding careers but also helps meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in the submarine industrial base and the broader maritime
- [Putin’s new submarines are a rapidly expanding Atlantic threat | Admiral James G. Foggo](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/putins-new-submarines-are-a-rapidly-expanding-atlantic-threat-admiral-james-g-foggo/): “The Russians have a very capable programme of information and intelligence gathering using undersea assets.” Russia’s newest submarines, including the ultra-quiet Severodvinsk armed with hypersonic missiles, represent a rapidly expanding threat beneath the Atlantic that NATO must urgently be prepared to counter, says retired US Navy Admiral (ret.) James G Foggo.
- [Atlantic Council launches Revitalizing US Shipbuilding Task Force to bolster US maritime industrial base](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/atlantic-council-launches-revitalizing-us-shipbuilding-task-force-to-bolster-us-maritime-industrial-base/): The Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and its Forward Defense program announced today the launch of the Revitalizing US Shipbuilding Task Force in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). Click here for the press release. More information is available on the Task Force’s website.
- [Administration’s New Strategy Points to Larger, More Capable Naval Force](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/5729/): While not specifically saying so, President Trump’s new National Security Strategy (NSS) released on Dec.4 is in fact a clarion call for a larger and more capable Navy.
- [Army-Navy 2025: Previewing the Navy's Most Important Gridiron Battle](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/army-navy-2025-previewing-the-navys-most-important-gridiron-battle/): The US Navy’s recent operations in the Caribbean will briefly take a backseat in the public consciousness this Saturday as the Navy prepares for battle in another theater. On December 13, the eyes of the sporting world will be fixed on Baltimore, Maryland, where the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy
- [Analyzing the 2025 National Security Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/analyzing-the-2025-national-security-strategy/): On December 4, 2025, the White House released its National Security Strategy (NSS) outlining the Trump administration’s view of the most pressing national security challenges facing the United States and its plans to address them. The 29-page strategy is unmistakably infused with and reflective of President Trump’s worldview, to the point where one’s opinion of
- [Why did Iran Seize a Ship in the Strait of Hormuz?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-did-iran-seize-a-ship-in-the-strait-of-hormuz/): On November 14, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz and confiscated the ship’s cargo of high sulphur gasoil, releasing the ship and crew five days later.
- [The Baltic: A NATO Lake With Crocodiles](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-baltic-a-nato-lake-with-crocodiles/): Is the Baltic now a NATO lake? Changing strategic geography, and the accession of Sweden and Finland to alliance membership might make it seem so, but the reality is more fraught.
- [As the Undersea Grows More Contested, U.S. Navy Subs are the Right Response](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/as-the-undersea-grows-more-contested-u-s-navy-subs-are-the-right-response/): Once again, the undersea domain is growing contested, as it was during the Cold War. Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) promise to enhance the combat reach and responsiveness of existing U.S. nuclear submarines. They remain, however, a complementary capability, and not a substitute for the irreplaceable advantages of manned nuclear submarines.
- [Maritime America: Sea Power, the Early Republic, and America’s Lost Maritime Strategic Tradition](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/maritime-america-sea-power-the-early-republic-and-americas-lost-maritime-strategic-tradition/): Is the United States a maritime nation? Navalists are certainly fond of saying so. They point to America’s globe-bestriding navy, the global trade that fleet underwrites, and a maritime tradition that extends back to the establishment of the very first littoral and riparian settlements in seventeenth century North America. But today, tens of millions of
- [Program Management in Shipbuilding](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/program-management-in-shipbuilding/): It is very obvious to everyone by now that we are in a shipbuilding revival in the United States. This is by necessity as we counter a rising China and it’s quickly expanding Navy. The current Administration is rightly leading the charge on this, and Congress is providing vast sums of money to improve our
- [Chinese Maritime Strategy and the PLAN with Toshi Yoshihara](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/chinese-maritime-strategy-and-the-plan-with-toshi-yoshihara/): Admiral James G. Foggo (ret.) sits down with Toshi Yoshihara, Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment, to discuss the PLAN and China’s maritime strategy. Season 4 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [Reviving the Escort Carrier for the Drone Age](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reviving-the-escort-carrier-for-the-drone-age/): In World War II, small ‘jeep carriers’ protected convoys and helped win battles. Eight decades later, their descendants may return – carrying drones, not piston-engined aircraft. Best known for anti-submarine work in the Atlantic and delivering replacement aircraft in the Pacific theater, small escort carriers, designated CVEs, were also called on to provide Combat Air
- [Dividing the Sea: A Realistic Japan-ROK Naval Strategy for a Dual Contingency](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/dividing-the-sea-a-realistic-japan-rok-naval-strategy-for-a-dual-contingency/): As tensions rise both in the Taiwan Strait and on the Korean Peninsula, East Asia is facing probably the most unstable maritime security environment in decades. If China’s invasion of Taiwan and North Korea’s full-scale attack occur simultaneously, U.S. naval power would be seriously stretched out, and this would necessitate U.S. capable allies in East
- [Peace in Gaza May Not Mean Peace in the Red Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/peace-in-gaza-may-not-mean-peace-in-the-red-sea/): Since October 2023, the Houthis, a Yemeni rebel group that seized control over much of the country over a decade ago, have waged a campaign against shipping vessels in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden, attacking over 100 commercial maritime vessels.
- [Why Donald Trump Is Not Set on Venezuelan Regime Change](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-donald-trump-is-not-set-on-venezuelan-regime-change/): Despite the military buildup in the Caribbean, the White House is more interested in signaling than in overthrowing Nicolás Maduro.
- [America Should Stick to its Guns on Port Fees for Chinese Ships](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/america-should-stick-to-its-guns-on-port-fees-for-chinese-ships/): The U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) praiseworthy action across both sides of the political transition to investigate and then impose port fees on ships built, owned, and operated by the People’s Republic of China has marked a vital initial step towards pushing back on China’s decades-long drive to dominate the global maritime transportation system, which has
- [In Defense of Aircraft Carriers and a Navy that is Not ‘Broken’](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/in-defense-of-aircraft-carriers-and-a-navy-that-is-not-broken/): Whenever Department of Defense funds are in short supply, U.S. Army officers want to target the aircraft carrier force for cutbacks. This is not surprising as they have been doing this since George C. Marshall was the Army Chief of Staff
- [Canine Readiness – A Forgotten Force Multiplier](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/canine-readiness-a-forgotten-force-multiplier/): Every service retains a military working dog capability. We’ve had a formal canine program since the Dogs for Defense Program, established in 1943. The program accepted 10,000 donated canines for service domestically and in the European and Pacific Theaters of Operation. Their service as sentry, scout and messenger dogs, contributed to the protection of our
- [Don’t give up the shipyards](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/dont-give-up-the-shipyards/): The current administration and its predecessor have brought sustained attention to the urgent strategic problem of American shipbuilding, but a prospective deal for icebreakers could place this essential work in jeopardy.
- [A New Mississippi Squadron: The Navy’s Need for a Brown-Water Fleet](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-new-mississippi-squadron-the-navys-need-for-a-brown-water-fleet/): Amidst the Navy’s transition from its Great War on Terror-era strategy with the return of great power competition and the rise of China, its riverine capabilities have taken a secondary place in its operational design. Once a central feature of the Navy’s supporting role in the early twenty-first century and seeing heavy use in Iraq,
- [The Northwest Passage and the Limits of U.S. Maritime Leadership Part 2](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-northwest-passage-and-the-limits-of-u-s-maritime-leadership-part-2/): The U.S. Dilemma: Strong Tools, Weak Posture U.S. Strengths include immediate geographic access through Alaska, naval power, energy, and tech. The U.S., unlike the People’s Republic of China, has direct access to the Arctic, allowing it more of a footing when it comes to making decisions regarding the region. Additionally, as of April 30, 2025,
- [The Northwest Passage and the Limits of U.S. Maritime Leadership Part 1](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-northwest-passage-and-the-limits-of-u-s-maritime-leadership-part-1/): The Arctic is no longer a frozen wilderness at the edge of civilization, it’s a strategic pressure point where melting ice is not just reshaping geography, but global norms. Russia is digging in with submarines and seabed claims. China is sending “research” ships to quietly gather influence. Norway is wielding law and diplomacy. And the
- [Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the Navy with Secretary John Lehman](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/celebrating-the-250th-anniversary-of-the-navy-with-secretary-john-lehman/): Dr. Steve Wills talks with former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman on his family’s naval service and his time in the Ford and Reagan administrations for the 250th anniversary of the Navy's founding. Season 4 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [Is the US Navy Unprepared? Yes and No.](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/is-the-us-navy-unprepared-yes-and-no/): In a recent National Interest article, Naval War College professor James Holmes suggests the United States Navy must undertake some kind of “grand relearning” in order to be ready for twenty-first-century naval combat against rising peer opponents.
- [Does Resurrecting the Navy’s Iconic Battleships Make Sense?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/does-resurrecting-the-navys-iconic-battleships-make-sense/): What’s old is new again. The possibility of resurrecting battleships as a potent symbol of naval power is back as a popular topic of discussion in the nation’s capital.
- [Book Review: The Price of Victory: A Naval History of Britain, 1815-1945](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/book-review-the-price-of-victory-a-naval-history-of-britain-1815-1945/): Rodgers is an engaging author whose prose is a pleasure to read. The current volume is solidly embedded in this style. This volume is the third in a three-volume series addressing Britain and its relationship with its navy. The series covers the period 660 to 1945. This volume, The Price of Victory: A Naval History
- [From Ballpark to Battlespace: Applying Moneyball to Fleet Design](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/from-ballpark-to-battlespace-applying-moneyball-to-fleet-design/): “Guys, you're still trying to replace Giambi. I told you we can't do it, and we can't do it. Now, what we might be able to do is re-create him. Re-create him in the aggregate” - Moneyball In the early 2000s the Oakland A’s showed the baseball world you didn’t need superstar salaries to win
- [Frozen Frontiers: The Navy’s Role in Emerging Arctic Sea Lanes](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/frozen-frontiers-the-navys-role-in-emerging-arctic-sea-lanes/): Introduction The Arctic is warming at an extraordinary pace. Over recent decades, scientists have found the region is heating roughly four times faster than the global average, dramatically reducing ice cover. The 2025 winter maximum sea ice extent — measured at 14.33 million km² — was the lowest on record in the 47-year satellite era,
- [The Aircraft Carrier Remains Essential to U.S. Joint Warfare](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-aircraft-carrier-remains-essential-to-u-s-joint-warfare/): Some would proclaim the aircraft carrier as susceptible to missile attack, vulnerable to damage and unrecoverable for operations if hit by weapons. While those assertions may be correct, the flattop remains absolutely essential for global, joint warfare as practiced by the United States now and in the future. Geography provides few safe bases from which
- [IPDI Spotlight: Reimagining the Allied Maritime Industrial Base](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/ipdi-spotlight-reimagining-the-allied-maritime-industrial-base/): In this Indo-Pacific Defense Incubator (IPDI) Spotlight episode of Tea Leaves, Kelly Magsamen and Chris Johnstone sit down with Admiral (Ret.) John Richardson and Admiral (Ret.) James Foggo to explore the urgent challenges and opportunities facing the allied maritime industrial base. From China's dominance in global shipbuilding to the strategic imperative of revitalizing U.S. and
- [Virtual Event | Brussels Sprouts LIVE: Europe with Less U.S.: Preventing Russia Opportunistic Aggression in Europe](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/virtual-event-brussels-sprouts-live-europe-with-less-u-s-preventing-russia-opportunistic-aggression-in-europe/): The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) held a live, virtual recording of Brussels Sprouts on Monday, September 15, from 11:30–12:30 p.m. ET inspired by the release of a new report, Understanding Russia’s Calculus on Opportunistic Aggression in Europe by CNAS’s Transatlantic Security Program. The report examines the possibility of Russian opportunistic aggression in Europe in a scenario
- [Anchor Acquisition and Force Development on Targeting China’s C4ISR](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/anchor-acquisition-and-force-development-on-targeting-chinas-c4isr/): The key to China succeeding is maintaining their anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) approach intended to keep adversary forces out of the first island chain. U.S. Navy operational concepts must make an explicit priority of targeting the C4ISR architecture that fundamentally enables China’s A2/AD approach and have it serve as a core organizing principle for Navy acquisition
- [Demonstrating the NATO Maritime Strategy in Neptune Strike 25-3](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/demonstrating-the-nato-maritime-strategy-in-neptune-strike-25-3/): NATO’s new maritime strategy was put to the test this month. Published in July 2025, the language in the introduction of the NATO Maritime Strategy is both sobering and foreboding: The Euro-Atlantic area is not at peace. An attack against Allies’ sovereignty and territorial integrity cannot be discounted, therefore, the Alliance must be prepared for
- [Naval Power in Action: Book Launch with Brent Sadler](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/naval-power-in-action-book-launch-with-brent-sadler/): This book refines ideas in U.S. Naval Power in the 21st Century, and focuses attention to the present, laying out a case for acting in three areas: strengthen the homeland to economic coercion, modernize and reorganize institutions to successfully compete, and winning the positional fight with China over markets and military posture. Achieving success in these three areas all requires urgent action with effects following in waves - increased maritime presence,
- [The Need for Strategy: Comparing Mahan and Roosevelt on the Maritime War of 1812](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-need-for-strategy-comparing-mahan-and-roosevelt-on-the-maritime-war-of-1812/): At the turn of the 20th century, the United States built a navy, a process accompanied by intense political debate. In defending this navy’s importance, two of the nation’s navalists, Theodore Roosevelt and Alfred Thayer Mahan, turned to the past. Roosevelt, in 1882, wrote The Naval War of 1812; Mahan, in 1905, wrote Sea Power
- [The U.S. Navy and the New “Hybrid Fleet”](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-u-s-navy-and-the-new-hybrid-fleet/): The U. S. Navy stands at the precipice of a new era of technology advancement. In an address at a military-industry conference, the U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael Gilday, revealed the Navy’s goal to grow to 500 ships, to include 350 crewed ships and 150 uncrewed maritime vessels. This plan has been dubbed
- [Shooting Behind the Duck: Fixing America’s Maritime Strategy with Brent Sadler](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/shooting-behind-the-duck-fixing-americas-maritime-strategy-with-brent-sadler/): Admiral James G. Foggo (ret.) sits down with Brent Sadler, Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, to examine his new book—Naval Power in Action: Seizing the Initiative in the New Cold War with China. Season 4 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [Force Structure and Operational Capabilities](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/force-structure-and-operational-capabilities/): In this episode of Maritime Nation, Admiral Foggo sits down with Dr. Brad Martin to examine whether America’s current fleet composition aligns with future conflict scenarios and all the factors shaping tomorrow’s Navy. Season 4 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [From Keel to Commissioning: How to Build More Ships](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/from-keel-to-commissioning-how-to-build-more-ships/): Admiral James G. Foggo (ret.) sits down with Brian Potter, Senior Infrastructure Fellow at the Institute for Progress, to examine the engineering and economic hurdles facing the American shipbuilding industry, how it stacks up against Japan and Korea's globally competitive shipyards and where it can go from here. Season 4 of Maritime Nation is produced
- [Foundations of Maritime Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/foundations-of-maritime-strategy/): In this episode of Maritime Nation, Admiral Foggo is joined by fellow CMS staff members Dr. Steve Wills and Sam Byers for a compelling conversation on the evolution of U.S. maritime strategy. Together, they explore the historical foundations of sea power and the changing nature of naval competition. From theory to practice, this episode offers
- [More Nuclear Energy, More Maritime Security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/more-nuclear-energy-more-maritime-security/): For more than three-quarters of a century, the U.S. Navy has been a major driver of nuclear energy in the United States. Beginning with Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, the legendary “Father of the Nuclear Navy,” visionaries of maritime strategy have recognized the benefits of nuclear power for both naval vessels and civilian communities. At a
- [How Artificial Intelligence Can Provide a Big Assist to Navy Ship Maintenance](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-artificial-intelligence-can-provide-a-big-assist-to-navy-ship-maintenance/): The U.S. Navy is awash in data on its ships. This data goes back decades for older vessels in the form of maintenance availability reports, drydocking’s and software upgrades, to say nothing of the constant stream of operational reports that include everything from fuel economy to casualty reports on shipboard systems and equipment.
- [Watch Now! Russia’s Danube Attack and its Implications for NATO and Black Sea Security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/watch-now-russias-danube-attack-and-its-implications-for-nato-and-black-sea-security/): On August 28, Russia launched its first successful naval drone strike inside the Danube, targeting the Ukrainian reconnaissance vessel Simferopol in a carefully planned attack 200 meters from the Romanian border. The strike took place on the Chilia branch of the Danube, approximately 200 meters (0.11 miles) from the river border between Romania and Ukraine and 24
- [Safety of Navigation is Not the Priority](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/safety-of-navigation-is-not-the-priority/): Safety of navigation is not the priority. It’s the minimum. The surface warfare community’s narrow approach to navigation and seamanship training rewards risk-avoidance instead of risk-mitigation and prevents naval officers from mastering the skills needed for their primary duty—waging war at sea. In the aftermath of the 2017 USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) and USS John
- [Japan’s Strategic Decision to Attack the Russian Fleet in Manchuria, 1904](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/japans-strategic-decision-to-attack-the-russian-fleet-in-manchuria-1904/): In response to Russia’s expansion and increasing opposition to Japanese power in the Far East, Japan decided to launch a preemptive attack on Russia’s Pacific Fleet in Port Arthur in February 1904, followed by an assault on the other squadron section in Vladivostok. Japan’s surprise strike, supported by the army, used its Combined Fleet to
- [The Clear Case for More U.S. Flag Ships Operating Internationally](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-clear-case-for-more-u-s-flag-ships-operating-internationally/): A recent book comprised of essays by noted maritime authors mainly associated with the Center for Maritime Strategy and published in March 2025 by the Marine Corps University Press provided an excellent account of the history and current state of the U.S. flag merchant marine and why it is still important today. Entitled “Returning From
- [Europeans insist on security guarantees for Ukraine as Russia balks: ANALYSIS](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/europeans-insist-on-security-guarantees-for-ukraine-as-russia-balks-analysis/): A mobilization wouldn't be an issue, said Foggo. "You can generate forces pretty quickly, once there's a policy decision," he said. "Uniform forces will follow the policy, but those policy decisions are up to the civilian leaders of those countries."
- [Building Maritime Operations from the Bottom Up; Review of Essays in Honor of Captain Wayne Hughes](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/building-maritime-operations-from-the-bottom-up-review-of-essays-in-honor-of-captain-wayne-hughes/): Many books about naval strategy by such renowned authors as Alfred Thayer Mahan and Sir Julian Corbett, speak of the discipline in a “top down” way, where national goals create operational objectives which are in turn served by naval tactical action. A new book from the Naval War College Press, Essays in Honor of Captain
- [The Denial Navy: A Strategic Concept for American Maritime Security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-denial-navy-a-strategic-concept-for-american-maritime-security/): Congressional staff gathered on the rough steel flight deck of the USS Enterprise, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. The thrum of motors filled the hot air as a foreman explained how the shipyard is installing a munitions elevator to improve sortie throughput. It was the final day of
- [Anchoring NATO’s Northern Flank: Why and How Poland Should Lead in the Baltic](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/anchoring-natos-northern-flank-why-and-how-poland-should-lead-in-the-baltic/): For nearly all its history, Poland’s security story has been told in terms of its land forces, from their winged hussars of old to the armored brigades now along NATO’s the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) eastern flank. That focus is understandable: Poland sits squarely between Russia and the heart of Europe, and history has
- [Russia, China and a Growing Threat to Safety at Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russia-china-and-a-growing-threat-to-safety-at-sea/): It’s been a bad recent stretch for the Russian and Chinese navies. The Russian northern fleet’s new ocean-going tug Kapitan Ushakov began sinking on Aug. 8 and capsized and sank pierside the next day, despite Russian attempts to save her.
- [Why Defending Taiwan is Difficult: American Credibility and Taiwan’s Military Value](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-defending-taiwan-is-difficult-american-credibility-and-taiwans-military-value/): The debate over Taiwan’s fall is too often marked by hyperbole instead of sober strategic thinking. One recent report on the supposed consequences of a fall predicts that “a novel variant of the bird flu kills over a million civilians... [and] the United Nations headquarters is shuttered.” This is the author's positive scenario, where the
- [What’s Next for the US Navy?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/whats-next-for-the-us-navy/): In this episode, our experts discuss the Navy’s effort to rebuild US shipbuilding and to integrate artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.
- [America’s Fleet of Ship-to-Shore Connectors: A Looming Crisis](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/americas-fleet-of-ship-to-shore-connectors-a-looming-crisis/): In October 2024, Mike Daum published an essay entitled “Infantry Wins Battles, Logistics Wins Wars: The Role of the Army’s Little Navy in the Pacific”. His analysis identifies a timeless axiom of warfare: logistics, as well as secure lines of communication, are the foundation for sustained combat operations. The current state of the U.S. merchant
- [Undersea cables face rising sabotage risk, analysts warn](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/undersea-cables-face-rising-sabotage-risk-analysts-warn/): “What you once needed a billion-dollar submarine for can now be accomplished with an operation you can put together for a hundred million dollars or so,” Byers said.
- [Learning from NATO Mission Iraq](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/learning-from-nato-mission-iraq/): While pursuing cost-effective security engagement in fragile states, the United States should look no further than NATO’s mission in Iraq for a model.
- [Large-Scale Exercise 2025](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/large-scale-exercise-2025/): The United States Navy just concluded the execution phase of Large-Scale Exercise 2025 (LSE 2025) on Friday, 8 August 2025. This exercise has been conducted biannually since 2021. LSE 2025 was the third iteration of the exercise. LSE 2025 extended across 22 time zones and reached an exercise audience of 22,000 personnel. The exercise included
- [Holding the Front Line Against Terrorism: NATO’s Essential Role in Iraq](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/holding-the-front-line-against-terrorism-natos-essential-role-in-iraq/): NATO Mission Iraq trains and advises Iraqi armed forces and government security agencies on a wide array of tasks against a number of terrorist threats. The evolution of NATO’s training mission in Iraq underlines its continuing need; NATO should consider exporting this model to other fragile states like Syria and Lebanon.
- [Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea: Progress and Future Challenges](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/piracy-in-the-gulf-of-guinea-progress-and-future-challenges/): On May 31, 2022, the United Nations Security Council issued Resolution 2634, expressing “deep concern about the grave and persistent threat that piracy, armed robbery and transnational organized crime at sea in the Gulf of Guinea pose to international navigation, security, and sustainable development of States in the region”. A year earlier, the International Maritime Organization expressed
- [The Fragile High Mast of Empire; British Royal Navy Cruising Strategy; Then and Now](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-fragile-high-mast-of-empire-british-royal-navy-cruising-strategy-then-and-now/): The ongoing deployment of the British carrier strike group to the Indo-Pacific, named Operation High Mast,” was in the news this week for both regular and unusual reasons. The strike group is participating in the semi-annual Pacific exercise Talisman Sabre but it also came under fire from American Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby, who
- [Sustaining the Fight: Challenges of Distributed Maritime Operations](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sustaining-the-fight-challenges-of-distributed-maritime-operations/): The emergence of peer competition and the increase of adversarial capability has driven the U.S. Navy to adopt the concept of Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) as a guiding framework for how it will fight the next high-end war at sea. DMO presents a compelling vision for building a combat-credible force capable of maintaining maritime dominance
- [A Bad Idea: Shuttering Navy Office for Unmanned Systems, Small Combatants](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-bad-idea-shuttering-navy-office-for-unmanned-systems-small-combatants/): The U.S. Navy’s program executive office for unmanned systems and small combatants (PEO USC) is potentially on the chopping block for disestablishment, according to sources within Naval Sea Systems Command.
- [Ukraine Has Innovated Naval Warfare](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/ukraine-has-innovated-naval-warfare/): When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, few international experts, news outlets, and organizations expected Ukraine to withstand the Russian invasion. For example, a headline from Foreign Policy in read that “Ukraine probably cannot hold off Russia forever.” The situation was dire, as millions of Ukrainians fled the country, and Russia launched numerous
- [Navies are Our Guide for Space Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navies-are-our-guide-for-space-strategy/): Space is an ocean—not metaphorically, but conceptually and operationally. The cosmic frontier has always been militarised but experience in it remains limited compared to other domains like the land and sea. Although the study of orbit and outer space, along with aspirations to explore and use it were formulated long ago in tandem with human
- [How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Will Shape Key Defense Priorities](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-will-shape-key-defense-priorities/): The new funding will help to jump start the badly needed expansion of U.S. shipbuilding capabilities, but it will take sustained spending to reach even the modest goals in new U.S. commercial and naval ships. The office focused on shipbuilding within the National Security Council was fully closed last week, which could affect the administration’s ability to implement its
- [Reindustrializing America: Wisdom from the Father of the Nuclear Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reindustrializing-america-wisdom-from-the-father-of-the-nuclear-navy/): Reindustrializing America: Wisdom from the Father of the Nuclear Navy Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, widely recognized as the "Father of the Nuclear Navy", was a singularly driven, lifelong naval officer whose relentless leadership propelled the development of nuclear propulsion for the U.S. Navy and contributed to the nascent civilian nuclear power industry. The advent of
- [Apprenticeships Build the Arsenal of Democracy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/apprenticeships-build-the-arsenal-of-democracy/): On March 6th, 2024 President Biden signed Executive Order 14119: Scaling and Expanding the Use of Registered Apprenticeships in Industries and the Federal Government and Promoting Labor-Management Forums. This executive order (EO) announced the availability of nearly $200 million in grant money to support public-private partnerships that expand, diversify and strengthen Registered Apprenticeships (RAs), which
- [The U.S. Navy’s “Saints of the Sea” – Stories that Should be Told (and how MSC’s Force Medical app is doing just that)](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-u-s-navys-saints-of-the-sea-stories-that-should-be-told-and-how-mscs-force-medical-app-is-doing-just-that/): In February 2024, the Secretary of the United States Navy, Carlos Del Toro, visited the USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), one of the Navy’s two hospital ships, and shared an inspiring message with the sailors. He addressed them directly, saying, “I believe that everyone in uniform is a hero, but you are all saints. You are
- [A Common Hull for New Navy Auxiliaries: The National Security Multi-Mission Vessel](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-common-hull-for-new-navy-auxiliaries-the-national-security-multi-mission-vessel/): The U.S. Navy’s number of auxiliary ships critical for high-end naval warfare has plummeted since the end of the Cold War. For example, in 1991 the Navy had fifteen destroyer (AD) and submarine (AS) tenders, as well as two heavy repair ships (AR,) and two large hospital ships (AH.) In the present just the two
- [In Combat Shipbuilding, Allies Show that Cheaper Doesn’t Always Mean Better](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/in-combat-shipbuilding-allies-show-that-cheaper-doesnt-always-mean-better/): U.S. Navy warships are often more expensive than their foreign nation counterparts
- [The Next Pearl Harbor: The Threat of Modern Drones to America’s Pier Side Fleet](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-next-pearl-harbor-the-threat-of-modern-drones-to-americas-pier-side-fleet/): The recent Ukrainian drone strike on Russia’s strategic aircraft fleet has raised serious concerns within Washington’s defense community about the threat posed by unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to U.S. bases and assets. General David Allen, the Air Force’s highest-ranking officer, called the attack an “eyebrow-raising moment”. And his counterpart in the Army, General Randy George,
- [Make "Old Ironsides" the CNO Flagship](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/old-ironsides-elevate-to-flagship-of-cno/): The USS Constitution, one of the most storied ships in maritime history, stands as a symbol of resilience, bravery, and the indomitable spirit of the United States Navy. Launched in 1797 and having served in the Quasi-War, the War of 1812, and beyond, the Constitution is not only an iconic warship but also a living
- [Exploration as a Pillar of Spanish Sea Power? Elcano, Loaisa and the First Spanish Expeditions to the Pacific](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/exploration-as-a-pillar-of-spanish-sea-power-elcano-loaisa-and-the-first-spanish-expeditions-to-the-pacific/): Spanish maritime and naval history has been victim of an overwhelming neglect not only abroad but especially at home. Today, not much is taught in Spanish schools beyond Christopher Colombus’ voyage to the West Indies in 1492 and Juan Sebastián de Elcano’s circumnavigation of the globe between 1519 and 1522. Yet, the Spanish Empire—still one
- [Sweden as an Ally: Implications for the Royal Swedish Navy and NATO](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sweden-as-an-ally-implications-for-the-royal-swedish-navy-and-nato/): More than two years after Oslo first expressed its desire to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Sweden became the alliance’s 32nd member in March 2024. Like neighboring Finland, Sweden asked to join the alliance after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine; however, its negotiations were more protracted due to concerns expressed by NATO-members Turkey
- [Returning from Ebb Tide: Renewing the United States Commercial Maritime Enterprise](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/returning-from-ebb-tide-renewing-the-united-states-commercial-maritime-enterprise/): Download the Full Book 
- [Overextended and Overwhelmed: Navigating Dual-Theater Challenges Facing the U.S. Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/overextended-and-overwhelmed-navigating-dual-theater-challenges-facing-the-u-s-navy/): The United States Navy, tasked with preserving global maritime dominance, faces acute pressure from concurrent crises in the Red Sea and the Western Pacific. The recent extended deployment of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (CSG) within the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) region—triggered by intensified missile and drone attacks from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels
- [In Defense of Conventional Punishment: Why Japan's Defensive Realism Requires Offensive Capability](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/in-defense-of-conventional-punishment-why-japans-defensive-realism-requires-offensive-capability-2/): After nearly eight decades spent maintaining a strict self-defense posture since World War Two, Japan made a pivotal shift in its grand strategy in December 2022. The government introduced a landmark National Security Strategy which made a significant political commitment to acquiring long-range "counterstrike capabilities", which are traditionally viewed as "offensive capabilities". Despite its historical
- [A Maritime Nation by Necessity](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-maritime-nation-by-necessity/): Download the Full Report 
- [The Demand for a Sea Service Strategy to Counter Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported Fishing](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-demand-for-a-sea-service-strategy-to-counter-illegal-unregulated-and-unreported-fishing/): Download the Full Report 
- [What DOGE Can Learn from Robert McNamara](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/what-doge-can-learn-from-robert-mcnamara/): The recent rise of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and automobile and tech executive Elon Musk’s “Muskrats” seems to have struck fear into the hearts of hardened bureaucrats.
- [Drone Revolution, or Prudent Military Action? It’s Important Not to Overstate the Effects of New Technology](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/drone-revolution-or-prudent-military-action-its-important-not-to-overstate-the-effects-of-new-technology/): The recent mass drone attack on Russian strategic aircraft bases far from the border of Ukraine, Israel’s drone attacks on the Iranian air defense systems, also conducted from inside the opponent nation, and the Russian surface navy’s disappearance from the Black Sea littorals near Ukraine have excited the advocates of small drone weapons. Some commentors
- [America Shouldn’t Ignore the South Atlantic](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/america-shouldnt-ignore-the-south-atlantic/): It makes perfect sense that the North Atlantic is one of the main geopolitical flashpoints to which American policymakers pay constant attention. As Vladimir Putin continues to threaten European and North American security with his attempts undo the collapse of the Soviet Union, transatlantic maritime security should indeed be a major concern for governments on
- [Mastering The Waves: Learning to understand the maritime-industrial strategy behind Trumps’ foreign policy vision](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/mastering-the-waves-learning-to-understand-the-maritime-industrial-strategy-behind-trumps-foreign-policy-vision/): Many have labeled the Trump administration's recent aggressive statements regarding the Panama Canal or the ongoing efforts by U.S. intelligence agencies to expand spying in Greenland as myopic and misinformed. Some, such as 726 international affairs experts who were recently polled by the TRIP Project, describe an administration which was actively antagonizing allies and making
- [Taiwan’s USV Development and Strategic Learning from Ukraine](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/taiwans-usv-development-and-strategic-learning-from-ukraine/): Taiwan has recognized the effectiveness of Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) in littoral defense, drawing clear lessons from Ukraine’s successful use of USVs to challenge Russian dominance in the Black Sea. In response, Taiwan’s military has recently announced the procurement of a new fleet of indigenous USVs called the Endeavor Manta, which is based on the
- [Progress in US-Europe Ballistic Missile Defense](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/progress-in-us-europe-ballistic-missile-defense/): In the past two decades, expensive but effective integrated air and missile defense systems like Patriot, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), Aegis Ashore or at sea, Arrow, and Iron Dome, just to name a few, have been deployed around the world.
- [Command Ships: Fighting from the Maritime Operations Center Afloat](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/command-ships-fighting-from-the-maritime-operations-center-afloat/): It is not surprising that the venerable USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) is yet again on the U.S. Navy’s list for decommissioning, this time in 2027. She and her sister ship, USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), are the Navy’s only ships capable of supporting a full Joint Task Force staff or a Maritime Component Commander’s staff on
- [How to Build Back the Navy: Unmanned Missile Ships Teamed with Larger Ships](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-to-build-back-the-navy-unmanned-missile-ships-teamed-with-larger-ships/): Capt. Wayne P. Hughes, the late naval tactics expert, preached the gospel of distributed operations with unified impact over the course of his entire teaching and writing career. Even the last edition of his Fleet Tactics book series published shortly before his death continued to call for larger numbers of smaller ships armed primarily with missiles.
- [Ukraine’s Strategy for Winning the Battle of the Black Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/ukraines-strategy-for-winning-the-battle-of-the-black-sea/): In recent months, the Black Sea has witnessed how a small, crafty nation with no navy can meticulously chip away at the fighting power of Russia’s naval capabilities. Russia's Black Sea Fleet, once a dominant presence, has largely withdrawn from occupied Crimea due to a series of audacious Ukrainian offensives. Russia’s ongoing invasion continues to
- [Defense Spending for Protracted Conflict: Lessons from the Napoleonic Wars](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/defense-spending-for-protracted-conflict-lessons-from-the-napoleonic-wars/): The major challenge facing the United States in a great power war over the Republic of China (Taiwan) would be the very real possibility that such a war would become a protracted one. Both the United States and the People’s Republic of China (China) place immense strategic value on Taiwan. In a war over the
- [Global Fishing Vessel Tracking: Why the U.S. should lead with AIS](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/global-fishing-vessel-tracking-why-the-u-s-should-lead-with-ais/): Among states, multilateral institutions, and leading nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), there is growing belief that an international vessel tracking agreement will be necessary to achieve sustainable fisheries and combat the scourge of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF), which has been estimated to account for roughly one in five fish caught worldwide. Beyond its ecological impacts,
- [What a historic absence of its top officer means for the Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/what-a-historic-absence-of-its-top-officer-means-for-the-navy/): “We do need a presidential nominated and Senate-confirmed CNO in place,” said Steven Wills, a naval historian and associate at the Center for Maritime Strategy. “CNO provides the course that all other Navy flags follow … They set force design priorities, make key budget decisions and set the tone for the entire service.”
- [Obangame Express 2025 – Shared Commitment to Maritime Security and Countering Illegal, Unreported, & Unregulated Fishing ](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/obangame-express-2025-shared-commitment-to-maritime-security-and-countering-illegal-unreported-unregulated-fishing/): In my current position at U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), I am part of a team deeply committed to supporting our African partners as they address pressing challenges that impact their security, stability and prosperity. Obangame Express 2025 (OE25), hosted by Cabo Verde, sponsored by AFRICOM and executed by the U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet, brings together thirty countries with
- [Don’t Sweep Minesweepers Under the Rug: America's Critical Naval Vulnerability](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/dont-sweep-minesweepers-under-the-rug-americas-critical-naval-vulnerability/): The Trump Administration has prioritized making the American military more lethal, agile, and capable, with a hyper-focus is on making sure the U.S. Navy is ready for the next war. The Navy intends to invest in drones and a "hybrid fleet" of manned and unmanned systems. Unfortunately, while procurement debates focus on the gap between
- [Forging a Global Carrier Network: Leveraging Momentum and Building Structure for Repetition](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/forging-a-global-carrier-network-leveraging-momentum-and-building-structure-for-repetition/): At the time of this writing, the United Kingdom aircraft carrier Prince of Wales is training with the Italian carrier Cavour in the central Mediterranean at the beginning of its planned deployment to the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility. Large scale carrier operations like this have become a normal part of the rhythm in the Mediterranean
- [Senior Officers Are Not the "Villain"](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/senior-officers-are-not-the-villain/): Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to cut 20% of four-star officers and 10% of the rest of the general and flag officer community is yet another in a long series to manage what has been perceived as an excess of senior military leaders in the U.S. armed forces.
- [In Brief: Reviving the U.S. Shipbuilding Industry](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/in-brief-reviving-the-u-s-shipbuilding-industry/): The ambitious goal of building 250 ocean-going commercial ships in the next ten years will be a challenge, and a significant obstacle will be finding the people who will build, crew, and support these ships over the course of their careers in U.S. service.
- [Time to Fix the Navy’s Frigate Problem](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/time-to-fix-the-navys-frigate-problem/): Most recent reports on the construction of the first U.S. Navy Constellation-class frigate are grim and filled with unwelcome news. The first ship of the class is only 10% complete despite years of construction. The design of the ship has not been completed, and changes continue, no doubt accounting for rising costs and lengthening delays in construction.
- [How the trade war could blow the Navy off course](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-the-trade-war-could-blow-the-navy-off-course/): Introduction The United States is plotting the course to revitalize its shipbuilding industry. The proposed SHIPS for America Act and an executive order entitled “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance” seek to improve the United States’ ability to counter China’s increasing maritime power. Motivating this effort is a possible conflict with China, which is shaping the Navy’s
- [Keep the Fires Going: What the Kingdom of Denmark’s Leadership Means for the Arctic Council](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/keep-the-fires-going-what-the-kingdom-of-denmarks-leadership-means-for-the-arctic-council/): In a ceremony on May 12th, 2025, the Kingdom of Denmark will assume the chairship [sic.] of the Arctic Council. This transition is routine, occurring every two years as the responsibility rotates through the eight Arctic states. However, this month the change also comes at a time when the region—and especially the Kingdom’s territory of
- [McCown: U.S. ports may see an unprecedented 25% drop in volume by July](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/mccown-u-s-ports-may-see-an-unprecedented-25-drop-in-volume-by-july/): Based on current projections, U.S. ports could see an unprecedented year over year reduction in container volumes of 25% by July 2025, according to John McCown, publisher the John McCown Container Report.
- [In Defense of CNO’s in an Unfriendly Washington D.C.](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/in-defense-of-cnos-in-an-unfriendly-washington-d-c/): The end of the Cold War and with it a defined enemy has accelerated that process, and only now with the designation of the People’s Republic of China as the “pacing threat” do America’s commanders and their legions again have focus for war planning and execution.
- [Turning a Navy carrier isn’t enough to cause a jet to fall into the sea, US defense official says](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/turning-a-navy-carrier-isnt-enough-to-cause-a-jet-to-fall-into-the-sea-us-defense-official-says/): One of Truman’s escort ships, such as the cruiser USS Gettysburg, presumably would act as the carrier’s shotgun defense platform, ready at a moment’s notice to fire weapons at an incoming missile threat, said Steven Wills, an analyst with the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League of the United States.
- [Learning from the Royal Navy: Lessons for the USN on Sea Power Politics](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/learning-from-the-royal-navy-lessons-for-the-usn-on-sea-power-politics/): The U.S. Navy and Britain’s Royal Navy are different organizations. Although Americans have repeatedly tried to emulate the Royal Navy—at first due to the threat it posed, then later for the wisdom sailors and politicians could glean from British naval experience—they always fell afoul of American geographic realities, national culture, and other differences that set
- [CAVASSHIPS Podcast Ep: 190 Dr. Steve Wills](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/cavasships-podcast-ep-190-dr-steve-wills/): Rebuilding the US merchant marine and the industry that supports it are goals now shared by both Congress and the presidential administration, and a new book is out that aims to guide those actions. Dr. Steve Wills is the editor of Returning from Ebb Tide: Renewing the United States Commercial Maritime Industry, and he’ll be
- [In Our Neighborhood: The United States’ Need to Address China’s Port Dominance in West Africa](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/in-our-neighborhood-the-united-states-need-to-address-chinas-port-dominance-in-west-africa/): A report published this March by the African Center for Strategic Studies revealed China’s large and growing influence in Africa’s port industry. According to the report, state-backed Chinese firms have ownership stakes in a third of African ports, with the largest portion of those ports being in West Africa. Even more alarmingly for the United
- [Returning from Ebb Tide LIVE at Sea Air Space 2025](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/returning-from-ebb-tide-live-at-sea-air-space-2025/): Live from Sea-Air-Space 2025, Ms. Sanjana Shashikumar and Mr. John Konrad join ADM Foggo on stage as they discuss SMRs, online maritime influencer culture, and the state of affairs in the maritime space. Season 4 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [Missiles and Rocks: The Real Reason Greenland is Compelling to the Trump Administration](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/missiles-and-rocks-the-real-reason-greenland-is-compelling-to-the-trump-administration/): The hyperbolic discourse regarding the United States’ interest in Greenland is mesmerizing. Observers possess strong opinions, and each side considers itself well-versed in matters about Greenland. News stories about President Donald Trump's rhetoric reveals his administration’s neo-imperialist tendencies, with aspirations to exert global influence and... nothing more. Most commentators believe valuable minerals and national security
- [Restoring American Maritime Power?  Call-UP the Merchant Marine and Coast Guard](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/restoring-american-maritime-power-call-up-the-merchant-marine-and-coast-guard/): Natural Rivals There is no spectacle in college sports that surmounts the time-honored tradition that is the Army-Navy Game. This storied rivalry, first played in 1890 and known as “America’s Game,” between the Army Black Knights of the U.S. Military Academy and the Navy Midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy, is a long standing interservice
- [The Future of US Bases in Europe: Admiral (Ret.) James Foggo](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-future-of-us-bases-in-europe-admiral-ret-james-foggo/): In a Q&A with the Center for European Policy Analysis, Foggo discussed the role of US military infrastructure in Europe — and what the United States risks losing if it withdraws from the continent.
- [Keeping USMC H-1s Ready and Relevant for Today’s Crisis Management Response](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/keeping-usmc-h-1s-ready-and-relevant-for-todays-crisis-management-response/): In the opening hours of Operation Iraqi Freedom, one of the first enemy targets was an Iraqi command and control site at Safwan Hill, near the Line of Departure. Armed with unguided rockets, U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters closed to within 800 meters. At 3:00 AM on a moonless night, the operation
- [How the Cavour carrier strike group is redefining Italy’s maritime role](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-the-cavour-carrier-strike-group-is-redefining-italys-maritime-role/): Last week, Rear Admiral Giancarlo Ciappina, Commander of Italian Naval Air Forces, joined retired US Navy Admiral James G. Foggo, dean at the Center for Maritime Strategy think tank in Arlington, Virginia, on his “Maritime Nation” podcast.
- [With Renewed Crisis in the Middle East, Who is Watching the Indo-Pacific?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/with-renewed-crisis-in-the-middle-east-who-is-watching-the-indo-pacific/): Who is minding the Pacific when the United States surges carrier presence to the Middle East? USS Nimitz will fill in as USS Carl Vinson departs the Pacific, but what happens if there is a crisis and we need even more carrier presence in the Middle East?
- [Australia can take USAID’s place in the Pacific islands](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/australia-can-take-usaids-place-in-the-pacific-islands/): The most aid-dependent countries—the Freely Associated States, including Marshall Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia—happen to be among the most strategically located for US resistance to possible Chinese aggression against Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines. Maintaining aid to them is doubly important.
- [CMS Launches ‘Returning from Ebb Tide'](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/returning-from-ebb-tide-introduction/): Last month, CMS published its first book project: Returning from Ebb Tide: Renewing the United States Commercial Maritime Industry, an edited volume featuring essays from experts and practitioners on the challenges and opportunities facing the U.S. commercial maritime sector. Digital copies of the book are available free for download from Marine Corps University Press. Please
- [The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the Navy’s Surface Fleet](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-of-the-navys-surface-fleet/): The U.S. Navy surface warfare enterprise has had several developments to cheer about moving into 2025.
- [China’s Mahanian Naval Strategy – And Why America Needs One Too](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/chinas-mahanian-naval-strategy-and-why-america-needs-one-too/): Alfred Thayer Mahan, the father of American naval strategy, argued that maritime power is the key to national greatness. He argued that sea power expands beyond militarized naval power and instead lies at the nexus of commercial prowess and military capability. In today's terms, this is benchmarked against the “trinity of wealth” categorized as economic
- [Port Fees Will Pave the Way for America’s Maritime Resurgence](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/port-fees-will-pave-the-way-for-americas-maritime-resurgence/): American commercial shipyards must rise again to counter the People’s Republic of China’s growing commercial maritime advantage. The first step is to target Chinese-origin vessels calling U.S. ports. Empowered by the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Section 301 report into China’s effort to dominate the global shipbuilding industry, President Trump’s draft executive
- [Joint Force Design is still a Service-Centric Mission](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/joint-force-design-is-still-a-service-centric-mission/): A recent Defense News opinion piece suggests that the only way to achieve joint force design is to move force acquisition out of the hands of the military services and instead, “structuring the budget around the joint force design rather than just service-specific priorities.” This is not a new concept and has been around since the 1960s
- [How a Prototype Approach can Help the Navy Rebuild its Fighting Capability](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-a-prototype-approach-can-help-the-navy-rebuild-its-fighting-capability/): The process through which U.S. weapons develop from concept to service in the field or at sea is long and complicated. It can take a decade or more from design to deployment for a new warship. This is partially due to bureaucratic roadblocks, but also a desire to thoroughly test those systems and platforms before handing them over
- [The American Shipbuilding Renaissance Goes to War](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-american-shipbuilding-renaissance-goes-to-war/): President Donald J. Trump has spoken frequently of re-energizing the U.S. commercial shipbuilding industry. The Congressional SHIPS Act legislation sponsored by Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and former Congressman Mike Waltz, now President Trump’s National Security Advisor, also proposes to re-invigorate the domestic shipbuilding industry through new government management structures and more funding. The Navy might
- [Can Europe’s Navies Deter Russia Alone?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sea-drone-swarms-can-natos-navies-avoid-russias-fate-2/): Fears of Russia’s ability to act against sea lines of communication, geographically isolated parts of the continent, and the Russian navy’s combat experience as forged in war with Ukraine mean that the risks are real.
- [American Maritime Supremacy for Peace, Jobs, and Prosperity: A Path Forward for Executive Action](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/american-maritime-supremacy-for-peace-jobs-and-prosperity-a-path-forward-for-executive-action/): President Trump in his March 4, 2025, address to both Houses of Congress stated, “To boost our defense industrial base, we are also going to resurrect the American shipbuilding industry, including commercial shipbuilding and military shipbuilding.” To support this initiative, the president will create a new office of shipbuilding in the White House, propose tax
- [Multi-Tasking; A Naval Warfighting Challenge](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/multi-tasking-a-naval-warfighting-challenge/): Multi-tasking may come across as an information age phenomenon—people checking their cell phones during meetings or worse, texting while driving—but at sea, it is anything but a modern problem. A number of studies have outlined the hazards and ill effects of multi-tasking at the personal level, but organizations can face similarly adverse results. In naval
- [Where’s Doc now? The Post-Navy Journey to Success for Independent Duty Corpsmen](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/wheres-doc-now-the-post-navy-journey-to-success-for-independent-duty-corpsmen/): How do you translate 20+ years of military medical practice when there is no transferable civilian equivalent? To answer this question, a team at Ancilla Technologies and Services sat down with three retired Independent Duty Corpsmen (IDCs) to explore their experiences in the Navy and after leaving active service. IDCs are often viewed as the
- [Arctic Aggression: Talking Greenland, NATO and Climate Security in the Arctic](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/4911/): Sherri Goodman of the Wilson Center and Luke Coffey of the Hudson Institute join Admiral Foggo at the Center for Maritime Strategy for a spirited and timely conversation on Arctic security. Season 4 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [The Panamá Canal | Featuring John D. McCown](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-panama-canal-featuring-john-d-mccown/): John D. McCown, CMS Senior Fellow, joins Admiral Foggo for a dynamic conversation about one of the world’s most vital arteries for global trade: the Panama Canal. Season 4 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [Remember the Indianapolis: The CMV-22B Osprey as the Centerpiece of Modern Naval CSAR](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/remember-the-indianapolis-the-cmv-22b-osprey-as-the-centerpiece-of-modern-naval-csar/): Anyone who has watched the movie Jaws knows of the fate of the crew of the USS Indianapolis. During the closing days of World War II, a Japanese submarine torpedoed and sank the heavy cruiser, which was returning from delivering the first atomic bomb to Tinian Island under great secrecy. Of 1,195 crew members aboard, 860
- [Part 2: Can the Greatest Maritime Infrastructure Project Ever Provide Even More Benefits to the United States?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/part-2-can-the-greatest-maritime-infrastructure-project-ever-provide-even-more-benefits-to-the-united-states/): In his inaugural address on January 21, 2025, President Trump said, “American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form, and that includes the United States Navy. And above all, China is operating the canal. And we didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and
- [European Navies Remain Capable](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/european-navies-remain-capable/): Commandant Jean-Baptiste Charcot (French explorer): "The experience of those who came before us serves as a compass for those who follow at sea." The Center for Maritime Strategy (CMS), under Admiral Jamie Foggo's leadership, has published a significant quantity of analyses on maritime security. A recent publication by Nicholas Weising, Program Associate at CMS, titled
- [The Case Against Letters of Marque: Combat at Sea Belongs to the Sea Services ](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-case-against-letters-of-marque-combat-at-sea-belongs-to-the-sea-services/): War is on the horizon, and the United States is far from ready. The country’s naval power is atrophying. Its industrial capacity does not fare any better. China, the most powerful adversary of this century, continues to amass a larger maritime presence. The United States needs to expand its capacity for maritime force projection. To
- [Greatest Maritime Infrastructure Project Ever Still Benefits US More Than A Century Later: Part 1](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/greatest-maritime-infrastructure-project-ever-still-benefits-us-more-than-a-century-later-part-1/): It was just two decades after Spanish explorer Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama in 1513 and became the first European to set eyes on the Pacific Ocean that the first initiative to look into building a canal began. In 1534, Spain’s King Charles V ordered a survey for a route through the Americas so
- [US military’s future in Europe under review as Hegseth heads to NATO headquarters](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/us-militarys-future-in-europe-under-review-as-hegseth-heads-to-nato-headquarters/): “(The Trump administration) will shift some forces, I’m sure, to the Pacific theater,” said James Foggo, a retired four-star admiral who previously served as the top U.S. naval commander in Europe. “But how fast and how soon will the cuts be? Will it be gradual? Will you notice? Or will it hurt?”
- [The Nation Needs a Maritime National Security Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-nation-needs-a-maritime-national-security-strategy/): While that new strategy is likely to have content dealing with border security, and the value of the Panama Canal and Greenland, its also an opportunity to return a maritime component to the document missing since the Cold War.
- [NATO mentors wary of 'Trojan' investors, amid Greek port battle](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/nato-mentors-wary-of-trojan-investors-amid-greek-port-battle/): "We, the Americans, don't see eye-to-eye with either Russia or China right now, in fact we consider them as adversaries ... When you see someone as an adversary, you don't necessarily trust them, so you're not necessarily comfortable with them having control over something you need access to," said retired US admiral James Foggo from
- [Part III: A Maritime Nation by Necessity](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/part-iii-a-maritime-nation-by-necessity/): Editor’s Note: This essay is part two of a three-part series based on a report by the author. Read part one and part two or download the full report here. Part III Industry and Shipping There is a time to pose questions, and there is a time to propose answers. Today requires that we do both
- [Energy Resilience at Sea: Navigating Sustainable Innovations Amidst Policy Shifts](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/energy-resilience-at-sea-navigating-sustainable-innovations-amidst-policy-shifts/): The U.S. Navy operates in an increasingly volatile world where energy resilience is no longer a luxury but a necessity. The growing complexity of global threats, particularly those emerging from the Indo-Pacific, has revealed the vulnerabilities inherent in traditional energy supply chains. Concurrently, the incoming second Trump administration's policies emphasize energy dominance through expanding fossil
- [Navigating the Black Sea: Naval Dimensions of the Ukraine War](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navigating-the-black-sea-naval-dimensions-of-the-ukraine-war/): In this Season 4 premiere of Maritime Nation, Admiral James Foggo and Glen E. Howard delve into the naval dimensions of the Ukraine War. Together, they explore the strategic importance of the Black Sea, Ukraine’s resilience at sea, and the global implications of the conflict on maritime security and trade. Season 4 of Maritime Nation
- [Keeping ISIS in Check: The Navy and Marine Corps May Be Needed in Syria](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/keeping-isis-in-check-the-navy-and-marine-corps-may-be-needed-in-syria/): The overthrow of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 is one of the most positive geopolitical events of the twenty-first century so far. After 14 years of brutal suppression of revolts against his harsh rule—and after a combined 53 years of tyranny under Bashar and his father Hafez before him—Syrians now have a chance
- [Combatting Chinese Maritime Dominance with the Trade Act](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/combatting-chinese-maritime-dominance-with-the-trade-act/): The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has released the results of an extensive investigation into Chinese practices related to their shipbuilding industry. The report states unequivocally that the People's Republic of China (PRC) has deliberately and maliciously pursued policies to bolster its own shipbuilding industry and harm the shipbuilding industries of other
- [In Defense of the German Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/in-defense-of-the-german-navy/): It has become quite fashionable lately to criticize European navies in general and the German Navy in particular. This publication is no exception. In October, Ewa Andryjalowicz argued that the German Navy faces severe "constraints" and is not doing enough to rectify this situation in the face of the threat posed by Russia. She raised
- [Trump’s Defense Priorities](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/trumps-defense-priorities/): Steve Wills, an expert in surface warfare strategy at the Center for Naval Analysis in Alexandria, Virginia, said recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports have found mismanagement of cruiser modernization programs and amphibious warfare vessel maintenance and readiness efforts. These findings show the scale of the problem facing the incoming Trump administration.
- [The U.S. Navy Should Make a Port Call in Bosnia’s City of Neum](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-u-s-navy-should-make-a-port-call-in-bosnias-city-of-neum/): When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, concerns escalated that the conflict could spill into the Balkans, particularly given the unresolved Kosovo-Serbia dispute and tensions in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Existing Russian influence in the region exacerbated these fears. In response, Western diplomatic efforts intensified, and the European Union (EU) revived its enlargement policy.
- [A Conversation with the Commander of Fleet Forces Command](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-conversation-with-the-commander-of-fleet-forces-command/): We are approaching three years since Russia invaded Ukraine. Admiral James Foggo sits down with Admiral Daryl Caudle, commander of United States Fleet Forces, to discuss the state of the fleet and where conflict is heading in 2025. Season 3 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [Interview with Admiral (ret.) James G. Foggo](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/interview-with-admiral-ret-james-g-foggo/): Although the United States Navy's end strength has been reduced to 300 warships, America still has 100 warships underway on any given day.
- [New Administration, Congress Should Bring Order to Warship Naming Process](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/new-administration-congress-should-bring-order-to-warship-naming-process/): Only a week before leaving office, President Joe Biden announced on Jan.13 that the next two Gerald R. Ford carriers would be named for former Presidents William J. Clinton and George W. Bush. This move, along with a number of other warships named after living people decided by outgoing Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, signifies more challenges in the U.S. Navy
- [Part I: A Maritime Nation by Necessity](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/part-i-a-maritime-nation-by-necessity/): Editor's Note: This essay is part one of a three-part series based on a report by the author. Download the full report here. Part I Legacy America is a maritime nation by necessity. This fact was recognized at the dawn of our Republic. John Jay, who served as the secretary of foreign affairs during
- [Part II: A Maritime Nation by Necessity](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/part-ii-a-maritime-nation-by-necessity/): Editor’s Note: This essay is part two of a three-part series based on a report by the author. Read part one or download the full report here. Part II The United States Navy Recent examples of gross mismanagement highlight the Navy’s plight. The lead ship of the Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers, which
- [Jimmy Carter Was No Friend of the U.S. Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/jimmy-carter-was-no-friend-of-the-u-s-navy/): The late former president may have served honorably as a sailor, but his instincts as president were to shrink and deprioritize America’s naval forces.
- [Neurotrauma in Naval Operations: Addressing the Unseen Battlefront](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/neurotrauma-in-naval-operations-addressing-the-unseen-battlefront/): As naval missions push technological and human boundaries, the unseen toll of neurotrauma among personnel emerges as a critical concern. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), blast exposure and the physiological stress associated with the extreme confinement, isolation, and pressure variations of submarine deployments—conditions that are particularly pronounced in submarines, but can also affect other naval and
- [Dug In Positions Point To Stevedore Strike In Mid-January](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/dug-in-positions-point-to-stevedore-strike-in-mid-january/): While uncertainty remains as to how it will eventually play out, it is now almost certain that a strike will start January 16, shutting down ports across the East and Gulf Coasts. The strike will likely last at least a week with the potential of becoming even more disruptive. Both sides are dug in and
- [Unmanned Surface Vessels Can Support Troops on the Beach](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/unmanned-surface-vessels-can-support-troops-on-the-beach/): One of the most frequently-read recent articles on this site is Mike Daum’s excellent piece: Infantry Wins Battles, Logistics Wins Wars: The Role of the Army’s ‘Little Navy’ in the Pacific​. As the title implies, this piece is focused on the U.S. Army; however, two key statements universalize Daum’s argument. He argues that “getting American
- [CAVASSHIPS Podcast | Episode 172: Clark, McGrath & Wills Wrap-up ’24 and Look Ahead to ’25](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/cavasships-podcast-ep-172-clark-mcgrath-wills-wrap-up-24-and-look-ahead-to-25/): In this edition of the CavasShips Podcast with Christopher P. Cavas and Chris Servello, they discuss US Navy policies and programs with three leading commentators and analysts – Bryan Clark, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at Hudson Institute; Bryan McGrath of the Ferrybridge Group, and Steve Wills, a
- [Kelly/Waltz SHIPS Act Seeks to Elevate the Value and Numbers of U.S. Commercial Ships](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/kelly-waltz-ships-act-seeks-to-elevate-the-value-and-numbers-of-u-s-commercial-ships/): Bipartisan, bicameral legislation is now in play on Capitol Hill to give U.S. commercial shipbuilding industry the boost it needs to both compete with China and better serve national security needs. Introduced on December 19th, the SHIPS for America Act, sponsored by Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Todd Young (R-IN) and Congressmen Mike Waltz (R-FL)
- [What a NATO-Skeptic U.S. means for NATO Maritime Security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/what-a-nato-skeptic-u-s-means-for-nato-maritime-security/): President-elect Trump has in the past described the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as “obsolete” and questioned its relevance in the twenty-first century; however, the United States will not be leaving the alliance. Trump’s criticisms are aimed primarily at the disparity in defense spending between the United States and other members of the alliance, rather
- [Transition Assistance Programs for the Submarine Industrial Base Workforce](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/transition-assistance-programs-for-the-submarine-industrial-base-workforce/): A U.S. Navy investigation in April found that the Virginia-class submarines being built for the AUKUS agreement are running 2-3 years behind schedule. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell blamed naval supply chain challenges. Even if the logistical challenges are overcome, there is a consensus across government, industry, and academia that America’s shipyards simply do
- [Military Personnel Need Robust Financial Education More than Ever](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/military-personnel-need-robust-financial-education-more-than-ever/): The story of an E-1 blowing his first paycheck on a Mustang or Camero with an obscene interest rate is so ubiquitous that it is an inside joke among service members. It reveals a larger truth, however: many service members are not good at managing their finances. This is a problem not just for service
- [Anti-Submarine Warfare: The U.S. Navy’s Strategic Imperative](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/anti-submarine-warfare-the-u-s-navys-strategic-imperative/): The undersea domain has emerged as one of the most consequential theaters of modern conflict. With geopolitical rivalries intensifying, adversaries like China and Russia are leveraging technological advancements and new naval capabilities to challenge U.S. strategic dominance at sea. The U.S. Navy must act decisively, blending innovation, alliances, and foresight to ensure continued superiority in
- [CNO Remarks & Discussion at America's Future Fleet: Reinvigorating the Maritime Industrial Base](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/cno-remarks-at-americas-future-fleet-reinvigorating-the-maritime-industrial-base/): Last week, CMS had the pleasure of hosting the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, at the 3rd annual America’s Future Fleet symposium. Admiral Franchetti’s remarks are reproduced below. ADM. FRANCHETTI: It is my first time here at the Center for Maritime Strategy. It’s also my first time speaking at a Future
- [How 9/11 Could Have Been Prevented](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-9-11-could-have-been-prevented/): On September 11, 2001, 2,977 Americans were killed and 6,000 injured in the worst attack ever perpetrated on American soil. The hijackers were 19 men affiliated with the militant Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda. They hailed from four countries; 15 were Saudi Arabian citizens, two were from the United Arab Emirates, one was from Lebanon, and
- [Basing U.S. Vessels in the Indian Ocean: Pros and Cons](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/basing-u-s-vessels-in-the-indian-ocean-pros-and-cons/): In discussions of the United States’ national security interests in the Indo-Pacific, the “Indo” part often gets short shrift. So much of America’s attention is focused on China and the threats it poses in the Western Pacific—to Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines, not to mention America’s own Pacific territories—that it is easy to ignore the
- [Surviving as a Prisoner of War](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/surviving-as-a-prisoner-of-war/): In honor of Veterans Day, Admiral Foggo speaks with Commander Everett Alvarez Jr. who endured one of the longest periods as a prisoner of war in U.S. military history. Season 3 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [The Evolution of Legal Counsel for Operational Commanders: Revisiting Greek Classics and Military History](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-evolution-of-legal-counsel-for-operational-commanders-revisiting-greek-classics-and-military-history/): Then-Commander James Stockdale, after ejecting from his airplane over the jungle canopy of North Vietnam, whispered to himself, “I’m leaving the world of technology and entering the world of Epictetus.” He was later captured and subjected to eight years as a prisoner of war (POW). His reference to the ancient philosopher was grounded in his
- [Trump Team Should Focus on Molding a New Generation of ‘Warrior Admirals’](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/trump-team-should-focus-on-molding-a-new-generation-of-warrior-admirals/): A Navy secretariat-led SSG could also forge the connections with political leaders needed by the Navy to revive the interest and expertise of civilian government leaders in maritime strategy and policy. Finally, exposing flag-eligible Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine officers to senior policy makers and their challenges supports the development of wartime
- [What we know about Russia's new weapons after missile strike on Ukraine](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/what-we-know-about-russias-new-weapons-after-missile-strike-on-ukraine/): Tensions are rising in the war between Russia and Ukraine as new weapons used by both sides complicate the state of the conflict. Dr. Steven Wills, a Navalist for the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League of the United States, joins CBS News with more analysis.
- [“To Provide and Maintain a Navy” Is Not Enough: Making the Case for American Sea Power Requires More](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/to-provide-and-maintain-a-navy-is-not-enough-making-the-case-for-american-sea-power-requires-more/): In 1944, Admiral William S. Pye made what in retrospect seems an extraordinary claim: his recommendations for educating future American naval officers assumed that the U.S. Navy would exist in the immediate future. His comments felt disconnected from reality: American naval power had reached its zenith, had rebuilt itself materially and professionally, and was on
- [The U.S. Navy’s Hybrid Fleet: Getting More Mission Ready Players on the Field](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-u-s-navys-hybrid-fleet-getting-more-mission-ready-players-on-the-field/): The U.S. Navy is pursuing a bold vision of a 500-ship hybrid fleet, combining crewed and uncrewed maritime vessels to address modern challenges. This article explores the strategic importance of uncrewed systems, their potential roles in critical missions like intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and mine-countermeasures, and the hurdles the Navy faces in developing a clear Concept of Operations (CONOPS) to gain Congressional support. Discover how these innovative platforms could reshape naval warfare.
- [Sustaining the Distributed Joint Force in the Indo-Pacific](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sustaining-the-distributed-joint-force-in-the-indo-pacific/): In a conflict with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), U.S. forces will likely have to assume a distributed, low-signature posture throughout the Indo-Pacific theater. The PRC’s large arsenal of precision weapons—and industrial capacity to produce more at scale—renders concentrated American forces vulnerable. This revelation presents two troubling challenges for the United States. First, the
- [Trump Administration Must Reform how U.S. Navy Designs, Builds Warships](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/trump-administration-must-reform-how-u-s-navy-designs-builds-warships/): Where were the naval architects within Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to call out the LCS program for trying to add too many new systems and concepts in just one generation of naval vessel? Where were the managers who should have put the brakes on the Navy transforming the successful FREMM frigate design operated by several
- [Grading Goldwater-Nichols at Forty Years; Has it Worked?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/grading-goldwater-nichols-at-forty-years-has-it-worked/): The Goldwater-Nichols Act (GWN) of 1986 is now nearly 40 years old. As such, it ought now to be a subject of historical evaluation. In the decade following its passage, GWN was credited with the successes of the First Gulf War and the implementation of “jointness” at both the operational and administrative levels. Opponents were
- [The Accidental Veteran: Remembering Alfredo “Anzio” Rinaldi](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-accidental-veteran-remembering-alfredo-anzio-rinaldi/): This week, I have proudly sported a poppy on the lapel of my jacket in a gesture of remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of freedom. The 11th of November has a special significance for me as both of my grandfathers fought in the First World War and my father
- [Confronting the Axis of Authoritarianism: The Need for a Robust Defense Build-Up to Empower a Multi-Theater Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/confronting-the-axis-of-authoritarianism-the-need-for-a-robust-defense-build-up-to-empower-a-multi-theater-strategy-2/): The United States currently faces the most severe multi-theater threat environment since World War II. Yet, the current National Defense Strategy of “Integrated Deterrence” and defense spending of just 2.9 percent of GDP are both woefully inadequate to confront the dangers of the moment. Today’s challenges necessitate a new strategy that: (1) Establishes a Multi-Theater
- [NATO Haze Grey and Underway: Enhanced Vigilance Activity Neptune Strike 24-2](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/nato-haze-grey-and-underway-enhanced-vigilance-activity-neptune-strike-24-2/): Greetings from the other side of the Atlantic and enhanced vigilance activity Neptune Strike (NEST) 24-2. Last April, I provided a look into Neptune Strike 24-1 from Lisbon, Portugal. Neptune Strike is NATO’s signature series effort intended to enhance “Peacetime Vigilance Activities” around the alliance. The exercise is planned and coordinated by Naval Striking and
- [Make the Navy Great Again](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/make-the-navy-great-again/): In his possible second term, Trump will have the opportunity to cement his foreign policy legacy and shape the course of American national security policy well beyond the next four years. The key to doing so is for the White House to elevate naval power to a privileged place in American defense strategy and to back a
- [Reviving Letters of Marque](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reviving-letters-of-marque/): For the first time in more than eight decades, the United States lacks sufficient military and naval forces to confidently secure its interests worldwide. As policymakers adjust to this reality, there is a growing recognition of the necessity for strategic prioritization and greater risk acceptance. Even with the Pentagon’s belated urgency and broad bipartisan support
- [Infantry Wins Battles, Logistics Wins Wars: The Role of the Army’s “Little Navy” in the Pacific](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/infantry-wins-battles-logistics-wins-wars-the-role-of-the-armys-little-navy-in-the-pacific/): On October 14, 2024, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) surrounded Taiwan with reportedly reportedly 34 naval vessels and at least 153 aircraft as part of its latest “Joint-Sword 2024B” exercise. This is not the first Chinese show of force against the beleaguered island democracy, but it does serve as a stark reminder that America could
- [Part 2: In Defense of Conventional Punishment: Why Japan’s Defensive Realism Requires Offensive Capability](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/part-2-in-defense-of-conventional-punishment-why-japans-defensive-realism-requires-offensive-capability/): This is the second part of a two-part series. The first part of this essay can be read here. Current Challenges for Japan's Security and the Need for Offensive Defense In the context of Japan and the broader security challenges posed by China in the Indo-Pacific, two critical questions arise: first, does China harbor revisionist
- [Submarine Industrial Base (SIB)/AUKUS](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/submarine-industrial-base-sib-aukus/): This podcast discussion centers around the Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) funding and opportunities for industry, as well as the impact of AUKUS and the Australia/U.S. equipment sharing network. The podcast participants include ADM Scott Swift, former Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and ADM Jamie Foggo, former Commander of Naval Forces Europe. It is moderated
- [Memo to Next President: Bolster the Merchant Marine Fleet](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/memo-to-next-president-bolster-the-merchant-marine-fleet/): The next U.S. president will be faced with a stark choice – whether or not to rebuild what was once a vital commercial merchant marine fleet to support U.S. trade interests around the globe and buttress U.S. military operations when needed.
- [To Fight Future Wars, the U.S. Needs More Capacity—and Seriousness](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/to-fight-future-wars-the-u-s-needs-more-capacity-and-seriousness/): “I worry that people in think tank land and some people in government try to come up with these ideas that if war started, we can blockade China as a shortcut because we control the high seas,” Byers said. “Or we don’t need to buy 10,000 anti-ship missiles tomorrow to fight within the first island
- [Part 1: In Defense of Conventional Punishment: Why Japan's Defensive Realism Requires Offensive Capability ](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/in-defense-of-conventional-punishment-why-japans-defensive-realism-requires-offensive-capability/): After nearly eight decades spent maintaining a strict self-defense posture since World War Two, Japan made a pivotal shift in its grand strategy in December 2022. The government introduced a landmark National Security Strategy which made a significant political commitment to acquiring long-range "counterstrike capabilities", which are traditionally viewed as "offensive capabilities". Despite its historical
- [Limitations of German Maritime Security and Defense on NATO's Eastern Front](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/limitations-of-german-maritime-security-and-defense-on-natos-eastern-front/): German maritime security and defense capabilities play a crucial role in NATO's collective security, especially on the alliance's eastern front, which faces increasing threats from metropolitan Russia and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. In light of this threat, Germany should be essential in supporting its transatlantic partners in this region. However, since the 1990s, Germany's
- [The One Year Anniversary of Hamas’ Attack: Implications for the United States Navy in the Red Sea and Beyond](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-one-year-anniversary-of-hamas-attack-implications-for-the-united-states-navy-in-the-red-sea-and-beyond/): One year ago today, Hamas executed a well-planned and coordinated attack on an Israeli music festival and nearby Kibbutzim in the Israeli countryside. Hamas militants acted with cold and calculated brutality killing over 1200 Israeli civilians and security personnel and taking over 240 hostages—including American citizens, seven of whom are still being held. The Israel
- [Heed the Lessons of Beirut as the Current Crisis Unfolds](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/heed-the-lessons-of-beirut-as-the-current-crisis-unfolds/): Santayana Rides Again: Heed the Lessons of Beirut as the Current Crisis Unfolds Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. George Santayana, The Life of Reason, 1905. Late last week, Dataminr (one of our CMS sponsors) was among the first to report of the strike and apparent death (now confirmed) of
- [Fueling Conflict: Global Resource Politics in the 21st Century](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/fueling-conflict-global-resource-politics-in-the-21st-century/): As climate change accelerates, key regions are emerging as battlegrounds for control over untapped energy resources, strategic waterways, and geopolitical influence. Admiral Foggo and Professor Brenda Shaffer explore the critical intersection of naval strategy and energy politics and how resource security is reshaping alliances and conflicts. Season 3 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership
- [Tensions in the Red Sea: The Israel-Hamas Conflict a Year On](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/tensions-in-the-red-sea-the-israel-hamas-conflict-a-year-on/): ADM Foggo is joined by RDML Kavon Hakimzedah, recently back from deployment in the Red Sea, to discuss the ongoing operations in the Red Sea, the geopolitical importance of the region, and the role of the aircraft carrier in securing freedom of navigation. Season 3 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [Unmanned Vessels Threaten to Undermine the Sea-Based Deterrent](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/unmanned-vessels-threaten-to-undermine-the-sea-based-deterrent/): For more than half a century, the U.S. military has relied on ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), thought invulnerable in the ocean’s shadowy depths, to deter a nuclear attack. In theory, the nuclear-tipped missiles they carry onboard ensure that the United States always has the capacity to retaliate against a first strike. However, unmanned maritime vessels
- [To preserve sea power, US looks to Japan for help](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/to-preserve-sea-power-us-looks-to-japan-for-help/): Even though the U.S. still maintains significant naval advantages — such as 11 aircraft carriers compared to China’s three and an unrivaled network of global alliances — some observers believe that China’s ability to dwarf U.S. shipbuilding represents a fundamental shift in the regional balance of power. “We’ve let that underlying capacity atrophy to the
- [Assessing the 2024 Navigation Plan](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/assessing-the-2024-navigation-plan/): Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti released the latest in a series of naval policy white papers entitled “Navigation Plans” this week with a bold course to make the navy ready for potential conflict with China in 2027. Inside the 2024 Navigation Plan Admiral Franchetti has set her own Plan 33 (as she is
- [Who Secures the Western Indian Ocean? The Need for Strategic Dialogue](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/who-secures-the-western-indian-ocean-the-need-for-strategic-dialogue/): The Western Indian Ocean has once again become a focal point of international security concerns. Recent events, including attacks on shipping by Houthi forces and the resurgence of piracy off the Somali coast since November 2023, have thrust maritime security in this region back into the global spotlight. However, these high-profile incidents are merely single
- [The Founders Wanted a Powerful Navy: The Constitution Was Built for It](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-founders-wanted-a-powerful-navy-the-constitution-was-built-for-it/): Constitution Day offers an opportunity to reflect with gratitude on the splendor of our nation’s founding document. The document’s animating concepts, such as limited government, checks and balances, and popular sovereignty should be celebrated—our Founders designed the greatest form of government the world has ever seen. Historical accounts of the Constitutional Convention often downplay the
- [Beware the Allure of Blockade: There Won’t Be Any Silver Bullets in a War Against China](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/beware-the-allure-of-blockade-there-wont-be-any-silver-bullets-in-a-war-against-china/): Introduction War between the United States and People’s Republic of China (PRC) over Taiwan—or another dispute between Beijing and one of its neighbors—remains a front-of-mind concern for Washington. Many wargames have simulated what such a war might look like from the American perspective, but by-and-large, these have focused on the early days of a conflict
- [Stretched US Navy eyes risky new waters in South China Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/stretched-us-navy-eyes-risky-new-waters-in-south-china-sea/): As two U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups patrolled the Indian Ocean this week in an explicit effort to deter Iran from striking Israel and sparking a major regional conflict, a very different military messaging effort was underway in a luxury conference centre in Manila. The 35th annual Military Law and Operations Conference organised by the
- [Sidelining Civilian-Crewed Navy Ships Could Harm Overseas Operations, Analysts say](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sidelining-civilian-crewed-navy-ships-could-harm-overseas-operations-analysts-say/): A Navy proposal to put more than a dozen support ships out of service to ease a crippling shortage of qualified civilian mariners could damage U.S. efforts to counter its competitors in Africa and the Middle East, naval analysts say. The plan calls for putting the expeditionary sea bases USS Hershel “Woody” Williams and USS
- [Rebuilding the Bench at MSC](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/rebuilding-the-bench-at-msc/): The Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC) recently announced that it might have to lay up seventeen auxiliaries due to a lack of qualified mariners to crew them. While this decision is indicative of leadership willing to make bold decisions to right the ship, there are other avenues that MSC should explore to close the mariner
- [The Weakest Link: Single Points of Failure and Toward a National Cybersecurity](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-weakest-link-single-points-of-failure-and-toward-a-national-cybersecurity/): In 2023, Russia-affiliated groups launched a global cyberattack that compromised the Department of Energy and succeeded in harvesting sensitive information. This is only a more recent example in the waves of cyberattacks targeting American corporations and government agencies. Although the government is increasingly attentive to cyber security vulnerabilities in government, industry, and wider American society, vulnerabilities
- [The Navy has a Readiness Problem; Here are Solutions to Consider](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-navy-has-a-readiness-problem-here-are-solutions-to-consider/): The Navy has a readiness goal of ensuring 75 combat-credible surface ships at any given time. But this is a difficult goal to meet as the fleet is a shrinking, aging force whose deployed units are regularly extended to support ongoing deterrence operations. Those extensions in turn upset carefully planned shipyard work packages for multiple
- [A Proportional Response? American Strategy and the Red Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-proportional-response-american-strategy-and-the-red-sea/): In effect, the White House and Department of Defense (DoD) created a new, de facto “Aden Station” that must constantly be serviced by the Navy, stretching an already-too-small fleet even further. Does the Houthi threat to the 14 percent of global maritime trade that passes through the Red Sea warrant the semi-permanent allocation of one-third of America’s forward-deployed carrier force?
- [Fleets verses Forts, A Perennial Challenge](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/fleets-verses-forts-a-perennial-challenge/): Littoral spaces have always been more dangerous for naval forces. Since the mid-19th century, the ranges at which terrestrial fortifications can attack and seriously damage fleets have steadily increased. Even well-armed warships struggle to silence well-protected land-based weapons, especially when those weapons become mobile. As the old saying goes: “a ship’s a fool to fight
- [How the Ukraine-Russia war is playing out differently on 3 separate fronts](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-the-ukraine-russia-war-is-playing-out-differently-on-3-separate-fronts/): The front line in the Russia-Ukraine war stretches for more than 600 miles. Yet roughly speaking, it breaks down into three separate fronts — in Ukraine's north, east and south — which are all playing out differently.
- [The CMV-22 OSPREY: A Game-Changer for Today’s COD and Tomorrow’s Contested Combat Logistics Support ](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-cmv-22-osprey-a-game-changer-for-todays-cod-and-tomorrows-contested-combat-logistics-support/): Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld rightly observed: “You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.” The same can be said for the Navy’s combat fleets; the Marine Corps’ littoral expeditionary and amphibious forces; naval air forces; and all the supporting combat
- [The Navy Needs More Shipyards. It Should Take a Close Look at Philadelphia](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-navy-needs-more-shipyards-it-should-take-a-close-look-at-philadelphia/): Philadelphia has a long and rich maritime history. Founded in 1682 on the banks of the Delaware River, in colonial times it rivaled Boston and New York as America’s largest and most active port. After President George Washington signed the Naval Act of 1794, authorizing construction of the United States Navy’s first six frigates, naval
- [The Need for Speed](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-need-for-speed/): “I feel the need, the need for speed.” Every Navy fighter pilot—and those of us who admire them—relates to Maverick’s and Goose’s classic line in Top Gun. When it comes to F-14 Tomcats and most military applications, the logic and effectiveness of speed is paramount. That is why all military personnel and their personal equipment
- [The U.S. Must Take the Lead in a Destabilized, Increasingly Militarized Arctic](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-u-s-must-take-the-lead-in-a-destabilized-increasingly-militarized-arctic/): The end of an era of cooperation is turning the Arctic region into an unsettled proving ground for nations competing for access to natural resources, trade routes and military advantage. At the heart of the breakdown in relations is Russia’s annexation of Crimea and subsequent invasion of Ukraine, actions that alienated fellow Arctic nations. Further
- [Anniversary of Gulf of Tonkin Incident](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/anniversary-of-gulf-of-tonkin-incident/): This year is the 60th anniversary of the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which led to the United States’ entry into the Vietnam War. In recognition of this event, we are bringing you a special episode of CNA Talks, featuring a group of historians with uniquely valuable perspectives on the incident, including CMS Navalist Dr. Steve
- [Maritime Strategy for a 21st Century Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/maritime-strategy-for-a-21st-century-navy/): In the newest episode of the Vandenburg Coalition's podcast “How to Win,” then-Vandenburg Coalition Research Associate and current CMS Senior National Security Advisor Samuel Byers interviewed Brent Sadler of the Heritage Foundation Dr. Jerry Hendrix of the Sagamore Institute. In the episode, they discuss how to craft a maritime strategy for an era of great power
- [Deterring China’s Salami Tactics](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/south-china-sea-deterrence-project/): The Philippines is the most targeted country of Chinese gray zone aggression in the South China Sea today. China claims 80 percent of the South China Sea and often deploys the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) to enforce its illegitimate claims against the Philippines and the other nations whose maritime domains fall within the so-called “Nine-dash
- [Competition Returns to the Southwest Pacific](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/competition-returns-to-the-southwest-pacific/): During World War II, the Solomon Islands campaign was one of the most consequential of all the Pacific operations that produced an Allied victory. Nearly 80 years later, and after thousands of Americans lost their lives in that fight, the Southwest Pacific security environment is heating up once again. The United States, along with its
- [Reflections on the USS Eisenhower Strike Group's Red Sea Deployment](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reflections-on-the-uss-eisenhower-strike-groups-red-sea-deployment/): I recently had the privilege of taking command of the USS Eisenhower (IKE) Strike Group near the end of its extended deployment in the Red Sea. The strike group, comprising the IKE, Carrier Air Wing Three, and several additional warships—including USS Philippine Sea, USS Gravely, USS Laboon, USS Mason, and USS Carney—had spent the previous
- [The Houthis, Operation Prosperity Guardian, and Asymmetric Threats to Global Commerce](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-houthis-operation-prosperity-guardian-and-asymmetric-threats-to-global-commerce/): U.S. military officials and policymakers face a difficult choice in the Bab el-Mandeb: commit to a massive and sustained investment in maintaining open sea lanes by permanently neutralizing the Yemeni Houthi movement or allowing the international community to bear the burden of increased shipping costs. The geopolitical consequences of this decision will not be limited
- [Aircraft Carrier Math Is No Conundrum](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/aircraft-carrier-math-is-no-conundrum/): Several recent breaking news stories have bemoaned the gap in U.S. Navy aircraft carrier coverage in the Red Sea, where warships from multiple nations have battled Houthi missile and drone attacks. The response to this gap has generally been along the lines of “we have too few ships and need more” to solve the “carrier
- [How SECNAV’s claims about S Korean, Japanese shipbuilders do and do not line up](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-secnavs-claims-about-s-korean-japanese-shipbuilders-do-and-do-not-line-up/): CMS's Dr. Steven Wills is interviewed by Breaking Defense to give commentary on the soundness of comparing U.S. and Asian shipbuilding capabilities.
- [Independence Day Special: The Continental Navy's Legacy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/independence-day-special-the-continental-navys-legacy/): CMS's Dr. Steven Wills joined CNA Talks to discuss the Continental Navy’s role in the American Revolution and how its legacy is reflected in the modern day US Navy.
- [Hail Amerigo Vespucci!](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/hail-amerigo-vespucci/): Last week, the Italian Tall Ship Amerigo Vespucci visited the Port of Los Angeles. This port visit is part of a 2023-2025 world cruise which doubles as an opportunity to showcase Italian culture, goods, and services in cities around the world. At the same time, scores of cadets from the Italian Naval Academy in Livorno
- [Continental Joint Operations in the Revolutionary War](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/continental-joint-operations-in-the-revolutionary-war/): Figure 1: The Continental gunboat Philadelphia, sunk at the Battle of Valcour island in 1776, and raised nearly intact in the 1930's. Now on display in the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History. On Independence Day, it is fitting to remember those who fought to free the Thirteen Colonies from British imperialism. With the traditional
- [Pakistan's Maritime Domain Awareness Initiatives in the Indian Ocean](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/pakistans-maritime-domain-awareness-initiatives-in-the-indian-ocean/): In an era of growing maritime challenges, no country can afford to ignore its own maritime security. For Pakistan—a country with an approximately 1,050-kilometer coastline along the Arabian Sea—this fact has inspired multiple lines of effort to protect the country’s maritime interests. Islamabad has a history of supporting order at sea, is recognized as a
- [Congressional Commissions on Afghan War and Future of Navy Lack Recipe for Success](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/congressional-commissions-on-afghan-war-and-future-of-navy-lack-recipe-for-success/): Recent National Defense Authorization Acts enacted by Congress have created investigative commissions on issues ranging from the defense budgeting process, the war in Afghanistan to the future of the U.S. Navy. In fact, in the period from 1989 to 2017, Congress has authorized over 170 congressional commissions “to provide independent advice; to make recommendations for changes in
- [The United States Should ‘Operation Paul Bunyan’ the Second Thomas Shoal](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-united-states-should-operation-paul-bunyan-the-second-thomas-shoal/): Introduction Last week, vessels of the China Coast Guard (CCG) seriously injured a Philippine sailor during a ramming attack intended to prevent the Republic of the Philippines from resupplying the Sierra Madre, a Philippine warship beached on Second Thomas Shoal inside Manila’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Philippines defense chief, General Romeo Brawner, lambasted the CCG as
- [NATO’s Maritime Strategy: Operational Challenges & Opportunities](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/natos-maritime-strategy-operational-challenges-opportunities/): Admiral Foggo sits down with Admiral Keith Blount, NATO’s Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, to discuss the upcoming NATO Summit, NATO’s maritime strategy and capabilities, and Russia’s persistent war in Ukraine. Watch the video edition of the episode here. Season 3 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [BALTOPS 24 in a Contested NATO Lake](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/baltops-24-in-a-contested-nato-lake/): The accession of Finland and Sweden to the NATO ranks has not banished the potential for Russian aggression in the Baltic region. Northern Europe’s “flooded meadow” is a potential joint battlespace, across which flows critical Russian as well as NATO commerce and undersea communication lines. Air and sea control in the Baltic is absolutely essential
- [Resolving Maritime Border Dispute Opens Door for Increased Energy Security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/resolving-maritime-border-dispute-opens-door-for-increased-energy-security/): On October 27, 2022 the State of Israel and the Republic of Lebanon, two countries who legally remain in a state of war, signed a historic agreement under the mediation of U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein to resolve a roughly eighty year old border dispute surrounding each country’s exclusive economic zone. The point of contention was
- [Prioritizing Dockworkers Upholds U.S. National Security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/prioritizing-dockworkers-upholds-u-s-national-security/): The shipping industry’s failure to recognize West Coast workers’ best interests has exacerbated labor negotiations and opens a security threat in a global economic chokepoint. The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), representing container shipping companies, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), representing dockworkers, announced a tentative agreement on select issues, coming more than a
- [Retired U.S. Navy Admiral is Not Alarmed by Russian Military Exercise Off the Coast of Cuba](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/retired-u-s-navy-admiral-is-not-alarmed-by-russian-military-exercise-off-the-coast-of-cuba/): Retired Four-Star Admiral James Foggo said they are there doing training and the U.S. Navy is keeping an eye on them.
- [A Nuclear Sea-Launched Cruise Missile Sooner, Rather than Later](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-nuclear-sea-launched-cruise-missile-sooner-rather-than-later/): “The current situation in Ukraine and China’s nuclear trajectory have further convinced me that a deterrence and assurance gap exists,” argued Admiral Charles Richard--then Commander of U.S. Strategic Command--in 2022 when he endorsed a nuclear sea-launched cruise missile capability (SLCM-N) as “necessary to enhance deterrence and assurance.” After conducting its Nuclear Posture Review, the Biden
- [Air Force Struggles with Next-Generation ICBM](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/air-force-struggles-with-next-generation-icbm/): The U.S. Navy has been the focus of recent criticism for its shipbuilding woes, to include delays to the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine of up to 16 months in the first vessel’s delivery. The submarine industrial base has come under regular attack as well for its inability to build enough ballistic missile and attack submersibles
- [ACT1 Federal and CMS Partner to Deliver Mission-Critical Solutions](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/act1-federal-and-cms-partner-to-deliver-mission-critical-solutions/): Partnership between ACT1 Federal and CMS supports research and analysis on ally and partner integration while advancing the conversation amongst policy experts and practitioners on logistics, supply chain management, and acquisition strategy. ARLINGTON, VA, June 10, 2024 — The Center for Maritime Strategy welcomes partnership with ACT1 Federal, an industry leader in integrated program management
- [General Dwight Eisenhower and the D-Day that Thankfully Never Was](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/general-dwight-eisenhower-and-the-d-day-that-thankfully-never-was/): Figure 1: Former President Eisenhower with Journalist Walter Cronkite in Normandy on the 20th Anniversary of D-day, 1964 General and later President Dwight D. Eisenhower was not a combat veteran when he was poised to commence one of the greatest combat operations in military and naval history on the Normandy beaches on the early
- [Use the Defense Production Act to Jump-start Navy Munitions Production](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/use-the-defense-production-act-to-jump-start-navy-munitions-production/): The Navy has expended an enormous quantity of munitions—by modern procurement standards—during the ongoing Battle of the Red Sea. The damning statistics speak for themselves. In a recent Foreign Policy article on the need for the Pentagon to buy more ammunition, authors Stacie Pettyjohn and Hannah Dennis point out that “[b]etween October 2023 and this
- [MOC Submission Guidelines](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/moc-submission-guidelines/): MOC Submissions Guideline
- [The European Defense Industrial Strategy: Moving the EU Closer to Strategic Autonomy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-european-defense-industrial-strategy-moving-the-eu-closer-to-strategic-autonomy/): On March 5th, the European Commission and the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy unveiled the first European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS). The strategy is a significant step towards enhancing the European Union's (EU) defense industry and achieving greater strategic autonomy. However, the unveiling of this strategy has created tension with
- [CMS Dean Appearance on WMAL](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/cms-dean-appearance-on-wmal/): CMS's Admiral James G. Foggo (ret.) joined WMAL's Larry O'Connor to discuss The Center for Maritime Strategy, Commissioning Week at United States Naval Academy, and threats facing the U.S. in the maritime domain.
- [Carrier Cooperation: Expanding NATO's Strength at Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/carrier-cooperation-expanding-natos-strength-at-sea/): Figure 1: USMC F-35B with HMS Prince of Wales In 2012, the United States and the United Kingdom signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) regarding aircraft carrier cooperation. It committed the U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy to pursuing, “effective cooperation on the generation, training, operation, and sustainability of their respective aircraft carrier forces.” With
- [Securing the Commercial Maritime Industry](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/securing-the-commercial-maritime-industry/): Admiral Foggo sits down with renowned shipping expert, Dr. Salvatore Mercogliano, to discuss what the national security community should know about commercial shipping and the most immediate issues facing the commercial shipping sector. Watch the video edition of the episode here. Season 3 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [To Prepare for War at Sea Over Taiwan, Look to the Land War in Ukraine](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/to-prepare-for-war-at-sea-over-taiwan-look-to-the-land-war-in-ukraine/): With a few notable exceptions—including the sinking of the Russian flagship Moskva and Ukraine’s innovative drone attacks on the Black Sea Fleet—the Russo-Ukraine War has been confined to land and the skies there above. However, navalists would be foolish not to study this conflict in all domains as they wrestle with how the United States
- [Three Questions: Congressional Guidance for a National Maritime Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/three-questions-congressional-guidance-for-a-national-maritime-strategy/): Last week, a bipartisan, bicameral group of Congress members released a document outlining their vision for a U.S. National Maritime Strategy to “reverse the decline of American maritime power and our susceptibility to coercion from strategic competitors on the world’s oceans.” Their effort is a welcome first step and an important signal of bipartisan Congressional
- [Does the Navy Need to “Pound the Table” Again to be Heard in Washington?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/does-the-navy-need-to-pound-the-table-again-to-be-heard-in-washington/): Figure 1: Admiral Arleigh Burke, who suggested "pounding the table" to make a point The history of the Cold War is replete with stories of daring operations by the U.S. Navy in its defense of the nation against the Soviet Union. The Navy often too had to fight for its existence in Washington D.C. in
- [The Clear Case Today for Globalization Preserving National Security: Part 2](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-clear-case-today-for-globalization-preserving-national-security-part-2/): Figure 1: Containers being loaded onto first Containership IdealX in 1956 The Ideal X experiment was just the beginning of more globalized, postwar world. The aftermath of World War II brought with it a growing view that the world needed to move towards freer trade. In addition to the collective economic benefits that drove this,
- [The Clear Case Today for Globalization Preserving National Security: Part 1](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-clear-case-today-for-globalization-preserving-national-security-part-1/): Figure 1: John McCown, second from right, speaks at Sea Air Space 2024 Last week I was in D.C. to participate in two panel discussions. One was the Navy League’s Sea Air Space conference where I emphasized the critical need for more U.S. flag sealift capacity while the other was American University’s Trade in
- [Missile Warfare Outside the Lab](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/missile-warfare-outside-the-lab/): Figure 1: USS Gravely missile firing 2023 For much to the Cold War the concept of missile warfare at sea remained largely relegated to the laboratory and the world of mathematics, along with a few isolated Arab/Israeli and India/Pakistan naval battles involving small combatants. The Israeli destroyer Eilat sunk by Egyptian missiles in October 1967
- [Live at Sea-Air-Space 2024 with Dr. P.W. Singer](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/live-at-sea-air-space-2024-with-dr-p-w-singer/): For the second annual live recording of Maritime Nation, world-renowned futurist Dr. P.W. Singer joins Admiral Foggo for a discussion on Dr. Singer's books and the future of the United States Navy. Watch the video edition of the episode here. Season 3 of Maritime Nation is produced in partnership with Dataminr.
- [The United States Coast Guard: At the Intersection of Diplomacy, Law, and Security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-united-states-coast-guard-at-the-intersection-of-diplomacy-law-and-security/): Admiral Linda L. Fagan, 27th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, joins host Admiral Foggo for a packed conversation reaching from the Arctic to the Indo-Pacific and ranging from the Coast Guard’s massive areas of responsibility to recruiting and retaining the personnel who make its incredible operations possible. Watch the video edition of the episode
- [A Bridge Over Troubled Waters](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-bridge-over-troubled-waters/): The potential U.S. plan to build a port facility with causeway from the sea to transport humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza caught in the Israel-Hamas war crossfire is a risky proposition. People in the region have long memories and the idea that the U.S. military is again placing itself between Israel and those that
- [Littoral Naval Operations: Australia’s Experiences](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/littoral-naval-operations-australias-experiences/): Once again, as the current Houthi-attacks on merchant shipping in the confines of the Red Sea show, navies must be able to effectively operate in littoral waters. Late last year two former Royal Australian Navy officers Commander Jen Parker and Vice Admiral Peter Jones wrote an Occasional Paper for the Australian Naval Institute on the
- [Developments Towards Net-Zero Shipping & U.S. Leadership Opportunities](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/developments-towards-net-zero-shipping-u-s-leadership-opportunities/): Following a year of promise, 2024 will be pivotal in the maritime shipping sector’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) officially revised its Strategy on the Reduction of GHG Emissions in July 2023. The strategy sets ambitions for global net-zero shipping by 2050 and now calls for mid-term GHG
- [The RMS Aquitania and the Enduring Importance of Military Sealift Capabilities](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-rms-aquitania-and-the-enduring-importance-of-military-sealift-capabilities/): The first half of the 20th century is considered by many to be the golden age of ocean liners, large merchant ships that operated on a regular schedule between designated ports, transporting different kinds of cargo and passengers. At the time, the business was primarily dominated by two British companies, the White Star Line and
- [Sea Drone Swarms – Can NATO’s Navies Avoid Russia’s Fate?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sea-drone-swarms-can-natos-navies-avoid-russias-fate/): Recent sinkings of Russian naval vessels by Ukrainian maritime drones are raising stark questions about tactics and competence.
- [The Need for Political Urgency in Ensuring Naval Success](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-need-for-political-urgency-in-ensuring-naval-success/): One constant in an era of increasing change is the value of the US Navy in ensuring global security. Navies provide deterrence and unfettered strike capability where required in support of national interest. Navies provide the capability to fight far away from our own shores. And Navies provide a diplomatic presence unmatched by any other
- [The Specter of the Continuing Resolution Will Haunt Navy Acquisition and Operations Beyond 2024](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-specter-of-the-continuing-resolution-will-haunt-navy-acquisition-and-operations-beyond-2024/): Figure 1: Virginia class SSN USS Arkansas under construction in Newport News in September 2023. While Congress did agree on the fiscal year 2024 defense budget and that dissention has thrown defense spending into the void of the Continuing Resolution (CR) through at least 8 March 2024, thanks to an 18 January 2024 vote. Beyond
- [Breaking Down the Defense Budget](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/breaking-down-the-defense-budget/): With the fiscal 2025 presidential budget request release weeks away, the Department of Defense and defense industry remain in limbo under the ongoing continuing resolution. What can we expect from the 2025 defense budget? What impact does the continuing resolution have on defense modernization and readiness? How are the Sea Services uniquely impacted? Watch the
- [Lessons for the U.S. Navy from the Sinking of Russian Ship by Surface Drones](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/lessons-for-the-u-s-navy-from-the-sinking-of-russian-ship-by-surface-drones/): The apparent sinking of the Russian missile corvette Ivanovets by a swarm of Ukrainian surface drones has suggested to some that (again) the traditional surface warship is obsolete. Dramatic, detailed video of the attack from the Ukrainian suicide drones suggests the Russian ship was hopelessly outmaneuvered by the drones, offered little resistance and was quickly dispatched, with the end of the video showing the sinking ship’s bow projecting about the water as she sinks. No doubt, it was a solid victory for Ukrainian forces. That said, when the engagement is analyzed, it’s a lot more about Russian failures rather than uncrewed drone success.
- [Why No Naval Band of Brothers?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-no-naval-band-of-brothers/): In January 2024, the dynamic production team of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks brought another World War II epic series to the small screen. Entitled “Masters of the Air” it follows the exploits of the U.S. Army Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group and its 37 B-17 bombers that flew against targets in occupied Europe and
- [The Sixth Fleet on the Front Lines, Then and Now](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-sixth-fleet-on-the-front-lines-then-and-now/): In August 1946, the Soviet Union sent a message to Turkey, proposing an overhaul of the Montreux Convention. During World War II, Turkey had allowed small, unarmed Axis vessels to pass through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, rather than exercising its power under the Convention to close the straits to ships from countries not bordering the
- [Is The U.S. Navy Ready For The Red Sea Threat?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/is-the-u-s-navy-ready-for-the-red-sea-threat/): In the Red Sea drone and missile attacks by the Houthi rebels are stemming the flow of commerce in a critical part of the world. The U.S. Navy has deployed numerous ships to help defend against these attacks, but with the high cost of advanced missiles, and fleet that has shrunk considerably since the end
- [Aging U.S. Ready Reserve Fleet in Need of a Big Boost](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/aging-u-s-ready-reserve-fleet-in-need-of-a-big-boost/): The U.S. Ready Reserve Fleet (RRF) of cargo and fuel ships that move military gear around the world when needed for a conflict is in serious need of an upgrade. The fleet is aging and generally not ready for war.
- [Before Larger or More Lethal, the U.S. Navy First Needs a Maritime Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/before-larger-or-more-lethal-the-u-s-navy-first-needs-a-maritime-strategy/): A recent Washington Post editorial makes the laudable case for a larger, or at least a more lethal U.S. Navy for checking the rise of China’s navy and for current contingency operations such as shooting down hostile drones and missiles launched by Yemen-based Houthi rebels at maritime targets. The editorial also makes a good case
- [Trans-Atlantic Security in Baltic II: New Polish Government with Changes in the NATO Eastern Flank](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/trans-atlantic-security-in-baltic-ii-new-polish-government-with-changes-in-the-nato-eastern-flank/): The recent overthrow of the Polish government at the ballot box signals significant potential changes in the security posture of NATO's strongest ally in Eastern Europe. After the last parliamentary elections in Poland (October 2023), Donald Tusk from the center left K.O. (Civic Platform) returned to the position of Prime Minister of the Republic of
- [The Balearic-Strait-Canaries Axis and Spanish Maritime Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-balearic-strait-canaries-axis-and-spanish-maritime-strategy/): On November 30th, 2023 the Spanish Navy (“Armada Española”) received the S-81 Isaac Peral, the first of four diesel-electric attack submarines of the S-80 Plus class, built by Spanish shipbuilder Navantia. The S-80 program is expected to revive the Navy’s diminished submarine fleet by 2028 and significantly enhance Spain’s maritime surveillance and area denial capabilities.
- [Bring Back the CNO Strategic Studies Group And Make New “Captains of War” for Renewed Competition](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/bring-back-the-cno-strategic-studies-group/): The Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group (CNO SSG) was discontinued in March 2016 as navy leadership was re-assessing how best to deal with the resurgence of a revanchist Russia and a rising China intent on operating outside global norms. Founded in 1981 as a tool through which rising Navy Captains and later U.S.
- [Replicator will Sink or Swim with the US Navy in 2024](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/replicator-will-sink-or-swim-with-the-us-navy-in-2024/): To deter China, the initiative to scale autonomous systems must put to sea with a coherent strategy, procurement, and funding. Twenty months. The upper limit of time remaining for the U.S. military to make good on Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks’s commitment to field “attritable autonomous systems at scale of multiple thousands, in multiple
- [Special Episode: The Future of the Surface Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/special-episode-the-future-of-the-surface-navy/): Ahead of the Surface Navy Association’s 36th National Symposium, tune in to this special episode of Maritime Nation, to hear CMS’s Dean and Navalist in conversation with shipbuilders and surface warfare experts, Vice Admiral Rick Hunt, USN (ret.) and Captain Mark Vandroff, USN (ret.). View the recording on YouTube.
- [Building the Coast Guard of the Future](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/building-the-coast-guard-of-the-future/): Admiral Foggo is joined by Admiral Steven Poulin, the 33rd Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, to discuss the Coast Guard’s sprawling responsibilities, emerging capabilities, and how it gets the job done, from maritime response missions to defense operations. Admiral Poulin explains how the Coast Guard joins allies in supporting Indo-Pacific security, leads the
- [LSE 23: An Exercise Unlike Any Other](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/lse-23-an-exercise-unlike-any-other/): In the middle of Large Scale Exercise 2023 (LSE 23), ADM James Foggo speaks with ADM Daryl Caudle, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and LT GEN Brian Cavanaugh, Commander, Marine Forces Command about LSE 23’s origins, purpose, and impact. ADM Caudle, LT GEN Cavanaugh, and ADM Foggo will each serve in leadership positions overseeing the
- [Part II: Huzzah! There is a New Frigate on the Horizon](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/part-ii-huzzah-there-is-a-new-frigate-on-the-horizon/): The U.S. Navy needs its new Constellation-class frigates in service as soon as possible. Without a replacement for the frigate, following sundowning of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class FFGs in 2015, the U.S. Navy then experimented with different options to fill the void. It became apparent that smaller platforms, better configured for littoral warfare, could not
- [Part I: Sundowning the Oliver Hazard Perry-Class Frigate](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sundowning-the-oliver-hazard-perry-class-frigate/): Since I can remember, the United States Navy has always had frigates. Therefore, as a Fleet Commander, it was surprising that the Navy allowed the last of the active-duty Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates to decommission in 2015, without an on-contact replacement. These workhorses were at, or approaching, their 30-year hull life, and the Navy had
- [Clear & Predictable Capacity Caps At America’s Seaports Need Addressing For Commercial & Security Reasons](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/clear-predictable-capacity-caps-at-americas-seaports-need-addressing-for-commercial-security-reasons/): Today U.S. ports have returned more to normal operating status following a tumultuous few years when the pandemic set in motion factors resulting in congestion and gridlock. The epicenter of supply chain issues impacting everyone in America was container shipping and container terminals were ground zero. The direct impact of higher shipping costs for inbound
- [Next Steps in the Red Sea: Offense, Not Just Defense](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/next-steps-in-the-red-sea-offense-not-just-defense/): "Thus far, the Department of Defense has been circumspect about how Operation Prosperity Guardian will be executed. Presumably, warships will escort tankers, bulk carriers, and container ships through the Red Sea. What rules of engagement will be in effect? Will we go after those firing missiles and launching attack drones? One thing is certain: if
- [Up for Debate: Should the U.S. ratify UNCLOS?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/up-for-debate-should-the-u-s-ratify-unclos/): “Up for Debate” is a project of the Center for Maritime Strategy geared towards driving thoughtful, energizing discussion about pressing issues facing the U.S. Sea Services and international maritime security. Our monthly series places two contrasting expert views into written conversation with each other about a timely issue of maritime significance. “Up for Debate” provides
- [U.S. Maritime Priorities for a New Era of Competition](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/u-s-maritime-priorities-for-a-new-era-of-competition/): This is a unique time in world history. The optimism of the early post-Cold War period has been replaced by a renewed understanding that Great Power conflict has returned with a vengeance to shape 21st century geopolitics. Wars in Europe and the Middle East demand U.S. attention and impact important U.S. interests. Meanwhile, China –
- [Strengthening Naval Security Posture: Mitigating Malware Attacks in the Face of Russian Cyber Warfare](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/strengthening-naval-security-posture-mitigating-malware-attacks-in-the-face-of-russian-cyber-warfare/): In an era dominated by technological prowess, the realm of cyber warfare has emerged as a potent tool for nation-states seeking to assert dominance. The 2020 SolarWinds cyber-attack conducted by the Russian Cozy Bear organization, where malware significantly disrupted organizations supply chains, demonstrates this. The United States urgently needs to fortify its naval security posture
- [Part II - U.S. Fisheries Enforcement in the Western Pacific: Embracing the Long Run](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/3413/): This publication is part two of a two-part series concerning the U.S. Coast Guard’s approach to countering Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated Fishing (“IUUF”) in the Western Pacific region. Click here to read Part I about the short-term assessment of the U.S. Coast Guard’s IUUF operations. The first part of this series discussed how short run limitations
- [How does a 1980s Video Game inform Uncrewed Surface Warfare Systems?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-does-a-1980s-video-game-inform-uncrewed-surface-warfare-systems/): Figure 1. 1980s "Missile Command" game. Graphic from Polygon. While there has been a clarion call to integrate uncrewed systems into the U.S. Navy surface fleet, there is the inevitable fact that even in 2045, 60% or more of the current, crewed surface warship fleet will still be in service. How can uncrewed systems
- [U.S. Navy Warship responds to Red Sea Attacks](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/u-s-navy-warship-responds-to-red-sea-attacks/): A U.S. Navy warship shot down several drones launched toward commercial ships in the Red Sea. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility for the attacks. CBS News' David Martin reports, featuring comments from ADM James Foggo.
- [Part I: Combatting Short Term Limitations of U.S. Fisheries Enforcement in the Western Pacific](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/part-i-combatting-short-term-limitations-of-u-s-fisheries-enforcement-in-the-western-pacific/): This publication is part one of a two-part series concerning the U.S. Coast Guard’s approach to countering Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated Fishing (“IUUF”) in the Western Pacific region. In the following article, the author will discuss how, without concerted brand management efforts to combat widespread short run thinking, the U.S. Coast Guard can lose momentum and organizational
- [Sen. Kelly to propose Legislation to strengthen Commercial Shipping](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sen-kelly-to-propose-legislation-to-strengthen-commercial-shipping/): ARLINGTON, Va. — A U.S. senator is developing legislation meant to revitalize the U.S. commercial maritime industry, which he called an economic and national security imperative. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said Tuesday the government must include the Merchant Marine as part of its effort to deter China. Speaking at an event by the Center for
- [China and Russia in the Black Sea Region: Moving towards Pax Sinica?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/china-and-russia-in-the-black-sea-region-moving-towards-pax-sinica/): China’s interests favor a more stable Black Sea Region (“BSR”), so Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine complicates China’s regional, maritime-based interests. This conundrum reflects a broader struggle between China and Russia for influence in the BSR, protecting China’s regional infrastructure projects and investments, and ensuring uninterrupted shipping access throughout the Black Sea. Russia’s 2022 invasion
- [The U.S. cannot afford a Boomer Gap (No, Seriously)](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-u-s-cannot-afford-a-boomer-gap-no-seriously/): The United States Navy’s submarine service has a proud and storied history. It reaches back to the nation’s founding, during the Revolutionary War, when David Bushnell sailed a hand-cranked wooden bathysphere, the ferociously-named Turtle, into battle. With the advent of America’s nuclear-powered submarine force in 1954, the United States has retained a considerable qualitative edge
- [Ghost Ships Already wreak Havoc](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/ghost-ships-are-already-wreaking-havoc/): Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has joined Iran and other pariah nations in using “ghost ships” to transport oil and other goods and bypass international sanctions. Russia’s ghost fleet primarily consists of older vessels that have a higher risk of breaking down and being involved in accidents. Beyond the inherent risks of
- [Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Operational Level of Conflict in Star Wars](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/grand-admiral-thrawn-and-the-operational-level-of-conflict-in-star-wars/): The “Star Wars” franchise continues to build and expand into its 46th year of impact on American and global culture, science fiction and, in some cases, scientific fact. The “wars” side of the story, however, has not always been as accurate as perhaps possible. Hero and villain commanders alike, including General Obi wan Kenobi, Darth Vader,
- [China enslaves People at Sea and We don't have the Wherewithal to stop It](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/china-is-enslaving-people-at-sea-we-dont-have-the-wherewithal-to-stop-it/): As states and institutions come to terms with their historic roles in perpetrating slavery, new investigative reporting indicates that, today, the Chinese fishing sector is engaged in widespread enslavement of human beings. The question is: are we ready and willing to do something about it? The New Yorker’s striking new investigation chronicles a pattern of
- [Up for Debate: The Jones Act](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/up-for-debate-the-jones-act/): “Up for Debate” is a project of the Center for Maritime Strategy geared towards driving thoughtful, energizing discussion about pressing issues facing the U.S. Sea Services and international maritime security. Our monthly series places two contrasting expert views into written conversation with each other about a timely issue of maritime significance. “Up for Debate” provides
- [Uncharted waters: Navy navigating first-ever dismantling of nuclear-powered carrier](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/uncharted-waters-navy-navigating-first-ever-dismantling-of-nuclear-powered-carrier/): The Navy is not going into this process blind. It has decades of experience rendering nuclear-powered submarines and cruisers safe. Since 1986, the service has disposed of 142 reactor compartment packages, according to Navy spokesman Alan Baribeau. The traditional process for disposing of a nuclear-powered sub begins with defueling the boat and towing it to
- [Our Naval Neighbor to the North: A Conversation with the 38th Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy Vice Admiral Angus Topshee](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/our-naval-neighbor-to-the-north-a-conversation-with-the-38th-commander-of-the-royal-canadian-navy-vice-admiral-angus-topshee/): Dr. Steve Wills, Navalist at the Center for Maritime Strategy, talks with the 38th Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy Vice Admiral Angus Topshee on a number of topics to include the modernization of the Canadian Navy’s submarine and frigate arms, its operations with the U.S. and other allies in the Arctic, and the potential for
- [Littoral Warfare Requirements for Future Black Sea Operations](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/littoral-warfare-requirements-for-future-black-sea-operations/): Defense strategists and military leadership are keenly observing events in the Black Sea, particularly, covert domain awareness and operational superiority strategies in a contested littoral environment and Weapons Engagement Zone (“WEZ”); this being analogous to and perhaps a “test-case” for future geopolitical conflicts in other coastal regions of the world. The sinking of Russian flagship
- [Why Sevastopol is Important to the Russian Black Sea Fleet](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-sevastopol-matters-to-the-russian-black-sea-fleet/): As the potential for naval conflict in the Black Sea looms larger than in past months, it is necessary to know some of the history of past naval conflicts in that maritime space and the centrality of Sevastopol to any Russian naval effort in the Black Sea region. Despite being captured by foreign powers multiple
- [U.S. Navy Needs to Build Back its Sea Mine Capability](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/u-s-navy-needs-to-build-back-its-sea-mine-capability/): The United States and other nations dependent on maritime trade for prosperity often forget about the power of the sea mine to inflict significant strategic and operational level of war effects on opponents. While the U.S. Navy has occasionally built back its mine clearance forces since the end of World War II, its mining capability
- [Bolstering Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific through Long Range Fires](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/bolstering-deterrence-in-the-indo-pacific-through-long-range-fires/): The Department of Defense (“DoD”) and its allies view both the future of Taiwan and the stability of the Indo-Pacific theater with anxiety. This is not without merit. Whether by force or a strategically patient fait accompli, the Chinese annexation of Taiwan has become a recurring discussion topic inside the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”).
- [2023 Fact Finding Trip to Sweden](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/2023-fact-finding-trip-to-sweden/): The Center for Maritime Strategy assembled a distinguished delegation to participate in a fact-finding trip to Sweden hosted by the Swedish Defense University. Between October 2 and October 6, 2023, nine U.S. delegates participated in a series of meetings, site visits, and roundtable discussions to exchange information about shared maritime threats, best practices for maritime
- [More Combat Logistics Force Ships? Yes Please!](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/more-combat-logistics-force-ships-yes-please/): The U.S. Sea Services need more logistics ships. A lot more. The services allowed the combat-logistics fleet to wilt during the post-Cold War interregnum when Americans talked themselves into believing that their victory was for all time, history had ended, and strategic competition and warfare were no more. Why waste resources preparing for a war
- [Sveriges Radio Interview with Ian Brzezinski (Delegate, 2023 Sweden Fact Finding Trip)](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sveriges-radio-interview-with-ian-brzezinski-delegate-2023-sweden-fact-finding-trip/): Former top politician: "The US will not abandon Europe" That was the message from former Deputy US Secretary of Defense Ian Brzezinski during an ongoing visit to Sweden. According to Brzezinski, Sweden as a defense nation has a strategically important location along the Baltic Sea and will contribute a lot within NATO as a new
- [Unmanned Vessels as Sensors in U.S. Naval Operations](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/unmanned-vessels-as-sensors-in-u-s-naval-operations/): During the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, images of aerial drones flashed across television screens all over the world. Today, unmanned systems are appearing in the news once again, but in a new context: warfare on and below the surface of the ocean. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have repeatedly attacked Russian warships with explosive-laden
- [NATO’s Standing Naval Forces at the Crossroads: Towards Regionalization and Specialization?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/natos-standing-naval-forces-at-the-crossroads-towards-regionalization-and-specialization/): After struggling to protect maritime commerce in the Black Sea for several months following Russia’s suspension of the United Nations Black Sea Grain Initiative in late July 2023, NATO finally announced that it will establish a joint mine-sweeping naval force in the Black Sea region to clear its waters from large numbers of naval mines.
- [The Osprey COD Aircraft: Versatile Logistics for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-osprey-cod-aircraft-versatile-logistics-for-the-u-s-navy-and-u-s-marine-corps/): In early December 2023, the U.S. Navy will de-activate one of its two fleet logistics support squadrons, VRC-30, which flew the Grumman C-2A Greyhound carrier-onboard delivery (“COD”) aircraft. The closure will leave only one other C-2A squadron, VRC-40, which also will be de-activated over the next two years. For decades, these VRC squadrons, plus one
- [US Navy ships in Mediterranean bring considerable abilities to help Israel if called upon](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/us-navy-ships-in-mediterranean-bring-considerable-abilities-to-help-israel-if-called-upon/): An extension of the Ford carrier strike group’s deployment was announced Tuesday. The strike group already was on duty in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility, which includes the Mediterranean, and was nearing the end of a six-month deployment. There are more than 4,500 sailors aboard the carrier, a 6th Fleet spokesperson said in
- [Huge U.S. Naval Force off Israel comes with Costs](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/huge-u-s-naval-force-off-israel-comes-with-costs/): The US Navy has assembled one of the greatest concentrations of power in the Eastern Mediterranean in 40 years. Any assumption that the large and growing US naval force in the region is simply there as a demonstration force, unlikely to be used, was dispelled on October 19 when the destroyer USS Carney shot down cruise missiles and
- [Legitimate Questions about the U.S. Navy’s Struggle to change](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/3156/): A New York Times article earlier this month on the U.S. Navy’s struggle for change was poorly received by the wider naval community and attacked as uninformed on many issues, but most especially on the acquisition of cheaper, more numerous unmanned systems as advocated in the article. The article suggests that the Navy, aided and
- [BBC World Service "Newsday" Interview on Ukrainian Humanitarian Corridor](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/bbc-world-service-newsday-interview-on-humanitarian-corridor/): CMS Senior Analyst Thea Dunlevie joins BBC World Service's Newsday program to discuss Ukraine's humanitarian corridor in the Black Sea.
- [Transatlantic Security in Baltic: How Realistic is Poland's Concept of protecting NATO's Eastern Flank against Russian Aggression?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/transatlantic-security-in-baltic-how-realistic-is-polands-concept-of-protecting-natos-eastern-flank-against-russian-aggression/): The central turning point in the Baltic Sea is Poland's new Strategy in the Eastern Flank area and Poland’s willingness to become the strongest European military to provide security to all NATO allies. After Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, Poland developed a new strategy plan in 2017 to expand its ability to eliminate
- [Israel at War: Netanyahu thanks Blinken for U.S. support](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/israel-at-war-netanyahu-thanks-blinken-for-us-support/): Steven Wills, Ph.D. discusses how U.S. support in Israel may affect protection on U.S. soil from potential threats on "Morning in America," NewsNation's live three-hour national morning newscast hosted by Adrienne Bankert and Markie Martin.
- [The U.S. should underwrite Real Cases of Maritime Innovation](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-u-s-should-underwrite-real-cases-of-maritime-innovation/): A recent Federal Register notice announced that the Maritime Administration ("MARAD") is seeking public comments on how best to organize and structure a “Center for Maritime Innovation.” Around the same time, news was released that the Port of Seattle would provide $33 million to transform an historic port building into a “Maritime Innovation Center.” With
- [Where’s the Nearest Carrier?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/wheres-the-nearest-carrier/): While onboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) in 1993, President Bill Clinton opined that when word of a crisis breaks out in Washington, it is no accident that the first question many people ask is: ”Where’s the nearest carrier?” President Bill Clinton aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt, March 12, 1993 Once again American history repeats itself. In the immediate aftermath
- [The Swedish Navy brings Capable Forces to NATO ](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-swedish-navy-brings-capable-forces-to-nato/): While Sweden is not yet a NATO member, its impending entry to the alliance brings with it strong naval capabilities as well as new strategic geographic advantage in both the Baltic Sea and in the High North Arctic region. Sweden’s desire to grow its military spending percentage of its gross domestic product to 2% and
- [A new grain corridor highlights Ukraine’s military successes in the Black Sea, experts say](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-new-grain-corridor-highlights-ukraines-military-successes-in-the-black-sea-experts-say/): "We've seen that Ukraine is taking an increasingly offensive approach in the Black Sea," said Thea Dunlevie, a senior analyst at the Center for Maritim Strategy, a research organization based in the Washington metropolitan area. She added that there was "a link between the success of the corridor" and Ukraine's campaign to assert control over
- [Navy, Marine Corps test warfighting concepts](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navy-marine-corps-test-warfighting-concepts/): "'If you can’t do distributed logistics, you’re going to be in trouble,' retired Adm. James Foggo, the exercise’s senior role player for higher headquarters, told reporters. 'We’re stressing the force. There’s just not enough stuff to go around,' Foggo said. 'So, somebody’s going to get what they need here. Somebody else here may have to
- [One Conversation at a Time...](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/one-conversation-at-a-time/): September begins with the Labor Day holiday marking the end of summer and the start of a new school year. The weather is cooler, the leaves start to turn, and traffic inside the beltway gets worse. Some things never change. The month of September also brings other things to the forefront. This is “Suicide Awareness
- [To succeed against China, Washington and Its Allies must be in the South China Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/to-succeed-against-china-washington-and-its-allies-must-be-in-the-south-china-sea/): In a recent piece for the U.S. Naval Institute’s publication, Proceedings, U.S. Coast Guard Commander Steve Hulse makes a compelling case for using Fast Response Cutters (“FRCs”) to build a fleet of missile patrol craft for the South China Sea (“SCS”). “The fast response cutter is outperforming initial expectations and meeting demand for a global
- [The Character of Navy Continuity and Change](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-character-of-navy-continuity-and-change/): The United States Navy is often criticized for its perceived failure to embrace change in warfare. While drones are forging new capability in the Russia-Ukraine War, critics charge the Navy with being a “20th century organization” armed with ships better suited to fighting the Soviet Union in the 1980s. The Navy has been heavily criticized
- [The United States Navy needs An Operational Level of War Strategy to inform Fleet Design](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-united-states-navy-needs-an-operational-level-of-war-strategy-to-inform-fleet-design/): The United States Navy has been without an operational level of war strategy to guide its force size, design, and employment since June 1990. In testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) nominee Admiral Frank Kelso put the Maritime Strategy of the 1980s “on the shelf,” stating, “military strategy needs a specific
- [The Grand Voyage of the Amerigo Vespucci and Italy’s Lost Opportunities](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-grand-voyage-of-the-amerigo-vespucci-and-italys-lost-opportunities/): In 1907, the largest American fleet ever put out to sea left the anchors at Hampton Roads, Virginia, to sail the world’s oceans for the first time. The Great White Fleet, as it has been passed down in history, was not only a substantial demonstration of strength and presence but also a key strategic step
- [Tending to a Distributed Maritime Operation: The Ongoing Need for More Navy Tenders](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/tending-to-a-distributed-maritime-operation-the-ongoing-need-for-more-navy-tenders/): Many elements of the U.S. Navy suffered extreme reductions at the end of the Cold War but none more than the destroyer and submarine tenders designed to service the globally deployed fleet from advanced bases. Tenders were the product of a pre-World War II shortage of appropriate naval bases in the Pacific and proved their
- [Achieving More with Less: The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet Bets on Unmanned Vehicles and AI Systems to Bolster Maritime Domain Awareness](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/achieving-more-with-less-the-u-s-navys-5th-fleet-bets-on-unmanned-vehicles-and-ai-systems-to-bolster-maritime-domain-awareness/): On August 6, 2023, an L3Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vehicle (“USV”) transited across the Strait of Hormuz alongside a U.S. warships convoy. The transit marked the MAST-13 USV’s second successful navigation of the busy waterway, showcasing the U.S. 5th Fleet’s determination to accelerate the integration of unmanned technologies within daily naval operations. With
- [Ukraine and Russia in High-Stakes Battle for the Black Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/ukraine-and-russia-in-high-stakes-battle-for-the-black-sea/): When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, it appeared that one of Russia’s goals was to take the entire southern coast of the country, from Mariupol in the east through Odesa in the west to the Romanian border, cutting off all Ukrainian access to the sea. That didn’t happen; the Russians have had
- [Ukraine Offers Plan to Bypass Russia’s Black Sea Blockade](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/ukraine-offers-plan-to-bypass-russias-black-sea-blockade/): "'The Ukrainian Navy's decision to protect vessels closer to the Ukrainian coastline comes after Ukraine's recent demonstrations of longer-range capabilities, including drones, demonstrating both defense and offensive capabilities in the maritime domain. Ukraine has vowed to fight back against Russia, and Ukraine is good for its word,' said Thea Dunlevie, a senior analyst at the
- [Did 9/11 Blind America to the Real Threat?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/3087/): In April 2001, a jet fighter from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) collided with a U.S. Navy EP-3 surveillance aircraft operating in international airspace over the South China Sea. The Chinese pilot was killed in the crash, and the U.S. plane made an emergency landing on Hainan Island, where the PRC detained the 24 crew members
- [Roadblock to Strategy and Fleet Design: Platform-Centric Thinking](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/roadblock-to-strategy-and-fleet-design-platform-centric-thinking/): A recent New York Times article by Eric Lipton asserts that the Navy remains wedded to large combatant ships, failing to embrace the alternative of numerous unmanned craft. Interestingly, Lipton at one point refers to unmanned craft as “weapons,” which points to a problem endemic in the Navy since it procured its first six sailing
- [How to defeat Russia’s War on Ukrainian Grain: Navies go Small, Diplomacy goes Big](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-to-defeat-russias-war-on-ukrainian-grain-navies-go-small-diplomacy-goes-big/): Russia has declared war on Ukrainian grain. On July 17, 2023, Russia withdrew from the United Nations (“UN”) “Black Sea Grain Initiative,” which had permitted ships carrying grain from Ukraine to pass through Russia’s blockade and reach world markets. Putin has threatened to attack any ships sailing from or to Ukraine. Since then, events have
- [Up for Debate: Do Navy Readiness Woes require Drastic Action?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/up-for-debate-do-navy-readiness-woes-require-drastic-action/): “Up for Debate” is a project of the Center for Maritime Strategy geared towards driving thoughtful, energizing discussion about pressing issues facing the U.S. Sea Services and international maritime security. Our monthly series places two contrasting expert views into written conversation with each other about a timely issue of maritime significance. “Up for Debate” provides
- [The Importance of Seabed Critical Minerals for Great Power Competition](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-importance-of-seabed-critical-minerals-for-great-power-competition/): “Critical minerals” has become a national security buzzword of the 21st century – and rightly so. In February 2022, the Biden Administration announced federal efforts to protect the “Critical Minerals Supply Chain” by encouraging domestic production, to support the U.S. energy, technology, and defense industries. Such minerals include cobalt, lithium, nickel, graphite, and copper, and
- [Inside the Navy’s largest exercise: In command and under pressure](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/inside-the-navys-largest-exercise-in-command-and-under-pressure/): "James Foggo, the retired Navy admiral who once held Munsch’s current job, was also in attendance and played the role of the chairman of the joint chiefs. He described balancing the need for assets and the joint staff’s ability to provide them to the component commanders as the 'healthy tension' necessary to make LSE a
- [Navy seeks to offer virtual training to more of the fleet](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navy-seeks-to-offer-virtual-training-to-more-of-the-fleet/): "During the Large Scale Exercise 2023 media day, retired Adm. James Foggo, who previously led U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, illustrated the value of realistic training with an example from the war in Ukraine. Russia’s cruiser Moskva, before it sank in the Black Sea, had every defensive weapon it needed to safely operate in a small,
- [U.S. Air Technology in the Baltic can help Allies create a "Lake of NATO”](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/u-s-air-technology-in-the-baltic-can-help-allies-create-a-lake-of-nato/): When Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, he expected NATO to be shaken to its core by Russian military might. In fact, the opposite happened. Alliance members armed Ukraine and boosted their own defense spending. Finland and Sweden, which had maintained their neutrality throughout the Cold War and post-Cold War eras, applied for membership.
- [Too Soon to Call: Betting against Warship Retirement](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/too-soon-to-call-betting-against-warship-retirement/): In 1921, President of the American Flying Club Laurence La Tourette Driggs argued that the once-feared dreadnoughts were becoming obsolete in the face of fast-growing air power. Not only were dreadnoughts – once the pride and joy of every navy – expensive, but they also could not defend against a low-altitude air attack. “Wouldn’t it
- [Learning from Transatlantic Allies to secure the Subsea Domain](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/learning-from-transatlantic-allies-to-secure-the-subsea-domain/): When French author Jules Vernes wrote Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, he dazzled the world with his deep-sea infatuation which, to early readers in the 19th century, felt more like a fantastic adventure than a domain crucial to daily life. Today, modern life depends on subsea activity. Globally, some 550 subsea cables line the
- [Finland could help the U.S. build a Fleet of Polar Cutters](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/finland-could-help-the-u-s-build-a-fleet-of-polar-cutters/): Climate change is gradually turning the Arctic into one of the planet’s most geopolitically relevant maritime regions — the only place where fixed rules of geography are in constant change. The inevitable future ahead for the High North, which will become ice-free during the summer by the mid-2030s, is bound to bring a vast array
- [Global Warfighting Simulation Puts the Pressure on Navy, Marine Corps](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/global-warfighting-simulation-puts-the-pressure-on-navy-marine-corps/): "The Naval Warfare Development Center at Naval Station Norfolk is serving as the hub of the exercise, controlling the scenario and simulated adversaries, and replicating decisions that would be made by higher headquarters and combatant commands, such as the Secretary of Defense. More than a dozen retired flag or general officers are representing combatant commands
- [Could Putin’s Unpopular War Spark Another Potemkin-style Mutiny in the Black Sea Fleet?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/could-putins-unpopular-war-spark-another-potemkin-style-mutiny-in-the-black-sea-fleet/): A recent report from The Moscow Times stated that a Russian sailor from the Black Sea Fleet was arrested for plotting to blow up a Russian warship with “precision-guided munitions” being used against targets in Ukraine. That vessel was almost certainly one of the two Admiral Grigorovich class frigates currently operating in the Black Sea. In the wake
- [The Eastern Front: Let’s Talk Black Sea Security, Pt. II (with Adm. James Foggo)](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-eastern-front-lets-talk-black-sea-security-pt-ii-with-adm-james-foggo/): In the second of The Eastern Front‘s two-part series on Black Sea security, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Admiral James Foggo (ret.), Dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy, about strategies for enhancing freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. Are we currently experiencing a Russian blockade of the Black Sea? How should the US
- [Undercurrents of Italy’s Indo-Pacific Agenda](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/undercurrents-of-italys-indo-pacific-agenda/): On July 27, 2023, U.S. President Biden welcomed Italian Prime Minister Meloni to the White House for an official visit to discuss shared priorities, regional challenges, and joint commitment to providing military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The visit comes ahead of Italy’s upcoming G7 presidency in 2024 and amidst a series of strategic
- [ADM James Foggo on Forging Peace and Stability in the Eastern Mediterranean](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/adm-james-foggo-on-forging-peace-and-stability-in-the-eastern-mediterranean/): ADM James Foggo, Dean at the Center for Maritime Strategy and former commander, Joint Force Command, Naples, NATO, speaks at The Economist Impact's New York – Eastern Mediterranean Business Summit.
- [ChatGPT: The Future “Loyal Wingman” of Navy Paperwork?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/chatgpt-the-future-loyal-wingman-of-navy-paperwork/): Admiral Grace Hopper — arguably the founding parent of modern computer science — once said, in the 1980’s, that the world was at best in the “Model T” era of computing and that, “You ain’t seen nothing yet,” in terms of computer power. The word of advanced digital processing has traveled much further since Hopper’s
- [The Eastern Front: Let’s Talk Black Sea Security (with Thea Dunlevie)](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/lets-talk-black-sea-security-with-thea-dunlevie/): Russia is facing global criticism for its recent attacks on Ukrainian ports on the Danube river and the decision to pull out of a July 2022 UN-brokered deal that enabled Ukrainian grain to be exported through the Black Sea. Immediately following the pullout, Russian authorities warned that any vessel traveling to Ukraine would be considered
- [Russia’s Threats to Shipping Bring Risk of War to Black Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russias-threats-to-shipping-bring-risk-of-war-to-black-sea/): “'Russia’s intention is to reorder the Black Sea’s regional order,' said Thea Dunlevie, a senior analyst at the Center for Maritime Strategy in Washington. 'They’ve just realized that their old strategy wasn’t working. Now they’ve just decided to turn up the heat...They’re using the threat of war to deter commercial investment and engagement in the
- [Securing Maritime Data: The Battle Against China's LOGINK in U.S. and European Ports](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/securing-maritime-data-the-battle-against-chinas-logink-in-u-s-and-european-ports/): On March 22, 2023, Senator Tom Cotton and Congresswoman Michelle Steel introduced the “Securing Maritime Data from Communist China Act,” aiming to ban the Chinese state-owned digital logistics platform LOGINK from use in domestic ports. This act would also require the U.S. President to negotiate termination of LOGINK’s use in allied ports. Only six days
- [Shifting Warfare Paradigms: Establishing Effective Targeting Strategies in the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/shifting-warfare-paradigms-establishing-effective-targeting-strategies-in-the-indo-pacific-maritime-domain/): Washington must clarify its definition of what constitutes a combatant in the Indo-Pacific maritime theater and must acquire an integrated system to detect anomalies to effectively counter escalating threats, such as the People’s Republic of China’s (“PRC”) illegal development of long-range cruise missiles that can be launched from a civilian container vessel. Prominent American adversaries,
- [NATO must avoid Sea Blindness in Vilnius](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/nato-must-avoid-sea-blindness-in-vilnius/): The NATO Summit held in Vilnius, Lithuania, this week presents a tremendous opportunity to talk about the maritime domain’s importance in trans-Atlantic security. No doubt the agenda will include an update on the war in Ukraine and a call for continued allied solidarity. NATO should be proud of the manner in which the alliance has risen
- [World War II’s Coral Sea and Midway Battles say the Modern U.S. Navy needs more Tactical Aircraft](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/world-war-iis-coral-sea-and-midway-battles-say-the-modern-u-s-navy-needs-more-tactical-aircraft/): The last approved National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2023 appropriated for naval aircraft in low double digits. For example, in FY2023 the navy purchased a total of 96 aircraft of which 13 were F-35C Lightning II strike fighters (9 for the Navy, 4 for the Marine Corps,) and 15 were F-35B Lightning II strike
- [Adapting to a New Strategic Environment: The Royal Australian Navy and Australia’s 2023 Strategic Defense Review](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/adapting-to-a-new-strategic-environment-the-royal-australian-navy-and-australias-2023-strategic-defense-review/): In April 2023, the Australian Government released its “Defense Strategic Review 2023” (“DSR”) which will guide Australia’s defense reform in the coming years. Reflecting upon the numerous changes their strategic environment is experiencing – and will keep experiencing – the 116-page document has a clear focus on the growing Chinese military threat across the Indo-Pacific
- [The Changing Characteristics of War in Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD): Generating “Panopticon and Blunt Effects” in Japan’s Maritime Zones](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-changing-characteristics-of-war-in-anti-access-area-denial-a2-ad-generating-panopticon-and-blunt-effects-in-japans-maritime-zones/): Geopolitical tensions in the Asia-Pacific region have been rising to unprecedented levels since World War II. Japan today is situated on the front lines among hostile and revisionist neighbors.[1] Reaffirming Japan’s threat perception is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, North Korea’s frequent testing of ballistic missiles which often land in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (“EEZ”), and
- [It's No Surprise if Russian Oil continues to sail into Bulgarian Ports](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/we-shouldnt-be-surprised-if-russian-oil-continues-to-sail-into-bulgarian-ports/): On June 1, 2023, the Panama-flagged oil tanker New Amorgos docked at Rosenets Port terminal in the Bulgarian port of Burgas, completing its voyage from Russia’s port of Novorossiyk. Two Bulgarian vessels approached the tanker, then likely left crews to transfer the oil to the refinery site of LUKOIL Neftochim Burgas, previously owned by Russia
- [Entering Year Two of Putin's War in Ukraine](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/2278/): This month, Admiral Foggo is joined by Ambassador Kelly Degnan, U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, and Lieutenant General (ret.) Ben Hodges, to discuss the war in Ukraine at one year. The three discuss where Ukrainian forces stand as we enter year two of war and how the war has shifted the political and security environments of
- [AUKUS: Strength, Silence, Surprise](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/aukus-strength-silence-surprise/): AUKUS – the enhanced trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – is perhaps the most consequential security initiative of Washington in the Indo-Pacific. ADM (ret.) Foggo is joined by ADM (ret.) John Richardson, former Chief of Naval Operations, and Dr. Charles Edel, to discuss the background, status, and the
- [Dangerous Encounters in the Western Pacific](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/dangerous-encounters-in-the-western-pacific/): It is important to remember that, in the last two weeks, the interactions between USS CHUNG HOON and a Chinese warship and an American P-8 Poseidon Marine Patrol Aircraft and a Chinese fighter jet took place in international waters and air space. The U.S. ship and aircraft were completely justified in navigating these international spaces
- [One Solution to Poor Shipyard Accommodations for Sailors: Cruise Ships](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/one-solution-to-poor-shipyard-accommodations-for-sailors-cruise-ships/): A recent Navy report condemning the outdated and poor quality living conditions for sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) demonstrates the need for innovative ways to accommodate sailors when their ships are in long, industrial periods. In the course of Washington’s extended, six-year mid-life refueling and complex overhaul period, (including the
- [Alexander Hamilton’s Timely Lessons for U.S. Industrial and Maritime Strength](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/alexander-hamiltons-timely-lessons-for-u-s-industrial-and-maritime-strength/): The Sea Services play a vital role in keeping America strong, but without a strong defense industrial base, they cannot serve this role. As a maritime nation whose prosperity has always depended on trade, the United States has always needed maritime forces to protect its interests across the globe. When Americans fail to make the
- [Going Asymmetric: How Ukraine is Keeping Russia at Bay in the Black Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/going-asymmetric-how-ukraine-is-keeping-russia-at-bay-in-the-black-sea/): In its war with Russia, one thing is certain: Ukraine has defied the odds. While Western intelligence expected Kyiv to fall to Russia within days of its invasion, the country’s leadership is very much alive and well. This is a testimony to the determination of the Ukrainian people and what can be done when top-notch
- [Special Memorial Day Edition: Remembrance across the Atlantic](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/special-memorial-day-edition-remembrance-across-the-atlantic/): For the Maritime Nation podcast, Admiral James Foggo interviews two members of the American Battle Monuments Commission, LTG (ret.) Mark Hertling and Master Chief (ret.) Raymond Kemp, to discuss how we can remember the service and sacrifice of those lost in battle and those who serve today. Below is a lightly-edited transcript of their conversation
- [Running Ahead of the Rust: The Dangers of Extending Warship Service Lives](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/running-ahead-of-the-rust-the-dangers-of-extending-warship-service-lives/): The U.S. Navy is starting to see a lot of long-term, poor planning’s effects on the design and service life management of its surface combatants and amphibious warfare ships. Hundreds of millions of dollars invested in the 2015 cruiser modernization program are in danger of loss, as the Navy now desires to decommission the Ticonderoga-class
- [The Black Sea Grain Initiative has become a Game of Chicken, and We can’t let Russia Win](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-black-sea-grain-initiative-has-become-a-game-of-chicken-and-we-cant-let-russia-win/): Russia is playing chicken with the food supplies for hundreds of millions of people. Thinking it still has the upper hand, and the power to make demands, the Russian Federation has threatened to leave the Black Sea Grain Initiative this Thursday if the United Nations does not offer opportunities to sell its own grain and
- [Should the EU learn from NATO’s Standing Naval Forces Model?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/should-the-eu-learn-from-natos-standing-naval-forces-model/): With the publication of the European Union Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS) update, the European Union (“EU”) proves to be slowly advancing in the right direction towards a more cohesive and strengthened maritime presence. Underlining how much its maritime strategic environment has changed over the past few years, and especially under the consequences of war in
- [Defending Our Shipbuilding Critical Infrastructure](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/defending-our-shipbuilding-critical-infrastructure/): The recent cyberattack against Marinette Marine Shipyard should serve as a wake-up call for the U.S. defense industrial base. The ransomware attack, which temporarily disabled operations and delayed production, highlights crippling cyber vulnerabilities within the manufacturing phase of a naval vessel’s life cycle. The ransomware attack, reported on April 12, 2023, compromised data which feed
- [Exercise Formidable Shield: An Enduring Legacy of Learning in Integrated Air and Missile Defense](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/exercise-formidable-shield-an-enduring-legacy-of-learning-in-integrated-air-and-missile-defense/): From now until the end of May, a particularly important, bi-annual missile defense exercise is unfolding in the North Atlantic. Called “Formidable Shield,” its origins date back to 2014. Let me give you some background on how this came to be. While awaiting confirmation for my nomination to be the Commander of Sixth Fleet during
- [The Silent Bridge and Empty Control Room: An Update on Unmanned Warfare above and below the Waves](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-silent-bridge-and-empty-control-room-an-update-on-unmanned-warfare-above-and-below-the-waves/): Admiral Foggo is joined by Naval Sea Systems Command’s unmanned programs chief rear Admiral Casey Moton, former Task Force 59 Commander Captain Michael D. Brasseur, and Huntington Ingalls Unmanned Systems Division President Mr. Duane Fotheringham to discuss the past development of unmanned systems and their short and long-term way ahead in U.S. naval service.
- [Renewed Security Relationship with the Philippines presents An Opportunity to Washington](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/renewed-security-relationship-with-the-philippines-presents-an-opportunity-to-washington/): Washington must build on the momentum generated during Philippine President Bongbong Marco Jr.’s visit to expand its strategic interest in the Indo-Pacific region. Following a productive week characterized by the cordial reception of South Korean President Yoon and the successful prevention of potential nuclear proliferation through strategic reassurance, the Biden administration has solidified the Philippines'
- [The United States needs a National Port Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-united-states-needs-a-national-port-strategy/): Given the current need to expand U.S. container port capacity to handle growing inbound volumes, we should learn from history. From Ancient Rome’s construction of Portus, the high-capacity port that fueled the Roman Empire, to President Eisenhower’s plan for a national interstate highway system, the U.S. must likewise respond to demand signals by creating an
- [The United Nations Black Sea Grain Initiative: What is Plan B?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-united-nations-black-sea-grain-initiative-what-is-plan-b/): A few days after Turkey and the United Nations brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative (“BSGI”) to facilitate safe Black Sea export lanes for Ukrainian food products, the Center for Maritime Strategy (“CMS”) alongside the U.S. Naval War College’s Russia Maritime Studies Institute conducted a table-top exercise examining possible “Plan B” options for sustaining Ukrainian
- [The Colombian Navy: Innovation at the Service of Regional Stability](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-colombian-navy-innovation-at-the-service-of-regional-stability/): The Colombian Navy has a strong, fruitful, and growing relationship with the U.S. maritime services. Colombia’s strategic location in addition to its military’s willingness to and innovation in finding ways to counter common threats makes it a great ally for global and regional stability. Colombia’s status as a major non-NATO ally, declared by President Biden
- [Russia’s Lake: How to Liberate the Black Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russias-lake-how-to-liberate-the-black-sea/): Russia’s approach to the Black Sea is, according to former US Sixth Fleet commander and CEPA distinguished fellow, Admiral James Foggo, “like a boa constrictor around Ukraine’s neck, squeezing and squeezing and squeezing.” The alliance “needs a maritime strategy.”
- [Russia Has Allowed Its Navy to 'Atrophy'— Retired U.S. Admiral](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russia-has-allowed-its-navy-to-atrophy-retired-u-s-admiral/): Russia's surface fleet has been neglected, although Russia's underwater capabilities far outshine its above-water fleet, retired U.S. Naval Admiral and Dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy, James G. Foggo, told Newsweek.
- [Strengthening The Special Relationship: Delivering Combined Sea Power](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/strengthening-the-special-relationship-delivering-combined-sea-power/): All Navies possess individuality; developing training, tactics, and standard operating procedures to suit strategic objectives. There is broad agreement across allies and partners that sovereign interpretations for protecting the rules-based international order’s values and norms will remain a key tenet. And whilst National Naval identity is fundamental, so is the ability to align seamlessly and
- [Army Munitions Operations in Maritime Environments](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/army-munitions-operations-in-maritime-environments/): The Army’s operational concept of multidomain operations requires Army commanders and their staff to consider how to operate in maritime environments and move on maritime surface areas by balancing Army and Naval maritime forces. Tactical support areas providing munitions to maneuver forces may be separated by maritime surface areas that require watercraft or other joint
- [Is the EU already speaking the “language of power?” An analysis of the updated EU Maritime Security Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/2398/): The Transatlantic community has been holding its breath anticipating the upcoming renewal of the EU Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS) in spring 2023, a renewal to the first document adopted in almost a decade ago in 2014. After the shortcomings of the EU’s first de facto maritime defense strategy, the EU Strategic Compass in 2022, the
- [The Unmanned Task Force Moves South](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-unmanned-task-force-moves-south/): The Navy’s latest unmanned systems effort will further develop systems and concepts experimented with in the 5th Fleet, Persian Gulf-centered Task Force 59 over the last 18 months. As announced by Secretary of the Navy Carlos del Toro at Sea-Air-Space 2023, unmanned systems operated from surface ships and shore locations in U.S. SOUTHCOM, Fourth Fleet's
- [NATO Should Mind the Gap](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/nato-should-mind-the-gap/): During the days of the Cold War, allied navies played a cat-and-mouse game with the Soviet Navy´s Northern Fleet. The latter, having its headquarters at Murmansk, in the Kola Peninsula, had just one possible way to make it into the Atlantic – and thus, the world oceans. During those times, a particular region between the
- [Big Mismatch Between the Biden Administration's New Defense Plan and an Underfunded U.S. Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/big-mismatch-between-the-biden-administrations-new-defense-plan-and-an-underfunded-u-s-navy/): The global campaigning plan envisioned by the new National Defense Strategy (NDS) recently released by the Biden administration will need to rely to a great extent on a shrinking Navy to accomplish its goals, especially in the more remote areas of interest including the Indo-Pacific and the Arctic...
- [Why Warships Grow in Size](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/why-warships-grow-in-size/): Size does matter in describing warships, and especially the growth of particular classes of ships like aircraft carriers, destroyers, and frigates. Some defense commentators and news sources like to suggest comparisons between historical versions of a vessel type and its current size. Others will suggest that the U.S. Navy in particular desires “larger” ships because
- [Misaligned by Design: Structuring the U.S. Navy Post-Cold War](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/misaligned-by-design-structuring-the-u-s-navy-post-cold-war/): Among the most clamorous debates in the national security community is that surrounding the U.S. Navy’s force structure and shipbuilding plans. Not without reason, critics from both sides of the aisle in Congress, think tankers, and members of the Administration have levied many charges against the Navy’s future force planning. Certainly, the Navy itself has
- [Special Edition: Eastern Front & American Purpose Event Recording of “Russia’s War on Ukraine at Year One”](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/special-edition-eastern-front-american-purpose-event-recording-of-russias-war-on-ukraine-at-year-one/): This special edition episode features audio from Russia’s War on Ukraine at Year One, a virtual event co-hosted by The Eastern Front and American Purpose on February 21. Gen. Philip Breedlove (ret.), Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges (ret.), and Adm. Jamie Foggo (ret.) combine their experience from the Air Force, Army, and Navy in a single discussion for
- [Reflecting on One Year of War: Is China's Military Learning Anything from Ukraine?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reflecting-on-one-year-of-war-is-chinas-military-learning-anything-from-ukraine/): A year into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we still don’t have good insight into what China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is distilling from that conflict and applying to its own major contingency—forceful unification with Taiwan. Despite the occasional newspaper commentary and a handful of articles in Chinese defense industry publications, mostly focused on specific weapons
- [The First of the Dominoes has Fallen in the Growing World Food Crisis](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-first-of-the-dominoes-has-fallen-in-the-growing-world-food-crisis/): The horrific terrorist attacks that rocked the national capital of Colombo on Easter Sunday in 2019 did not cause Sri Lanka to collapse. Nor did China’s takeover of Sri Lankan sovereign territory through impossible loan terms on a port deal that left the country smaller and hopelessly in debt.
- [Reflecting on One Year of War: A Transformational Year in Maritime NATO](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reflecting-on-one-year-of-war-a-transformational-year-in-maritime-nato/): In 2022, the world witnessed Russian aggression in Ukraine, the return of mine threats and other attacks on shipping in the Black Sea, and a greater awareness of the vulnerability of subsea infrastructure. The blockade of Ukrainian grain threatened food supply on a global scale. All these threats had a maritime dimension, some of them a dominant one. The Allied
- [And the D’s Just Keep on Coming!](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/and-the-ds-just-keep-on-coming/): The Navy has a penchant for trying to express complex thoughts in simple acronyms or even single letters. In the case of the recent, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO’s) NAVPLAN 2022, it is that pesky letter “D” (delta for military types) again! Three years ago, I authored a post for Proceedings that argued that at
- [Solving Recruiting Challenges…Without Recruiting](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/solving-recruiting-challengeswithout-recruiting/): The recruiting crisis plaguing America’s armed forces reached an apex this year as the services scrambled to make their FY22 recruitment goals. The numbers are becoming household in nature, approximately 24% of adults 17-24 are eligible for military service, and of that percentage a mere 9% would consider military service. This is a massive issue,
- [Reflecting on One Year of War: Standoff and Cooperation in the Baltic Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reflecting-on-one-year-of-war-standoff-and-cooperation-in-the-baltic-sea/): It was a sign of true desperation when, the day after the United States had announced that the People’s Liberation Army maintains a “balloon program,” China’s foreign ministry spokesman tried to deflect attention by mentioning Nord Stream. We can, however, focus on China’s balloon program and Nord Stream at the same time. Indeed, we should
- [Providing Veterans a New Leash on Life](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/2215/): As all Americans continue to struggle to navigate through the COVID-19 crisis, our military veterans and their families have been hit particularly hard. There are millions of veterans who are more likely to experience job loss, financial concerns, and feelings of isolation and depression during this pandemic. Because of this, service and emotional support dog
- [Energy Security for Maritime Security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/energy-security-for-maritime-security/): Energy is one of the key factors in the outcome of an armed conflict. As Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz put it during World War II, “Winning the war is a matter of oil, bullets, and beans.” To defeat the Axis, the United States was not afraid to ask for difficult material sacrifice from its citizens,
- [Chinese Balloons Harken back to World War II Terror Weapons](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/chinese-balloons-harken-back-to-world-war-ii-terror-weapons/): It might seem curious that in an age of smart phones and satellites that any advanced nation would employ high altitude balloons as espionage tools. Chinese reasoning and motivation behind balloon spying remain unclear at this writing but these mid-20th century aviation tools have in the past been used a potential weapons of mass destruction.
- [Time to Recalibrate (Part One)](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/time-to-recalibrate-part-one/): This article is part one in a two-part series. Part two can be found here. The container shipping industry has an information problem. This is not referring to digital information initiatives and opportunities that can improve processes. There are many examples of digital applications across the entire maritime supply chain that can and will increase
- [Reflecting on One Year of War: Is America the Arsenal of Democracy?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reflecting-on-one-year-of-war-is-america-the-arsenal-of-democracy/): Tank production in the United States provides a telling example for the state of the country’s depleted aerospace, shipbuilding, and defense manufacturing and technology base. During an 11-month span in 1942, over 8,000 of the United States’ standard tank during World War II, the M4A3 Sherman, were built — a monthly average of 729. Today,
- [Book Review - Developing the Naval Mind by Benjamin F. Armstrong and John Freymann](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/book-review-developing-the-naval-mind-by-benjamin-f-armstrong-and-john-freymann/): U.S. Naval Academy professors Benjamin F. Armstrong and John Freymann’s Developing the Naval Mind is an ambitious handbook for inculcating not only knowledge of naval thought but also the skills necessary for lifelong engagement with the field. From the outset, Armstrong and Freymann argue that constant learning and discussion long have been integral to the
- [Opportunities in the Gray Zone: A Changing Coast Guard](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/opportunities-in-the-gray-zone-a-changing-coast-guard/): Coast Guardsmen must embrace missions that require interoperating with the Navy and recognize the national, service level, and professional development opportunities provided by such deployments. From July to October of 2022, United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) MIDGETT (MID) was a Task Force Commander in the 2022 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, and following
- [Diplomatic Mortality in China](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/diplomatic-mortality-in-china/): In the Diplomatic Courier, Dr. Ian Ralby and Dr. Sarah Kirchberger discuss the startling number of diplomatic deaths occurring in the People's Republic of China over the past decade.
- [Reflecting on One Year of War: The Decisive Element of Black Sea Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reflecting-on-one-year-of-war-the-decisive-element-of-black-sea-strategy/): The 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS) emphasizes the pacing threat presented by China without neglecting the acute threat presented by the Kremlin. In practice, however, scarce resources impel difficult choices — particularly amidst uncertainty about the duration of Putin’s war and Beijing’s intentions in Taiwan. To successfully implement the NDS, the West should increasingly concentrate
- [Reflecting on One Year of War: Assessing the West’s “Failure” to Deter](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/reflecting-on-one-year-of-war-assessing-the-wests-failure-to-deter/): The failure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine has generated much commentary and analysis, some for purposes of making political hay and others, more usefully, to explore whether the details of the strategy were well- or poorly-conceived. Those interested in evaluating the strategy on its
- [Don’t Fix the Frigate: FFG-62 class is Fine without SM-6 and Tomahawk](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/dont-fix-the-frigate-ffg-62-class-is-fine-without-sm-6-and-tomahawk/): The 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) contains a number of naval provisions, one of which (Sec. 131), is a demand to up-arm the Constellation class frigates after the initial unit (FFG 62 USS Constellation), with Standard Missile 6 surface to air missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles. While it sounds good on paper to increase
- [The Navy as an Extended Arm of Diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-navy-as-an-extended-arm-of-diplomacy-in-the-indo-pacific/): On the first episode of the second season of Maritime Nation, Rear Adm. Michael L. Baker joins the CMS team to discuss his role as the leader of the Navy Foreign Area Officer Community and the Senior Defense Official & Defense Attache to New Delhi, India. Further, they review the critical importance of the Quadrilateral
- [What to Watch 2023: Three Things the Next CNO Should Know](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/three-things-the-next-cno-should-know/): Incumbent Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Mike Gilday’s term of office will likely end in the next six months. His successor should soon be announced. Regardless of who that person is, he or she will be confronted with challenges not seen in the last fifty years. The Nation faces two aggressive peer competitors –
- [What the Disasters of Dieppe and Slapton Sands Can Tell Us About a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/what-the-disasters-of-dieppe-and-slapton-sands-can-tell-us-about-a-chinese-invasion-of-taiwan/): Amphibious operations are among the most complex of military endeavors and those conducted against determined resistance often result in heavy casualties and tactical or operational failure. Many present commenters on the potential for a Chinese military (PLA) assault on Taiwan to reunify the island with the mainland Communist government seem to overlook the challenges involved
- [The Navy’s Seven Operational Imperatives for This Decade](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-navys-seven-operational-imperatives-for-this-decade/): Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday laid out a 500-ship force earlier this year ahead of the current defense budget submission. The service has worked to balance between recapitalizing for a new, 2045 force structure, and what it needs for the so-called “fight tonight,” approaching period of 2027-2030 when China may attempt reunification with
- [Sea Services Reach Tipping Point in Maintaining Readiness While Recapitalizing Forces](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sea-services-reach-tipping-point-in-maintaining-readiness-while-recapitalizing-forces/): Aging force structure in all three sea services makes in harder to deter aggression. New technologies and concepts offer the naval services tools to improve their ability to deter and to defend and defeat opponents as needed. In addition, the Navy faces significant financial hurdles in recapitalizing the undersea component of the nuclear deterrent in
- [CMS Outlook: The Two-Front Cold War Has Begun – How Should We Handle It?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/cms-outlook-the-two-front-cold-war-has-begun-how-should-we-handle-it/): A two-front Cold War has begun, and history seems to repeat. Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and partnership with China’s President Xi mirrors Kim Il-sung’s invasion of South Korea, which was only possible due to Stalin and Mao’s blessing.
- [Back to the Future: Resurrecting 'Air/Sea Battle' in the Pacific](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/back-to-the-future-resurrecting-air-sea-battle-in-the-pacific/): An earlier Air/Sea battle concept was a good start but weakened through forced parochial jointness to include other services that were not ready to contribute, argue experts from the Center for Maritime Strategy.
- [What to Watch 2023: A Growing Navy, If You Can Keep It…](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/what-to-watch-2023-a-growing-navy-if-you-can-keep-it/): The passage of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and subsequent appropriations legislation in December of 2022 institutionalized two nascent sea changes in naval policy. The much-debated Congressional Commission on the Future of the Navy, imbued with the mission to study and make policy recommendations on naval force structure needs and the industrial base
- [What to Watch 2023: Unlawfare](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/what-to-watch-2023-unlawfare/): While the term “lawfare” has become a matter of common parlance in many military circles, its use has become too expansive to pick up on a pernicious trend that is likely to accelerate in 2023. Rather than using law and legal processes to accomplish traditional military objectives, some states have been bullying other states and
- [The Fourth Battle of the Atlantic Is Underway](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-fourth-battle-of-the-atlantic-is-underway/): This new struggle is being waged beneath the waves. But just as in earlier Atlantic campaigns, it is a conflict the U.S. and its allies cannot afford to lose.
- [CMS 2022 Year in Review](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/cms-2022-year-in-review/)
- [If You Think the Ever Given Was Bad, Wait Until You See the Safer](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/if-you-think-the-ever-given-was-bad-wait-until-you-see-the-safer/): In The Maritime Executive, Dr. Ian Ralby and Sir Alan Duncan argue that the FSO Safer off the coast of Yemen poses catastrophic environmental and humanitarian risks for the Red Sea region.
- [What to Watch 2023: Critical Policy Decisions Ahead for U.S. Commercial Maritime Industry](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/what-to-watch-2023-critical-policy-decisions-ahead-for-u-s-commercial-maritime-industry/): Implementation this year of the Tanker Security Program (TSP) will mark the first time in decades that the U.S. government has significantly expanded the U.S. flag commercial fleet operating in international markets. The significance of this decision should not be overlooked. It reflects a continuing shift in attitudes about the American maritime industry, a recognition
- [New year, new Navy goal: SWO boss wants 75 ships ready daily](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/new-year-new-navy-goal-swo-boss-wants-75-ships-ready-daily/)
- [What to Watch 2023: America Must Begin Growing Its Merchant Marine](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/what-to-watch-2023-america-must-begin-growing-its-merchant-marine/): It’s incontrovertible that America would not have prevailed in WWII without its merchant marine. During the war, President Roosevelt referred to it as the “Fourth Arm of Defense.” With 1 in 26 mariners dying as 733 U.S. flag cargo ships were sunk, the casualty rate was higher than the army, navy or marines. In 1944,
- [Navy Shipyard Optimization Must Have A Digital Backbone](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navy-shipyard-optimization-must-have-a-digital-backbone/): The US Navy’s race to modernize its fleet has put a strain on its public shipyards. In the op-ed below, Retired Adm. James Foggo says it’s high time his former service started emphasizing digitization from the outset so it can work smarter, not harder.
- [A Next-Generation Agenda for US-ROK-Japan Cooperation](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-next-generation-agenda-for-us-rok-japan-cooperation/): Trilateral cooperation among the United States, Japan, and South Korea has proved challenging over the years, owing largely to historical tensions. As a result, this project has sought perspectives from next-generation leaders of the three countries to define areas where targeted, flexible, and informal cooperative arrangements can provide clear mutual benefit to all. The group
- [A Newly Rising Sun? Clarifying Japan’s Defense Changes](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-newly-rising-sun-clarifying-japans-defense-changes/): Tokyo has consistently invested in its Self-Defense Forces over the past decade – perhaps the greatest legacy of Prime Minister Abe. Thus, rather than a watershed moment, the new national security strategy represents the culmination of existing and nascent military modernization efforts. As such, Japan appears better poised than most to follow through on its defense priorities.
- [RIMPAC: The Navy's Real Impact in the International Arena](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/rimpac-the-navys-real-impact-in-the-international-arena/): Despite recent budgetary hiccups and attacks, the Navy has prevailed once again by proving its crucial importance in the era of great power competition by successfully conducting the world’s largest military exercise, the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
- [Admiral Foggo at the U.S. Institute of Peace: Africa's Security Challenges](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/admiral-foggo-at-the-u-s-institute-of-peace-africas-security-challenges/): Admiral James G. Foggo speaks with the U.S. Institute of Peace about his experience working with African allies and partners and discusses the most pressing security challenges on the continent.
- [Book Review - Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China’s Last Golden Age by Stephen R. Platt](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/book-review-imperial-twilight-the-opium-war-and-the-end-of-chinas-last-golden-age-by-stephen-r-platt/): In modern Chinese history, few subjects are discussed as widely and misunderstood as broadly as the so-called Century of Humiliation, which ostensibly commenced with China’s defeat in the First Opium War (1839–42). Most academic analyses of the Century of Humiliation’s genesis emphasize economic and technological disparities, inevitable clashes of contrasting civilizations, or, broadly, the tide
- [U.S. Maritime Strategy in the Arctic—Past, Present, and Future](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/u-s-maritime-strategy-in-the-arctic-past-present-and-future/): Admiral James G. Foggo III and Rachael Gosnell coauthored "U.S. Maritime Strategy in the Arctic—Past, Present, and Future," discussing how warming waters and melting sea ice will create new challenges off our northern shores, and the Navy and Marine Corps must be prepared to provide a presence in the Arctic that will ensure peace and
- [Congress Should Demand a Maritime Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/congress-should-demand-a-maritime-strategy/): The most recent Compromise 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has several positive benefits for the navy including a larger shipbuilding budget, and the incorporation of the amendment proposed by Wisconsin Representative Mike Gallagher to clarify the service’s peacetime requirements. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday’s 2022 Navigation Plan and its attendant Force Design
- [America Does Not Sail Alone: Pacific Allied and Partner Fleets Are Part of the Equation](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/america-does-not-sail-alone-pacific-allied-and-partner-fleets-are-part-of-the-equation/): Two years ago, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) definitively surpassed the size of the United States Navy in terms of total platforms. Today, this has remained the case with the PLAN fielding some 355 “major combatants” and at least 85 patrol combatants equipped with anti-ship cruise missiles – to say nothing of the several
- [NAVPLAN 2022: Laying the Groundwork for the Future Force](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navplan-2022-laying-the-groundwork-for-the-future-force/): The U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations has published his new Navigation Plan, laying the cornerstone for the future fleet of 2045, and delivers integrated, all-domain naval power.
- [A Timeless U.S. Navy Strategy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-timeless-u-s-navy-strategy/): The Maritime Strategy of 1986 was published in a time when the U.S. Navy actually got to say how it would be strategically employed to meet the maritime interests of the Nation. However, with the passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Act and the ascendancy of “Joint,” that is no longer the case.
- [Training, Building and Retaining our Shipyard Industrial Workforce](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/training-building-and-retaining-our-shipyard-industrial-workforce/): With all the challenges in the world today, it goes without saying that America, an island nation, needs a powerful Navy. A lot of effort goes into our Constitutional requirement to “maintain a Navy,” and that means a robust warfighting platforms or ships and well-trained crews to sail them.
- [Welcome Aboard to the USS Constellation](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/welcome-aboard-to-the-uss-constellation/): “I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm’s way.” – John Paul Jones These immortal words of the Father of the American Navy were not only prophetic but largely practical. When King Louis XVI of France gifted the former French merchant vessel,
- [No, there is no Military Industrial Complex](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/no-there-is-no-military-industrial-complex/): There remains a retro view of the defense industry from the Cold War that suggests such firms are well funded, overcharge the taxpayers, and do not give good value in the products they produce. Nothing could be further from the truth.
- [SAMs to Syria: Can the Marines Weaken Putin on Another Front?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sams-to-syria-can-the-marines-weaken-putin-on-another-front/): U.S. support to Ukraine in its battle against the Russian invasion has paid dividends. The world has been impressed by recent Ukrainian battlefield gains, made possible by a wide array of U.S. equipment.
- [South Korea Must be a “Global Pivotal State” by Advancing Liberal Democratic Values at Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/south-korea-must-be-a-global-pivotal-state-by-advancing-liberal-democratic-values-at-sea/): Vice President Kamala Harris met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on September 29th in Seoul. After meeting President Yoon, Harris toured the Demilitarized Zone to show the U.S. commitment to the alliance.
- [Plugged In: How the 21st Century Sailor Communicates](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/plugged-in-how-the-21st-century-sailor-communicates/): 21st century Sailors’ use of social media to post their concerns is democratizing the Navy. In fact, it is reversing the traditional roles of leader and follower.
- [Combatting Mental Health Trauma and The Impact on Sailors at Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/combatting-mental-health-trauma-and-the-impact-on-sailors-at-sea/): The number of veterans receiving mental health care have increased by 90% from fiscal year 2006-2019, as reported by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) from the Department of Veteran Affairs. Suicide prevention remains a number one priority for Veteran Affairs (VA), as the VA projects a 32% increase in outpatient mental health care over the next 10 years.
- [East and West of Suez: What if the Canal Closes?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/east-and-west-of-suez-what-if-the-canal-closes/): In 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal. Fearing a loss of their power in the Middle East, Britain and France joined with Israel to invade the Sinai Peninsula.
- [Russia’s War in Ukraine Shifts Black Sea From NATO’s Edge to Center Stage](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russias-war-in-ukraine-shifts-black-sea-from-natos-edge-to-center-stage/)
- [From the Editor, Journal of Advanced Military Studies (Fall 2022) - Conflict on the Seas](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/from-the-editor-journal-of-advanced-military-studies-fall-2022-conflict-on-the-seas/): This issue of the Journal of Advanced Military Studies addresses great power competition on the world’s oceans, not limited to the North Atlantic, Arctic Ocean, the South China Sea, and other contested littoral and oceanic gray zone conflicts. Authors were encouraged to explore this concept from a variety of perspectives—both from allies’ perspectives of the
- [Retired U.S. Navy Admiral discusses Russia-Ukraine crisis](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/retired-u-s-navy-admiral-discusses-russia-ukraine-crisis/)
- [Retired Navy admiral on Russia-Ukraine conflict](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/retired-navy-admiral-on-russia-ukraine-conflict/)
- [Former Navy commander on Russia's attacks on Ukrainian cities near Black Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/former-navy-commander-on-russias-attacks-on-ukrainian-cities-near-black-sea/)
- [Russia’s army is in a woeful state](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russias-army-is-in-a-woeful-state/)
- [Prized Russian Ship Was Hit by Missiles, U.S. Officials Say](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/prized-russian-ship-was-hit-by-missiles-u-s-officials-say/)
- [Is Russia using food as a weapon?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/is-russia-using-food-as-a-weapon-benjamin-mainardi/)
- [Admiral James Foggo, on Antena 3 CNN: "The consequences of using a tactical nuclear weapon would be devastating for Russia"](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/admiral-james-foggo-on-antena-3-cnn-the-consequences-of-using-a-tactical-nuclear-weapon-would-be-devastating-for-russia/)
- [The Pentagon can't confirm yet how the Russian ship Moskva was destroyed](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-pentagon-cant-confirm-yet-how-the-russian-ship-moskva-was-destroyed/)
- [China reportedly advancing in South China Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/china-reportedly-advancing-in-south-china-sea/)
- [Ukrainian president urges NATO to implement a no-fly zone](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/ukrainian-president-urges-nato-to-implement-a-no-fly-zone/)
- [Russia's military is now encircling several Ukrainian cities](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russias-military-is-now-encircling-several-ukrainian-cities/)
- [Zelensky Asks U.S. Lawmakers for No Fly Zone, Ban on Russian Oil](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/zelensky-asks-u-s-lawmakers-for-no-fly-zone-ban-on-russian-oil/)
- [Adm. James Foggo is Interviewed about the Escalating Fighting](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/adm-james-foggo-is-interviewed-about-the-escalating-fighting/)
- [Retired U.S. Navy admiral on Russia attack against Ukraine](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/retired-u-s-navy-admiral-on-russia-attack-against-ukraine/)
- [Adm. James Foggo Discusses Ukraine Military Tactics on CNN New Day With John Berman and Brianna Keilar](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/adm-james-foggo-discusses-ukraine-military-tactics-on-cnn-new-day-with-john-berman-and-brianna-keilar/)
- [Solving supply chain snags; Inside NASA’s cloud journey](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/solving-supply-chain-snags-inside-nasas-cloud-journey/)
- [Admiral James Foggo | Recite Al Jazeeri](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/admiral-james-foggo-recite-al-jazeeri/)
- [Russia Moves More Weaponry Toward Ukraine, Keeps the West Guessing](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russia-moves-more-weaponry-toward-ukraine-keeps-the-west-guessing/)
- [Navy Admiral Rates 8 Navy Warship Battles In Movies | How Real Is It?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navy-admiral-rates-8-navy-warship-battles-in-movies-how-real-is-it/)
- [Former Commander of NATO Headquarters on the role of Souda and Alexandroupolis | Central Bulletin](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/former-commander-of-nato-headquarters-on-the-role-of-souda-and-alexandroupolis-central-bulletin/)
- [There is no Panacea, Competition with China Occurs in Peace and War](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/there-is-no-panacea-competition-with-china-occurs-in-peace-and-war/)
- [The Land Down Under the Sea: AUKUS is About Submarines, Not Bombers](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-land-down-under-the-sea-aukus-is-about-submarines-not-bombers/)
- [U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea Relations: A Practical Trilateral Agenda for Northeast Asia and Beyond](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/u-s-japan-republic-of-korea-relations-a-practical-trilateral-agenda-for-northeast-asia-and-beyond/)
- [NAVPLAN 2022's Budget Requirement: An Elusive Necessity?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/navplan-2022s-budget-requirement-an-elusive-necessity/): In his recently released, updated Navigation Plan (NAVPLAN), Chief of Naval Operations Michael Gilday stated that “the Navy will require 3-5% sustained budget growth above actual inflation. Short of that, we will prioritize modernization over preserving force structure.”
- [The Sea Services' Strategy Imperative](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-sea-services-strategy-imperative/): The United States has produced three maritime “strategies” since the beginning of the twenty-first century: A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower (2007), Forward, Engaged, Ready: A Cooperative Strategy for21st Century Seapower (2015), and Advantage at Sea: Prevailing with Integrated All-Domain Naval Power (2020). Fundamentally, however, these publications are not strategies.
- [What’s in a Name? Understanding the Indo-Pacific and Its Challenges for the U.S.](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/whats-in-a-name-understanding-the-indo-pacific-and-its-challenges-for-the-u-s/)
- [The Administration’s National Defense Strategy Hinges on the Navy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-administrations-national-defense-strategy-hinges-on-the-navy/): Released on October 27, the Biden Administration’s first National Defense Strategy(NDS), including the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review and Missile Defense Review, included little surprising information. The document is replete with language that has marked nearly every national security discussion by the Administration – “allies and partners” is mentioned no less than 117 times and “deterrence” 167 times. Consistent with the Administration’s National Security Strategy, it has fully enshrined integrated deterrence and campaigning as the Administration’s capstone concepts for its national security posture. For its part, however, the Navy’s role within the NDS is left unacknowledged.
- [The Royal Navy Has More Ambitions Than Assets](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-royal-navy-has-more-ambitions-than-assets/)
- [Ukraine contains the Russian fleet despite the inferiority of its troops](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/ukraine-contains-the-russian-fleet-despite-the-inferiority-of-its-troops/)
- [Ukraine Wants NATO’s Help Against Russia’s WMDs](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/ukraine-wants-natos-help-against-russias-wmds/)
- [NATO ties to Finland and Sweden could aid US with useful tactics for the Pacific, naval experts say](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/nato-ties-to-finland-and-sweden-could-aid-us-with-useful-tactics-for-the-pacific-naval-experts-say/)
- [Inside the US military’s modern ‘island hopping’ campaign to take on China](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/inside-the-us-militarys-modern-island-hopping-campaign-to-take-on-china/)
- [How Sweden and Finland could reshape NATO’s northern security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-sweden-and-finland-could-reshape-natos-northern-security/)
- [The blockade of Ukraine’s ports is worsening world hunger](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-blockade-of-ukraines-ports-is-worsening-world-hunger/)
- [U.N. Seeks to Ease Russian Blockade of Ukraine Grain Shipping to Avert Food Shortages](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/u-n-seeks-to-ease-russian-blockade-of-ukraine-grain-shipping-to-avert-food-shortages/)
- [Turkey’s Erdogan voices skepticism on Sweden and Finland joining NATO](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/turkeys-erdogan-voices-skepticism-on-sweden-and-finland-joining-nato/)
- [Leading Strategist Questions Russian Forces' Ability To 'Act Like A Western Army'](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/leading-strategist-questions-russian-forces-ability-to-act-like-a-western-army/)
- [US 6th Fleet flagship slated for decommissioning in 2026](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/us-6th-fleet-flagship-slated-for-decommissioning-in-2026/)
- [What should the US Navy learn from Moskva's demise?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/what-should-the-us-navy-learn-from-moskvas-demise/)
- [Prized Russian Ship Was Hit by Missiles, U.S. Officials Say](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/prized-russian-ship-was-hit-by-missiles-u-s-officials-say-2/)
- [Russia Hits Setbacks, as Flagship Sinks and E.U. Mulls Oil Ban](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russia-hits-setbacks-as-flagship-sinks-and-e-u-mulls-oil-ban/)
- [Russia may not stop with Ukraine – NATO looks to its weakest link](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russia-may-not-stop-with-ukraine-nato-looks-to-its-weakest-link/)
- ['Winging It': Russia Is Getting Its Generals Killed on the Front Lines](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/winging-it-russia-is-getting-its-generals-killed-on-the-front-lines/)
- ['The West Didn’t Do Enough': Ukraine Faces a Fight on Its Beaches](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-west-didnt-do-enough-ukraine-faces-a-fight-on-its-beaches/)
- [Consequences of misunderstandings with Russian ships grow as invasion looms, CNO says](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/consequences-of-misunderstandings-with-russian-ships-grow-as-invasion-looms-cno-says/)
- [NATO leaves Black Sea exposed as Russia invades Ukraine](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/nato-leaves-black-sea-exposed-as-russia-invades-ukraine/)
- [Russia aims to ward off NATO in the event of a Ukraine invasion](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russia-aims-to-ward-off-nato-in-the-event-of-a-ukraine-invasion/)
- [Ominous Russian movements in Black Sea raise alarm](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/ominous-russian-movements-in-black-sea-raise-alarm/)
- ['Dangerous moment': Russian naval buildup near Ukraine hits Cold War levels](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/dangerous-moment-russian-naval-buildup-near-ukraine-hits-cold-war-levels/)
- [US Navy and NATO presence in the Black Sea has fallen since Russia took part of Ukraine, figures show](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/us-navy-and-nato-presence-in-the-black-sea-has-fallen-since-russia-took-part-of-ukraine-figures-show/)
- [NATO to Send Ships, Jet Fighters to Eastern Europe Amid Standoff With Russia](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/nato-to-send-ships-jet-fighters-to-eastern-europe-amid-standoff-with-russia/)
- [The 30-Year Shipbuilding Program is Not Enough](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/30-year-shipbuilding-plan-is-not-enough/)
- [Towards Better Civilian Strategic Education: A Case for Tabletop Wargames](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/towards-better-civilian-strategic-education-a-case-for-tabletop-wargames/)
- [Boiling the Frog — Russia’s Growing Black Sea Aggression Part I](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/boiling-the-frog-russias-growing-black-sea-aggression-part-i/)
- [Boiling the Frog — Russia’s Black Sea Aggression Part II, the War](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/boiling-the-frog-russias-black-sea-aggression-part-ii-the-war/)
- [Ukraine: Defiant, Against All Odds](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/ukraine-defiant-against-all-odds/)
- [Crisis in Ukraine](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/crisis-in-ukraine/): With Russia's ground and maritime chokehold closing on Ukraine, this episode discusses the defense forecast in the region with guests Brian Whitmore of the Atlantic Council and Dr. Mike Peterson, director of the Russia Maritime Studies Institute.
- [How to lose the next war: Ignore the supply chain ](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/how-to-lose-the-next-war-ignore-the-supply-chain/)
- [Forward Naval Presence: A Political, Not Military, Leadership Problem](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/forward-naval-presence-political-not-military-leadership-problem/)
- [Veterans Day: Remembering Those We Lost](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/veterans-day-remembering-those-we-lost/): Adm. Foggo is joined by LTG (ret.) Mark Hertling and Master Chief (ret.) Raymond Kemp, both of the American Battlefield Monuments Commission, to discuss Veterans Day and how we can remember the service and sacrifice of those lost in battle and those who serve today.
- [The Navy and the New NDS: Opportunities and Challenges](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-navy-and-the-new-nds-opportunities-and-challenges/): The unclassified National Defense Strategy (NDS), along with the latest Nuclear Posture Review, and National Missile Defense Review (MDR) document have now been released by the Biden administration. How do their provisions affect the Navy, specifically the CNO’s 2022 Navigation Plan and Force Design 2045 concept?
- [A Lesson in Force Design on a Tight Budget from Jackie Fisher](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-lesson-in-force-design-on-a-tight-budget-from-jackie-fisher/): There have been few, historical naval leaders more iconoclastic in their thinking and execution then Admiral Sir John Fisher of the U.K. Royal Navy. Known in the service as “Jackie” or “Jack” – synonymous with that of the average British sailor known as Jack Tar – Fisher was no ordinary admiral such as were common in the late 19th and early 29th century Royal Navy.
- [The Navy is a Deployment Machine](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-navy-is-a-deployment-machine/): There has been much discord of late regarding the mission of the United States Navy, how that mission should be accomplished and what force structure of ships, submarines, aircraft, and other components ought to execute those assignments.
- [An 11 Carrier Navy in a 20 Carrier World?](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/an-11-carrier-navy-in-a-20-carrier-world/): Back in March, 1987, as the Senate contemplated the last two-carrier “block buy” that later became the USS George Washington and USS Abraham Lincoln, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Plans, Policies and Operations
- [Commemorating the Korean War](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/commemorating-the-korean-war/): This episode of Maritime Nation is a special tribute to those who served and fought during the Korean War. Adm. James Foggo, Dr. Steve Wills, and Andrew Park are joined by Adm. Harry Harris (ret.), Montford Point Marines Sgt. Ivor Griffin and Staff Sgt. Eugene Groves (ret.), and Ned Forney to discuss the heroes of
- [The Three Chiefs](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-three-chiefs/): On this episode of Maritime Nation, Adm. Foggo is joined by Mike Stevens, CEO of the Navy League of the United States, and Rick West, both former Master Chief Petty Officers of the Navy. They discuss the role of MCPONs and issues facing the enlisted force.
- [Maritime Strategic Culture & The British Way of War](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/maritime-strategic-culture-the-british-way-of-war/): How do different kinds of states approach the development of maritime strategy and its application? Dr. Andrew Lambert, Laughton Professor of Naval History at King’s College London and Director of the Laughton Naval History and Maritime Strategy Unit in the Department of War Studies at King's, joins Dr. Steve Wills and Ben Mainardi to answer
- [Russia's Hunger Blockade](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/russias-hunger-blockade/): On this special episode of Maritime Nation, Adm. Foggo and Dr. Wills are joined by Dr. Nicholas Lambert, former Class of 1957 Chair at the U.S. Naval Academy and author of The War Lords and the Gallipoli Disaster, and Dr. Ian Ralby, CEO of I.R. Consilium, to discuss the blockade of Odessa and its implications
- [247 Years of Victory at Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/247-years-of-victory-at-sea/): On Oct. 13, 2022, the U.S. Navy celebrated its 247th birthday. Dr. Paul Kennedy joins the CMS team to discuss the history of the Navy, but particularly in the decade of 1936 to 1946 where it grew into the global role it fulfills today. His new book "Victory at Sea" examines this period as reflected
- [A Maritime Strategy for the Arctic](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-maritime-strategy-for-the-arctic/): On this episode of Maritime Nation, Admiral James G. Foggo, USN (ret.) sits down with Rear Admiral Lars Saunes, Professor and Distinguished International Fellow at the U.S. Naval War College, Major General Randy “Church” Kee, Senior Advisor for Arctic Security Affairs at DoD’s Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, and US Navy Commander Rachael
- [Below the Surface](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/below-the-surface/): As Russian fleet losses continue to mount in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, renowned naval analyst Norman Polmar joins Admiral James G. Foggo and Dr. Steven Wills to delve into Soviet and Russian undersea warfare history, strategy and the persistent Russian submarine threat.
- [Russia's Hunger Blockade](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/article-russias-hunger-blockade/)
- [A U.S. 'Ships Act' Would Break China's Control of the Seas](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/china-us-shipping-security/): Soon after President Xi Jinping of China took power, he instructed top Communist Party leaders in a 2013 speech to turn the country into a “maritime superpower.” China already has the world’s largest navy, though its ability to contend with U.S. naval forces remains in doubt. But leaders in Beijing have realized that maritime strength is not measured solely in firepower.
- [Lacking a Comprehensive Maritime Strategy, U.S. Can Learn from Friend and Foe](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/lacking-a-comprehensive-maritime-strategy-the-us-can-learn-from-friend-and-foe/)
- [A Tale of Two Caesars: Contemporary Lessons from Divergent Caesarian Strategies](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/a-tale-of-two-caesars-contemporary-lessons-from-divergent-caesarian-strategies/)
- [The Abraham Accords: Anchoring Peace in Contested Waters](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/foggo-moran-anchoring-peace-in-contested-waters/)
- [The last thing the Navy needs is another congressional panel](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-last-thing-the-navy-needs-is-another-congressional-panel/)
- [40 Years of Missile Warfare: What the Losses of the HMS Sheffield and RFS Moskva Tell Us About War At Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/sinking-of-the-moskva-lessons-from-hms-sheffield/)
- [Military Sealift Command can “Rule the Waves”](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/military-sealift-command-can-rule-the-waves/): It has been reported that two modern British replenishment ships from Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) are in long-term layup and likely put up for sale due to lack of available crew. RFA Wave Knight and RFA Wave Ruler are capable, relatively modern replenishment vessels. This is an unfortunate turn of events for a very close
- [Fostering International Security - One Conversation at a Time](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/fostering-international-security-one-conversation-at-a-time/): Small talk is hard. For many in the profession of arms, and certainly across the U.S. Navy, it can be doubly difficult and a skillset not regularly leveraged. Polite conversation is considerate but not central to operational execution, particularly when trust is assumed and focus aligned. International actors, however, have different foci and measures of
- [Anticipating the Next Black Sea Shipping Crisis](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/anticipating-the-next-black-sea-shipping-crisis/): Remember NotPetya, the most devastating cyberattack in human history? The maritime industry must remember that this Russian cyberattack first proliferated throughout Europe’s maritime domain. One act of cyberwar quickly impacted 76 ports around the world and caused more than $10 billion dollars of damage worldwide. Six years after NotPetya terrorized the global economy, and over
- [Titans Searching for Titan](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/titans-searching-for-titan/): Bravo to our sister service, the Titans of the United States Coast Guard (“USCG”), for its professionalism in searching for Ocean Gate’s “Titan” submersible off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada last week. There will undoubtedly be one or more investigations by the National Transportation Safety Boards of both Canada and the United States. Investigators will
- [The Enemy Below: Fighting against Russia’s Hybrid Underwater Warfare](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/the-enemy-below-fighting-against-russias-hybrid-underwater-warfare/): Nine months have passed since underwater explosions in the Baltic Sea caused ruptures in the Nord Stream pipelines, exacerbating anxiety stemming from the war in Ukraine and soaring energy prices. Though the investigation is yet to implicate the culprit behind these attacks, many have pointed to Russia as the mastermind behind these attacks – for
- [Washington Must Carefully Establish Standing Indo-Pacific Maritime Group](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/washington-must-carefully-establish-standing-indo-pacific-maritime-group/): The strategic advantage of the U.S. and its allies in the South China Sea (SCS) is diminishing against China's burgeoning maritime prowess. Images from Fall 2022 highlight China's strategic "gray zone" tactics, signified by significant infrastructural developments on artificial islands, indicative of a push to reduce American and allied influence. The People's Liberation Army (PLA)
- [USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) Delivers at Sea](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/uss-gerald-r-ford-cvn-78-delivers-at-sea/): While onboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) in 1993, President Bill Clinton opined that when word of a crisis breaks out in Washington, it is no accident that the first question many people ask is: ”Where’s the nearest carrier?”. If POTUS asked this question today in the context of Putin’s diatribe of threats against the North Atlantic

## Person

- [Hunter Stires](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/hunter-stires/): Hunter Stires is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Navy League’s Center for Maritime Strategy. He served as the Maritime Strategist to the 78th Secretary of the Navy, where he was recognized for his work as one of the principal architects of the Maritime Statecraft strategy to rebuild America’s comprehensive maritime power, both commercial and
- [Prestin Tran](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/prestin-tran/): Prestin Tran is an Ethics and Service Fellow at the Center for Maritime Strategy. He is an alumnus of the College of William & Mary and holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a minor in Data Science. His research on foreign policy focuses on defense and security analysis in Indo-Pacific and MENA
- [Kenneth Baek](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/kenneth-baek/): Kenneth Baek is an Ethics and Service Fellow at the Center for Maritime Strategy and a rising senior at Tufts University majoring in Political Science, with proficiency in Korean. He is also a Midshipman in the Boston Consortium Naval ROTC Program and is pursuing a commission as a United States Naval Officer. His primary research
- [Louis Derechin](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/louis-derechin/): Louis Derechin is a Nimitz Intern at the Center for Maritime Strategy and a rising senior at Colgate University, majoring in Political Science with a focus on International Security. He has significant interests in US grand strategy, Indo-Pacific security, and great power competition, specifically as it relates to US-China relations. Previously, Louis interned at Academia Sinica in Taiwan as a research
- [Svetlana Greene](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/svetlana-greene/): Svetlana Greene is a Nimitz Intern at the Center for Maritime Strategy. She is a candidate for a Master's in International Relations at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and an alumna of Wellesley College holding a baccalaureate in International Relations with a concentration in Political Science. With
- [Kathryn Selinger](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/kathryn-selinger/): Kathryn Selinger is the Chief of Staff at the Center for Maritime Strategy where she works to strengthen American national security through its sea services via research, advocacy and education on the relationship between maritime power and national security policy. Previously, Kathryn was a Professional Programs Associate at the Alexander Hamilton Society, coordinating various programs
- [Nicholas Weising](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/nicholas-weising/): Nicholas Weising is a Program Associate at the Center for Maritime Strategy. In this role, he provides broad support to advancing research and programming efforts, as well as implementing the Center’s vision and operations. His primary research interests include geopolitics, industrial policy, maritime security, and national security law. He has contributed to Cornell Policy Group’s Journal
- [Stephan Acevedo](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/stephan-acevedo/): Stephan Acevedo is a U.S Navy veteran. He commissioned as a Surface Warfare Officer through the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Virginia Tech in May 2017. His previous operational assignments include Electrical Officer onboard USS FARRAGUT (DDG99) and Auxiliaries Officer onboard USS ASHLAND (LSD48), where he qualified as Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW) and
- [Abigail Miller](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/abigail-miller/): Abigail Miller is a rising expert in Eastern European and Russian geopolitics, transatlantic security, and political-military relations. She is currently a graduate student in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, where she concentrates on international security. Ms. Miller is presently a Europe and Eurasia columnist for the
- [Ian Ralby, J.D., Ph.D.](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/dr-ian-ralby/): Dr. Ian Ralby is a globally recognized expert in seven main areas: 1) maritime law and security, especially identifying and addressing evolving threats; 2) maritime domain awareness and the leveraging of different technologies and data sources for analyzing the maritime space; 3) countering innovative and emerging forms of hostility including hybrid aggression, lawfare and “unlawfare,”
- [Dr. Steven Wills](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/dr-steven-wills/): Dr. Steven Wills currently serves as a Navalist for the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League of the United States. He is an expert in U.S. Navy strategy and policy and U.S. Navy surface warfare programs and platforms. His research interests include the history of U.S. Navy strategy development over the Cold War
- [Andrej Klema](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/andrej-klema/): Andrej Klema is a native of Ellicott City, Maryland. He is a current senior at Webb Institute, studying Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Between semesters, Mr. Klema works closely with the polar operations and engineering communities of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard as a naval architect and polar navigation consultant. In his role
- [Ava Moore](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/ava-moore/): Ava Moore was the 2025 Spring Nimitz Intern at the Center for Maritime Strategy. A recent graduate from the University of Washington in Seattle, Ava has a B.A. in International Studies and Arctic Studies. She spent a year in Tokyo, Japan at Waseda University’s School of International Liberal Studies. Ava’s interests include U.S.-Japan partnerships, security
- [Lydia Miller](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/lydia-miller/): Lydia Miller was the 2025 Spring Nimitz Intern at the Center for Maritime Strategy. She is a senior at The George Washington University, pursuing a dual Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Political Science, with a minor in Naval Science and a concentration in Security Policy. Lydia is a 1/C Midshipman with GWU NROTC,
- [Connor Ronka](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/connor-ronka/): Connor Ronka is a master's student at the University of St Andrews and recently completed his courses for the school's one-year Strategic Studies program. As a part of his degree, he wrote his dissertation on the subject of riverine warfare in the Western theater of the American Civil War. Before coming to the Center for
- [Matthew Walker](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/matthew-walker/): Matthew Walker, an active-duty Navy Lieutenant, is a second-year master’s student in Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program. Before commencing graduate studies, he served as the Navigation Officer and Assistant First Lieutenant aboard USS Green Bay (LPD 20) and USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119). He completed multiple deployments as a division officer, including three patrols
- [Matthew Reisener](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/matthew-reisener/): Matt Reisener is the Senior National Security Advisor for the Center for Maritime Strategy. He previously served as the National Democratic Institute’s Senior Program Manager for the Middle East and North Africa, managing international development programs in Yemen and Algeria. Before that, he worked at the Center for the National Interest from 2017-2021, where he
- [Zachary Turinsky](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/zachary-turinsky/): Zachary Turinsky is a second year History and Politics undergraduate student at the University of Oxford. At Oxford, he is a committee member of the Oxford International Relations Society and was the treasurer of the Oxford University Strategic Studies Group. Previously, he was an intern for the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, focusing on
- [Samuel Byers](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/samuel-byers/): Samuel Byers is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Center for Maritime Strategy, where he was previously the Senior National Security Advisor. His research interests include geopolitics, the effects of technology & bureaucracy on national security, and the lessons to be drawn from history about contemporary foreign policy challenges. Mr. Byers served for two years
- [Admiral James G. Foggo, U.S. Navy (Ret.)](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/adm-james-g-foggo-retired-u-s-navy/): Admiral James G. Foggo, U.S. Navy (ret.), is the Dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy. He is a 1981 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. ADM Foggo is also an Olmsted Scholar and Moreau Scholar, earning a Master of Public Administration at Harvard University and a Diplome d’Etudes Approfondies in Defense and Strategic Studies
- [Gabrielle Moran](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/gabrielle-moran/): Gabrielle Moran served as Chief of Staff for the Center for Maritime Strategy from 2022 to 2024. As the Center's inaugural Chief of Staff, she led the Center’s programming and strategic development. Her research interests include transatlantic diplomacy, civil-military relations, and military mobility. Her work has appeared in the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune and Europe’s Edge.
- [Andrew I. Park](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/andrew-l-park/): Andrew Injoo Park served as a Senior Analyst for the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League of the United States. In this capacity, he was primarily responsible for conducting research on the Indo-Pacific region. He is also non-resident James A. Kelly Fellow at the Pacific Forum and President of the Sejong Society of
- [Thea Dunlevie](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/thea-dunlevie/): Thea Dunlevie was a Senior Analyst whose research focuses on transatlantic maritime security. She also served as Editor of The MOC. Before joining CMS, she researched a variety of transatlantic foreign policy and international security issues as a Research Assistant for European studies at the American Enterprise Institute, Program Coordinator for The Heritage Foundation’s Margaret
- [Benjamin E. Mainardi](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/benjamin-e-mainardi/): Benjamin E. Mainardi was an Analyst at the Center for Maritime Strategy. His research and analysis focused on maritime security, geopolitics, strategic studies, and wargaming. Mr. Mainardi served as the managing editor of the Center’s online journal, The MOC. Prior to joining the Center, he interned with the U.S. National War College and Hudson Institute,
- [Dr. Charles Edel](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/dr-charles-edel/): Senior Adviser & Australia Chair, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
- [James H. Bergeron](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/james-h-bergeron/): James H. Bergeron assumed duties as Political Advisor to Commander, Allied Maritime Command in Northwood, United Kingdom on 1 September 2013 . Previously the POLAD to Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO from July 2005 as a member of the US Government Service, he is considered to be one of NATO's most experienced foreign policy
- [John D. McCown](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/john-d-mccown/): John D. McCown is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Center for Maritime Strategy. He is an internationally recognized expert in container shipping and maritime commerce. Mr. McCown has more than four decades of operating and investment experience in his field. He was a co-founder and CEO of U.S. flag carrier Trailer Bridge, Inc. and
- [Michael Roberts](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/michael-roberts/): Michael Roberts is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League of the United States and an Adjunct Fellow with the Hudson Institute. His work is focused on the national, economic and homeland security aspects of America’s domestic and international commercial maritime industry. He was the President and Chairman
- [Dr. Jeff Harley](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/experts/dr-jeff-harley/): Dr. Jeff Harley is a retired Rear Admiral (Upper Half) and a Senior Fellow with the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League of the United States. Harley also serves as Director of Military Engagement for the nonprofit, accredited Western Governors University (WGU). In this role, he develops and sustains organizational relationships to expand

## Vacancies

- [Nimitz Internship Program](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/vacancy/nimitz-internship-program/): Nimitz Internship Program Overview: We are currently accepting applications for our Spring 2027 Nimitz Internship Program. Applications are due 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Oct 26th. The Nimitz Internship Program is an integral part of the Center for Maritime Strategy. Interns are included in the day-to-day and strategic operations of the Center’s mission. As members of

## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/category/uncategorized/): Explore Center for Maritime Strategy research and analysis on naval strategy, maritime power and the issues shaping international security.
- [Press Release](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/category/press-release/): Explore Center for Maritime Strategy research and analysis on naval strategy, maritime power and the issues shaping international security.
- [Announcement](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/category/announcement/): Explore Center for Maritime Strategy research and analysis on naval strategy, maritime power and the issues shaping international security.

## Publication Type

- [Maritime Nation](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/maritime-nation/)
- [The MOC](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/moc/)
- [External Publication](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/external-publication/)
- [Reports](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/reports/)
- [External Article](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/external-article/)
- [Op-ed](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/op-ed/)
- [Article](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/article/)
- [Media Backgrounder](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/media-backgrounder/)
- [Article Interview](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/article-interview/)
- [Quoted in Publication](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/quoted-in-publication/)
- [Notable Reference](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/notable-reference/)
- [Recorded Virtual Interview](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/recorded-virtual-interview/)
- [Guest Appearance](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/guest-appearance/)
- [Live TV Interview](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/live-tv-interview/)
- [Live Radio Interview](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/live-radio-interview/)
- [Interview](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/interview/)
- [Podcast](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/podcast/)
- [In the News](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/in-the-news/)
- [Panel](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/panel/)
- [Panel](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publication_type/panel-2/)

## Research Area

- [Acquisitions & Budget](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/acquisitions-budget/)
- [Hybrid Threats](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/hybrid-threats/)
- [Energy and Resource Security](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/energy-resource-security/)
- [International Law](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/international-law/)
- [Geopolitics](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/geopolitics/)
- [Industry & Innovation](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/industry-innovation/)
- [AI & Cyber](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/ai-cyber/)
- [Surface Warfare](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/surface-warfare/)
- [Political Economy](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/political-economy/)
- [Undersea Warfare](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/undersea-warfare/)
- [Strategy & Doctrine](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/strategy-doctrine/)
- [Force Design](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/force-design/)
- [Conflict Resolution & Peacebuilding](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/conflict-resolution-peacebuilding/)
- [Wargaming](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/wargamin/)
- [Civil-Military](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/civil-military/)
- [Personnel](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/personnel/)
- [Up for Debate Series](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/up-for-debate-series/)
- [Military Ethics](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/research_area/military-ethics/)

## Region

- [Europe & Eurasia](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/region/europe-eurasia/)
- [Asia & the Indo-Pacific](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/region/asia/)
- [Americas](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/region/americas/)
- [Africa](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/region/africa/)
- [MENA](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/region/mena/)
- [Arctic](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/region/arctic/)

## Person Type

- [Resident Expert](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/person_type/resident-export/)
- [Non-Resident Expert](https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/person_type/non-resident-expert/)