The sea services released a new maritime strategy, a plan that describes how the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard will design, organize, and employ naval forces in support of national security interests and homeland security objectives.
Most Sailors are aware that the Navy follows an overarching strategy; however, they may not always understand their role in this strategy.
Here are three things you need to know about the new maritime strategy, A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower: Forward, Engaged, Ready:
- The new strategy was updated to account for changes in global security, new strategic guidance, and the fiscal environment. Since the last strategy was released in 2007, many geopolitical and military changes have also developed that demand cooperative relationships with our global partners. We will continue operating in NATO maritime groups, participating in a number of international training exercises, and conducting goodwill engagements.
- A new function called “all domain access” was introduced with the updated strategy. All domain access focuses on gaining access to areas – whether it is land, air, sea, space, cyberspace, or the electromagnetic spectrum – and operating freely in those areas to complete our mission. Today’s strategy also emphasizes operating forward and engaging partners across the globe, especially in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
- The strategy calls for increasing the Navy’s forward presence to 120 ships by 2020, up from about 97 ships today. This includes forward-basing four ballistic-missile-defense destroyers in Spain and stationing another attack submarine in Guam by the end of 2015. Sailors can expect to see an increase in forward-basing of forces abroad, which reduces costly rotations and deployments.
Implementing a new strategy would be impossible without you, the Sailor. The Navy’s personnel are its greatest asset and understanding your role in the new strategy will help in completing the mission.
From the Navy Live Blog, the official blog of the U.S. Navy, to view a video featuring Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert, please visit: http://navylive.dodlive.mil/2015/03/17/3-things-sailors-need-to-know-about-the-new-maritime-strategy/.