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CNO Paints Picture of Future Navy

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS040409-07

Release Date: 4/9/2004 11:20:00 AM

By Chief Journalist Walter T. Ham IV, Chief of Naval Operations Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Vern Clark described how the Navy will look two decades from now during his address to the Navy League of the United States Sea-Air-Space Exposition here April 8.

Clark said he was struck by how far the Navy has come with Sea Power 21, which he unveiled one year and 10 months ago. The transformation efforts underway in support of Sea Power 21 are critical to ensuring the Navy/Marine Corps team remains the preeminent naval force in the world in the years and decades to come, Clark added.

"No Navy in the world will go toe to toe with us - the greatest Navy that has ever been known in the history of man," Clark said. "So they're going to come after us in other ways. They'll come after us with asymmetric means."

"But it's refreshing and encouraging, in fact, to think that we, too, have our asymmetric means. The first one is the genius of our people, and they are just unbelievable," the CNO said. "The other asymmetric advantage is the brains of our American industry and the ability to field technology."

The CNO added the Navy is exploring ways to increase operational availability through Sea Swap.

"A few days ago, United States Ship (USS) Higgins (DDG 76) returned from the Arabian Gulf, and in June USS Fletcher (DD 992) will return from the Gulf, after having been deployed to the area Of responsibility for two years. The Higgins has been over there for a year and a half," Clark said. "The force multiplication of those two ships has been the same as if we'd owned eight or 10 ships in rotations, spending a third of their deployment time coming and going."

The CNO depicted the future Navy as a force that projects offensive and defensive power while ensuring operational independence for joint forces through Sea Basing.

"When I look 20 years from now, I see a Sea Base where we are going to field a capability that's going to be unlike anything anybody imagined just a few years ago," Clark added. "We see a future where we are going to invest rapidly, as rapidly as we can, in creating the Maritime Pre-positing Force of the future."

The CNO also emphasized the importance of increased speed, persistence and precision that LHA(R) [landing helo assault (replacement)], MPF(F) [maritime prepositioning force (future)], DD(X) [next generation destroyer], LCS [littoral combat ship], SSGN [guided-missile submarine], JSF [joint strike fighter] and MV-22 Osprey will bring to the Navy/Marine Corps team.

To realize this future force, the CNO said the Navy must continue to find ways to increase its effectiveness and efficiency.

"We can only realize this dream through Sea Enterprise," Clark said. "We will maximize the investment the taxpayers have made in our Navy."

Teamwork between the services and industry is also essential to fielding the combat capability the Navy/Marine Corps team will need to confront and defeat the threats of the 21st century, Clark said.

"The marriage of persistent precision and pervasive knowledge will change the way the Navy and Marine Corps team fight in the future," the CNO said. "The dots have to connect to create this future, and we can't have this future without teamwork."