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CNO Says Speed, Agility, Stealth Critical to Future Naval Operations

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS040618-05

Release Date: 6/18/2004 9:45:00 PM

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

NEWPORT, R.I. (NNS) -- New capabilities and concepts will give the Navy the ability to get to the fight quicker and influence events during the pre-hostilities phase, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark said during his June 16 address to the Current Strategy Forum. This is the same venue where he unveiled the Navy's Sea Power 21 vision two years ago.

Since the U.S. military is a distributed, global force, Clark said potential enemies will try to mass their fighting forces before U.S forces arrive on scene.

"The national strategy that has evolved over the course of the last couple of years is all about quick response," Clark said. "The first rule is: can you get it to the fight? It doesn't matter how exotic a potential capability might be. I am not investing in things that I don't think I can get to the fight."

To stay credible, future capabilities and platforms must be able to respond in time to deal with any future conflicts, Clark said.

"I happen to believe the agility of a force is vital," the CNO said. "The more agility you design into it, the more potential you're going to have for success in the future."

"If you're not there and if you can't get there, the nation ought to think very seriously about whether they ought to invest in that kind of capability in the future," said Clark. "I'm willing to put everything that we've got on the table. If this nation doesn't need it, the taxpayers of America should not have to buy it. It is about that relevance question first, and then this pre-hostilities piece."

During the pre-hostilities phase, the submarine force will play a critical role by using their stealth capabilities to change the outcome of a conflict before it even starts, the CNO added.

"Today, when we talk about pre-hostilities, we usually talk about the deployment phase or pre-deployment phase, and getting the logistics all in place. I'm talking about a lot more than that," he said. "I'm talking about totally new kinds of capability for our submarine force to influence events in dynamic ways."

"Then let your mind run wild with the kinds of things that they (submarines) might be doing there," said Clark.

The CNO also announced that the Navy's Cruiser Destroyer Groups (COMCRUDESGRU) and Carrier Groups (COMCARGRU) will merge together in name to Carrier Strike Groups (CARSTRKGRU) by the end of the month. Aviation, surface and submarine warfare officers will all be eligible to command Carrier Strike Groups.

By increasing speed of response and improving capabilities, Clark said the Navy will be even better prepared to confront and defeat potential enemies.

"It's about options for the president," said Clark. "The taxpayers of the United States of America bought that stuff. Our challenge is to make sure that it is relevant to the challenges and the environment that we're living in."