The strategic landscape of the 21st century promises to be dominated by naval power. But political shifts and emerging technologies mean that old approaches must be reconsidered. In Asia, a submarine arms race has important implications for U.S. subsurface strategy. Meanwhile, political tensions have focused attention on the naval balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean. And after a slow start, the U.S. Navy has embraced the robotic revolution.
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Asia’s rising powers are investing in submarine capabilities at unprecedented levels, and the nature of this investment is fundamentally changing the region’s subsurface environment. The implications for America’s subsurface community are profound and should drive a re-evaluation of America’s subsurface strategy for the century ahead. more
Times are changing in the Eastern Mediterranean, which was recently the scene of several naval incidents. As U.S. naval priorities shift and those of Europe decline, political disputes, both new and longstanding, have combined with recent offshore energy discoveries to raise tensions and focus attention on the naval balance of power in the region. more
NATO's recent intervention in Libya marked the major combat debut for the U.S. Navy's growing arsenal of unmanned vehicles. In coming years, the U.S. Navy could add hundreds of flying, swimming and diving robots to its existing fleets of surface warships, submarines and manned aircraft. But the Navy's robotic revolution is a belated one. more