The US Navy plans to distribute lethality throughout the Fleet, increasing combat power on each ship while ensuring those ships are more capable of operating in dispersed and network-denied environments.
Most enemy long-range anti-ship cruise missile (ASCMs) would likely be fired at 100-150 nm (nautical miles) or less. There are several potential missiles available to U.S. forces that could provide more than 150 nm range, such as the Norwegian Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM).
Cruisers and destroyers must adopt an air defense approach that frees up space for offensive missiles in Vertical launch System (VLS) magazines. This approach needs to enable more engagements to be shifted to smaller interceptors and non-kinetic systems such as electronic warfare.
The Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (Mk 41 VLS) is a shipborne missile canister launching system which provides a rapid-fire launch capability against hostile threats. The Vertical Launch System (VLS) concept was derived from work on the Aegis Combat System.
The US Navy will also:
* Integrate more effectively with the U.S. Marine Corps; cooperation is insufficient. The Marines and the Surface Force together are a mobile, lethal, flexible instrument of national power, unequalled in reach and scope.
* Focus on the fundamentals of Surface Warfare by standing up the Naval Surface Warfighting Development Center (NSWDC) and proliferating Surface Weapons Tactics Instructors (WTI) in key billets throughout the Force, throughout all of our core competencies.
* Identify those requirements on our ships that are not directly related to warfighting proficiency and evaluate their usefulness. Where possible, they will be modified, reduced, or eliminated.
* Expand the role of small surface combatants and reconfigurable support ships in order to provide the correct mix of capabilities that can be employed across the full spectrum of conflict.
* Embrace experimentation and innovation by accepting additional risk in order to push technology to the Fleet faster.
SOURCES – US Navy, Breaking Defense, Wikipedia
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.