The sea services must engage in critical discussions with an eye on the long-term requirements of their force. Force design demands foresight, investment, innovation, and stewardship.
The United States Navy, in particular, is at an inflection point. New challenges have emerged that require the force to evolve, from peer and near-peer adversaries to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and unmanned systems.
Moreover, as the COVID-19 pandemic reminded the world, the need for resilient supply chains is just as important as ever. How these challenges and the opportunities they present ought to inform the growth of the fleet moving forward necessitate candid dialogues between practitioners, experts, and members of industry.
This symposium is the culmination of much thought and debate on the drivers of America’s naval force planning going further into the twenty-first century. By convening representatives from across the naval force structure community, we believe that today’s discussion will inform the crafting of future force planning for years to come.
Fleet Architecture: Equipping the Future Force
Moderator:
Dr. Sam Tangredi, Leidos Chair of Future Warfare Studies; Professor of National, Naval and Maritime Strategy, U.S. Naval War College
Panelists:
Admiral Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Department of the Navy
Admiral (ret.) Scott Swift, Chairman, Naval War College Foundation Strategic Advisory Committee
Mr. Michael Petters, Executive Vice Chairman of the Board, HII
Lunch Remarks
Dr. Stephen Mariano, Provost, U.S. Naval War College
Admiral James G. Foggo, Dean, Center for Maritime Strategy
Accelerating AI Innovation
Moderator:
Francis Rose, Host, Daily Scoop Podcast
Panelists:
The Honorable William J. Lynn, Chief Executive Officer, Leonardo DRS
Mr. Ylli Bajraktari, Chief Executive Officer, Special Competitive Studies Project
Supply Chain Resilience: Overcoming Barriers to Fuel the Fight
Moderator:
Mackenzie Eaglen, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Panelists:
Lieutenant General (ret.) Ben Hodges, Senior Advisor, Human Rights First
Vice Admiral Rick Williamson, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Fleet Readiness and Logistics, U.S. Department of the Navy
Dr. Steven Wills, Navalist, Center for Maritime Strategy