Fleet Experimentation
Abstract
Mission: The Fleet Experimentation (FLEX) program seeks out and examines potential materiel and non-materiel solutions and develops recommendations to enhance the Fleet's ability to execute assigned missions through conduct of 12 to 17 major analytic experimentation activities annually. The activities include workshops, war-games, with a focus on live force, operationally oriented at-sea events. The activities are integrated into a multi-year experiment campaign aligned to address selected Fleet priority capability gaps. FLEX is co-led by Commander U.S. Fleet Forces Command (CUSFFC), Commander U.S. Pacific Fleet (CPF), and Commander U.S. Naval Forces Europe - Africa (CNE-AF). The three four-star Fleet Commanders identify the priority Fleet warfighting gaps that FLEX will address, and they drive refinements to FLEX planning, execution, and assessment/reporting processes. Commanders' FLEX guidance is directly linked to the January 2022 Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Navigation Plan (NAVPLAN) direction to continue refinement of concepts and capabilities through experimentation. FLEX priorities are aligned to CNO NAVPLAN Naval Integration Framework (NIF) pillars. FLEX planners collaborate directly with the NAVPLAN Integration Framework (NIF) teams to inform gap closure plans for Long Range Fires (Ca-5), Command and Control Counter-Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (Ca-4), and Navy Operational Architecture (NOA) (Ca-2). Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) and Unmanned Systems, along with Naval Integration and Partner Nation integration, are considered enabling capabilities for FLEX. FLEX planners also collaborate with the AI NIF and Unmanned Task Force / Disruptive Capabilities Office. FLEX initiatives are tied to CNO-approved Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) concept capability requirements, Fleet warfighting gaps, and Key Operational Problems (KOP). FLEX aligns with National Defense Strategy priorities, lines of effort 1 (lethality) and 3 (reform), and numerous other strategic guidance documents highlighting the need to increase organizational learning and capability development in experimentation, wargames and exercises. USFFC N8/N9-manages the FLEX investment -- $64.8M (FY25-FY29) - to support planning, execution, analysis, and reporting for analytically rigorous experiments leveraging small scale Limited Objective Experiments (LOE), scheduled fleet exercises, and high-end operational rehearsals such as Fleet Battle Problems (FBP) and Large Scale Exercises (LSE).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2025
- Source ID
- 3319_0606355N_6_1319_PB_2025
Related Documents
- Root: Warfare Innovation Management
- Child Accomplishment: Fleet Experimentation (FLEX)