A Joint and Multi-Domain Fortress to Fight for Sea Control
Abstract
The return of Great Power Competition after a long period of technological advancement poses new complications to the joint forces mission to gain, maintain, and exploit sea control. Great and regional powers alike have embraced the once-discounted fortress fleet concept to threaten overwhelming cost to the United States Navy's doctrinal methods of gaining sea control while maintaining freedom of action in their own littoral spaces. The advancements in land-based scouting and firepower work both ways, however. This paper presents historical examples of traditional fleets working in close cooperation with land-based power in littoral spaces and argues that the USN fleet should bring its own forts forward in pursuit of its objectives. It explains the benefits for strategic flexibility by using forward fortresses at the operational level of war before explaining the method by which non-maritime assets could fight today as a fortress in support of sea control. Finally, it draws conclusions about the benefits of fortresses to a truly joint and multi-domain fleet, while recommending force structure and command relationships to support the fortress concept.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 21, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1209295
Entities
People
- Ian A. Murdoch
Organizations
- Naval War College