Is the Maritime Strategy Dead?
Abstract
In a speech on August 2, 1990, President George Bush approved the base force concept proposed by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In so doing he approved the death of the Navy's traditional independence. The question explored in the paper is whether his approval also killed the Maritime Strategy. The paper reviews the original concept of the Maritime Strategy and the debates surrounding it, focusing on the role of the Navy's traditional independence. It then analyzes the effect of the Chairman's base force, explaining that because the Chairman is now the ultimate authority over the Maritime Strategy, the loss of its traditional independence is of more importance to the Navy than the reduction of deployable aircraft carrier battle groups (CVBG). The paper then assesses the consequences of this change as they were expressed in the revision to the Maritime Strategy, noting that the Navy has elevated the Marine Air Ground Task Force to a coequal status with the CVBG as a central fighting element of the Maritime Strategy. The paper concludes that the Maritime Strategy is very much alive. Although very different than originally conceived, the strategy remains a vital component of the national military strategy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 20, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA240598
Entities
People
- William F. Hickman
Organizations
- Naval War College