Military Transformation: Navy Efforts Should Be More Integrated and Focused
Abstract
With the end of the Cold War, national security strategies changed and dictated the need for the military to "transform" itself in order to meet new global challenges. The Navy, recognizing the shift in strategy from a focus on the global threat of the Soviet Union to a focus on regional challenges, developed a new strategic direction in the early 1990s, shifting its primary focus from open ocean, "blue water," operations to littoral, or shallow water, operations closer to shore. The 1999 Maritime Concept added a new thrust, emphasizing the role that Navy combat power could play in ensuring access of joint forces to littoral areas. The Navy has made a concept known as network centric warfare the centerpiece of its efforts to transform its forces. Under this concept, a data network of advanced communications and computer technologies would be developed to connect different and widely dispersed forces into an effective, coordinated team. The Navy's transformation also means (1) using innovations to introduce new technologies and advanced concepts, doctrine, and organizations to increase the Navy's capabilities and (2) conducting organized events (experiments) to explore and validate the major force and operational aspects of those innovations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA392926
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office