Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA)’s Post

Learning so much from these informative panels.

Five lessons from the Battle of Midway for modern Naval leaders. 1. Trust the intelligence you have and be decisive. Nimitz knew he needed the crippled Yorktown back in action to counter the impending Japanese attack and immediately ordered her hasty repair. Though Yorktown was a combat loss at Midway, her aircrews proved invaluable to the overall victory. Decisiveness is the key to most victories even if the victory wasn’t pretty. 2. Commander's Intent is how you will ensure the success of tactical units - empower them with clear intent because you probably won’t have a radio. Despite some criticism, Spruance was wise to withdraw his Task Forces to the east after delivering such a decisive blow on the battle’s opening day. This action was in line with the intent that Nimitz gave him before leaving Pearl Harbor; there was no need to call back and ask for guidance. A future Pacific conflict will thrust us back to the long-range communication capability of the 1942 Navy... on scene commanders need to understand in plain language what success looks like and what failure looks like so they can make the right decision without having to ask. 3. Old-fashioned damage control is as important as the latest weapon or technology. Japan arguably had the most technologically advanced naval weaponry in 1942, but her most important weapons – the aircraft carriers – were poorly designed to handle substantial combat damage. In a blue water engagement today, it’s safe to assume that ships will sustain devastating combat damage. No amount of warrior code, aggressiveness, or superior weaponry will help put out fires on a ship that is not built to absorb damage and doesn’t have a crew trained to control it. 4. Despite all the strategy, tactics, technology, and planning, it may simply be that valor, skill, warrior instinct, and a little bit of luck wins the day. As Enterprise’s dive bombers nosed over for their first attacks of the day, Lieutenant Dick Best noticed an over-commitment of forces on one carrier, pulled out of his dive and ordered his two wingmen over to start their attack on Akagi, a decision that resulted in the only direct hit on the Japanese flagship. Commanders must embrace a training and operating culture that empowers tactical leaders to make bold decisions and feel confident to follow their instincts. 5.  Arrogance and ignorance go hand in hand. Perhaps the two greatest mistakes the Imperial Japanese Navy made at Midway were to underestimate the will of the American fighting spirit, and then botch the reconnaissance on the morning of 4 June. DO NOT underestimate the strength, cunning, and determination of your enemy, and don’t shortcut the reconnaissance. The PLAN will not make the same mistakes that their Pacific neighbors made 80 years ago. God bless the men of Task Force 16 & 17, and the brave souls who gave their last measure on this day - 82 years ago - so that the idea of America may continue to shine.

There is a persistent misunderstanding of the accessibility of the Air National Guard. Consider what the Air National Guard provides the nation on a daily basis: 27% of the United States Air Force fighter fleet 30% of overall United States Air Force combat power 38% of the United States Air Force mobility fleet 44% of 2022 United States Air Force taskings 47% of 2023 United States Air Force taskings 62% of all United States Air Force cyber missions 94% of NORAD & US Northern Command aerospace control alert and battle management in support of NORAD & US Northern Command That's a whole lot of accessibility! All this and more is discussed in The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies's podcast with Lt Gen Mike Loh, Joseph "Gus" Guastella (Lt Gen USAF Ret), and Heather Penney. They discuss the need to invest in the Total Force and further leverage the Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force Reserve to ensure we have the Air Force that the Joint Force needs. Check it out! #nationalguard #totalforce #strategy #nationalsecurity #natsec https://lnkd.in/eNYEHSEn

Multi-domain operations is an operational concept that depends upon the basics. This week at the Maneuver Warfighter Confernence, Brig. Gen. Buddy F., the 4ID deputy commanding general for maneuver, and Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Alexander Kupratty, the 4ID command sergeant major, shared lessons learned by the Ivy division as it has refined its approach to how the division and its subordinate units fight MDO in large scale combat operations. MDO means something different for each echelon. Most importantly, company, troops, and batteries must stay alive and be ready for and able to move to the next fight. #LethalTeams #ForwardMindset https://lnkd.in/gYC3kSeH

⚡ Accelerating Procurement in Uncrewed Systems: Insights from Captain Dennis Monagle⚡ Uncrewed systems and their technologies are evolving at an unprecedented pace, demanding greater speed and agility in procurement processes. Defence iQ had the privilege of interviewing Captain Dennis Monagle, Program Manager of PMA 266 Multi-Mission Tactical UAS at Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), who has successfully navigated these challenges. Download the Exclusive Interview Here: https://bit.ly/4bMIKH5 Captain Monagle shares how he accelerated the procurement process while meeting his stakeholders' diverse needs. Key Highlights Include: ⚡ Accelerated Procurement: Discover how Captain Monagle sped up the deployment of MQ-9 Reapers, achieving readiness in record time. 🤝 Effective Partnerships: Learn about the strategic collaborations that played a critical role in overcoming procurement hurdles and ensuring timely delivery. 📈 Procurement Expertise: Gain insights into Captain Monagle's adept use of procurement vehicles to streamline processes and meet fleet demands efficiently. Download the full interview to delve deeper into Captain Monagle’s innovative approaches and strategies. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain exclusive insights from one of the leading experts in military uncrewed systems. #UncrewedSystems #DefenseProcurement #Innovation #MilitaryTechnology #Defenceiq #NAVAIR #Leadership #ProcurementStrategies #EarlyBirdDiscount

Good policy listens ✔️ Good policy removes barriers ✔️ Good policy empowers personnel ✔️ Good policy makes service easier ✔️✔️✔️

So yesterday my friend and #Vistage Chair colleague Jim Ristuccia posted a photo which brought me immediately back to my days as a #USNavy helicopter pilot. It also spurred me to post this observation which I have stated so many times about #Leadership. In the Navy, you can walk down the waterfront or along the flight line and see ship after ship or squadron after squadron of like ships or aircraft. These parallel ships/squadrons have exactly the same characteristics, the same exact budgets, access to the same pool of parts, materials, manpower, etc. They are basically indistinguishable from each other. Yet within the first 15 minutes onboard you can tell which unit is the best, and certainly which one is the worst - in nearly every category - performance, morale, readiness, culture, etc. The only difference is the #Leadership provided from the Commanding Officer on down through their wardroom, Chiefs Mess and individual Sailors. The leadership permeates every aspect of life within that ship or squadron and clearly separates the "Best" from the rest.

Recently had an engagement with PACFLT reference developing the maritime fires and effects integration and associated targeting executive agency, informing how doctrine for this should look, and what should the institutional training be across the enterprise to get after this problem set. Outlined in the article is a good start but as was discussed in HI following 1991 our expertise in surface to surface warfare waned as our peer naval threat fell. With the emergence of another peer fleet that is openly training with Russia and Iran we need to reinvigorate these aspects of surface warfare so that we are abke to maintain freedom of the seas. A cultural change is needed to get back to what we have become rusty on over the past 20 years. This includes a look at authorities and empowering the lowest level possible to exercise these authorities when the tactical situation calls for it. Yes this will be uncomfortable but it’s needed to succeed in the next battle.

ICYMI: “COMPTUEX [Composite Training Unit Exercise] is one of the single most complex training events we do in the military – as a single service or as a joint force,” said Rear Adm. Max McCoy. “It is designed for teams to execute and build proficiency for complex TTPs, high-end warfighting, and combined operations with our Allies on day one. It is why we work hard within the Navy team to collectively push familiarization and unit-level training left so that we are great stewards of the time and resources we have at sea to conduct live training and assess teams.” U.S. Department of State | United States Department of Defense | U.S. Department of the Treasury | US Navy | U.S. Navy Reserve | United States Marine Corps | U.S. Coast Guard | United States Air Force | United States Space Force | Air National Guard | U.S. Fleet Forces Command | Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, Marine Forces Command, Marine Forces Northern Command | STRIKFORNATO | Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO | Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet | Commander, Submarine Forces | Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic | Commander Naval Surface Force Atlantic | Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic | Commander, Naval Information Forces | Navy Expeditionary Combat Command | Naval Special Warfare Command - Navy SEAL & SWCC Teams | Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC)

Seems a little like Army DevCom... It will be interesting to watch where the money and power falls after all this: Develop Capabilities • Create a Department of the Air Force Integrated Capabilities Office to lead capability development and resource prioritization to drive Department of the Air Force modernization investments. • Combine disparate efforts to create the Office of Competitive Activities to oversee and coordinate sensitive activities. • Create a Program Assessment and Evaluation Office to foster structure and incorporate a more strategic and analytically based approach to resourcing decisions. • Establish Integrated Capabilities Command to develop competitive operational concepts, integrated requirements, and prioritized modernization plans to align with force design. • Create a new Information Dominance Systems Center within Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) to strengthen and elevate the Air Force’s focus on Command, Control, Communications, and Battle Management; Cyber; Electronic Warfare; Information Systems; and Enterprise Digital Infrastructure. • Strengthen the support to nuclear forces by expanding the Nuclear Weapons Center to become the Air Force Nuclear Systems Center within AFMC. This will provide comprehensive materiel support to the nuclear enterprise; establish a 2-star general officer as the Program Executive Officer for Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles. • Refocus the Life Cycle Management Center within AFMC as the Air Dominance Systems Center to synchronize aircraft and weapons competitive development and product support. • Establish an Integration Development Office within AFMC to provide technology assessments and roadmaps. It will drive alignment and integration of mission systems across centers and provide technical expertise to assess operational concept feasibility. • Create Space Futures Command, a new field command, that develops and validates concepts, conducts experimentation and wargames, and performs mission area design.