NAVY / MA RIN E CORPS / COAST GUARD / MERCHANT MARINE

The New
Underwater
Frontier
p. 22

Creating a
Digital Ocean
IN THE NEWS

COMBATING
p. 29

CLIMATE CHANGE
14
May 2023 | $5.00
Navy League of the United States
www.navyleague.org

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 FLEXROTOR

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 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Deep in the Heart of Texas

B Y D AV I D J . R E I L LY, N AV Y L E A G U E N AT I O N A L P R E S I D E N T

Like many families these days, our Navy League members are spread
out across the United States and around the globe. The brother who
moves to New York from New Mexico for college. The aunt and uncle
power couple to who decide to trade Silicon Valley for a farm in Iowa.
The second cousin who joins the Navy to see the world.
Travel is expensive, and rarely convenient, but we know it’s
important to come together when we can. The annual convention for
the Navy League of the United States is our opportunity to do just
that. We come together. We connect with old friends and make new
ones. We unpack our year, learn from each other, and have some
great conversations. We roll up our sleeves and get things done.
This year our convention is in Texas, the Lone Star State. It’s a big,
independent, outspoken member of our Union. It has opinions. It’s
a little raucous. It’s also the perfect location for our annual Navy
League family reunion.
From Wednesday, June 7 to Sunday, June 11 we have a robust agenda
planned that you truly do not want to miss. Mingle at the hospitality
event on Wednesday, and make sure your voice is heard in either
the delegates or board of directors meetings. The Council Leadership
Track programming is comprehensive and kicks off with a breakfast
and leadership roundtable on Thursday. It continues with several
important sessions throughout the convention, including strategic
planning, maritime policy, social media training, a special best
practices event, and a fireside chat with both the National President,
President Elect, and CEO of the Navy League. We’ll part on Sunday
after convening the new board of directors.
So, while we will, each of us, be far from our homes, we will be
together with our brothers and sisters of the Navy League across the
nation and the globe. I hope you have the opportunity to join us this
year, and I look forward to seeing all of you soon.
As always, and in unwavering support of our sea services,

WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG SEAPOWER MAY 2023 1

EDITOR’S NOTE

The Future of the Fleet

BY ANN TROPEA, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE
NAVY LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES
Volume 66, Number 4, May 2023
Every year, the Navy League brings maritime
experts, innovative small businesses, and sea
service leaders together to share information and PUBLISHER
David J. Reilly
learn from each other at the largest maritime
CO-PUBLISHER
exposition in North America — Sea-Air-Space.
Mike Stevens
It’s a big deal, and it’s full of even bigger ideas. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Ann Tropea
The theme of this year’s expo, a maritime century, was prescient — the
atropea@navyleague.org
resounding drumbeat from our leaders and experts was the idea that the
SENIOR EDITOR
maritime century must start now. Today.
Richard R. Burgess

At the heart of almost every conversation was a focus on the need to adapt rburgess@navyleague.org

and integrate new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and SENIOR ART DIRECTOR
Victoria Motsay
unmanned/uncrewed systems — the focus of this issue of Seapower.
vmotsay@navyleague.org
Unquestionably, Task Force 59 is at the forefront of what is possible (page MARKETING DIRECTOR
29), working collaboratively with allied navies across the globe to test the Evan Clarke
eclarke@navyleague.org
tech, share data, and integrate new, innovative solutions into our fleet.
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
The changing climate, with rising sea levels and the increasing rate of James Peterson
extreme weather events, is also an overarching concern. How do we keep jpeterson@navyleague.org

our people and ships safe? The U.S. Navy’s Great Green Fleet is one answer CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
to that question (page 25) with a commitment to reducing the fleet’s John M. Doyle
O.C. Fowler
environmental impact. NOAA is also working with cutting edge drone
Edward Lundquist
technologies to collect weather data (page 14) that impacts those at sea. Andrew Park
Peter Petrelis
But, with new tech comes old questions. How do we trust the autonomous
Jamie L. Pfeiffer
systems that we’ve built? Or, hyperbolically, how do we avoid the Daniel P. Tayor
dystopian nightmare of a robot takeover represented in films like Vicky Uhland
David F. Winkler
Metropolis (1927), 2001: A Space Odessey (1968), and The Terminator
(1984) — narratives that are deeply ingrained as part of our collective WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
Luke Lorenz
consciousness? A more robust legal regulatory space may be the answer
CADET CONTRIBUTORS
(page 22).
Berlinda Pierre Louis
We haven’t solved all the problems, but we are on a path to realizing a SEAPOWER
sustainable future that both supports and protects members of the sea 2300 Wilson Blvd., Suite 200

services who will make our maritime century a reality. Through daily Arlington, VA 22201-5424
TEL: 703-528-1775
advances in AI and uncrewed systems, that future isn’t something we hope
EMAIL: seapowermail@navyleague.org
to achieve in a long awaited someday. That future is now. WEBSITE: www.seapowermagazine.org
TWITTER: @Seapowermag
Ready to lead, ready to follow, FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/SeapowerMagazine

2 S E A P O W E R MAY 2023 WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG

 VOLUME 66 / NUMBER 4 / MAY 2023
In This Issue
ISR AND UNCREWED SYSTEMS

27
FEATURE:
Assured Navigation from Down Under
By Richard R. Burgess

10 11
DEPARTMENTS
1 President’s Message

2 Editor’s Note

IN THE NEWS: IN THE NEWS: 4 Washington Report

Together We Stand Tackling Illegal 6 Program Snapshot

By Andrew Park Fishing with AI 7 Ship's Library

8 Historical Perspective
By Edward Lundquist
16 Sea Services in Action

14 18
32 Council Digest

35 Cadet Corner

40 In My Own Words

ON THE COVER
IN THE NEWS: Q&A: Saildrone and NOAA tow a hurricane Saildrone Explorer
Combating Representative out from St. Petersburg, Florida, to launch it in the Gulf of
Mexico on Aug. 2, 2022. This uncrewed vehicle was one
Climate Change Rob Wittman of seven used by NOAA and Saildrone to track hurricane
data in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico during the
By Vicky Uhland 2022 hurricane season. Photo Credit: David Hall/ NOAA.

22 25 29
FEATURE: FEATURE: FEATURE:
The New Underwater The Great Green Creating a
Frontier Ambition Digital Ocean
By Jamie L. Pfeiffer, Esq. By Daniel P. Taylor By John M. Doyle

WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG SEAPOWER MAY 2023 3


The President’s Budget
B Y L U K E L O R E N Z , WA S H I N G T O N C O R R E S P O N D E N T
The President’s Budget
for everyone, except a viable path through Congress.
With a topline of $6.9 trillion dollars, President Biden
seeks to increase discretionary spending by nearly 10%
over FY2023 levels. This money would provide increased
funding for a host of the Administration’s priorities
including but not limited to child tax credits, affordable
housing, Medicare, workforce development programs,
scientific research, clean energy investments, school
funding, cancer research, and support for Ukraine.
The President plans to pay for this increase in federal
spending while also reducing the deficit through a
series of tax increases on wealthier Americans and large
businesses.
While the President’s Budget has always been an
aspirational document, not legally binding and
primarily used for messaging, some pundits believe this
year’s budget is literally a framework for the President’s
2024 reelection campaign. With almost no chance of
surviving a divided Congress, it could instead be viewed
as a collection of campaign promises to voters. The true
message of the Budget may be that its many promises
4 S E A P O W E R MAY 2023
U.S. AIR FORCE | Staff Sgt. Bryan Myhr
has something
cannot be fulfilled unless voters make it possible in
the next Presidential election. This would reflect the
President’s oft repeated slogan during his last State of
the Union Address, “Let’s finish the job.”
To his credit, President Biden seems to have placed
Republicans in a difficult position for at least two
reasons. First, while Republicans can certainly argue
that the spending increases and tax increases included
in the Budget amount to fiscal irresponsibility, they
are now in the unenviable position of deciding what to
take away. That “bad cop” role is now where the GOP
finds itself, and it’s not a popular position. Second, if
negotiations deadlock the blame can easily be placed
on Congress rather than the President and, more
specifically, the blame can be placed on the House
where Republicans currently hold the majority.
Continuing Resolution Likely
The likeliest outcome of this budget showdown is
a continuing resolution (CR). Yes, there is ample
opportunity for even more dire outcomes such as a
government shutdown or the dreaded debt ceiling
WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG

cliff (though leaders of both parties agree that they
do not want the U.S. to default). However, with both
parties gearing up for the 2024 election cycle it is quite
possible that they will find just enough common ground
to at least pass a CR. This will keep the government
functioning but will severely impact our military forces.
The problem is that CRs represent a cut in actual
dollars, and they prevent new programs from
commencing. A CR in October of 2023 will reflect last
year’s budget without taking into account this year’s
inflationary pressures. Thus, maintaining the previous
year’s funding levels actually represents a decline in
real spending power. Additionally, the defense industrial
base suffers all manner of delays, backlogs, and cost
overruns as a result of new programs not being funded
on time. As long as the government is operating under
a CR, those new programs are on hold. No agency faces
more challenges from CRs than the Department of
Defense due to the sheer extent of their budget and the
large number of procurement and production programs
under their purview.
Defense Department Funding Falls Short
In terms of the DoD slice of the overall pie, the
President’s Budget increases the topline by $26 billion
over their previous request resulting in a total of $842
billion. Unfortunately, this is only a 3.2% increase and
therefore it does not match inflation. Congressman Rob
Wittman (R-Va.), Chair of the House Subcommittee on
Tactical Air and Land Forces, responded forcefully with
a press release stating that, “this Administration has
once again displayed indifference and weakness toward
our national security in the budget released today.”
Other military advocates have already taken to the
airwaves, and op-eds to echo many of his arguments.
Many pundits and foreign policy analysts have already
latched onto the talking point of a U.S. military budget
growing at 3.2% while China’s military budget is
growing at a rate of 7%. Whether or not the U.S. should
attempt to keep pace with China’s defense spending,
the fact that 3.2% is well below the 6% inflation rate
provides real concern and represents a real decrease in
military spending power. As Rep. Wittman points out,
“Our defense budget must have sustained real growth
that out-paces our nation’s record inflation – failing to
do so equates to a cut in real dollars.”
WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG
WASHINGTON REPORT
NO AGENCY FACES MORE CHALLENGES
FROM CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS THAN
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
Budget Priorities
The Budget released on March 9th lacks the
justifications and detailed line items which are set to
be released after this article goes to print (look for a
detailed analysis in the next issue) but several priorities
are provided. The Budget includes a 5.2% pay raise for
servicemembers, seeming to reveal the Administration’s
acknowledgement that combating inflationary pressures
requires a higher rate of increased spending than the
3.2% topline increase in defense spending. Again, while
a 5.2% pay raise may sound substantial it is still below
the current rate of inflation.
An additional $9.1 billion is requested for the Pacific
Deterrence Initiative, showing a clear prioritization
of blunting China’s expanding influence in the Indo-
Pacific. Likewise, the $37.7 billion for modernization of
the U.S. nuclear arsenal reflects a recognition that Great
Power Competition with Russia and China will require
a highly advanced and capable nuclear deterrent. And
the Administration’s desire to purchase a commercially
available icebreaker for use in the Arctic also provides
some insight into the ongoing effort to increase U.S.
presence in the ever-expanding Arctic sea lanes.
A brief paragraph is dedicated to optimizing U.S.
shipbuilding capabilities and capacity, but details will
not be released until the full DoD budget request is
available to the public. Shipyard capacity and specifically
the expansion of the submarine industrial base have
become hot topics on Capitol Hill, and we hope to
see real growth in these line items. With the AUKUS
agreement set to take center stage in foreign affairs, our
submarine industrial base will be expected to not only
provide America with the underwater fleet we require
but also to assist Australia with the procurement of
several attack submarines. 
Luke Lorenz is the senior director of legislative affairs at the Navy League of the United States.
A former U.S. Army officer, Luke also holds master’s degrees in political management and
international political economy from the George Washington University and Johns Hopkins School
of Advanced International Studies, respectively.
SEAPOWER MAY 2023 5
PROGRAM SNAPSHOT

Sikorsky Delivers 5,000th “Hawk” Helicopter

BACKGROUND
The Sikorsky family of Hawk helicopters — built
by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company — is
the most numerous type of helicopter in the U.S.
military services and also serves in many foreign
militaries. The H-60 medium-lift helicopter and
its equivalent S-70 design — powered by a main
rotor and tail rotor — has served in a wide variety
of combat and utility roles for 45 years and is still

U.S. NAVY | Seaman Eric Stanton

in production.

SCOPE
Sikorsky has built more than 5,000 Hawk
helicopters and is on contract for hundreds more.
Variants serve in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy,
Marine Corps, and Coast Guard and law-enforce-
ment agencies such as U.S. Customs and Border
Patrol. Others serve in the militaries of 34 foreign
nations and a variety of civilian agencies.
TIMELINE
The prototype YUH-60A made its first flight on
Oct. 17, 1974. The UH-60A Black Hawk entered
service with the U.S. Army in June 1979, begin-
ning more than four decades of production. The
first SH-60B Seahawk anti-submarine version
was delivered to the U.S. Navy in 1983.
An MH-60R Sea Hawk, attached to the "Saberhawks" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77, takes
off from the flight deck of the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76),
in the Philippine Sea.
Earlier this year, Sikorsky marked a milestone with the delivery of the
5,000th “Hawk” variant helicopter, a UH-60M Black Hawk for the U.S.
Army. “Sikorsky is committed to all H-60 and S-70 operators and look
forward to enduring partnerships on the Hawk program in the years to
come,” said Previte. “It remains our priority to fulfill our customers’
requirements and meet the needs of current and future operational units.
With unmatched versatility and global interoperability, Hawk aircraft
continue to advance 21st century security,” she added.
Sikorsky’s highly skilled and experienced workforce manufactures the

The Navy’s SH-60F anti-submarine version
followed in 1987, and the HH-60H combat rescue
version in 1988. The Coast Guard first received the
HH-60J Jayhawk rescue variant in 1989. The first
of eight Marine Corps VH-60N executive transport
versions was delivered in 1989. The Navy ordered
a new generation of Seahawks, with the MH-60S
flying in 2000 and the MH-60R in 2001.
WHO’S WHO
Nathalie Previte is vice president of Army and Air
Force Systems at Sikorsky.
latest generation of Hawk aircraft built in Stratford, Connecticut, and the
international S-70 variant is built at Lockheed Martin’s PZL Mielic facility
in Poland. Customers worldwide depend on the Black Hawk platform and its
derivatives. As this writing, U.S. Navy Seahawks and U.S. Army Black Hawks
are providing disaster relief to earthquake-stricken communities in Türkiye.
The U.S. Army is the largest Black Hawk operator, for which the helicopter
continues to provide support during military and civil operations around
the world, in addition to its significant contribution towards Joint All
Domain Operations. As U.S. Army Future Vertical Lift aircraft are fielded,
the Black Hawk will remain the foundational tactical air assault and utility
aircraft. “2023 is a momentous year for Sikorsky as we celebrate our 100th
anniversary. Sikorsky, as a company, has been forged by the Black Hawk,”
said Sikorsky President Paul Lemmo. The Hawk family of helicopters has
built a legacy of accomplishment and will continue to support the U.S.
military and international operators for decades into the future. 

6 S E A P O W E R MAY 2023 WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG


Vietnam War, Attacks on Hawaiian Airfields,
Naval Battle of Crete
BY RICHARD R. BURGESS, SENIOR EDITOR
TRIUMPH REGAINED: The Vietnam War,
1965-1968
By Mark Moyar. New York: Encounter
Books, 2022. 692 pages. $49.99
ISBN: 978-1-64177-297-6
This is the second volume of military
historian Mark Moyar’s trilogy on the
Vietnam War, covering the years of the
most intense combat for U.S. ground
forces. The ground covered is familiar to most students
of the history and to Americans who lived in the era, but
the author’s use of new sources — including those of the
North Vietnamese — to offer a perspective that is decidedly
refreshing as he challenges many of the canards accepted as
a dominant narrative about the war. He asserts the war as
not a folly but a strategic necessity that came close to victory
and even increased the determination of other Asian nations
to resist communism. Moyar gives great credit to the U.S.
military performance and concludes that the U.S. involvement
was a noble cause and winnable, but a victory squandered by a
political lack of will.
A PITIFUL, UNHOLY MESS: The Histories of
Wheeler, Bellows, and Haleiwa Fields and
the Japanese Attacks of 7 December 1941
By J. Michael Wenger, Robert J. Cressman,
and John F. Di Virgilio. Annapolis,
Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2023.
336 pages. $44.95
ISBN 978-1-68247-602-4
The Japanese air assault on U.S. installations in Hawaii on
Dec. 7, 1941, not only struck the Navy bases at Pearl Harbor
and Kaneohe Bay but also hit the three Army Air Corps
airfields on Oahu. The attacks caused severe damage to the
parked aircraft and facilities, as devastating to air defense
of the islands as was the damage to the Pacific Fleet. Only
a few Army fighters were able to take off and enjoyed some
success against the attackers. The aerial combat is described
in detail. This meticulously researched book — the latest
in the Pearl Harbor Tactical Studies series — benefits from
previously unavailable U.S. and Japanese material, including
personal accounts, that the authors bring to a more complete
picture of the events and people. The selection of photos is as
impressive as the narrative itself.
WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG
SHIP’S LIBRARY
NAVAL BATTLE OF CRETE 1941: The Royal
Navy at Breaking Point
By Angus Konstam. Oxford, United
Kingdom: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2023.
96 pages. $25.00
ISBN 978-1-4728-5404-9
This well-illustrated book describes the
Royal Navy’s Mediterranean Fleet’s fight
for its life in its attempt to evacuate British
and Greek forces from Crete in April 1941. The fleet had enjoyed
success in attacking and sinking some Italian troop transports
and turning back the invasion convoy. But the German Luftwaffe
amassed a force of 500 bombers and fighters to support its
airborne invasion of Crete to overwhelm the Allied forces on
the island and prevent the evacuation. The Mediterranean was
subjected to a relentless onslaught of attacks by Stuka dive
bombers and other aircraft that sank three RN cruisers and
six destroyers, and damaged 17 other warships, killing more
than 1,800 sailors. Despite the onslaught, the determined fleet
managed to evacuate 16,500 of the 24,000 remaining personnel
on the island. The operation was costly for the Luftwaffe, too,
with 284 aircraft written off. The Mediterranean Fleet was
battered but still in control of the Eastern Mediterranean.
THE VIEW FROM THE FOXHOLE: A Marine
Private’s Firsthand World War II Combat
Experience from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima
By William Swanson. New York and
Nashville: Permuted Press, 2022. 164
pages. $26.00
ISBN 978-1-63758-467-5
For obvious reasons, publication of
new memoirs written by the “Greatest
Generation” is becoming less frequent. This one, by a man who
joined the Marine Corps at age 18 in 1942, is a slim volume,
frank and clear-eyed, about combat as an infantryman with
the 3rd Marine Division in the furnace of the Pacific Island
campaigns of World War II. Swanson’s account starts at boot
camp in San Diego and takes him to New Zealand, and then
a secured but still bombed Guadalcanal. He went into fierce
combat on Bougainville, Guam, and finally Iwo Jima, where he
was wounded. Sent back to San Francisco for recuperation, he
was there when the war ended, thankful for the cancelation
of the planned invasion of Japan. The author’s simple prose
brings the war up close and personal. 
SEAPOWER MAY 2023 7
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

The U.S. Navy in the Far East — The First Century

B Y D AV I D F. W I N K L E R

May 1, 2023, marked the 125th anniversary of

the U.S. Navy Asiatic Squadron’s entry into Manila Bay
under the command of Commodore George Dewey.
At the time, America had had a naval presence in the
Far East for more than half a century. The subsequent
transfer of the Philippines to American colonial rule
assured the United States homeports for its Asiatic Fleet
vessels leading up to the Japanese invasion in 1941.

NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND

East India Squadron
Over a half century before Commodore Dewey ordered,
“You may fire when ready, Gridley,” in 1835, President
Andrew Jackson established the East India Squadron to
offer protection to American merchantmen and whalers
at sea and traders and missionaries ashore, as well
as serve as conduits of diplomacy. Other powers had
established a leg-up on the Americans. The Spanish
presence in the Philippines dated from the 16th century.
The “Netherland East Indies” — modern-day Indonesia
— represented a growing Dutch footprint that had
begun in the 17th century. The British established
Singapore as a colonial port in the early 19th century
and then obtained Hong Kong as a Crown Colony
following the First Opium War and the signing of the
Treaty of Nanking in 1842.
Given that competitive background, the United States
and China signed the Treaty of Wanghia on July 3, 1844,
granting American vessels access to the ports of Ningpo,
Amoy, Fuchow, Shanghai, and Canton. The next target
for American naval diplomacy would be Japan. After
enduring a few rebuffs, in 1853 an impressive flotilla
of East India Squadron ships under the command of
Commodore Matthew C. Perry delivered a letter from
American President Millard Fillmore to the emperor
requesting friendship and cooperation with Japan. A
year later Perry and his “Black Ships” returned and, on
March 31, 1854, signed the Convention of Kanagawa that
opened Japan to American commerce.
Two years after Perry’s triumph in Japan, the Second
Opium War saw France join with Britain to wring more
concessions from China. The East Indies Squadron
protected U.S. interests by dispatching Sailors and
Marines to protect the American compound in Canton.
The gunboat USS Panay, sinking in the Yangtze River between Nanking and Wuhu,
China, on 12 December 1937, after being attacked by Japanese planes.
Unfortunately, though the United States maintained
neutrality, on successive days in November 1856,
Chinese fortifications fired on American small craft. The
Americans responded by systematically capturing and
dismantling four Chinese forts.
Post Civil War Interests
In the wake of the American Civil War and rising
European imperial interests in the region, in 1868
the American force was redesignated as the Asiatic
Squadron. European competition in the region
continued to grow as the French established colonial
rule in Southeast Asia covering much of present-day
Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
The most notable incident prior to the war with Spain
occurred in May 1871, when Asiatic Squadron ships
departed for Korea to investigate the disappearance of
the merchant ship General Sherman and the crew, and
negotiate a trade agreement. Unfortunately, the mission
suffered a setback when Korean forts fired on American
small boats conducting navigation surveying. Thus, over
the first 12 days of June 1871, Sailors and Marines fought
what would become known as the Battle of Ganghwa to
overcome the Korean defenses.
Japan demonstrated its growing military prowess

8 S E A P O W E R MAY 2023 WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG


NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND
USS Pittsburgh anchored off Shanghai, China, circa 1930-1931.
during the first Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895,
successfully replacing Chinese influence over Korea and
control over Formosa. The weakened Qing dynasty made
China ripe for further colonial subjugation as Russia
expanded into Manchuria and established a warm water
port at Port Arthur — an expansion contested a decade
later by Japan in the Russo-Japanese War. Following the
Boxer Rebellion, the Asiatic Squadron was ungraded and
renamed the Asiatic Fleet.
Though Cavite, the former Spanish Naval Base along
Manila Bay, served as the main administrative hub
for American naval operations in the region, the Navy
set up facilities for submarines in China at Tsingtao
(Qingdao) and for destroyers further up the coast at
Chefoo (Yantai) where during the summer, the climate
was less oppressive than in the Philippines.
Hoover Strives to Maintain Peace
Japan threatened to further destabilize the region.
To show American resolve to maintain the peace, the
Hoover administration replaced Pittsburgh with the
recently commissioned cruiser Houston. With Japanese
forces expanding their presence into Manchuria in late
1931 and clashing with Chinese forces at Shanghai,
Houston’s Marines and Sailors contributed to a small
American force that served to protect the international
WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
settlement. On November 14, 1933, sister ship Augusta,
under the command of Capt. Chester W. Nimitz, relieved
Houston of flagship duties. Tenuous restraint of Chinese
and Japanese forces broke down with the Marco Polo
Bridge incident on July 8, 1937. By August the fighting
had expanded to Shanghai. Both sides employed air
power to rain ordnance, slaughtering hundreds of
innocent civilians. Anchoring in the Whangpoo River
to observe the hostilities and assist Americans ashore,
Augusta nearly fell victim to errant bombs dropped from
a Chinese bomber. Not to be intimidated, the flagship of
Admiral Harry E. Yarnell steamed further upstream to
anchor off the Bund, Shanghai’s international business
section. Americans remained impartial in the ongoing
conflict, though sentiment began to turn against Japan
following the sinking of gunboat Panay in the Yangtze
River on December 12, 1937. Though Augusta departed
Shanghai in early 1938, Yarnell remained in Shanghai
to represent U.S. interests. Augusta returned in the
early spring and was in Shanghai on July 25, 1939, as
her crew witnessed the change of command that placed
Admiral Thomas C. Hart in command.
With Hart embarked, the Asiatic Fleet flagship steamed
north to Tsingtao, a port now controlled by the Japanese.
There, he received news of the German invasion of
Poland. Though Germany again threatened to engulf the
European continent, from Hart’s perspective, the real
threat lay with Japan.
To send a message to Japan that her continued
aggressive actions in China would have consequences,
some in the Roosevelt administration argued for an
oil embargo. Having no internal sources of petroleum,
Japan depended on American crude to fuel warships,
aircraft, and mechanized weaponry. The Chief of Naval
Operations, Admiral Harold R. “Betty” Stark, believed
such an embargo strategy would surely commit the
Japanese to go to war. Hart proved prescient. Though he
successfully extracted much of his surface forces from
the Philippines in the days following the Japanese attack
on Pearl Harbor, many of those vessels would be lost
during the following weeks to enemy action. 
David F. Winkler provides content for the weekly Tuesday Tidings naval history e-letter sent out by
the National Maritime Historical Society. Visit www.seahistory.org to get on the distribution list.
SEAPOWER MAY 2023 9
IN THE NEWS

Together We Stand
LEADERS FROM THE NAVY LEAGUE MEET WITH COUNTERPARTS IN SOUTH KOREA
B Y A N D R E W PA R K

In the era of great power competition

against authoritarian powers, our allies and like-
minded partners are crucial to U.S. interests. The
Republic of Korea (ROK), also known as South Korea,
is one of the most critical treaty allies in the Indo-
Pacific region, as it shares a long history of cooperation
with the U.S. based on democratic values. The reason
for deploying 28,500 American servicemembers to the
Korean Peninsula is clear; the country faces nuclear and
missile threats from North Korea every day, while China

attempts to coerce it into diplomatic and economic
submission. Despite these challenges, the U.S. remains
committed to defending the ROK, and the U.S./Republic
of Korea alliance continues to work toward shared goals.
An Important Partnership and Shared Legacy
This commitment was evident when I traveled with a
delegation of the Navy League to the Peninsula. At the
invitation of our ROK counterpart, the Sea Power League
of the Republic of Korea, we toured the country to meet
with American and South Korean government officials.
Our first meeting was with U.S. Ambassador Philip
Goldberg at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. We were then
briefed by the embassy’s country team, composed of sea
servicemembers and foreign service officers.
Next, we traveled to the Sea Power League headquarters
to meet with their president, Admiral Choi Yoon-hee,
a retired four-star ROK Navy admiral who served as a
former Chief of Defense. We discussed regional security
challenges, the U.S./ROK alliance, and the future
capabilities of the ROK Navy. That evening, ROK Chief
of Naval Operations Admiral Lee Jong-ho met with us
before our dinner with other senior and retired leaders
of the ROK Navy and ROK Marine Corps.
The following day, we headed to Busan on a bullet
train to visit a combined naval base. Upon arrival,
Vice Admiral Kim Myung-soo, the Commander of
the ROK Fleet, and Rear Admiral Mark Schafer, the
Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Korea (CNFK),
greeted us. They hosted a lunch after an introductory
session and a spirited Q&A engagement with American
ANDREW PARK
sailors stationed at the base. We then had a wonderful
opportunity to board ROKS Marado, a brand-new
Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship (LPH) scheduled
to be deployed to Turkey for earthquake humanitarian
operations. The next day, we traveled to Ulsan to visit
the Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard.
On the last day of our official business, we traveled to
Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. As the U.S. Forces
Korea (USFK) relocated Camp Humphreys from Seoul,
we had a chance to meet with the Director of Operations
(J3), Major General Lonnie Hibbard, in addition to
marines and sailors. Then we visited the ROKS Cheonan
Memorial to pay our respects to the ROK sailors and
marines who were killed in actions defending their
country against North Korean attacks.
The brief trip provided us with a lot to digest. We
witnessed the enduring legacy of Americans who fought
against communism in the Peninsula more than 70
years ago. Forged in the crucible of combat and shared
sacrifice, the U.S./ROK alliance has protected democratic
values and facilitated the ROK’s rise to become the
4th largest economy in Asia and the 13th largest in
the world. Among the many servicemembers proudly
serving there, the two nations’ sea servicemembers are
contributing not only to the defense of the Peninsula
but also to the broader region. 
Andrew Park is a senior analyst at the Center for Maritime Strategy.

1 0 SEAPOWER MAY 2023 WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG


Tackling Illegal Fishing with AI
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS ALL ABOUT THE DATA
B Y E D WA R D L U N D Q U I S T
Creating and maintaining maritime
domain awareness over vast areas requires a lot of
data, and making sense of that data requires artificial
intelligence.
Tackling illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing
(IUUF) exemplifies this major global maritime challenge
and requires the ability to monitor vast areas of ocean to
find suspicious activity among the legitimate behavior,
and the ability to direct a response.
“You can only tackle something that you understand,”
said Maten Peled, co-founder and head of U.S.
business for maritime AI company, Windward. “If you
understand the normal patterns of life, then it’s easier
to determine when something is abnormal.”
It’s expected that fishing activity can change based
on the seasons, or shifts in the currents, water
temperatures or salinity, and, of course, where the
fish are. But among the hundreds of vessels engaged
in commercial fishing, some are fishing in prohibited
areas, do not have proper permits, or could be
overfishing or taking prohibited species.
There are a variety of technical means to know what’s
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IN THE NEWS
U.S. NAVY | Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Anita Chebahtah
on the water. First and foremost is the AIS transponder
required on most commercial vessels. According to the
International Maritime Organization (IMO), “Automatic
identification systems (AIS) transponders are designed
to be capable of providing position, identification and
other information about the ship to other ships and to
coastal authorities automatically.” The IMO regulation
requires, “AIS to be fitted aboard all ships of 300 gross
tonnage and upwards engaged on international voyages,
cargo ships of 500 gross tonnage and upwards not
engaged on international voyages and all passenger
ships irrespective of size.” There are also satellites,
shore and sea-based radars and cameras, and other
means of detecting, identifying, and tracking targets.
A vessel that is transmitting AIS is generally presumed
to be legitimate. Fishing vessels that don’t want to be
seen will turn off the AIS transmitter and “go dark.” So,
“dark” vessels are presumed to be suspicious.
But Peled said dark activities have been declining,
and have been replaced with flag hopping, identity
tampering, and GPS manipulation. “Dark vessels are not
the problem anymore. It’s the vessels that hide in plain
sight — portraying business-as-usual by transmitting
SEAPOWER MAY 2023 11
 IN THE NEWS
WINDWARD.AI
Medium and high risk fishing vessels around the Maldives.
in such a way as to indicate they are something they are
not, while reaping the benefits of illegal activities.”
“We have between 2,000 and 2,500 specific vessels
that are engaged in some aspect of commercial fishing
in the Pacific Ocean, and 25% of them are doing so
without any permits. In addition, 23% of these vessels
remain at sea for more than a year, with port visits
or crew reliefs. We’re not talking just fishing. There
are supply boats and transports, factory ships, and
reefers,” he said.
“We have to use advanced techniques to separate
the wheat from the chaff,” Peled said. “That means
collecting sensor and environmental data into one
unified place, building a common operating picture
(COP) that fuses all that data together, and adding the
layers of analytics and insight that will give us near-
real-time alerts. Then you pull the information to make
decisions based on that.”
According to Peled, Windward’s AI solution takes that
collected data and trains models of known types of
behaviors to find and flesh out vessels of interest. “The
type of AI that we’re working with is prediction. It’s
the ability to find the nuggets of gold within the data,
and to find those pieces of information that the human
capacity would not allow you to find, because of the
vastness of the data.”
There are lists of known offenders and sanctioned
vessels. “To look for IUU fishing, we can incorporate
a blacklist of violators, which is published by
1 2 SEAPOWER MAY 2023
governments and international
organizations. But we want to look
beyond those lists.”
Peled said there’s a lot of ambiguity.
“It’s not black and white. Suspicious
targets are not necessarily bad actors.
And we’re not just concerned about
major threats from known adversaries.
We don’t always know who the threats
are or where they are coming from.”
Hot Zones
Windward’s AI identifies and
recommends hot zones and targets of
interest to focus on. Peled said it can
work with all types of sensor inputs. It
collects, transmits and stores the data
in a common format, and enables access to the data for
fusion and display.
Peled said it isn’t necessary to investigate every ship.
“We can look at a boat that appears to be engaged in
fishing. But we can determine that he’s not following
the pattern of fishing. We can analyze the speed and
radius of turns, for example, and its movements over
time, which can show that he’s not behaving like a
commercial fishing boat, and we can connect the dots.
We can backtrack to see what else that vessel has been
doing, and where it came from; or who owns it, and
what else that owner has been doing; which gives us
even more insight. This now helps analysts to look at
other similar vessels, perhaps from the same owner, or
having made calls in the same ports, and we can look
closely at them. This is how the AI helps.”
Peled said suspicions can be refined or confirmed with
satellite imagery that might show that the “innocent
fishing” transmitting on AIS is actually a military ship
masquerading as a fisherman.
If an AI system like Windward were to detect a target
that seemed suspicious, Peled said it could trigger an
event in real time and apply other sensors to collect
additional information.
The data can support the different needs of customers.
“Security officials may want to know what the vessel
is and why is it there; commercial officials may
want to know about the cargo and who’s buying it;
revenue officials may want to be sure taxes or tariffs
WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG

are being paid; large financial institutions want to
stay clear of transactions that may violate sanctions;
and environmental enforcement people may want to
track a known polluter. At the end of the day, if there
is something nefarious going on, the ship itself may
be just a conveyance for the criminal activity, and
that activity maybe a small part of a larger criminal
enterprise,” Peled said. “And this is exactly why AI is so
important because it helps us to flesh out the relevant
pieces of information of this endless amount of data.”
A Common Operating Picture
Ian Newell of BigBear.ai said his company provided the
BigBear.ai Ursa Minor analytic suite to the recent Digital
Horizon 2022 exercise, which created a network of 15
different unmanned surface vessels and helped sort
through the enormous amount of sensor data to present
a common operating picture on a “single pane of glass”
in the Task Force 59 Robotic Operations Center (ROC) in
Bahrain. The different platforms were connected to the
ROC by a mesh communications network provided by
Silvus Technologies.
“Helping the Navy pull together multiple unmanned
surface vessels showed that AI/ML software [is]
critical,” Newell said. “There is a lot of focus on
hardware, but software needs to fuse together the
components and behaviors for successful outcomes.
The solution we’re building at BigBear.ai acts as the
connective tissue empowering autonomous operations.”
He said detecting smugglers, dark vessels, or illegal
fishing, are essentially part of the same maritime
domain awareness problem. “How do you detect
behavior that doesn’t want to be identified. The answers
are sitting inside of data. AI is saving the operator all of
that time to collect the data, parsing through the data,
trying to understand the data, and then presenting it
to the commander to make a decision. And that’s the
beauty of AI, because the computer can think through
the data faster than we can and provide us with a
recommendation with a level of confidence.”
BigBear.ai partnered with Accenture Federal Services
(AFS) during Digital Horizon. Stephen Carlon, an AFS
managing director and C4ISR account lead in the
national security portfolio, said the ability to integrate
a lot of pieces of data is a first-degree challenge. But,
he said, irrespective of the platform and sensors, data
is just data from an acquisition perspective. “It could
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IN THE NEWS
be a weapons status from an aircraft; targeting data
from a ship or ground station; a radar track; or platform
course, speed, and fuel status — it’s all data.”
Carlon said the first step is to conduct data fusion and
integrate the data from multiple sensors and different
entities. “Then we need to ask if there will be a common
operating picture (COP), who will contribute to it,
who will get to share it, and whether or not it will
be classified or open. Then we have to address how
that operating picture can be integrated into C4ISR
(Command, Control, Communications, Computers,
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), or
space or airborne assets, and whether we can cue
satellites or other sensors to further investigate
suspicious contacts. If we understand where to acquire
it from, and can set up an adapter to receive it, which
then it’s just a matter of understanding the technical
details, and we can acquire that data and provide it to
systems that can then do the analysis.”
For Digital Horizon, AFS provided its Picard software,
which took the information from all the unmanned
platforms and converted the data into a common
format to be processed by Big Bear AI, so it could then
be presented by the company’s GeoSpera visualization
platform.
“GeoSpera can provide multiple visualizations with the
same or different data and look at it in different ways. It
can feed different operators, analytical groups, decision
makers and leaders,” Carlon said.
“The number of platforms and sensors — both manned
and unmanned — collecting data in the maritime domain
increases every day. These systems operate under the
sea, on the ocean’s surface, in the atmosphere, and in
space, and they collect tirelessly twenty-four/seven,”
said Larry Osborn, a retired Navy captain and chair of the
International Maritime Security Exchange held each year
in Honolulu. “Processing all this data and correlating
it with other sources to develop a coherent picture of
what is happening on the surface requires AI. AI doesn’t
replace human operators. AI does save the operators all
of that time to collect, parse through and understand
the data — both past and present — and presents
commanders with the right information to reduce risk
and make decisions with confidence.” 
Edward Lundquist is a retired U.S. Navy captain who writes about defense, maritime, naval, securi-
ty, transportation, and energy issues. He is a frequent contributor to Seapower.
SEAPOWER MAY 2023 13
 NOAA Capt. Phil Hall explains how the new Altius drone will be deployed
this summer from Hurricane Hunter aircraft to John Cortinas, Director
of NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab.
Combating Climate Change
THE U.S. NAVY, NOAA, AND PRIVATE PARTNERS ARE USING
NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO FORECAST HURRICANES
BY VICKY UHLAND
As climate change increasingly affects
weather patterns over the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf
of Mexico, tracking hurricanes and monitoring their
intensity has become more critical than ever.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) reports that between 1980 and 2021, hurricanes
caused 6,697 deaths and over $1.1 trillion in damages.
Hurricanes’ massive waves and roaring winds can
also have catastrophic effects on ships at sea, making
accurate forecasting a must for naval operations.
While new technology has steadily improved hurricane-
tracking forecasts since the 1990s, predicting how
rapidly a tropical storm or hurricane may intensify has
been more problematic. To understand storm intensity,
scientists measure heat and momentum, collecting
data on the exchange of energy between the ocean and
atmosphere. But in order to do this in the most accurate
way, scientists need data from inside the storm itself.
That’s where uncrewed systems come in. “With
uncrewed systems, we can either do what we’re already
doing, but do it more productively and efficiently, or
we can go get data we just couldn’t get before,” said
NOAA Corps Captain William Mowitt, director of NOAA’s
Uncrewed Systems Operations Center.
1 4 SEAPOWER MAY 2023
NOAA/ Monica Allen
Hurricane Tracking with Uncrewed Systems
In 2005, Joseph Cione, PhD, a meteorologist and lead
scientist for NOAA’s uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS)
hurricane research mission, worked with NASA and the
Aerosonde Corporation to conduct the first successful
UAS flight into the core of tropical cyclone Ophelia.
“The concept of operations was ‘land launched’ based
on a forecast that was five to six days out. We sent
teams to a location, launched the UAS from the land and
hoped everything worked out and that we could get into
range,” Cione said.
In 2014, Cione and his team conducted the first aircraft-
deployed UAS mission into a hurricane. Two 5-feet
wide, 13-pound Coyote UAS were launched from a
NOAA-operated P-3 Hurricane Hunter aircraft into the
atmospheric boundary layer of Hurricane Edouard.
Since then, NOAA has expanded the use of small UAS,
along with a variety of other uncrewed systems to
collect ocean and atmospheric data during hurricanes.
Gliders, floats, and uncrewed surface vehicles
monitor the ocean surface and below, and drones and
dropsondes gather data in the air. The goal is to collect
coordinated air-sea and atmospheric measurements
during a hurricane in real time, which can potentially
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help forecasters better monitor the transfer of energy
between the subsurface ocean and lower atmosphere
that fuels a hurricane’s intensity.
NOAA works with the U.S. Navy and other partners to
operate underwater gliders equipped with sensors that
measure temperature and salinity as deep as half a mile
below the ocean surface in areas particularly prone to
hurricanes. And a special type of drone operated by a
private company, Saildrone, is also working with the
underwater gliders to obtain real-time measurements
of the upper-ocean and air-sea interface.
Sailing Into a Storm
These storm-ready Saildrones are made by a California-
based company of the same name, and the bright
orange, 23-foot-long drones have 7-foot-tall wings
that look like a hard sail. This “hurricane wing” helps
the drones withstand the extreme wind conditions of
a storm and allows a Saildrone to gather data from the
near-surface ocean and atmosphere in real time.
NOAA partnered with Saildrone during the 2021 and
2022 hurricane seasons, with plans to continue the
relationship for the 2023 season, said Saildrone Director
of Ocean Data Programs Matt Womble.
“Before Saildrone started doing this work with NOAA,
there was no platform for collecting observations within
hurricanes,” he said.
In 2021, a Saildrone Explorer sailed through the eyewall
of Category 4 Hurricane Sam in the Atlantic Ocean.
Womble said thanks to decades of engineering designed
to make the drone “incredibly tough,” the Explorer
was able to send the first-ever live video footage
from inside the eye of a hurricane to NOAA’s Pacific
Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) and Atlantic
Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML).
Saildrones also transmitted real-time air temperature
and relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed
and direction, water temperature and salinity, sea-
surface temperature, and wave height and duration data
to the PMEL and AOML.
Last year, seven Saildrones were launched from land
around the Gulf of Mexico and off the coasts of Florida
and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Womble said because
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IN THE NEWS
they use completely renewable power, including wind
for propulsion and solar rays for energy production,
a Saildrone can stay aloft and transmit data for the
duration of the hurricane season.
NOAA has plans to coordinate Saildrones with NOAA’s
Altius-600 aerial drones, which are deployed from P-3
Hurricane Hunter aircraft that fly at about 10,000 feet
during storms. Altius-600s monitor both the boundary
layer, which is the lowest part of the atmosphere of the
storm, and the upper part of the ocean boundary layer,
or the air-sea transition zone. “This is the region where
the storm transfers its air, heat and moisture, feeds
itself and stays alive,” Cione said.
Navy/NOAA Partnership
NOAA’s uncrewed hurricane-tracking tools are just one
aspect of its overall uncrewed mission to monitor and
measure climate change.
Robot boats for ocean mapping and sonar surveys for
fishery management help NOAA scientists understand
the ocean’s role in the global carbon budget. Drones
return instruments used to measure greenhouse gases
at very high altitudes to the launch zone to provide data
on the earth’s climate. And uncrewed aerial systems
assess damages and allow quick responses after natural
or manmade disasters like tornadoes and oil spills.
Under the CENOTE Act of 2018, NOAA is also able
to collaborate with the U.S. Navy on uncrewed and
artificial-intelligence initiatives. Mowitt said this
includes pairing uncrewed systems with surface
ships to improve ocean-mapping efficiency and boost
understanding of oceanography and regional conditions.
The Navy also provides ocean-buoyance gliders and
pilots and gliders for NOAA hurricane monitoring.
Mowitt said the Navy relies on NOAA hurricane and
other weather data for ships operating in domestic
waters, and NOAA forecasts are transmitted in real time
to Navy forecast centers around the world to provide
guidance to the fleet.
“It would cost the Navy a lot of money to replicate that
capability,” he said. 
Vicky Uhland is a Colorado-based writer and editor who also covers the Navy League’s annual
Sea-Air-Space conference.
SEAPOWER MAY 2023 15
 SEA SERVICES IN ACTION
DAN GOODRICH
 SEA SERVICES IN ACTION

Secretary of the Navy the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, and Rear Admiral
Ian Middleton of Team Defence Australia share a moment of levity on the
exhibit floor at Sea-Air-Space 2023.
SECTION HEADER
Rob Wittman (R-Va.)
FORMER SEAPOWER SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIRMAN,
CHAIRMAN OF THE TACTICAL AIR AND
LAND FORCES SUBCOMMITTEE
Representative Wittman is the deputy chairman of the House
Armed Services Committee, chairman of the Tactical Air and
Land Forces subcommittee, and a member of the Seapower
and Projection Forces subcommittee.
Wittman discussed the nation’s tactical air forces with Senior
Editor Richard R. Burgess.
With only two defense companies — Lockheed Martin and
Boeing — building fighter aircraft, what concerns do you
have, if any, about the tactical air industrial base?
WITTMAN: I don’t have any immediate concerns
regarding only two prime contractors building tactical
aircraft today because I do think that there is broader
capability within the aeronautics industry. The concern
I have is the capacity for this supplier industrial base
that provides the engines and avionics. When you have
that sort of fragility or a small number of people that
provide those systems for the aircraft, that becomes one
of those risk points.
The key is the production capability and then also the
intellectual capability — the aeronautical engineers and
others who design these aircraft and get us to the next
generation, so that intellectual capacity is another place
that is limited today. Many years ago, we had multiple
1 8 SEAPOWER MAY 2023
SECTION HEADER
ROB WITTMAN
companies building multiple aircraft and the militaries
would choose between those aircraft. And essentially,
too, they’d be […] about performance. If you look at,
say, an aircraft like the A-4 [Skyhawk] and see that
it’s a small aircraft, not necessarily fast but incredibly
maneuverable. The F-35 is kind of the antithesis of that.
You take one platform and try to make it function across
all the different service branches.
Is the U.S. tactical jet force structure adequate for
meeting current requirements and deterring our potential
adversaries such as China? Is ‘divest-to-invest’ putting us
at risk?
WITTMAN: The divest-to-invest strategy where we’re
going to divest to 600+ aircraft and building around
240 is not a place for us to be. If you look at where
we are today in capability, lethality, and capacity —
capacity is the number, capability is what these aircraft
can do in a very contested environment — is not where
we need to be. I think both the Navy and the Air Force
realize that. The 5th-generation F-35 is a good aircraft
and what we need to learn from the acquisition of that
aircraft is this: March was the milestone of 20 years
for the F-35, and we’re still not quite at full production
capacity. For the next-generation aircraft, we cannot
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take 20 years to go from clean design to full-scale
production.
We have to get technology out there much faster.
The future battlespace will have a variety of different
platforms, but we also have to do things at the speed
of relevance. We’re going through retiring the A-10s,
looking at retiring the F-15Cs and Ds. What happens is
that the divesture curve as we’re scaling down aircraft
does not intersect with the scaling up curve on new
aircraft. The gap between those is a capacity gap that,
as it’s presented, is five years plus. The Chinese are
not going to wait around for us to get rid of a bunch of
aircraft and then wait years to build a new aircraft.
I have no problem with retiring legacy aircraft as long
as the divestiture curve intersects with the investment
curve. In other words, as you’re taking down numbers
of legacy aircraft, there needs to be at the same time,
simultaneously, the new aircraft coming into the
inventory. We can do that. We’ve done that in the past.
The Air Force has decided to rotate F-22s into Kadena,
Okinawa as the F-15C/Ds leave. Some critics say that this is
a shell game that reduces the overall force structure. What
is your take on this?
WITTMAN: I think we’re reducing our forward
presence and I don’t think that’s a good thing. We
need that capability and capacity at a time where we
need to show the ability to be in that theater to be
able to deter. Right now, there is an all-time high
need for deterrence. The INDOPACOM [Indo-Pacific
Command] commander has voiced some very serious
concerns about the Air Force’s rotational presence and
the SECDEF [Secretary of Defense] appears not to be
moved by that particular argument.
Transitioning to this long-term rotational presence
versus a permanent presence also presents challenges
for units that deploy there. For pilots and their
families, it’s very tough to go on a rotation basis in and
out of Kadena.
Congress has added F/A-18 Super Hornet strike fighters to
the budget through 2023. Do you see a need for further
procurement?
WITTMAN: There has still been an issue with acquiring
the Super Hornets that have been authorized and
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Q&A | WITTMAN
CONGRESSMAN WITTMAN’S CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE
appropriated in the ‘21 and ‘22 budgets. We are still
looking at that. The Congress saw clearly that these 36
F/A-18 aircraft were needed to help resolve the Navy’s
strike fighter inventory shortfall by 2030 even as they
bring on new F-35s into the inventory. When the Navy
put their FY ‘22 budget submission in, they informed us
that the estimated strike fighter shortfall would resolve
itself in the year 2025 instead of 2030 which is what
they had told us the year before.
The question is how do you [close] that shortfall when
they’re not purchasing any more F/A-18s. They’ve
reduced their purchase of F-35Cs in future years. So,
the math doesn’t add up to how they’re going to sustain
a tenth carrier air wing by 2025 — which is what’s
currently required in law — with the 12 additional
F/A-18s in FY ‘22. So, sans what they project going
forward, they haven’t executed the things that we’ve
directed them to do in the past. And they haven’t
addressed, I think, sufficiently the tenth carrier air wing
requirement by 2025 and shown us how the planned
procurement is going to go forward especially since
things have stalled there. The strike fighter shortfall
analysis shows that this shortfall is not going to end
until at least 2031, at least in the numbers that I look at.
What are the prospects of the F-35 reaching full-rate
production in the near future?
WITTMAN: They’re not going to get to full-rate
production any time soon. Production is likely to be
below the full-scale production rate of around 156
aircraft per year, which they’re producing at right
SEAPOWER MAY 2023 19
Q&A | WITTMAN
FOR THE NEXT-GENERATION AIRCRAFT WE
CANNOT TAKE 20 YEARS TO GO FROM CLEAN
DESIGN TO FULL-SCALE PRODUCTION.
– Rob Wittman (R-Va.)
now — that’s likely to be the full scale production
rate regardless of what was stated earlier. To go above
this current rate would take some additional funding
for tooling, staffing, and supply chain resource; I
don’t know that that financial investment is one that
Congress is willing to make.
What is your take on the need for a second engine design
for the F-35?
WITTMAN: I think we’re going to have to do that. If
you look at the cost over the lifespan of the aircraft, you
have to address the issue of the expected F135 engine
service life going from a 2,000-hour service life interval
to a 1,500-hour mark because we’re asking more of
the engine. When the engine runs harder and hotter, it
doesn’t last as long.
The Joint Program Office is looking at the different
options. I think you have to at least be able to regain
the 2000-hour service life interval for the system.
The Defense Department is basically looking at two
options, and ultimately, they’re going to propose to
Congress what should be included in the ‘24 budget.
whether it’s the Pratt & Whitney Engine Core Upgrade
(ECU) — applicable for both the F-35B and C — or the
GE Adapted Engine Transition Program (AETP). The
AETP is great technology; you can ramp up the engine’s
energy production to handle avionics upgrades which
require more power. The problem is that that AETP
engine doesn’t fit within the existing Bravo and Charlie
airframe, so it would be applicable for the [Air Force]
Alpha airframe. Ultimately, the Air Force is going to
make the decision. Early on, they said, “No, we’re not
going to AETP, we’ll look at that in sixth generation
aircraft,” but [Air Force Secretary Frank] Kendall at
least said that they’re going to consider that. So, we’ll
see what decision the Air Force is making.
How do we look at the lifecycle cost of the aircraft? The
Joint Program Office is going to make their decision. I’m
2 0 SEAPOWER MAY 2023
sure that there will be a conversation with members of
Congress between Pratt & Whitney and GE. Our effort on
the Tactical Air Land Subcommittee is just, right now,
to do our due diligence. I want members to understand
both engines, all the different forms of the aircraft, and
what those engines do or what they don’t do. It’s not a
congressional decision at this point. If I had to guess,
I’d say there probably will be some pretty spirited
debate about that, but we’re going to wait and see. Our
job is to do our due diligence and to understand the
decision that the Air Force makes and to make sure that
we’re fair and thoughtful and objective about how this
decision unfolds.
The Air Force and Navy say they’re working hard to
avoid the mistakes of the F-35 development in the Next-
Generation Air Dominance program (NGAD). What are your
observations?
WITTMAN: I think that they have learned lessons on
F-35 and trying to be all things and all realms. You
never catch up in chasing technology. Both services
are being much more assertive with the industry
than they were with the F-35 program which sort of
drove itself for years. And they’re leveraging some
new technologies. Digital twin design engineering
technology [fosters] better collaboration and quicker
assessments in developing of the aircraft. That has
not happened in the past. Essentially, you can almost
develop the aircraft in real-time, so you don’t have to
go through multiple machinations of test aircraft and
taking the test data, bringing it back, and then making
modification of the aircraft. This approach saves both
money and time in the long run.
I do have very significant concerns about the ability to
afford NGAD platforms. Most all of it is classified so
that’s about all that I can say there.
What is your opinion of the Marine Corps’ Force Design
2030 concept?
WITTMAN: I’m supportive of Force Design 2030. I
think [Commandant General David H.] Berger has
listened to a lot of folks, has made some changes to it to
adapt it to where it ultimately needs to end up. It’s not
perfect and there are some gaps that I think are going
to require Congress to step in but that’s our job. The
Marines reduced the previous 38 [amphibious ship] lift
requirement. Last year, Congress said no, the floor is 31.
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I think that’s a good place to be.
The Marine Corps wants to reduce its quantity of tactical
fighter aircraft in 9 of their eventual 18 total F-35
squadrons by going from 16 aircraft per squadron down
to 10. That takes 54 combat-coded aircraft from their
plan. They say they’re just going to hold those 54 in
abeyance, kind of in reserve. I have a hard time seeing
that that’s a reasonable place to be. They can generate
eight full-mission-capable [FMC] aircraft from the 10 in
each of these squadrons. The FMC rate over the past five
years for F-35B is only 18 percent. So, I just don’t see
how they get to that number. Unless the Marine Corps
is able to increase its F-35B FMC rate, it is going to
have a really hard time generating the aircraft that the
COCOMs [regional combatant commanders] require.
We have to be very focused on creating additional
13985_CM_2268_MBR_MAMPrintAd_6.875x5.indd 1
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Q&A | WITTMAN
capability within the Marine Corps and their new force
generation models need to reflect that. A great example
of where we should have had capability that we didn’t
was the earthquake in Türkiye. Normally, we would
have a Marine Expeditionary Unit [MEU] there [in the
Mediterranean] and we didn’t. That points out the gap
that the Marine Corps needs to look at. The Marines are
always going to be there to get the job done; we just
need to make sure that we give them the tools to make
sure that they’re mission successful. As they’re making
these force structure adjustments, we want to make
sure that they are looking at their combat requirements
and validating those combat requirements, and that
they’re doing that based on mission, not based on some
artificial budget constraint that doesn’t keep in mind
what we need to do to defend this nation. 
MAY 1 - JUNE 1
Celebrating
the Commitment
That Connects Us
Learn more at
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Insured by NCUA. © 2023 Navy Federal NFCU 13985 (2-23)
2/22/23 9:58 AM
SEAPOWER MAY 2023 21

The New Underwater Frontier
WELCOME TO THE WILD, WILD WEST OF UUVS
BY JAMIE L. PFEIFFER, ESQ.
Space voyages may captivate the
public’s imagination, but Earth’s oceans remain a
vast, unexplored frontier. Plumbing their depths has
remained impossible, even as many centuries of sailors
have crisscrossed their surfaces for profit, conquest, and
exploration.
But the tide is turning. The advancement of underwater
uncrewed vehicle technology has the potential to usher
in a new era of undersea discovery. As this technology
develops, it is vital to establish the laws that govern
these uncharted lands.
Technological Advancements for Uncharted Territory
Uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs), sometimes
called “underwater drones,” can be divided into two
categories: machines that have a remote human
operator, called remotely operated vehicles (ROVs);
and, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), which
operate without ongoing human interaction. Although
ROVs have been widely used for some time, most newly
developed machines are at least partially autonomous or
have some autonomous capabilities.
2 2 SEAPOWER MAY 2023
U.S. NAVY | Petty Officer 3rd Class Hannah Kantner
At present, even fully-autonomous UUVs operate
according to programmed parameters — that is,
humans set them in motion with a mission, objective,
and directions, even if they do not exercise continuing
control. However, as artificial intelligence technology
improves, AUVs will likely “make their own decisions”
to best execute their intent rather than following set
programming. This makes it even more critical to
establish a framework that clearly and unequivocally
sets out the rights and responsibilities of nations and
private interests regarding UUVs.
Exploration and Operational Readiness
The depths of the oceans are some of the most
inhospitable environments on the planet for humans.
Using uncrewed vehicles bypasses these limitations,
allowing us to explore and develop previously
unreachable deep-sea environments. The potential for
underwater expansion could be unbelievably profitable
for commercial enterprises.
These uncharted territories are also invaluable for global
strategic positioning and national security. The U.S.
Secretary of the Navy’s March 2021 Uncrewed Campaign
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Framework declared:
“To compete and win in an era of great power
competition, the Department is committed to investing
in advanced autonomy, robust networks, and uncrewed
systems to create true integrated human-machine
teaming that is ubiquitous across the fleet…. Uncrewed
systems will increase lethality, capacity, survivability,
operational tempo, deterrence, and operational
readiness.”
As this technology increases in importance, it’s vital to
determine who will be responsible for UUVs and what
the rules are.
Maritime Regulation of Vessels
Existing maritime treaties and regulations developed
as oceanic exploration expanded beyond surface vessels
to manned undersea craft and overseas flight. These
agreements were implemented to enforce national
security concerns, protect commercial rights, and
promote safe global travel for passengers and goods.
The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS) sets out many of the current agreements
related to international oceanic commerce and travel.
It established general rules regarding international
jurisdiction, diplomatic protection for vessels, and
permissible/impermissible nautical conduct.
In general, UNCLOS outlined two types of rights to the
use and control of marine areas: sovereign territorial
waters, which extend 12 nautical miles (22 km) from
shore, and exclusive economic zones (EEZs), which
extend up to 200 nautical miles past the coastline.
A state has complete control over all vessels and
commercial activity within its sovereign waters.
However, it only has special rights to explore and use
undersea marine resources in its EEZ; vessels may travel
freely through surface waters.
Areas outside these designations are considered the high
It’s worth noting that the United States has never officially become a party to UNCLOS. It actively participated in the
UNCLOS negotiations and currently accepts “for the most part” that these conventions reflect customary international
maritime law. Its failure to officially join this international organization remains an ongoing controversy. (For a detailed
examination of the arguments for and against, see www.unclosdebate.org.)
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FEATURE
seas. Travelers from any country, state, or territory may
freely navigate, remove resources from, explore, and use
for other purposes as long as they act with “due regard”
for the interests of other States. No one is permitted to
claim sovereignty over areas of the high seas.
Other generally accepted agreements and conventions
also control vessel operation in international waters.
The International Convention for the Safety of Life
at Sea (SOLAS) regulates construction, maintenance,
operations, and navigation techniques for all vessels
and ships other than warships, naval auxiliaries, and
other government-adjacent craft. The International
Maritime Organization (IMO)’s Convention on the
International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at
Sea of 1972 (COLREGs) sets out requirements such as
appropriate lighting and “right of way” rules to help
ensure operational safety for all vessels.
Maritime Regulation of “Equipment”
A patchwork of other rules and agencies regulate
marine “equipment” — uncrewed machinery that, in
the past, was generally used for research or commerce.
The Convention on the Legal Status of Ocean Data
Acquisition Systems (ODAS) of 1972, drafted by the
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), is one of the most important.
It describes requirements, rights, and protections for
uncrewed marine installations or equipment used
exclusively for scientific research purposes (Ocean Data
Acquisition Systems, or ODAS); UNCLOS subsequently
endorsed it.
Commercial activities on the ocean floor (such as
mining or extraction) are regulated by the International
Seabed Authority (ISA). It is debatable what authority (if
any) the ISA would have over a mixed-use UUV or one
that operated exclusively above the seabed. At the other
extreme, uncrewed vessels that operate on the ocean’s
SEAPOWER MAY 2023 23
FEATURE
surface (Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships, or MASS)
are subject to regulation by the International Maritime
Organization (IMO); however, UUVs (operating
underwater) are beyond IMO jurisdiction.
UUVs will soon demonstrate their potential in countless
applications exceeding the boundaries of research and
discovery. They will likely be able to crawl the ocean
floor indefinitely, dive into its deepest chasms, and
extract valuable materials from its most remote regions.
While undersea technology has advanced rapidly,
current laws fail to provide adequate guidance for these
potential applications.
Inadequate Direction, Unpredictable Consequences
Treaties such as UNCLOS did not anticipate the types
of advanced technology that are rapidly becoming
operational. UUVs don’t fit neatly into the current
understanding of “vessels,” which presume the
existence of a crew. A vessel’s crew and chain of
command bear responsibility for its actions — an
assignment that is difficult to make for an autonomous
UUV, especially if it is fully AI-controlled.
As a result, many of these regulations are inapplicable
or apply only with significant limitations. This
imperfect application leaves many outstanding legal and
policy questions — and opens the door to misuse, non-
compliance, and exploitation.
For example, although SOLAS standards do not
technically apply to many UUVs, most nations that
currently use these craft have tacitly agreed to consider
these systems “vessels” and abide by its provisions.
However, there would be no predictable penalty for
failing to do so — potentially allowing a nation to
release an army (or navy) of safety risks into the sea.
Existing equipment regulations are also insufficient
since the current use of UUVs already extends so
widely. Piecemeal rules will be inadequate to establish
commercial rights and ownership interests, prevent
conflict between competing nations, and maintain a
balance of international security.
Reframing Deficiencies as Opportunities
Due regard under UNCLOS requires “allowing for the
‘accommodation of competing interests’ by balancing
states’ freedom of action with the necessity for self-
2 4 SEAPOWER MAY 2023
restraint. States must balance their own freedom of
action and claims of jurisdiction against the freedoms
and claims of others.”
In practice, however, this approach is reactionary rather
than prescriptive. It provides no specific guidance on
implementing (or enforcing) safety and regulatory
protocols. Without defined rules and a comprehensive
regulatory framework, all disputes would be settled on
a “case by case” basis, balancing everyone’s potential
interests and harm.
This vacuum of authority has the potential to create
chaos with global consequences.
For example:
-What would happen if a UUV owned by a multinational
private organization (and engaged in commercial
activity) caused an international security incident or
environmental disaster?
-What if one country establishes an effectively exclusive
undersea colony using UUVs, causing disruption to the
local ecosystem that impacts nearby sovereign states?
-Would a private individual be restricted from
maintaining surveillance UUVs capable of monitoring
military operations, potentially risking international
security and safety?
-What would be the appropriate response to a nation
arming UUVs with nuclear weapons as autonomous
weapons systems and setting them loose to patrol the
depths of the high seas?
As the technology and viability of UUW systems
advances, the international community must
acknowledge the current gaps in law and policy. A new
framework of international maritime laws must be
implemented to establish the legal requirements for
UUWs to operate in international waters and exclusive
economic zones — before it’s too late.
Rather than continue the decades-old debate about
joining UNCLOS, the United States now has the
opportunity to take the helm and steer the creation of
new international agreements. Embracing this position
will help and ensure that new policies reflect U.S. goals,
interests, and values for many generations to come. 
Jamie L. Pfeiffer is an attorney who has practiced in Illinois, Oregon, and Washington states before
retiring from the active practice of law. She is currently based in Chicago.
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 S E C T I O NF H
E AE TA UD RE ER

The Great Green Ambition

FOURTEEN YEARS AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF
THE GREAT GREEN FLEET, GREEN NAVY INITIATIVES
CONTINUE TO EVOLVE
B Y D A N I E L P. T AY L O R

U.S. NAVY | Chief Mass Communication Specialist Hendrick Simoes

In 2009, the U.S. Navy made an ambitious
announcement — an energy cost-saving measure
known as the Great Green Fleet. It was an initiative
fueled by concerns about climate change and energy
independence, and it has had some impacts on green
efforts underway in the Navy today.
long effort. The Navy purchases millions of gallons of
drop-in biofuels blends to support the initiative.
The concept of the Great Green Fleet appears largely
defunct today, but the Navy says it is continuing to
pursue green initiatives, and that the initiative had a
positive impact.

Then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus championed the effort,
which aimed to use a 50/50 mixture of conventional
diesel fuel and biofuels on a select group of ships and
aircraft. The name was an homage to the Great White
Fleet, a nickname for a group of Navy battleships
that traveled around the world in the early 1900s as
both an effort to build international friendships and
demonstrate naval power. The Great Green Fleet concept
made its first appearance in 2012 at the Rim of the
Pacific exercise, where the Navy demonstrated that they
could use drop-in advanced biofuels. The centerpiece
of the Great Green Fleet was the John C. Stennis Strike
Group, which used energy conservation technologies,
alternative energy, and greener operating procedures
during normal operations.
The JCSSG made its maiden voyage in 2016 in a year-
Lieutenant Commander James Adams, U.S. Navy
spokesperson, said the JCSSG’s deployment in
2016 involved, “using energy efficient systems and
alternative energy in an operational environment.”
“Following their deployment, the Navy implemented
these lessons learned and are continuing to build on the
systemic analysis tools, policy, and education efforts put
in place with the Great Green Fleet to pursue operational
energy efficiency and resilience in support of capability
to ensure a force structure that supports national
security objectives,” he added.
Climate Action Strategy
Adams pointed to the May 2022 release of the Climate
Action 2030 strategy, which aims to put the Navy, “on
a path to achieve the Nation’s commitment to net-zero

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 FEATURE
U.S. Navy | Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Armando Gonzales
greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” according to a
Navy statement.
“The Department of the Navy’s Climate Action 2030
strategy builds on a decades-long foundation of climate
action across the Navy and Marine Corps and sets the
DON [Department of the Navy] on a course to meet
national and global targets to reduce the threat of
climate change,” the statement reads. “Targets and
goals included in Climate Action 2030 include reducing
emissions, reducing energy demand while increasing
carbon pollution-free electricity at our installations and
bases, and equipping our force with the proper training,
plans, equipment needed to operate in a more volatile
climate future.”
In addition to these targets, the Navy claims they will
draw down an additional 5 million metric tons of carbon
dioxide or equivalent pollution per year by 2027.
Legacy of the Fleet Is Mixed
Bryan Clark, a senior fellow and director of the Center
for Defense Concepts and Technology at Hudson
Institute said that the idea behind the concept was
twofold: to jumpstart biofuel manufacturing in
aviation, and to create more efficient hybrid electric
power plants for ships.
“They both sort of morphed into something else,”
Clark said. “On the fuel side, there’s been an entirely
private-sector effort to create sustainable aviation fuel,
2 6 SEAPOWER MAY 2023
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus greets Italian navy and
U.S. Navy Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS
Mason during the U.S. Navy’s first underway replenishment
in 2016 where the fuel was made from alternative sources
and transferred from a partner nation’s ship as part of the
Great Green Fleet initiative.
independent of what the Navy did.”
Although still an expensive alternative
to conventional fossil fuels, biofuels
and alternative energy is far more
commercially viable than when the
Great Green Fleet was announced
nearly a decade and a half ago. And
the Navy may benefit from industry
advancements in the technology in the
coming years.
“There’s all sorts of efforts going on that have far
surpassed what the Navy was going to do with the Great
Green Fleet,” Clark said. “The aviation industry is trying
to get to net-zero emissions — airlines have made this
commitment. So, the military has put a lot less effort
into it than the private sector, which has taken the lead,
and so the military can harvest the results.”
When it comes to ships, there was a little more success
in terms of long-term impacts, Clark said. Ships like the
DDG-1000 and the development of a new frigate and
destroyer are likely to continue the Navy’s trend toward
integrated power systems that are more efficient and
emit fewer greenhouse gases.
The Great Green Fleet had some impact on both ship
operations and design today, Clark noted. He pointed
to the USS Makin Island (LHD-8), the Navy’s first
amphibious assault ship to be equipped with a hybrid
electric-drive propulsion system — a ship that Mabus
often touted during the build-up of the Great Green Fleet.
“The Great Green Fleet was more about what we do in
operations, but the focus of the SecNav made this an
environmental policy and about trying to reduce the
carbon footprint of the Navy,” he said. “It was the same
inclination that drove the Makin Island design.” 
Dan Taylor has covered the Pentagon and defense contracting for more than 15 years.
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 FF EE AA TT UU RR EE
Sailors assigned to Independence-variant littoral combat
ship USS Charleston and Explosive Ordnance Disposal
Mobile Unit 5, transport a simulated Mk 18 Mod 2
Kingfish unmanned underwater vehicle during a mine
countermeasures exercise.

U.S. NAVY | Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan M. Breeden

Assured Navigation from Down Under
URGENCY INCREASES DEMAND FOR ASSURED NAVIGATION IN A GPS-DENIED ENVIRONMENT
BY RICHARD R. BURGESS, SENIOR EDITOR

The era of great power competition,
advances in unmanned systems and artificial
intelligence, and increased threats to space systems
have all converged to foster military urgency for assured
navigation in a Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied
environment.
The 24-satellite GPS system became fully operational
in 1993. Since then, a seemingly universal reliance on
GPS has developed to the point where nearly every
military ship, aircraft, vehicle, and person relies on it
for position, navigation, and timing (PNT). Precision-
guided weapons have unparalleled accuracy, including
over-the-horizon precision capabilities.
Now, GPS is vulnerable to space-based weapons and
jamming. For example, Russia has been jamming GPS in
Ukraine, hampering Ukrainian operations.
“Russia is disabling GPS completely, and then the
only time it’s actually becoming available is when the
Russians want to operate […] within that region,”
said Chris Shaw, co-CEO of Advanced Navigation, an
Australian company that specializes in PNT and robotics.
“Any battlefield environment we have moving forward
is going to be […] without any reliance on GPS,” Shaw
said. “All our autonomous assets and all our manned
assets have to have maintained capability even when
GPS is unavailable.”
Alternative Solutions
Alternative solutions to GPS navigation are in high
demand. One domain that inherently defies GPS
technology is undersea, where GPS signals cannot
penetrate. Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) can
have their inertial guidance systems programmed with a
GPS position just before launch but rely on their internal
inertial system for subsequent navigation. And, even the
best inertial systems can drift.
Advanced Navigation, a 300-person company based in
Sydney has focused its development efforts on assured
navigation for UUVs. The company is developing inertial
systems that are more software-based than hardware-
based, therefore less costly, smaller, lighter-weight,
scalable, and more easily modified.
“Typically, in the past, precision navigation technology
would only go on to very large ships, like, frigates and
other vessels of that size, but even now, your smaller
crafts, like the landing craft, have assured navigation on
them to ensure that those capabilities are maintained
and their ability to operate in a fully denied [GPS]
environment,” Shaw said.

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FEATURE
MAGNETIC FIELDS IN SOME WAYS CAN BE
DISTURBED BY MANMADE PHENOMENA BUT
IT’S VERY HARD TO PLAY WITH GRAVITY.
- Chris Shaw, Advanced Navigation
“We’ve developed very unique technology that uses
machine learning and artificial intelligence,” he said.
“The result of that is we get very exquisite navigation
accuracy but in a very low size, weight, power, and cost.”
AUKUS Collaboration
The AUKUS agreement between the United States, the
United Kingdom, and Australia, which will involve
Australia in procuring nuclear-powered attack
submarines, has a second pillar of sharing technology to
advance warfighting across multiple realms.
“As part of AUKUS that there’s a lot of collaboration
going on between the U.S. and Australia on using
quantum technology not just for computing but
also sensing, like quantum gravity sensing or even
magnetometry. It could increase the accuracy that
quantum sensing gives you using that to detect
passively [the] adversary operating in the area of the sea
nearby to your other assets,” Shaw said.
He pointed out that the scalability could be used on
an autonomous surface or subsurface vessel that will
need navigation capability and could launch small
autonomous undersea vessels for warfare capability.
He said that quantum technology, “is obviously
highly advanced and very capable for large manned
submersibles, but over time, that technology is also
maturing and [will] be available to even smaller
unmanned assets as well.”
Using magnetic fields for undersea navigation has
been a method used for some time, but now, “with
quantum sensing it actually opens up the ability to do
it with gravity maps as well, Shaw said. “That’s been
something that’s just not possible because we’ve got
to have sensors accurate enough, but now, you could
create a gravity map of an environment and then use
that when you go back through with a quantum sensor
to actually navigate using the gravity map [with]
extremely high levels of accuracy.”
2 8 SEAPOWER MAY 2023
The company also is working on acoustic sensing for
positioning small manned and unmanned systems
underwater, including tracking divers and their position
underwater from a boat, or tracking a submersible.
Advanced Navigation also is working with Anduril
Australia, a company developing the Ghost Shark extra-
large UUV, which will require autonomous underwater
navigation.
Expanding Uses
Shaw pointed out that many naval unmanned systems
originated with the commercial oil and gas industry
and the hydrographic industry. “The Navy has kind
of pulled in [these capabilities] and developed a
small, what we call a backpackable fully autonomous
underwater vehicle so one person can carry it around in
a backpack.”
Autonomous underwater navigation has other, more
mundane uses. When surface ships return to port,
they put divers in the water to inspect the ship’s hull
for corrosion, damage, defects, or even limpet mines.
“We’re actually talking to some defense primes and
navies … that they would have the ability to actually at
sea to deploy our robot — just throw it overboard the
vessel, it would swim along and scan the hull of the
ship and actually locate any sort of defects … or classify
corrosion or other things,” Shaw said.
“Advanced Navigation has developed a set of path-
breaking solutions to address this challenge and in turn
also to enable the unmanned systems that are going to
be at the center of military plans and operations,” said
retired General David Petraeus. Petraeus is also a former
CIA director and partner with the global investment
firm KKR, who is chairing Advanced Navigation’s
International Advisory Board.
“Advanced Navigation will serve as an excellent test
case for U.S.-Australia technology cooperation un-
der AUKUS. Here you have an exceptionally innovative
Australian company that In-Q-Tel has determined
possesses capabilities that are highly relevant to emerg-
ing national security requirements and now has a major
global investment firm as its strategic partner,” said
Petraeus. 
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 FEATURE
An Ocean Aero Triton unmanned surface vessel operates alongside
the USCGC Emlen Tunnell during Digital Horizon 2022. The
three-week unmanned and artificial intelligence integration event
involves employing new platforms in the region for the first time.

Creating A Digital Ocean

U.S. ARMY | Sgt. Brandon Murphy

NAVCENT’S TASK FORCE 59 LEADS THE WAY FOR FUTURE HYBRID FLEETS
BY JOHN M. DOYLE

The U.S. Navy’s plan for teaming manned
platforms with unmanned systems enhanced by
artificial intelligence (AI) is now a reality, speeding on,
over, and below the troubled waters of the Middle East.
the Middle East. The drones included three unmanned
aircraft and at least one submersible unmanned surface
vessel (USV). International partners Bahrain and Jordan
also participated.

Task Force 59 is the reason. TF 59’s rapid development, “has been vital in
establishing what we’re calling a digital ocean,” said
The first Navy task force of its kind, TF 59 was created
Cooper, who commands NAVCENT as well as 5th Fleet.
in September 2021 by U.S. 5th Fleet commander Vice
The idea is for a resilient mesh network with, “every
Admiral Brad Cooper to rapidly integrate AI-enhanced
partner and sensor collecting new data, adding it to
unmanned systems with maritime operations. The 5th
an intelligent synthesis of around-the-clock inputs,
Fleet’s area of responsibility encompasses nearly 2.5
encompassing thousands of images from seabed to
million square miles of water, including the Arabian Gulf,
space, from ships, unmanned systems, subsea sensors,
Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean.
satellites, buoys, and other persistent technology,”
In just 15 months, TF 59 went from an idea to full
Cooper said in a keynote address January 10 at the
operational capability, managing unmanned surface
Surface Navy Association symposium in Arlington,
vessels in the region’s waters for more than 25,000
Virgina. He added his goal was to have, “the world’s
hours, which equates to 12 years of nine-to-five testing
newest unmanned fleet,” patrolling the waters of
five days a week, according to Naval Forces Central
NAVCENT’s region by this summer.
Command (NAVCENT), the maritime component of U.S.
Central Command (CENTCOM). TF 59’s rapid rise was not lost on Chief of Naval
Operations Admiral Mike Gilday, who has been
Based in Manama, Bahrain, the task force led a three-
advocating for a hybrid manned/unmanned fleet by the
week unmanned and artificial intelligence event late last
mid-2040s, with as many 40% of the ships designated
year that involved 17 industry partners from Canada,
as unmanned platforms.
France, Israel, the United States, and 15 advanced
systems, 10 of which had not previously operated in “When we design and build a new ship, from the time

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 FEATURE
U.S. ARMY | Sgt. Brandon Murphy
we first put pencil to paper and then finally deliver
a ship, it’s over a decade, easily. With this type of
technology, we can move much quicker than that,”
Gilday said at WEST 2023, a sea services conference in
San Diego on February 16. “In the course of a year we
can have that capability. The stuff we’ve been doing in
5th Fleet is testimony. In a year and a half, we’ve gone
from nothing to a hundred unmanned platforms.”
Both Gilday and Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, who
also spoke at the WEST conference, said they planned to
expand TF 59’s capability to other regions of the world,
but did not give specifics.
According to Gilday’s updated 2022 Navigation Plan,
“the Navy must become a hybrid fleet” by 2045 with
manned ships at its core but supplemented by as many
as 150 large unmanned surface and subsurface vessels,
augmented by, “an evolving complement of thousands
of small, rapidly adaptable, and attritable unmanned
platforms.”
Middle East Still a Region of Concern
The Middle East, CENTCOM’s area of responsibility,
doesn’t get the attention that China and Russia
receive in the National Defense Strategy, but it is
still a troubled region with civil war in Yemen, power
struggles between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and conflicts
large and small from the Levant to the Arabian Sea.
Maritime commerce is vulnerable at three critical
choke points — the Strait of Hormuz, between the
3 0 SEAPOWER MAY 2023
Various unmanned systems sit on display in Manama,
Bahrain, Nov. 19, prior to exercise Digital Horizon 2022.
The three-week unmanned and artificial intelligence in-
tegration event, beginning Nov. 23, will involve employing
new platforms in the region for the first time.
Arabian Peninsula and Iran; the Suez
Canal which links Europe with Asia;
and, the Strait of Bab-al-Mandeb at
the southern tip of Yemen, between
the Arabian and Red seas.
While piracy in the waters off the
Horn of Africa was a concern for
decades, there’s been increased focus
on drugs and weapons smuggling,
according to Cooper. In 2021, U.S.
and partner navies interdicted more
than $200 million worth of drugs,
exceeding the previous four years combined. Likewise,
CENTCOM prevented 9,000 illegal weapons from
reaching Yemen in 2021, a 200% increase in weapons
seizures over the previous year. In the first three
months of 2023, there were seven illegal weapon or
drug interdictions by NAVCENT, allies and partners
in the region. One on January 15 in the Gulf of Oman
led to the seizure of weapons originating in Iran and
bound for Yemen, including 3,000 assault rifles and
578,000 rounds of ammunition.
Iranian belligerence toward military and civilian
vessels is also troubling. In November 2022, the
Liberian-flagged, Israeli-owned commercial oil tanker
Pacific Zircon was attacked off the coast of Oman by
a kamikaze drone the U.S. Navy concluded was an
Iranian Shahed-136, the same kind of bomb-carrying
drone Iran has supplied to Russia in its war on Ukraine.
U.S. Navy ships also intercepted an Iranian warship
that seized and detained two U.S. Saildrone Explorer
unmanned surface vessels in the Red Sea, on September
1, 2022, two days after Iran was unsuccessful in seizing
a similar vessel in the Arabian Gulf.
“These situations clearly show how threats emanating
from Iran remain very real,” Cooper said.
However, the region is too vast to patrol adequately.
“No Navy acting alone can possibly protect against
all the threats,” Cooper told his Surface Navy
Association audience.
WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG

Finding AI Solutions
“In the 5th Fleet we’re seeing those breakthroughs
[in] unmanned systems and AI every single day,”
Cooper said.
The admiral created Task Force 59 to develop a resilient
mesh network of sensors supplying real time data to
fuse together with AI. Since mesh networks broadcast
from each point rather than from a single location,
they can provide better coverage over a wider space. By
putting more eyes on the water, Cooper said, “we’re
building a better picture of surrounding seas.”
Linking up to that network will be the anticipated
100-surface drone fleet. The United States will supply
20 USVs, with the rest, “operated by our international
partners,” Cooper said.
Since its launch, the task force has deployed a suite of
unmanned systems from operational hubs in Bahrain,
where NAVCENT is based, and Aqaba, Jordan. The mesh
network concept was tested in 11 bilateral maritime
exercises with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Portugal,
three major international exercises, and more than
30,000 hours operating unmanned surface vessels in the
waters around the Arabian Peninsula.
One of the biggest tests came in late November with
Digital Horizon 2022. The three-week unmanned/AI
integration event employed new platforms in the region
for the first time. Unmanned aerial vehicles included
two vertical take-off and landing systems.
One of them, Aerovel’s Flexrotor, a small tactical
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)
drone successfully took off and landed from the U.S.
Coast Guard Cutter Emlen Tunnel, one of the Coast
Guard’s newest Sentinel-class fast response cutters
forward-deployed to Bahrain. It was the first time
a Coast Guard cutter participated in a Task Force 59
exercise.
The unmanned surface vessels (USV) ranged from the
12 meter (39-foot) Seagull from Israel’s Elbit Systems,
with modular payload suites like anti-submarine
warfare and mine counter measures to smaller drones
like Ocean Aero’s TRITON, billed as the world’s first
and only autonomous underwater and surface vehicle
(AUSV). It can sail and submerge autonomously to
collect data both above and below the ocean’s surface.
WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG
FEATURE
STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS AND
ACCELERATING INNOVATION IS AT THE
HEART OF WHAT WE DO.
– Captain Michael Brasseur, Task Force 59 Commander
Industry partners Accenture Federal Services and Big
Bear AI employed data integration and AI systems
during the event. Cooper said progress was made on
another goal, leveraging AI to pull data from several
sources to create an interface on one screen, also called
a “single pane of glass.” One operator controlling
multiple unmanned systems, rather than one system be
controlled by multiple operators.
“Each day during Digital Horizon we have pushed to
discover new capabilities, fast,” said Navy Captain
Michael Brasseur, Task Force 59’s first commander.
“Strengthening partnerships and accelerating innovation
is at the heart of what we do at Task Force Five Nine and
we’re able to do both at Digital Horizon,” he said in a
Defense Department video about the exercise.
Noting that the commander of Naval Surface Force, Vice
Admiral Roy Kitchener, has approved early command
for junior surface warfare officers, Cooper said that
would open opportunities, “for our most inventive
minds and creative leaders to lead unmanned task
groups under Task Force 59 in Bahrain, and USVDIV1
(Unmanned Surface Vessels Division One) in San
Diego. Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet created
USVDIV1 on May 16, 2022, to oversee medium and large
unmanned surface vessels and how they are integrated
into the Pacific Fleet.
“Harnessing these new technologies will allow us to
rapidly improve maritime threat detection, [and] build
an integrated, unmanned, artificial intelligence network
with our partners. And with support from industry,
academia, and our strategic partners, I believe we can
achieve safer seas, a stronger protection of global trade,
and a more prosperous future for all,” Cooper said. 
John M. Doyle is a Washington, DC defense and unmanned systems writer with more than 30 years’
experience working for The Associated Press, Aviation Week, Seapower, and Unmanned Systems.
He is also editor of the national defense/homeland security blog, 4GWar.
SEAPOWER MAY 2023 31

Coast Guard Special
Mission Training Dive
MINNESOTA NAVY LEAGUE COUNCIL HOSTS
COLD WATER DIVERS FROM THE COAST GUARD,
NAVY, AND ARMY
The Coast Guard Special Mission Training Detachment-
Dive (SMTD-Dive) Cold Water Ice Diving Course was
held at Camp Ripley, Minnesota from January 31 –
February 10. The Minnesota Navy League Council was
thrilled to be able to host the class at the completion of
training for a dinner at the Town Hall at Camp Ripley.
Sixteen divers participated in the course from across the
country including units in California, Hawaii, Florida,
and Virginia. The divers spanned three military services
and included four Coast Guard divers, eight Navy divers,
and four Army divers.
The course is intended for all military diving personnel
assigned to full-time dive billets within the ranks of E-5
through O-4. Its purpose is to provide all military divers
with formalized training specific to operating in the
harsh cold water and ice diving environments.
The USCG Cold Water Ice Diving course (CWID) is
3 2 SEAPOWER MAY 2023
MINNESOTA COUNCIL
conducted annually and consists of both classroom and
field instruction that includes cold weather dressing
and diving techniques, safety on floating ice, donning
the CWID SCUBA outfit, and CWID SCUBA emergency
procedures. Course content is facilitated via classroom
presentations, cold-water diving tank, practical field
exercises via ice covered lakes, and performance-based
evaluations; all perfectly suited for Minnesota’s cold
weather environment.
The training was previously held in Washington state
but was moved to Camp Ripley last year. Divers who
attended the course indicated that moving the course to
Camp Ripley in Minnesota has challenged them in ways
they never imagined by exposing divers to authentic
cold weather training conditions that reach the extremes
of operational capabilities.
The Camp Ripley environment allowed instructors
to introduce students to the harshest winter weather
conditions they may ever be asked to operate in,
while offering the amenities that allow instructors
to implement the proper level of controls to mitigate
hazards and risks they would otherwise be exposed to in
a less controlled training environment. The amenities and
facilities located on Camp Ripley are second to none.
The Minnesota Navy League Council was thrilled to
have been able to meet and host the USCG Cold Water
Ice Diving course and looks forward to continuing a
relationship with them on future visits to Minnesota. 
WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG
 COUNCIL DIGEST

Ship Model Donated

to Local Museum
THE SAVANNAH NAVY LEAGUE PRESENTED A
MODEL OF THE USS SAVANNAH (LCS-28) TO THE
SHIPS OF THE SEA MUSEUM IN SAVANNAH, GA
ON JANUARY 20, 2023.
B Y O . C . F O W L E R , C D R , U S N ( R E T ) , P R E S I D E N T , S AVA N N A H C O U N C I L

The Savannah Council of the Navy League Commissioned

the USS Savannah (LCS-28) on February 5, 2022, in
Brunswick, GA — about 100 miles South of Savannah.
Donations for the Commissioning provided enough funds
for the Commissioning Committee to have a model of the
ship built as a permanent display in the museum. LCS-28
is the sixth ship to bear the name USS Savannah and the

SAVANNAH COUNCIL
museum now has models of four of the six ships dating
back to sailing ships. The Independence Class LCS is
home-ported in San Diego, CA. 

Savannah Navy Leaguer’s Patti and Jeff Zureick stand next to the encased ship’s model.
SAVANNAH COUNCIL

SAVANNAH COUNCIL

Guest Speaker Vice Admiral John Fuller, Navy Inspector General; U. S. Representative Buddy Carter The Ceremonial Cake included a picture of the USS Savannah
from Georgia’s 1st District; and the H. V. Jenkins HS NJROTC Color Guard and Cadet of the Month. (LCS-28) and ship’s logo.

WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG SEAPOWER MAY 2023 33

COUNCIL DIGEST

TREASURE COAST COUNCIL

Neptune Spear Division Sea Cadet Unit with General Mattis.

Council Honors WWII Pilots

BY PETER PETRELIS, CAPT, USN (RET), YOUTH PROGRAMS DIRECTOR, TREASURE COAST COUNCIL

On February 5, 2023, Treasure Coast Council President Jay Rinchack, Council Coast Guard Liaison Kathy Brothers,
and Youth Programs Director Peter Petrelis attended an event at the McKee Botanical Garden, Vero, Florida. Retired
United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 26th Secretary of Defense, James N. Mattis lead a
Commemorative Plaque Ceremony in honor of World War II pilots bound for the South Pacific who received jungle
survival training at McKee Jungle Gardens from 1943-1945. The Neptune Spear Division Sea Cadet Unit commanded
by LTJG Scott McGaw provided the Color Guard. 

Navy Club of USA

S AVE THE DATE  The USS Donner LSD-20 24th annual Reunion will
be held May 1-4 in Dallas, Texas.
Contact Dennis Heimback, USNR EMC (Ret.) at
610-775-7539 or dennisheimb@gmail.com.

3 4 SEAPOWER MAY 2023 WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG


Westbury Navy Junior ROTC Program
Dedicated to Service
BY CADET COMMANDER BERLINDA PIERRE LOUIS
Westbury High School’s NJROTC is
more than just a program that instills leadership and
discipline. It instills character and a sense of service to
those in their community. Many Westbury cadets have
learned the value of assisting not only those in our
school, but also those who live even closer to us.
Throughout the school year, cadets have always shown
up early in large numbers, ready to do more than what
is expected of them, even to assist outside in 30 degree
weather.
Our acts of service do not end once the school year
is over but continue throughout the summer as well.
Cadets in our unit’s summer program come every
week and help custodians move desks in and out of
classrooms in preparation for the upcoming school year.
Our cadets have also volunteered at a multitude of
events, ranging from ushering at high school reunions
to setting up Spooky Walks, and many more. For
the holidays, over 30 cadets helped to not only put
up Christmas lights at our local Veterans Memorial
in Eisenhower Park but to take them down once the
holidays were over. We also helped our local Marines
in their annual Toys for Tots drive. Cadets graciously
collected and organized donated toys into boxes that
would be sent to less fortunate children.
WWW.SEAPOWERMAGAZINE.ORG
CADET CORNER
CADET COMMANDER BERLINDA PIERRE LOUIS
In January, our cadets, joined by students from our
district’s elementary and middle schools, represented
our high school in the local Martin Luther King Jr. Day
presentation. In front of more than 50 community
members, our cadets stood together and honored the
late Martin Luther King Jr., setting a good example
for their younger peers. Our Color Guard proudly
displayed our nation’s colors, while cadet leaders
led the pledge of allegiance and the singing the
national anthem. Three of our cadets would end the
celebration by reciting three of Martin Luther King’s
famous speeches.
Cadets have constantly represented our school
well and have not only been outstanding cadets
but exemplary community members. Cadets have
learned the importance of teamwork and helping
those around them, while also striving to be active
in their community through volunteer opportunities.
So far, our unit has accumulated over 1,000 hours of
community service.
As high school students, our cadets are already making
a difference. 
Berlinda Pierre Louis is a senior and currently serves as the training officer for the Westbury High
School NJROTC unit. Previously, she served as the unit’s commanding officer during her junior year.
SEAPOWER MAY 2023 35
 NAVY LEAGUE STATEMENT OF POLICY MEMBERSHIP REPORT
OF THE UNITED STATES  We of the Navy League of the United States stand for 2023 TOP RECRUITERS NEW MEMBERS
a strong America — a nation morally, economically, and
FOUNDED 1902 Jane Ferreira Honolulu 58
internally strong.
2300 WILSON BLVD., SUITE 200 Linda L. Ashbey Lakehurst 23
 We believe that the security of our nation and of the
ARLINGTON, VA 22201-5424 Jessica L. Hitchen New York 4
people of the world demands a well-balanced, integrated,
NATIONAL PRESIDENT mobile American defense team, of which a strong Navy, Hollie R. Brown Corona Riverside 3
David J. Reilly Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine are
indispensable parts.
NATIONAL PRESIDENT-ELECT 2023 TOP COUNCIL RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS
Christopher Townsend  We support all Armed Services to the end that each may
Honolulu 67
make its appropriate contribution to the national security.
NATIONAL SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Imperial Valley 31
Larry Salter  We know that in a free nation an informed public is
Northern Virginia 31
indispensable to national security and, therefore, we will
NATIONAL CORPORATE SECRETARY
strive to keep the nation alert to dangers which threaten — New York 27
Pamela K. Ammerman
both from without and within. San Diego 27
ASSISTANT NATIONAL CORPORATE SECRETARY  We favor appropriations for each of the Armed Services, Malibu 25
James Lasher and Patrick Pang adequate for national security, economically administered.
Lakehurst 24
NATIONAL TREASURER  We oppose any usurpation of the Congress’s constitution- Hampton Roads 22
Joseph Giambrone al authority over the Armed Services.
Corona Riverside 17
NATIONAL JUDGE ADVOCATE  We urge that our country maintain world leadership in
National Capital 16
Mark Harden scientific research and development.

NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS  We support industrial preparedness, planning, production.

Doug Fulton
 We support efforts of our government to achieve world-
Eva Garcia
wide peace through international cooperation.
Robin Graf
Sinclair Harris  We advocate a foreign policy which will avoid wars —
if possible; if not, win them!
Jonathan Kaskin
Mark McDonald

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is published 10 times a year, with combined issues of February/March NAVY LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL CONVENTION
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POSTMASTER:
CORRECTIONS
Send address changes to: In the Feb/Mar issue of Seapower, we incorrected identified the nonprofit organization in the OS1 Travis Wyatt profile.
Membership Department The correct organizations are: navywoundedwarrior.com and safeharborfoundation.org
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Arlington, VA 22201-5424.
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 CORPORATE MEMBERS SECTION HEADER

THE NAVY LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES THANKS ITS CORPORATE MEMBERS FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT.

CORPORATE GOLD MEMBERS Hexagon US Federal Daisy Data Displays Darley

Hutchinson Aerospace & Industry Dante Valve David Clark Co.
AAR
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American Maritime Partnership
Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace Fairlead Integrated Power and Controls Draeger
BAE Systems
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Boeing
ManTech International FLIR Systems Electronics Service
Bollinger Shipyards
Matson Navigation Frequentis Gastec International
CACI
Maxar Granite State Manufacturing General Digital
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MBDA Missile Systems Hensoldt GTC General Tool
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Curtiss-Wright
Microsoft Interstate Connecting Components Hawkeye Tracking
Elbit America
Nammo Defense Systems Kawasaki Heavy Industries Jabaley Defense Consulting
EY
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GE Marine
Palantir Martin Baker MacTaggart Scott USA
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Real-Time Innovations Meggitt Defense Systems MDSA Aerospace
General Dynamics
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Honeywell
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Rolls Royce Solutions America Moog Inc. NAG Marine
IAI North America
Saab MSI-Defence Systems US Naval Systems, Inc.
L3Harris
SAIC NAIAD Maritime Group Okeanus Science
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U AE RRY / OMC AT OR BC EHR 2 2002 23 1 39
IN MY OWN WORDS
Information Systems Technician
First Class Theo C. Shipp, U.S. Navy
COMMUNICATIONS WATCH OFFICER, COMLOG WESTPAC/CTF-73, SINGAPORE
I’m a Navy Information Systems Technician assigned to
COMLOG WESTPAC/CTF-73 in Singapore.
A generation ago I would be called a Radioman. But
today’s naval communications — both ashore and
afloat — are computerized and digital. My job is the
proper installation, setup, and operation of secure
communications via voice or data, cryptographic
equipment, computers, or mobile devices.
The most interesting part of my job is that I have to
be efficient in more than one specialty. For example,
I’m required to have basic knowledge of radio
communications, data processing, network security,
cryptographic equipment, and keys. It definitely takes a
willing mind to learn the knowledge and gain the skills
and experience to perform well in this field.
My job is important because our team could be the
single point of failure for any of our command’s
functions or missions.
Something as small as getting a message to the wrong
4 0 SEAPOWER MAY 2023
THEO C. SHIPP
command could be detrimental. There’s a lot going on
in the Indo-Pacific area of operations.
Our team is busy. Communications are constant,
and we’re on call 24/7/365 — even when everything
communications-wise is satisfactory. If anything
goes wrong, we’ve got to restore communications
immediately.
This job, especially this assignment in Singapore, has
prepared me to adapt to the environment and change
what I can to make it better. It’s helped me become
a quick and decisive decision-maker, and a more
effective leader.
Being here has allowed me to travel and experience
more countries and cultures than I ever dreamed
of seeing in my lifetime. It’s given me a newfound
appreciation for my job field, and how universal it is
and continues to be. I’m also gratified that the Navy
values me and the work I do. 
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NATIONAL
CONVENTION
2023

Join us!
June 7–11, 2023
Renaissance Dallas
Navy League members gather this year in Dallas, Texas
to advance the organization and mix and mingle at social
Addison Hotel
events hosted by the Dallas Council. Attend council-
specific training, hear from our military leaders as well as
network with fellow Navy Leaguers.
Questions?
navyleague.org/meetings-and-events/national-convention gsaunders @ navyleague.org