Left: Command systems, weapons
and drones are operated from a central
A
major contributor to NATO naval
operations, the US Navy has
warships and submarines deployed
across Europe and beyond. It supports
ongoing anti-submarine exercises in the
north Atlantic, trains with the Royal Navy
and in the past two years has helped the
Royal Navy re-generate carrier borne
operations, training staff aboard US
carriers and steering the introduction
of the F-35B stealth fighter into service
aboard the new HMS Queen Elizabeth.
When the 60,000 tonne warships sails on
her first operational deployment in 2021,
US Marine pilots will join the embarked
aviation force.
The United States is one of only a
handful of countries that have a so-called
blue-water navy, which can operate
across the open global oceans. Others,
7 US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA
operations room. Picture US Navy
Opposite: The US Navy is a maritime super-
power, with more aircraft carriers than any
other nation. Picture US Navy
Below: The Arleigh Burke-class guided
missile destroyer USS Donald Cook. Picture
US Navy
constrained by geography or resources,
can only maintain forces for coastal
operations, known as green water, or for
rivers and estuary patrols, termed brown-
water fleets. With the rise of military
capabilities across China and Russia,
today’s US Navy must ensure it maintains
the necessary capability to respond. The
two fleets, east and west coasts, manage
eleven carriers which far outnumber ➽
Arlieigh Burke destroyers pictured at Norfolk naval base in Virginia. Picture US Navy
A
s the US Navy sought a
replacement for the Arleighs in
2006, the Pentagon announced the
development of the new Zumwalt-class
destroyer, named after a former Admiral.
This futuristic new stealth warship was
revolutionary in design and capability.
At 15,612 tonnes and 610 feet long, the
Zumwalt is the biggest non-carrier vessel
in the US Navy fleet. It has been built
USS Fitzgerald – in 2017 the ship was involved in a collision in the Far East. Picture US Navy
around automated systems which has
allowed the crew to be shrunk to 147
and instead of radar and antennas on the
upper deck all systems are hidden inside
the hull. So advanced is the Zumwalt-class
that the ship can be sunk – only by three
feet – by flooding its ballast tanks.
The stealth technology that shapes
the Zumwalt-class, makes the ships 50
times harder to identify on radar than a
23
standard warship. According to senior
Pentagon staff, the acoustic signature is
comparable to that of a Los Angeles class
nuclear submarine. The initial plan was
that by late 2020 the Zumwalts would
replace the ‘Burkes’. A total of 32 were
initially ordered but as costs soared that
number dropped to a final figure of just
three. According to publicly available
figures, the project has cost $22 billion
and has forced commanders to retain the
Arleigh Burke-class for at least another ten
years as they review options for another
destroyer.
Plans for the Arleigh Burkes first
appeared in 1980, when the US Navy
initiated design studies with commercial
shipbuilding contractors for a new
destroyer. In 1985, the first order was
placed for the first of class, USS Arleigh
Burke. Named after Admiral Arleigh
Burke, a US Navy destroyer officer in
the Second World War. The first ship
entered service in 1991 and the class
quickly became known as the ‘Burkes’.
The ships (DDG 51) destroyers replaced
the Charles F. Adams-class (DDG 2). The
Arleigh Burke-class was designed with an
all-new hull form, incorporating much
of the Spruance-class (DD 963) destroyer
propulsion and machinery plant, and
the integrated Aegis Weapons System
(AWS) proven on the Kidd-class (DD
993) destroyers and installed on the larger
Ticonderoga-class cruisers. The Arleigh ➽
US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA
Burke-class is among the largest destroyers
built in the United States – the Spruance
and Kidd classes were slightly longer. The
Burkes are multi-mission ships combining
advanced anti-submarine warfare system,
land-attack cruise missiles, ship-to-ship
missiles, and anti-aircraft systems.
Since their introduction, they have been
constantly upgraded to meet changing
threats. After the first 21 ships were built,
an organic signals intelligence (electronic
warfare) capability was added. Later the
hull was slightly lengthened and the aft
third redesigned to add aviation facilities
capable of housing and maintaining two
MH-60 helicopters. During construction
of more modern Burkes, advances in hull
form and propeller design have saved
millions of gallons of fuel. Machinery ➽

Above: USS Momsen, the ‘Burke class’

destroyer carries two Seahawk helicopters.
Picture US Navy

Right: The Arleigh Burke USS Mitscher during

a port visit to Portsmouth. Picture US Navy

25 US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA

controls and power generation has also
improved to become more reliable with
less maintenance.
The Burkes are fitted with the Aegis
Combat System which is installed with
the bridge bulkhead as opposed to a fixed
rotating radar, usually clearly visible on
a ship’s structure. The Aegis has a 360
degree capability and uses a passive
electronically scanned array which allows
continual tracking of simultaneous targets.
Upgraded Arleigh Burkes have the Navy’s
latest anti-submarine combat system with
active sonar, a towed sonar array, and anti-
submarine rockets. They support strategic
land strikes with their VLS launched
27
Tomahawks and critically they can detect
anti-ship mines at a range of more than
1,000 miles. These are highly capable
warships.
The first, the 9,000 tonne Arleigh
Burke-class, has been in service since 1991
with an expectation by the Navy Board
that 89 will be built. A guided-missile ➽
The Arleigh Burke destroyer USS Barry firing
a vertical launched missile. Picture US Navy
US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA
 CHAPTER 2

The USS John McCain, the ship was involved in a serious collision in 2017. Picture US Navy

missiles supported by a Tercom-aided

navigation system, and anti-ship missiles
with inertial guidance. Both Tomahawk
and standard missiles are fired from two
Lockheed Martin Mk41 vertical launch
systems. Also, there are eight Boeing
Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles
and Lockheed Martin vertical launch
anti-submarine systems, armed with the
Mk50 or Mk46 torpedo. Arleigh Burke
vessels are also fitted with the evolved
Sea Sparrow missile (ESSM) developed
by Raytheon. This is an advanced ship
self-defence missile for use against anti-
ship missiles and can defend against
most of the world’s current systems. The
ship’s electronic countermeasures include
radar warning and jamming functions. It
carries decoys to deflect missiles and the
Arleighs are expected to be fitted with the
Nulka active missile decoy system. It is
a hovering rocket system, which guides
incoming missiles away from the ship.
In October 2011, it was announced
that four of the class destroyers would be USS John S. McCain in the foreground with the Australian destroyer Brisbane.

WAR AT SEA | US NAVY TODAY 30

Above: USS Delbert D Black. Picture US Navy
Below: USS Mitscher, the warship entered service in 1994 and has undergone several overhauls. Picture US navy
forward-deployed in Europe. This was
part of a larger plan to support the NATO
missile defence system. The ships were
deployed to Rota in Spain and included
the USS Ross, USS Donald Cook, USS
Porter, and USS Carney. Their forward
deployment allowed the United States to
broaden its European footprint in Europe
and the threat that the New START
nuclear agreement will not be signed by
2021 has made the pre-positioning of the
Arleighs all the more relevant.
The ongoing upgrades of the Arleighs
have ensured that they remain ready to
fight hi-tech naval conflicts as China and
Russia develop access area denial systems
31
to prevent maritime access to oceans,
hypersonic long-range weapons and
laser technology. In February 2018, The
US Navy announced plans to fit a High
Energy Laser and Integrated Optical-
dazzler with Surveillance (HELIOS)
system onto an Arleigh Burke destroyer.
A low-level dazzle laser was fitted to ➽
US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA
The Ticonderoga-class first entered service in 1983. Picture US Navy
of the Zumwalt has been controversial
with some experts claiming the ship is
top-heavy and subject to rolling in heavy
seas. But during the spring of 2019, USS
Zumwalt sailed through a heavy storm off
the coast of Alaska which was recorded
as a ‘sea state six’. In an interview, Captain
Andrew Carlson, the commanding officer
of USS Zumwalt at the time, said: “All
told I’d rather be on that ship than any
other ship I’ve been on.” According to
Captain Carlson, during the storm, he
summoned his executive officer from his
cabin to inform him of the sea state six
conditions. Based on the rolls he had been
experiencing in his cabin, the executive
officer thought that at most they were at
sea state three, where wave height only
reaches a maximum of four feet (1.2 m).
A combination of the Zumwalt class’s hull
form, rudder stop locations and propeller
size contribute to its improved seakeeping.
Since entering service, the Arleigh
Burke-class have been involved in conflicts
across the globe, deployed to patrol areas
of tension. But the ships have also been
involved in several incidents, none of
which was due to the ship’s design. On
12 October, 2000, the destroyer USS Cole
was in the port of Aden taking on supplies
when suicide bombers attacked the ship
– killing 17 crew members. The ship was
repaired and returned to duty in 2001.
Later the Arleigh-class USS Porter was
involved in a collision with the oil tanker
MV Otowasan in the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident took place on 12 August
2012 and while there were no injuries the
repairs cost an estimated $700,000. In June
2017, USS Fitzgerald collided with the MV
ACX Crystal cargo ship near Yokosuka,
Japan. Seven sailors drowned. Following
an investigation, the ship’s commanding
officer, executive officer, and Command
Master Chief Petty Officer were relieved
of their duties. Just two months later on
21 August 2017, USS John S. McCain
collided with the Alnic MC. The collision
injured 48 sailors and killed 10, whose
bodies were all recovered. The cause of
the collision was determined to be poor
communication between the two ships
and the bridge crew lacking situational
awareness.
The Arleigh Burkes face constant
deployment in the 2020s. At any one
time there are as many as 25 Burkes at
sea supporting the Navy’s six operational
fleets, they are; The 2nd Fleet covers the
Western and North Atlantic, the 3rd Fleet
is based on the US west coast and covers
the Pacific, the 4th Fleet is responsible
for the Southern Atlantic Ocean, while
the 5th deploys warships into the
35
Mediterranean and Person Gulf and the
6th fleet sits in the eastern and northern
Atlantic with the 7th Fleet deploying
warships into the Western Pacific and the
Indian Ocean. In 2010, the 10th Fleet,
which was active in the Second World
War, was re-activated with the role of Fleet
Cyber Command. Future conflict will
be influenced by ‘asymmetric advantage’
directed across cyber and information
operations to gain a lead. Innovations
in science and technology are, and will,
shape mission capability through Agile
Command, Control, and Communication
space (C3). The ability to communicate
instant information, between command
and deployed units, is vital in delivering
secure data across the battlespace.
Emerging new systems are providing
increased processing power to correlate
and fuse different types of intelligence and
information across allies, and deliver a
real-time picture across multiple locations.
Today, the risk of a major-power conflict
appears limited, although the threat
from China, Russia, and North Korea
is ever-present. China’s development of
hypersonic missiles and anti-access/area
denial (A2/AD) systems are presenting
new constraints in the littoral, while
Moscow’s plans to deploy underwater
nuclear-armed drones from the new ➽
US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA
The withdrawal of the ‘Ticos’ will put more operational pressure on the Arleigh Burkes. Picture US Navy
special mission Belgorod submarine will
test the West’s counter-measures. Political
ambition by Beijing to secure economic
power in the Far East, Russia’s unclear
future intent in Syria, and Israeli’s trade
deal with the UAE are shaping regional
instability. The failure of Washington and
Moscow to make any ‘public’ progress
in the New START nuclear arms control
agreement, which is due to expire in
February 2021, will further fracture
international relations. The White House
is adamant that China must sign the
treaty – the only remaining agreement
between the superpowers on nuclear
weapons – which puts a cap on deployable
warheads as well as submarine and air-
launched ballistic missiles. Proxy forces
and non-state actors are proliferating amid
sectarian divides in the Middle East which
has generated political instability across
the region. The many protagonists include
Iran’s Quds force, the Lebanese-based
Shia militia Hezbollah and Houthi rebels
in Yemen, also known as Answar Allah.
Affiliates of Islamic State (Daish) also
operate across southern Egypt, Sudan, and
East Africa. The unpredictability of these
groups constantly threatens conflict and
while their warfare may be provincially
based their targets often have international
ramifications.
The mantra of ‘plan for the unexpected’
taught to young US Naval officers has
never been more relevant in today’s
environment. On the world stage, Beijing
promotes a calm influence of stability while
maintaining a constant stream of aggressive
rhetoric towards the West. It increasingly
threatens the self-ruled island of Taiwan,
which Beijing claims it owns and in late
October 2020, China threaten ‘a legitimate
response’ after the United States approved
the potential sale of $1.8 billion worth of
advanced weapons to Taiwan. China shows
no sign of easing its computer network
attacks, believed to be directed by Beijing’s
specialist information warfare force,
known as PLA Unit 61398. They have been
accused of mounting cyber strikes on the
United States, India, Taiwan, and the UK –
a claim China denies.
The growing global threats has resulted
in the US Navy pressing ahead with a
bigger fleet. In July 2020, the Pentagon
announced that it was building a new
37
Constellation class, termed FFG-62, of
multi-mission guided-missile frigates.
The 7,000-tonne warships will be a few
feet shorter than the Arleigh Burke-class
and have a crew of 200. In total, the Navy
plans to order 20 with the first entering
service around 2026. Beyond 2020, the US
Navy is looking to build a new generation
of destroyers based on the Arleigh Burke
design, but potentially bigger so they can
carry more weapons systems and sensors.
The preferred option has been a suggested
12,000-tonne platform. Smaller than
Zumwalt and bigger than the Burkes. The
Navy needs the new destroyer to be in
service within a few years but is likely to be
a decade before they are in the operational
fleet. The fleet’s Future Navy Force Study
reveals that the Navy is moving towards
a lighter force with many more ships –
although it indicates the number of aircraft
carriers and large surface combatants will
be reduced. Instead, the fleet will focus on
smaller highly capable vessels, unmanned
ships and submarines and an expanded
logistics force. At the forefront will be the
destroyer force which has spearheaded
operations across the past three decades. ■
US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA
 CHAPTER 3
THE

CARRIER
FLEET
The US Navy’s nuclear-powered super-carriers are the prestigious
spearhead of naval capability, projecting power across global
oceans. America has the biggest carrier fleet in the world allowing
it to deploy floating airfields to remote areas to deliver influence
and if required deploy their combat aircraft.

WAR AT SEA | US NAVY TODAY 38

T
he current fleet of carriers is based
around the Nimitz-class, but a
new super ship, the Gerald R Ford,
is due to replace the giant warships in
the next decade. But the Pentagon has
indicated it wants to reduce the number
of carriers as part of a developing plan
to prepare the fleet for future warfare.
No announcement has yet been made
but the ten planned Ford carriers may be
reduced in number. The current Nimitz-
class, which were designed for an average
50-year service life with just a single
mid-life refuelling, currently provide the
operational carrier strike groups deployed
from the Pacific and Atlantic fleets. As
well as the new carriers the US Navy has
a new fighter aircraft and in February
2019 the Pentagon declared the F-35C
Joint Strike Fighter was operationally
ready to deploy and conduct missions
around the world with initial trials and
planned deployments scheduled to take
place aboard the Nimitz ships. Today’s
fleet includes USS Nimitz (CVN 68),
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69),
USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), and USS
Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), USS
Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), USS George
Washington (CVN 73), USS John Stennis
(CVN 74), USS Harry S Truman (CVN
75), USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) USS
George Bush (CVN 77) and the new USS
Gerald R. Ford which is still undergoing
operational sea trails.
Carriers operate with a bespoke task
force. This will often include a cruiser
and at least three destroyers as well as a
nuclear submarine which will loiter nearby
constantly using its sonar and sensors
39
to check that no other submarines get
close to the warship. Replenishment ships
carrying food and ammunition will also
be part of the force. Pending the mission
threat, warships protecting the carrier
may be enhanced and joined by Coalition
partners in operations in such areas as
the Gulf and the South China Sea. The
aircraft carrier is what the military term
a ‘force multiplier’ – meaning it delivers
a combination of capabilities that can act
directly or in advance of conflicts using its
range of resources and without the need
to call on more military support to secure
its objective. While the presence alone
of a carrier can persuade an adversary to
‘re-think or stop’ their intentions, it is the
lethal intent of the warship’s air group that
has so often delivered the kinetic factor.
The ability to launch fighter aircraft from
a remote sea-based flight deck proved a
significant factor in the Second World
War. New aircraft such as the F-35, as well
as computer-guided weapons capable of
vast range, flexibility, and effectiveness,
have made the carrier as important today
as they were decades ago.
In 2020, the US Navy carrier strike
groups (CSGs), are with the exception
of one, are all based in the United States
on either the West or East coast – one ➽
Above: USS Harry S Truman – Carrier Strike
Groups are the spearhead of the US Navy.
Picture US Navy
Left: USS George H W Bush pictured at Norfolk
naval base in Virginia. Picture US Navy
US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA
 CHAPTER 3

WAR AT SEA | US NAVY TODAY 40

is forward based in Japan. The Fleet
Response Plan requires that six CSGs
be deployed or ready for deployment
within 30 days at any given time, while
two additional groups must be ready for
deployment at 90 days. The Navy typically
maintains at least one CSG in the Fifth
Fleet in Southwest Asia on a rotation
basis and one on a permanent basis in the
Seventh Fleet in the Western Pacific at all
times. A carrier group regularly operates
with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean
and the Fourth Fleet around the South
American continent as they transit to
and from other areas. The CSG sits as the
US Navy’s centrepiece of US maritime
Left: USS George Washington (CVN-73)
in formation with Japanese and American
ships during ANNUALEX 2008.
Below left: USS Theodore Roosevelt is
currently deployed in the Far East. Picture
US Navy
Below: USS Harry S Truman is currently
undergoing maintenance at Norfolk base.
Picture US Navy
41
operations. In recent years the sheer
presence of an aircraft carrier has deterred
potential adversaries from escalating any
intent towards conflict. Aircraft carriers
support and operate aircraft that engage
in attacks on targets that are airborne,
afloat, and ashore. In particular, any
incident that threatens the free use of
the sea by merchant vessels carrying
trade in international waters. In the 21st
century, carriers are deployed to project
Washington’s foreign policy and political
influence across the globe.
The carrier’s main weapon is its strike
force of aircraft, but it requires protection
from the numerous threats posed when
deployed. The embarked Sea Hawk
helicopters provide a mine-hunting
capability ahead of the carrier – additional
mine vessels can be called in if needed. In
the air, US Air Force surveillance planes
will maintain a watchful eye over the
carrier group in areas such as the Gulf.
The group of escort ships includes at least
one Ticonderoga-class cruiser, two Arleigh
Burke-class destroyers, a Los Angeles-class
attack submarine and a supply ship. The
Ticonderoga-class cruisers are multi-
mission warships capable of delivering anti
warfare (AW), undersea warfare (UW) ➽
US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA
 CHAPTER 3
and surface warfare (SUW). These vessels,
which are fitted with the Aegis advanced
command and control system, use powerful
computers to track and guide weapons to
targets. Their armoury includes long-range
Tomahawk missiles and some have been
upgraded with a Ballistic Missile Defence
Capability (BMD).
First entering service in 1983, there are 22
Ticonderoga-class cruisers in service with
the US fleet. They are fitted with vertical
launch surface to air missiles and storage
of 122 missiles. These ships also carry the
evolved Sea Sparrow surface to air missiles
as well as the ASROC (anti-submarine
rockets) system. The cruisers are also fitted
with the Phalanx close-in weapons system
(CIWS) to intercept incoming missiles and
a Mark 45 lightweight gun, which allows
them to provide naval gunfire support. The
heavily armed and capable warships also
have two Seahawk helicopters embarked.
But the ‘Ticos’ are nearing the end of their
careers and the Arleigh Burke destroyers
are now facing increased commitments.
More than 60 ‘Burkes’ are in service and
these warships, also fitted with the Aegis
combat system, carry Tomahawk missiles,
as well as an armoury of a surface to air,
and surface to land vertical launched
missiles systems, including Harpoon and
WAR AT SEA | US NAVY TODAY
the RIM-161 Standard Ballistic Missile
which has a range of 90 nautical miles
and is fired from a launcher at the stern
of the ship. In the future, these ships will
be fitted with offensive laser weapons and
hypersonic missiles.
The carrier escort package also includes
submarine protection in the form of one
or more boats. The US Navy has three
classes of attack submarines, Los Angeles,
Sea Wolf and Virginia, which can be
deployed to escort the carrier. The role
has traditionally been assigned to the
Los Angeles-class for many years and
42
Left: USS Carl Vinson
took part in Operation
Desert Storm, Iraqi
Freedom and Southern
Watch. Picture US Navy
Below: USS Enterprise
and USS Eisenhower.
Picture US Navy
while some are still in service these boats
are gradually being replaced with the
Virginia-class. The Los Angeles-class was
designed almost exclusively for Carrier
Battlegroup escort. They are fast, quiet,
and can carry Tomahawk cruise missiles
and have been regarded as one of the most
advanced submarines in the world. At
one point, the US Navy had 51 nuclear
powered Los Angeles-class submarines
in service. Of these 16 were based with
the Pacific Fleet and 32 in the Atlantic
Fleet with three in maintenance. The first
was commissioned in 1976 and the ➽
USS Carl Vinson is usually based on west coast at San Diego. Picture US Navy

USS Abraham Lincoln is usually based at San Diego with Carl Vinson and Theodore Roosevelt. Picture US Navy

43 US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA

 CHAPTER 3

USS Gerald R. Ford – the new first of a new generation of carriers. Picture US Navy

latest of the class, the USS Cheyenne, was
commissioned in 1996. During Gulf War
One in 1991, a total of nine of the Los
Angeles-class submarines were deployed
in the Gulf escorting carriers and engaged
in land-attack missions.
Today, the Virginia-class, which first
entered service in 2004, is increasingly
taking the place of the Los Angeles
submarines in the carrier escort role.
Designed to meet a broad spectrum of
open-ocean and littoral missions. The US
Navy continues to build the next-generation
attack submarine, the Virginia (SSN
774), class. The Virginia-class has several
revolutionary innovations that significantly
enhance its warfighting capability. Virginia-
class SSNs have a fly-by-wire ship control
system that provides improved shallow-
water ship handling. The traditional
periscopes have been supplanted on the
Virginia-class by two photonics masts that
host visible and infrared digital cameras.
With the removal of the barrel periscopes,

USS Eisenhower has been in service since 1977. Picture US Navy

WAR AT SEA | US NAVY TODAY 44

USS George Washington carrier group. Picture US Navy
the ship’s control room has been moved
down one deck providing more room
and an improved layout that provides
the commanding officer with enhanced
situational awareness. The design of the
Virginia-class is state-of-the-art and will
be upgraded throughout its operational
life. As the submarine evolves, an upgrade
design has seen the introduction in the bow
area, where the traditional sonar sphere
has been replaced with a water-backed
Large Aperture Bow (LAB) array. The
new bow also replaces the 12 individual
Vertical Launch System (VLS) tubes with
two large-diameter 87in Virginia Payload
Firefighters on the USS Nimitz who are critical to the safe running of the flight
deck. Picture US Navy
Tubes (VPTs), each capable of launching six
Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The final member of the carrier group
is the supply class replenishment ship,
known as fast combat supply ships and
designated the AOE-class. These ships
need to keep pace with the carrier and
deliver replenishments at short notice. A
supply ship can carry more than 177,000
barrels of oil and aviation fuel; 2,150 tons
of ammunition; 500 tons of dry stores;
and 250 tons of refrigerated stores. It
receives petroleum products, ammunition
and stores from shuttle ships and then
redistributes these items simultaneously to
The operations room inside a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. Picture US Navy
45
carrier battle group ships. This reduces the
vulnerability of serviced ships by reducing
alongside time. These 48,000-tonne ships
can also carry two Sea Knight or two Sea
Hawk helicopters. Carriers can sometimes
have an Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG)
assigned to their command. This is more
likely to happen in a time of increased
tension or conflict. The ESG consists of
amphibious assault ships and transport
ships packed with US Marines as well as
assault helicopters and the new F-35B
(STOVL). While the ESG will sail close to
littoral to facilitate their assault mission,
the CSG will remain deep offshore ➽
US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA
 CHAPTER 3

Virginia-class attack submarine which forms part of the carrier strike group. Picture US Navy

US Navy support ship which travel with the carrier strike group. Picture US Navy

WAR AT SEA | US NAVY TODAY 52

The Ticonderoga cruisers currently support the carrier strike group. Picture US Navy

the same but there are subtle differences in maintenance requirements and crew own allocated toilets, otherwise known
between the Nimitz and Gerald R. Ford workload. This has enabled the crew size as the heads. There will be no urinals as
classes. Several sections have been altered to be cut to 2,600 compared to the Nimitz the toilets are gender-neutral. Modern
to improve aircraft handling, storage, force of more than 3,000. Ford’s total lounges and Wi-Fi systems are located
and flow, all in the service of increasing number of personnel including aircrew across the crew’s areas improving the
the sortie, flying, rate. The most visible and additional staff when deployed will off duty comforts for sailors. Life on
difference between the new Ford-class soar to 6,000. The large, 180-man living board a carrier is unique and runs on a
and the Nimitz vessels is the repositioning quarters on the Nimitz-class have been daily routine, which many sailors refer
of the island superstructure which on replaced by modern 40-bed departments. to as ‘work, eat, sleep repeat’. There are
the Ford-class is further at the stern of The new design provides smaller, quieter shops; cafes, this floating city has its
the carrier. The flag bridge, which was areas including less opportunity for own policemen, a postman and even an
previously accommodated in the carrier’s personnel to walk through the sleeping onboard laundry where sailors can put
island, has been relocated to a lower deck area. The bunks, known on US carriers their uniforms and civilian clothes for
in order to reduce the size of the island. as racks, are stacked three high with their washing. ■
The ship’s internal configuration and flight
deck designs have also changed. New
equipment in the command and control,
as well as planning and administration
areas, have allowed a reduction in space,
while the removal of one aircraft elevator
unit as well as the reduction of the number
of hangar bays from three to two.
The 102,000 tonne USS Gerald R. Ford
will be slightly bigger than its predecessor,
the Nimitz-class, 100,000 tonnes. The
Ford’s flight deck is a staggering 392.9
metres, long enough to park 21 London
buses end to end. The supercarrier has
a new nuclear reactor, top-secret stealth
features to reduce the ship’s radar profile
and the automation of systems and new
technologies will lead to a 30% reduction A graphic of a Virginia-class attack submarine firing a missile. Picture US Navy

53 US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA

 CHAPTER 4
The
SILENT
SERVICE
TODAY the US Navy’s submarine service is the fleet’s most powerful
combat capability. The ‘silent service’ operates across the globe and is
always in the forefront of any military action. America’s force includes
the Ohio-class, which carry the nuclear deterrent and an attack fleet,
currently delivered by the Los Angeles, Seawolf and Virginia subs. They
are able to submerge into the depths of the ocean for long periods,
stalk an adversary or remain in the shadows poised with their ballistic
nuclear weapons ready to protect America and NATO. Their work remains
secret and the public rarely knows anything about their deployments.

USS Texas, a Virginia nuclear attack submarine. Picture US Navy
WAR AT SEA | US NAVY TODAY
T
he 14 Ohio boats are armed with
the strategic ballistic missile
system, called Trident, and are
categorised as Sub Surface Ballistic
Nuclear (SSBN). They are the largest boats
ever built in the US and the 18,700-tonne
Ohio boats carry more missiles than
Russian’s new Borei-class of so called
super-subs. Armed with 24 Trident
nuclear missiles, each with 12 warheads
and a range of 4,600 miles, the Ohio-class
also includes four non-Trident boats in
the Sub Surface Cruise Missile (SSGN)
role – carrying 22 tubes each with seven
Tomahawk totalling 154 missiles. They
also have the role of supporting naval
special operations.
Initial plans to maintain a fleet of 18
SSBNs was adjusted to 14 in respect of a
nuclear agreement between Russia and
America to limit nuclear weapons and
strategic missile submarines. It was signed
in 2002 and capped the number of boats
54
at 14. The Pentagon made the decision
to re-role four of the Ohio submarines to
conventionally armed nuclear-powered
cruise missile submarines (SSGNs) and in
September 2002, USS Ohio, USS Michigan,
USS Florida USS and Georgia were listed
for conversion. The submarines were fitted
to carry up to 154 Tomahawk TLAM
(land attack) or Tactical Tomahawk (block
IV) missiles. The submarines were also
adapted to provide greater support to
special operations with accommodation
for 102 special forces troops and their
specialist underwater vehicles. Today, Right:
the Ohio SSGNs provide a vital role Construction
in allowing the US Navy’s Seals teams of the new
to regular deploy at readiness aboard Virginia-class
submarines across the globe. of attack
The US Navy’s specialist Sea, Air and submarines.
Land (SEAL) teams are commonly known Picture US Navy
as Navy Seals. They are the fleet’s primary
special operations force who as their name Below: USS
suggests can deploy from the air, from the Florida a
sea and across the land. Operating in small guided missile
teams they are part of the US Navy and are Ohio-class
administered by the Naval Special Warfare submarine.
Command. Trained to operate in the Picture US Navy
jungle, urban, desert and mountainous ➽

55 US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA

 CHAPTER 4

Crew men at the helm of the

USS Ohio. Picture US Navy

units support Seal operations around the

A Seawolf-class attack submarine at speed on the surface. Picture US Navy
WAR AT SEA | US NAVY TODAY
world where they often rely on nuclear
attack boats delivering them.
Carrying the nuclear deterrent, the
Ohio-class submarines have been
specifically designed for extended
deterrent patrols. From the time they
leave port to their return, only a handful
of senior officers onboard know where
the submarine is. The north Atlantic and
Pacific are believed to be regular haunts
for the Ohio subs where they quietly sit
with their ballistic payloads. They can
be at seas for as long as four months and
with their nuclear power source, they can
stay submerged for months – the only
constraint being the amount of food they
carry. To increase the time in port for crew
turnover and replenishment, three large
logistics hatches are fitted to provide large
diameter resupply and repair openings.
These hatches allow sailors to transfer
supply pallets, equipment replacement ➽
58
An Ohio SSGN with special operations module which carries underwater vehicles for special Operations. Picture US Navy

59 US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA

 CHAPTER 4
while those of the Atlantic Fleet is at
King’s Bay, Georgia.
The Ohio-class is planned to be replaced
by the future Columbia-class. The first
submarine is expected to enter service
in the late 2020s. Its design includes the
removal of the barrel periscopes, the
ship’s control room has been moved
down one deck and away from the hull’s
curvature, affording it more room and
an improved layout that provides the
commanding officer with enhanced
situational awareness. The first submarine
was ordered in October 2020 and pending
design approval is scheduled to enter
service in 2031. It is expected that the first
of class design will be upgraded as more
Columbia vessels are built. The first two
subs will be named USS Columbia and
USS Wisconsin.
The US Navy also operates three classes
of attack submarines — Los Angeles,
Seawolf and Virginia. These subs, listed as
Sub Surface Nuclear (SSN) are designed
to hunt and destroy enemy submarines.
When deployed they are in effect
‘underwater microphones’ with their
A Seahawk helicopter carries out a sea transfer with an attack submarine. Picture US Navy
WAR AT SEA | US NAVY TODAY
systems permanently listening for unusual
sub-surface noise. Advanced sonar
systems operators listen for ‘contacts’
– which may be suspected submarines –
often as far as 12 miles away. To ensure
that they remain ‘silent’ equipment and
machinery is mounted on springs and
at times when the sub is chasing an
adversary personnel will be directed to
‘go quiet’ and avoid making noise. The
interior design is cramped corridors and
rooms are bathed in fluorescent light and
space is limited. All air is re-cycled and
if one person gets a cold it often spreads
through the crew. Emergency drills are
carried out to train in case of a collision
at sea, as well as exercises to counter a fire
onboard – a submariners’ worst nightmare
when submerged at sea.
Those who serve in these black monsters
of the deep are part of a special club.
After training, recruits are awarded
their Dolphin wings which are worn
on their uniform and identify them as
submariners. Crews aboard US Navy
nuclear submarines have their own
language with overalls worn by personnel
62
known as a ‘poopie suit’. The rubbish bin
is not the basic arrangement enjoyed
at home. Aboard a submarine, it is a
mechanical robot which crushes and
stores waste called the TDU or trash
disposal unit. The superstructure often
called the conning tower in films is known
as the ‘sail’. While the crew have no direct
contact with families, they do sometimes
receive short radio messages from home
they refer to as ‘familygrams’ and the
senior enlisted person onboard is known
as the COB or chief of the boat. Those on
the bombers or boomers receive very little
contact with the outside world. Women
can serve in all areas of the US Navy and
the first female submariner to serve at sea
joined the USS Ohio in June 2012.
As well as their primary task of engaging
and destroying enemy vessels, the attack
boats support on-shore operations,
escort carrier groups and carrying out
surveillance. The 6,900 tonne Los Angeles-
class carries Tomahawk land-attack
cruise missiles and MK-48 torpedoes.
The first of class joined the fleet in 1976
with the older vessels being retired. The
US Navy nuclear attack submarine at the North Pole. Picture US Navy
for intelligence gathering and special
operation forces missions. The Virginia-
class also has vertical launch tubes for
firing its land-attack Tomahawk missiles.
Virginia-class submarines are currently
being built at an approximate rate of one
per year, but their introduction rate will
likely depend in part on the retirement
rates of the older Los Angeles-class vessels.
Today, the attack submarine force
has a vital role as Russia upgrades its
submarine forces and improves its missile
capabilities, at a time when relations
between Moscow and NATO are fragile.
American warships leaving the East Coast
must now consider the Atlantic Ocean as
a contested area, according to senior US
Navy officer. Speaking in early 2020 Vice
Admiral Andrew ‘Woody’ Lewis said the
naval battlespace is changing. He said:
“Our new reality is that when our sailors
toss the lines over and set sail, they can
expect to be operating in a contested space
once they leave Norfolk. Our ships can no
longer expect to operate in a safe haven
on the East Coast or merely cross the
Atlantic unhindered to operate in another
location. We have seen an ever-increasing
number of Russian submarines deployed
in the Atlantic, and these submarines are
more capable than ever, deploying for
longer periods, with more lethal weapons
systems.”
During the Cold War, covert missions
often resulted in US and Russian
submarines vessels stalking each other –
sometimes just metres away from their
prey. In 2020, submarine commanders
undergo detailed training to learn how to
shadow an adversary and avoid a collision.
Submarine operations are inherently
dangerous, all sub-surface movements
are made by the navigator and senior
officers reading a sonar map and, in
some areas, huge underwater un-mapped
mountains can present a serious hazard.
But a submarine on submarine accident is
still the most feared incident. In the early
1990s, the Los Angeles-class submarine
USS Baton Rouge was in collision with a
Russian boat, a Sierra-class vessel called
the Kostroma, during a surveillance
patrol near Severomorsk, the home port
of the Russian nuclear fleet. The incident
happened on 11 February 1992, just 12
miles from the Russian shoreline. Exactly
how the two submarines collided has
never been revealed but reports suggest
65
that the USS Baton Rouge was behind the
Kostroma and the Russian sub surfaced
hitting the Baton Rouge. At the time it was
claimed that the US submarine received
little damage – but in September 1993 the
attack submarine was taken out of service.
However, what was clear was the fact that
the US vessel had been able to sit just
miles off Russia’s most sensitive nuclear
submarine base.
In January 2005, the Los Angeles-
class submarine USS San Francisco, was
submerged on a routine transit when it
collided with an ‘uncharted’ undersea
seamount, about 350 miles south of
Guam. The crash caused extensive damage
resulting in one member of the crew dying
and 97 sailors being injured. The collision
with the seamount was so severe that the
submarine nearly sank, after the boat’s
ballast tanks were ruptured. As well as
sub-surface collisions leaving or entering
port in heavy seas can be dangerous. The
worst incident recorded in the US Navy
took place in late December 2006. As
the USS Minneapolis/Saint Paul, a Los
Angeles-class submarine, was moving in
Plymouth Sound, England. Four members
of the crew on the casing deck were ➽
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 CHAPTER 4
USS Florida on the surface. Picture US Navy
In 2020, nuclear attack submarines
sit in the Mediterranean listening to
communications chatter inside Syria, they
shadow Russian subs in the High North,
across the Atlantic and monitor every
move the Chinese and North Koreans
make. The US Navy has a powerful force,
but North Korea sits at the top of the
A crewman carries out routine exercise to check potential missile fuel leak. Picture US Navy
WAR AT SEA | US NAVY TODAY
submarine league with the most vessels
– 83 in total. China is second with 74
and the United States has 66 – four more
than Russia. Beijing operates the Jin-class
ballistic missiles submarines, as well as
nuclear attack boats and conventionally
powered diesel subs. As well as the vast
Pacific Ocean, China is reported to deploy
68
three submarines in the South China Sea
on constant patrol. Little is known about
China’s real submarine capability. But in
2006, US Navy commanders were shocked
when a Chinese submarine surfaced in the
middle of a naval exercise in the Pacific
which involved the USS Kitty Hawk – a
1,000ft supercarrier with 4,500 personnel
on board. By the time it surfaced the
160ft Song-Class diesel-electric attack
submarine is understood to have sailed
within viable range for launching
torpedoes or missiles at the carrier.
The incident was the first operational
indication of the growing capability of
China’s fast-growing submarine fleet. But
within a year, senior US Navy submarine
commanders claimed that new systems
and sensors introduced to American
subs gave them the future edge. North
Korea is regarded as delivering quantity,
not quality and maintains a mainly
diesel-electric force. But North Korea is
currently building its first Ballistic Missile
Submarine, called the Gorae-class, with
reports that there are plans to build a fleet
of ten. The US Navy’s capability remains
ahead of most countries and while China
displays force it is unclear if Beijing’s boats
can operate at depth and remain hidden.
The ’silent service’ remain number one. ■
US Navy Los Angeles-class submarine
USS Albuquerque. Picture US Navy

69 US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA

 The traditional large-scale amphibious
landings have passed. Picture US Navy

impose its self-appointed sovereignty of

Paracel and Spratly islands and the main
navigational passage of the South China
Sea between Vietnam, the Philippines
and Indonesia. In the 21st Century the
challenge for the US Marines is being
ready to counter China while being ready
to respond to a wide range of global
threats. Russia continues to test the
West and ignore internal law sending its
military forces to seize the Crimea 2014 –
in a move to expand the influence of the
Russian Federation and proclaim authority
in the Black Sea. In the Middle East,
non-state actors, operating as proxy forces
for Iran, have demonstrated their ability
to attack shipping in the coastal waters
of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the
Strait of Hormuz which have the potential
to spark the region into conflict. The
Armoured vehicles being prepared for deployment ashore. Picture US Navy past two decades have seen an increase
in incidents within coastal areas around
Africa, Asia and the Middle East, which is
also influencing security in the littoral. In
October 2000, the USS Cole was attacked,
while on a fuel stop at the port Aden when
a boat-borne suicide bomber rammed the
vessel killing 17 sailors. More recently,
attacks have been made on oil tankers in
the Gulf, while Iranian forces in the region
have attacked Saudi and Emirati naval
ships in the Red Sea.
The US Marines can call on the immense
resources of the Marine Air-Ground
Task Force (MAGTF). This organisation
delivers assets, which include the Marine
Expeditionary Units (MEUs) which are
stationed aboard ships of the US Navy’s
Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). The
US Marines fire anti-tank missile. Picture US Navy MEU includes a Ground Combat ➽
71 US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA
 Above: Marines take part in realistic training in Arizona. Picture US Navy

Right: Marines board a ship during Maritime Interdiction training.

Picture US Navy

Below left: The large assault ships will be replaced with smaller littoral
strike vessels. Picture US Navy

Below right: Marines are employed on Maritime Interdiction tasks in

the Gulf. Picture US Navy

command known as Marine Force Pacific
(MARFORPAC). The force, the biggest
deployed outside the United States, is
based in Hawaii and takes part in regular
‘partner exercises’ with Japan and South
Korean forces. In a move to raise their
profile, the marines spend five months
every year working with the Australian
Defence forces in Darwin. Called the
Marine Rotational Force – Darwin. The
marines are based at Robertson Barracks
and Royal Australian Air Force Base
Darwin.
The future vision was revealed in
March 2020, when US Marine Corps
Commandant General David Berger
released his vision which lays out a
striking new concept for the US Marines.
General Berger wants a smaller more
agile force capable of countering China’s

increasing military strength in the Pacific.

His plan is based around a total re-shaping
of the marines’ order of battle to allow it to
operate inside the future contested space
in the littoral, the coastal region. Speaking
at the announcement of the way forward,
the General said: “I am convinced that
the defining attributes of our current
force design are no longer what the
nation requires of the Marine Corps. ➽
73 US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA
 CHAPTER 5
“The comprehensive report adds that
‘our current force design, optimized for
large-scale amphibious forcible entry and
sustained operations ashore, has persisted
unchanged in its essential inspiration
since the 1950s. We must acknowledge
the impacts of proliferated precision
long-range fires, mines, and other smart
weapons, and seek innovative ways to
overcome these threat capabilities.”
The General argues that future
adversaries, namely China, are developing
weapons and system that will enhance
their ability to contest and even deny
access to the maritime domain, the area
where the United States has long held
unchallenged superiority. Amphibious
operations need to break into this Marines on the firing range. Picture US Navy
contested space, the littoral, in order to
deliver strike forces. In many areas of investment in expeditionary long-range while the broad range of skills has served
the world, this may still be possible, but precision missile systems for the marines the marines well the specific functions
in the Pacific, it is clear that China is as well as long-range air-defence systems. of armour and artillery should be the
developing and fielding new access area The marines also want new state-of-the- domain of the army, not the marines.
denial systems and long-range hypersonic art electronic warfare, cyber and drone The marines according to Berger needs
missiles to ‘own’ the littoral and deny entry capabilities which will allow them to shape firepower to break into the littoral,
to these areas. Big ships will be vulnerable and command the battlespace. aviation to protect and deliver the force
to attack and the days of amphibious In the past, the marines have operated along with new and low-profile assault
assaults which put large numbers of troops a force which can deliver an ‘army’ of vessels. Now in its move towards a light
across the beach are over. To prepare resources from heavy armour to artillery ‘strike’ force, there is a realisation that
for the future challenges the plan seeks and engineers. Senior officers feel that they must retire legacy equipment such ➽

Marines take a break during

training. Picture US Navy

WAR AT SEA | US NAVY TODAY 74

Marines aboard an assault ship rehearse fast roping skills. Picture US Navy

Marines advance during wargames. Picture US Navy

75 US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA

83 US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA

Above: Badge of the US Navy.
Picture US Navy
Left: American carriers deliver global
capability. Picture US Navy
Below: The carriers provide floating airfields
anywhere in the world. Picture US Navy
P
resident Xi Jinping’s investment
in his armed forces, particularly
the Navy, is aimed at making the
country a global military superpower. In
the past decade Beijing has commissioned
new submarines and surface combatants
into the red fleet, routinely deploying
warships into the East China Sea, north
of Taiwan. There is no sign that China’s
expansionism will not stop. Beijing is
striving to be the economic superpower
of Asia and is using its military power to
project political influence.
In just over two decades, the People’s
Liberation Army (PLA), the Chinese
military, has mustered one of the largest
blue water fleets in the world. This
increased Chinese firepower at sea,
supported by a missile force that Beijing
claims outclasses America’s capability,
has changed the dynamics in the Pacific.
The PLA navy now has the world’s biggest
fleet. It is also growing faster than any
other major navy.
The US Navy has military bases in
the Philippines and Hawaii, as well as
regional allies and in the past decade
has forged new nation partnerships with
nations across the Pacific-Rim in a move
to maintain regional stability. China has
raised the political and military stakes
by rolling out hypersonic long-range
missiles which can strike US bases in the
region forcing Washington to rethink its
85
military strategy in the Far East. China’s
military spending has focussed on the
procurement of anti-area access denial
systems, known as A2/AD, long-range
missiles systems and training its military
forces to be able to counter any threat
from US forces operating close to China’s
coast. Today, Beijing’s naval acceleration
has forced Washington to increase its
military spending to maintain current and
future capabilities. Geo-political tensions
in the Far East have constantly flared in
the region where America and its allies
rely on access to international sea-lanes
in the Pacific for vital maritime trade
across Asia – much of the exports from
China. As well as the US its allies rely
on the region for trade. To secure trade
routes and protect its bases, Washington
regularly deploys warships into the region.
Over the next five years Britain, Australia
and the Netherlands will support a series
of naval exercises in the Pacific with the
carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth expected to
be in the Far East in 2021.
In 2020, the Pentagon sees China as
its main adversary and is directing its
military energy and planning towards
increased capability, across the Pacific to
counter President Xi Jinping’s growing
super-power aspirations. For the United
States, this involves a bigger presence in
the region and the deployment of more
warships, marines and precision strike ➽
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US Marines armoured assault vehicles may be vulnerable to attack in the littoral. Picture US Navy

Both the United States and China are

embarked on projects to generate the
big powerful fleets, but as technology
develops, the outcome is likely to see
both countries become more reliant on
artificial intelligence and unmanned
platforms which can be designed,
developed and delivered at speed. The US
Navy currently has eleven carriers while
China’s People Liberation Navy has two,
the Liaoning which entered service in
2012 and the Shandong, the nation’s first
fully indigenously built carrier, entered
service in December 2019. But both
ships lack catapult technology and rely
on a ski-ramp take off with an embarked
force of just 40 aircraft each. China has
the manpower to build and is rapidly The marines are upgrading their helicopters for future operations. Picture US Navy
retiring older, single-mission warships in
favour of larger, new multi-mission vessels of a new class of amphibious assault. It conflict. But funding a 500-ship US
equipped with advanced anti-ship, anti-air is understood to be slightly smaller than Navy will mean sacrifices with potential
and anti-submarine systems, sensors and the America class with a displacement of savings being made in the reduction of big
command-and-control networks. Beijing 35,000 tonnes. assault ships and even the costly carrier
is aiming to build two more carriers in the By comparison, US Navy aircraft carriers fleet – with observers suggesting the
next six years. China is introducing new are nuclear powered with unlimited power numbers of Gerald R Ford-class carriers
attack submarines and ballistic missile and endless endurance compared to a could be reduced. But cuts to the aircraft
boats armed with anti-ship cruise missiles, conventionally powered ship. They have carriers would risk a political backlash.
wire-guided and wake-homing torpedoes, on average an air group of 60 aircraft and For generations the carriers have been
and mines. Beijing’s new Jin-class (SSBN) a catapult system which allows them to the power projecting platforms of US
boats are expected to be armed with 12 launch aircraft with much bigger weapons foreign policy and a drop in numbers
JL-2 nuclear-armed ballistic missiles. It is payloads. Equally the F-35 is allegedly would impact on the Navy’s Carrier Strike
building a new Renhai-class cruiser and un-matched by any aircraft in the world Group readiness. This currently requires
new corvettes, the Jiangdao-class. The giving the United States the potential to the permanent presence of a carrier in the
Chinese Navy has also launched the first quickly secure the airspace of any future Pacific and another in the Middle East
WAR AT SEA | US NAVY TODAY 90
 CHAPTER 6
the world’s biggest naval exercise in the
Pacific aimed at maintaining security and
stability. Called Exercise Rim of the Pacific
it first took place in 1971 and on average
involves 25 nations including Canada, the
UK and Netherlands. The multinational
exercise is typically held for six weeks from
June to August involves live firings serials,
amphibious assaults and aviation missions.
Officially it is held to increase allied
understanding, but unofficially it is sending
a political statement to China of unity
and military power in the region, should
Beijing consider military intervention
against Taiwan or any other country in
the area. During the exercises, new long-
Left: A US Navy support
ship is sunk during
exercises. Picture US
Navy
Below: The US Navy
carry out regular naval
exercises with Thailand.
Picture US Navy
range weapons are regularly tested against
legacy warships retired from service.
Before being transported for participation
in what is called a sink exercise, each
vessel is put through a rigorous cleaning
process, including the removal of all liquid
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from
transformers and capacitors. Any floatable
materials, mercury or fluorocarbon-
containing materials, and readily
detachable solid PCB items are removed
and fuel is cleaned from tanks, piping, and
reservoirs. The sinking is filmed and often
broadcast by regional media companies,
again reinforcing the joint capability of the
Pacific nations.
Today’s relationship between China and
the US is described as being ‘toxic’ and in
‘freefall’. The pandemic has seen Washington
and other countries blame China for the
spread of the Covid-19 disease.
There is a clear view in the Pentagon
that an increasingly coercive China wants
to drive US military forces out of the
Indo-Pacific. China’s apparent strategy to
control the Pacific with its naval forces is
backed up by Beijing’s aggressive approach
to the United States. But Beijing’s tactic

WAR AT SEA | US NAVY TODAY 94

 Above: A near collision with a Chinese
warship increased tension in the region.
Picture US Navy
Right: A CH-53 Sea Stallion used to ferry
marines ashore. Picture US Navy
seems at odds with its economic aims.
The region sees hundreds of cargo ships
transiting back and forth from the west
every day – often loaded with Chinese
exports heading for Europe. Beijing’s
policy to ‘police’ the Pacific and exclude
the United States, which has sovereign
island in the area on Hawaii appears
confrontational.
China’s challenge is identifying new
sources to build its economy and feed its
growing population and if Beijing isolates
itself the pending wealth of the Dragon
could be quelled in the next decade. Such
a scenario would risk forcing China to
mount an intervention into Taiwan and
by default sparking a wider conflict. In
October 2020, Chinese President Xi
95
Jinping called on his troops to ‘put all
minds and energy on preparing for war’.
The worrying comments came during a
visit to a military base in the southern
province of Guangdong. His comments
are believed to have been related to
Taiwan, which days earlier had secured a
major missile deal with the United States.
China appears increasingly isolated and ➽
Flight deck crew fit weapons during
exercises in the Far East. Picture US Navy
US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA
Amphibious operations are
a vital part of US policy in
the Pacific. Picture US Navy

97 US NAVY TODAY | WAR AT SEA