The Origins and Development of a Cooperative Strategy for 21St Century Seapower (2015) Peter Swartz, William Rosenau and Hannah Kates
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The Origins and Development of A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower (2015) Peter Swartz, William Rosenau and Hannah Kates September 2017 Cleared for Public Release DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited. This document contains the best opinion of CNA at the time of issue. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of the sponsor. Distribution DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release: distribution unlimited. SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: N00014-16-D-5003 9/18/2017 Request additional copies of this document through [email protected]. Photography Credit: The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) stands by as plane guard for the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) as the sun sets over the horizon. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joshua Scott. Approved by: September 2017 Dr. Eric V. Thompson, Director and VP Center for Strategic Studies Copyright © 2017 CNA Executive Summary This study describes and analyzes the origins, creation, announcement, and dissemination of the U.S. Navy–Marine Corps–Coast Guard Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower: Forward, Engaged, Ready (CS21R), published in March 2015. It also describes reactions to the document’s publication, and provides a series of conclusions, observations, and recommendations derived from the initial description and analysis. Its emphasis throughout is mostly on the Navy, although the document was a tri-service effort signed by the heads of the three U.S. sea services, with a signed preface by the U.S. Secretary of the Navy. This paper begins by exploring the underlying rationales for the revision, and particularly, the changes in the international security environment and the post–Iraq War climate of fiscal restraint. It goes on to discuss the terms of reference (TOR) for the revision effort; the roles of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) and his staff, and the Naval War College (NWC); multiservice collaboration; and the impact of budget sequestration and the concomitant drafting and publication of the national defense policy and other Navy documents on the process. The paper then considers the evolution of some of the central tenets of the strategy, questions surrounding the multiple audiences for the document, and staff turnover. It also summarizes the most salient issues debated by the drafters of CS21R while crafting the document. After describing the public rollout of the revised strategy in March 2015, the paper goes on to discuss the revision’s reception in the services, the Washington policy community, and overseas. The paper concludes by drawing together some insights regarding the Navy’s strategy development processes and outcomes; highlighting some “lessons observed” by key participants in the effort; and endorsing the recommendations of some earlier, related studies. Appendices enable the reader to review the key players in this evolution, as well as identify those whom the study authors corresponded with and interviewed. i This page intentionally left blank. ii Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 Admiral Greenert and the revision of the U.S. Navy’s strategy ................................... 1 Study purpose and approach .............................................................................................. 3 Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 4 Approach ......................................................................................................................... 5 Strategy and the U.S. Navy ........................................................................................... 6 Maritime strategy and the Navy .................................................................................. 7 Acronym conventions ................................................................................................... 8 The CS21R Story .................................................................................................................... 9 The changing global security environment and the Navy’s role ................................. 9 Terms of reference .............................................................................................................. 11 Bryan McGrath’s advice ............................................................................................... 11 The TORs ....................................................................................................................... 12 Who was the audience? ............................................................................................... 15 Keeping pace with the CNO .............................................................................................. 16 International engagement and security cooperation ............................................ 20 The CNO and naval forward presence ..................................................................... 21 Presence, engagement, and the CNO........................................................................ 22 Making the time for N51 and for strategy .............................................................. 22 Naval War College ............................................................................................................... 25 “Classified Annex" ....................................................................................................... 27 Handover: OPNAV N51 takes the lead ............................................................................ 27 The NSP .......................................................................................................................... 29 N00Z ................................................................................................................................ 30 Pivoting to Asia: the CNO’s strategy article ............................................................ 31 CNA ................................................................................................................................. 32 Multi-service collaboration ................................................................................................ 33 The Navy and the Marine Corps ................................................................................ 34 The Navy and the Coast Guard ................................................................................. 36 Sequestration, the QDR, and delay .................................................................................. 37 Not the only game in town ......................................................................................... 40 RDML Smith’s articles ................................................................................................. 41 iii Staff turnover and revising the “refresh” ............................................................... 41 Building the final team ................................................................................................ 44 2014: Driving toward the endgame ................................................................................. 46 VADM Howard and “naming names” ....................................................................... 46 The Current Strategy Forum ...................................................................................... 47 RADM Foggo’s briefing ............................................................................................... 47 Issues and constructs ......................................................................................................... 49 Issues .............................................................................................................................. 49 Constructing the construct ........................................................................................ 53 Another candidate construct: The “six themes” .................................................... 55 Yet another construct: “Six programmatic priorities” ......................................... 56 N51B’s views.................................................................................................................. 56 Home stretch ........................................................................................................................ 58 Navy reviews: Greybeards, Booz Allen, Wikistrat, flag officers .......................... 58 Tri-service agreement and the U.S. Naval Institute ............................................... 59 Combined Seapower: U.S. Navy–Royal Navy cooperation .................................... 60 Finalizing the document ............................................................................................. 61 New national strategy and a new SECDEF at the 11th hour ................................ 62 Getting the word out .......................................................................................................... 63 Planning the rollout ..................................................................................................... 63 Rollout ............................................................................................................................ 63 Follow-through ............................................................................................................. 64 Resurrection