SURFACE NAVY FOCUS

Crisis of Confidence By Rear Admiral William Houley, USN (Ret.); and Rear Admiral James Stark, USN (Ret.) - Two retired flag officers experienced in the acquisition process say the Navy needs to change the way it buys and builds ships. 

Arctic Melt: Reopening a Naval Frontier? By Rear Admiral David Gove, USN - The Oceanographer/Navigator of the Navy says the shrinking polar ice cap is creating serious national security concerns. 

The Navy Can Handle the Truth: Creative Friction without Conflict By Lieutenant Commander Claude G. Berube, USNR - The blogosphere has opened a relatively smooth avenue for the exchange of ideas among Navy professionals.

The Commanders Respond - Chiefs of 37 navies from around the world answer the question: What is the most significant maritime security threat facing your nation, and how do your sea services address this challenge?

Welcome China to the Fight Against Pirates By Andrew S. Erickson, and Lieutenant Justin D. Mikolay, USN - The anti-piracy deployment of the People’s Liberation Army Navy of China to the Gulf of Aden represents the dawn of a new era.
 

Education and Training Spotlight

How to Make Mentoring Work By W. Brad Johnson and Gene Andersen - Mentors are important in the development of junior members of the armed forces. Should mentoring be made mandatory?

It’s Time for the Navy to Get into the Game! By Captain Mark Woolley, USN -The Army is effectively using video games to attract and train new recruits. The Navy should, too.
 

On the Verge of a Game-Changer By Andrew S. Erickson and David D. Yang - Do the Chinese have a ballistic missile capable of destroying the major components of a U.S. aircraft carrier? Probably not—yet.

‘We May Be Only Halfway Through This War’ An Interview with Thomas E. Ricks - The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan get a critical assessment from the long-time defense reporter and best-selling author.

A Digital Edition of the May issue is available for current members to view.

Submarine Warfare

An Undersea Deterrent? By Andrew S. Erickson and Michael Chase - China is apparently refocusing beneath the surface with its investment in nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines.

Why Does Brazil Need Nuclear Submarines? By Paul D. Taylor - The answer to this question is elusive. It probably has more to do with politics and economics than naval strategy.  
 

The Contested Commons By Michèle Flournoy and Shawn Brimley - The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and an OSD strategist are focusing on the sea, the air, space, and cyberspace. 

Adapting the Force to the Fight: Naval Special Warfare By Captain John J. Burnham, USN - Attention to irregular warfare operations, which currently lie at the heart of Naval Special Warfare, is unlikely to shift soon. 

Coast Guard Issue

Heavy Weather Ahead for the Coast Guard By Captain Jim Howe, USCG (Ret.) and Lieutenant Jim Dolbow, USCGR - Aging cutters, budgets stretched too thin, and ever-expanding requirements are pushing the service to a moment of truth. 

To Fight and Save By Lieutenant Craig Allen Jr., USCG - Commandant Admiral Thad Allen’s mandate for Coast Guard men and women to embrace a Guardian Ethos faces some hurdles. 
 

It Takes A Carrier: Naval Aviation and the Hybrid Fight By Rear Admiral Terry B. Kraft, USN - This longtime naval aviator would rather not have his tactical aircraft deployed on a foreign land base with a target on its back. 

Getting Inside their Heads By Art Pine - Intense combat experiences and multiple tours appear to have joined post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury as causes for behavioral problems in vets. 

Homeland Security Focus:

‘What Our Department Is All About’ An Interview with Janet Napolitano - The Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security talks about H1N1, agency interaction, and the Coast Guard’s future.

Disorder on the Border By David J. Danelo - Violence fueled by drug cartels threatens commerce across the U.S.-Mexico border and terrorizes the population on both sides.

MARINE CORPS ISSUE

Where’s the Special Trust and Confidence? By Captain Brian Donlon, USMC - The “administrative thick-headedness” cited in Colonel Robert D. Heinl’s seminal 1956 Proceedings article is alive and well.

Plus Afghanistan: Connecting Assumptions and Strategy By Colonel T. X. Hammes, USMC (Ret.), Major William S. McCallister, USA (Ret.), and Colonel John M. Collins, USA (Ret.) - In its ongoing discussions about this war, President Obama’s national security team should consider a new set of assumptions.

SIMULATION & TRAINING SPOTLIGHT

Simulation: The (Almost) Real Thing By Art Pine - Simulators are keeping pace with the latest technology and are becoming less the exception than the rule in military training.

Plus! Mahan’s Lingering GhostBy James R. Holmes and Toshi Yoshihara - The master maritime strategist’s logic and operational grammar of more than a century ago still have applications today.