Pete Pagano | U.S. Naval Institute

Captain Pete Pagano, U.S. Navy (Retired), a retired surface warfare officer, commanded the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group as commodore of Amphibious Squadron 4. Prior to that, he commanded USS Carr (FFG-52). He served in five other ships at sea and ashore in a variety of joint and Navy operations and training assignments.

Articles by Pete Pagano

The USS Laboon (DDG-58) departs in support of Operation Prosperity Guardian. Operation Prosperity Guardian, the current operation in the Red Sea, could borrow aspects of Earnest Will and expand on that model to deliver on the stated mission aims.

Go All in to Reopen the Red Sea

By Captain Pete Pagano, U.S. Navy (Retired)

September 2024

Defeating the Houthi antishipping campaign in the Red Sea and fully reopening that vital sea lane will require more than air-defense picket ships operating in a self-defense mode.

The USS Indianapolis (LCS-17) sails with unmanned surface vessels in the Arabian Gulf. Rather than decommissioning the littoral combat ships, the Navy should install the lethality and survivability upgrades that have been proposed.

Get on with the LCS Upgrades

By Captain Pete Pagano, U.S. Navy (Retired)

August 2024

Rather than discarding the littoral combat ships, the Navy should install the lethality and survivability upgrades that have been proposed for the class.

U.S. Marines approach a landing area in a CB-90 during Exercise Archipelago Endeavor with the Swedish Armed Forces in 2021. The Navy and Marine Corps should consider procuring and employing the Swedish Combat Boat 90 (CB-90) or similar craft for amphibious operations as an integral component of the Navy–Marine Corps amphibious team.

The Marine Corps Must Still Prepare for Opposed Landings

By Captain Pete Pagano, U.S. Navy (Retired)

September 2023

The CB-90 should be used in forcible entry operations.

Seabees

The EPF Should Be the Permanent Light Amphibious Warship

By Captain Pete Pagano, U.S. Navy (Retired)

April 2023

A light amphibious warship derived from the expeditionary fast transport design could deliver anything in the Marine Corps inventory, at speed and shore-to-shore.

Marines

Sharpen the Amphibious Squadron’s Tactical Edge

By Captain Pete Pagano, U.S. Navy (Retired)

November 2022

Amphibious squadron commanders and their staffs have little time to focus on honing the skills necessary to conduct amphibious operations and tactically fight their ships at sea.

USNS Tippecanoe (T-AO-199)

Use the Gator Navy for Combat Logistics

By Captain Pete Pagano, U.S. Navy (Retired)

July 2022

The Military Sealift Command’s (MSC’s) civilian manned, unarmed combat logistics force (CLF) fleet can't be used to move supplies into contested zones.

USS Billings (LCS-15)

Operate LCS Like the Rest of the Fleet

By Captain Pete Pagano, U.S. Navy (Retired)

September 2021

Littoral combat ships need to be fully integrated into fleet operations. This will require single crews and two flag-level LCS groups.

V-22 Osprey

The CVL’s Time Has Come

By Captain Pete Pagano, U.S. Navy (Retired)

September 2021

The Navy could quickly field a class of CVLs and an air wing at an acceptable cost to meet the challenge of a rising global maritime adversary.

Visual communications such as Morse code flashing light when paired with available technology could be used to direct and control naval forces at sea without compromising electromagnetic signatures or in a communications-denied environment.

Visual Comms Is Worth Another Look

By Captain Pete Pagano, U.S. Navy (Retired)

June 2020

With the return of great power competition and the possibility of fighting in a communications-denied or -degraded environment, visual communications enhanced with existing technology is worth another look.

SWOs on bridge

SWO Professionalism Starts with a Solid Knowledge Base

By Captain Pete Pagano, U.S. Navy (Retired)

September 2019

Recent reforms to initial surface warfare officer training still come up short in quantity and quality.

USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8) conducts an early morning Replenishment at Sea with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and USS Anzio (CG-68).

Organize Combat Logistics for the High-End Fight

By Captain Pete Pagano, U.S. Navy (Retired)

May 2019

The Combat Logistics Force must be able to defend itself and absorb losses.

2003 missile exercise conducted by the USS Vicksburg (CG-69), Roosevelt (DDG-80), Carney (DDG-64), and The Sullivans (DDG-68)

Have We Forgotten How to Fight?

By Captain Pete Pagano, U.S. Navy (Retired)

February 2018

Warfighting capabilities have been in decline since the Soviet Union imploded. This condition must be reversed.