US Navy Faces ‘Great Power’ (Think Russia and China) Threats at Sea

Brian Slattery, Mary Monica Allen

Security,

Is America's Navy really big enough to get the job done? 

One of the greatest challenges to American interests abroad is in keeping the world’s oceans open to commerce and activity. From Russia dominating the Black Sea to China constructing man-made islands in the South China Sea, it is apparent the U.S. Navy must be prepared for growing threats.

“For the first time in 25 years, the Navy is facing a return to great power competition at sea.”

This was how Rear Adm. Michael C. Manazir, deputy chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Systems, assessed the maritime security environment at a recent hearing on aviation readiness before the House Armed Services Committee. And while he expressed confidence that the U.S. Navy will continue to meet this challenge in the near future, the long-term outlook will be more concerning if the sea service does not receive more robust funding for rebuilding and maintaining its fleet.

Manazir presented a multifaceted initiative to sustain the Navy’s global presence that protects U.S. citizens and interests around the world, with an eye toward continuing the success of the Optimized Fleet Response Plan.

The Navy developed the plan in recent years to mitigate shortfalls in the fleet while preserving the readiness of each vessel and crew. As Manazir explained, this plan allowed the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group to successfully deploy to the Middle East this year.

The Truman carrier strike group returned from an eight-month deployment on July 13 after its air wing dropped 1,598 bombs and logged 20,788 flight hours, both records for carrier strike group operations.