Seapower - May 2008

LISA NIPP

Marine Lt. Gen. John Sattler, director for strategic plans and policy on the Joint Staff, speaks on international cooperation during the “Strategic Engagement and Maritime Diplomacy” seminar March 19. At his left is Canadian Navy Rear Adm. P.D. McFadden, commander, Joint Task Force Atlantic, and commander, Maritime Force Atlantic.

takes place in Egypt. Looking back at the deployment, LeFever said “this is the future.”

Marine Lt. Gen. Richard F. Natonski, deputy commandant for Plans, Policy and Operations, offered an abbreviated version of the service’s “Long War” brief. It outlines how the Corps anticipates operating in the post-Iraq War world and views fostering security cooperation relationships with countries as a key to avoiding major combat operations.

“Today, the Marine Corps is singularly focused in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said.

However, Natonski said that when the Corps reach-es its end-strength goal of 202,000 by 2011, it will be able to train for the full spectrum of warfare, “getting into the mountains, getting into the jungles.”

Coast Guard Vice Adm. Charles D. Wurster, commander, Pacific Area, outlined the many international Coast Guard activities, including 26 separate bilateral agreements with various countries to stem the flow of illegal drugs from Central and South America into the United States. He said that more than 355,000 pounds of cocaine were interdicted last year.

Canadian Navy Rear Adm. P.D. McFadden, commander, Joint Task Force Atlantic, and commander Maritime Force Atlantic, and Marine Lt. Gen. John Sattler, director for strategic plans and policy on the Joint Staff, highlighted the importance of increased international cooperation to fight terrorism, ensure the free flow of commerce and take interoperability beyond the technical level to the level of increasing trust among nations’ sea services.

Acquisition ‘Discipline’ and ‘Credibility’

The naval services’ top acquisition officials addressed ways to improve processes and stop the cost and schedule overruns that have plagued so many programs and eroded their support on Capitol Hill during the “Acquisition Outlook and Priorities” panel March 20.

John Thackrah, acting assistant Navy secretary for research, development and acquisition, detailed the “ acquisition governance review” conducted by Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter, which established a new process that involves the service leaders in reviewing requirements at the beginning of a program. This, he said, forces an early evaluation of the trade-offs between additional level of capability and a major increase in time and risk.

Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, commanding general of Marine Corps Systems Command, said the process ensures top officials know if that last knot of speed or meter of range “requires you to perform an unnatural engineering act,” and if that additional capability is really needed or just wanted.

Brogan warned that the sea services and industry “have a credibility problem” with Congress because of past acquisition failures. To restore that credibility, program managers need “no-nonsense” cost and schedule data before they ask Congress for funding.

Vice Adm. Paul Sullivan, commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, said the review effort established by Winter created a “disciplined process” of assessing requirements within the Navy Department before programs are sent to the defense secretary. Sullivan emphasized the partnerships among the naval services to help them all share information and improve their acquisition processes.

Discussing the acquisition hurdles the Coast Guard has been facing, Michael Tangora, deputy assistant commandant for acquisition, outlined the intensive overhaul ordered by Adm. Thad Allen after major problems were encountered with the massive Deepwater modernization program. The overhaul, Tangora said, has included an urgent effort to rebuild the acquisition work force, which had atrophied during the procurement gap in the 1990s.

Briefing Touts DDG 1000’s Value

The DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class land-attack destroyer will provide capabilities that no other warship can match, and have a higher level of technology maturity than any recent warship at the start of production, according to its program manager.