SEAPOWER
Volume 51, Number 10, October 2008
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NAVY LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES
www.navyleague.org
DEPARTMENTS
3 President’s Message
4 Editor’s Note
6 Letters
9 Intercepts
64 Program Snapshot
COVER STORY
After a series of delays, cost overruns and cancellations, the Navy’s
Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program will be taking several major steps
forward in the coming months. The first LCS, Freedom, will be commissioned in November, while the second, Independence, is in the water and
being prepared for sea trails next year. Evaluations of three tailor-made
mission packages will begin on both ships in 2009.
BY RICHARD R. BURGESS
65 Seapower International
PAGE 14
68 Historical Perspective
69 Navy League News
72 Council Digest
8 Washington Report:
Sense of duty compels
retired military officers
to join political fray
20
FEATURES
3 Wielding ‘Soft Power’
BY J. MICHAEL McGRATH
36 UNREP System Aims to Reduce Carrier’s Time Away from Mission
BY OTTO KREISHER
40 Carl Vinson Readies for Second Quarter-Century of Service
BY RICHARD R. BURGESS
46 MARAD Web Portal Offers Unprecedented View of Maritime Domain
BY MATT HILBURN
48 Committee Plots New Course to Improve Marine Transport System
BY DAISY R. KHALIFA
52 Kearsarge Latin American Mission Tests New ‘Soft Power’ Concepts
BY DAVID AXE
56 OPBAT Cuts Volume of Drug Traffic in Bahamas Region
BY JOHN C. MARCARIO
60 New Boat Expands Coast Guard’s Homeland Security Capabilities
BY JOHN C. MARCARIO
80 In My Own Words
BY DR. ELIZABETH D’ANDREA
PROGRAM MANAGER, ELECTROMAGNETIC RAIL GUN
SPECIAL REPORT: U.S. DEFENSE SPENDING
20 Analysis: Battleground Budget Year for Navy, Marine Corps
BY ROXANA TIRON
24 Shipbuilding Dominates Navy Budget Debate
BY RICHARD R. BURGESS
28 Growing, Resetting the Force Lead Marine Corps Priorities
BY MATT HILBURN
32 INTERVIEW: Rear Adm. Keith A. Taylor
Coast Guard Assistant Commandant for Resources
and Chief Financial Officer
BY JOHN C. MARCARIO
COVER PHOTO OF THE LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP FREEDOM DURING SEA TRIALS ON LAKE MICHIGAN BY LOCKHEED MARTIN.
COVER DESIGN BY AMY BILLINGHAM, PENSARÉ DESIGN GROUP LTD.
