Weekly Navy Read Board

Courtesy HASC Seapower and Projection Forces Sub-Committee

Upcoming Events

T	0900-1015: A Strategy for America, Atlantic Council
Th	0830-1700: Annual Global Missile Defense Conference, Atlantic Council
Th	1200-1300: The Pivot to Asia: Rhetoric Isn’t Enough, AEI
F	0900-1700: Charting America’s Course, CNAS

Scuttlebutt (News)

·       Why John McCain Thinks the Days of Fighter Pilots are Over. McCain believes that F-35 will likely be the Navy’s last manned strike-fighter aircraft as drones become the future of aviation. 

·       Admirals: Navy Needs 40 of 88 Large Combatants to Have Advanced BMD Capability. During their testimony to the House Armed Services Committee, RADM Peter Fanta and RADM Vic Mercado discussed the size of the cruiser/destroyer fleet and its impact on deployments.

·       Navy: CVN-79 Contract Has Lowest Ceiling Price Ever; R&D Investment Will Take Out Further Cost. Thanks to favorable contracts and a decrease in man-hours needed, the John F. Kennedy is one of the best CVN fixed-price contracts the Navy has seen.

·       The Paris Air Show and Military Aviation’s Future. The Paris air show highlighted transformations in military aviation including the rise of the F-35, increased reliance on drones and the redefining of the airlifter’s role. 

Now Hear This (Opinions)

·       Unmatched Value - How Can We Not Afford to Build the Ford Class Aircraft Carrier?, By RADM Michael Manazir. Manazir discuss CVN 78’s return on investment and enduring, unmatched airpower.

·       China’s Land Reclamation Announcement: A Change in Message, Not in Policy, By Michael Green, Ernest Bower, Mira Rapp-Hopper, Christ Johnson and Bonnie Glaser. CSIS experts discuss China’s recent cessation of dredging.

Deep Dives (Analysis)

·       The Future of America’s Strategic Nuclear Deterrent, By Dr. Evan B. Montgomery. Montgomery discusses the need to retain America’s nuclear “triad,” and particularly submarines, in order preserve strategic stability.