Arlington, Va.- Senior Navy leaders say the service is fast-tracking a handful of key emerging weapons systems such as new destroyers, Tomahawk missiles, lasers and hypersonics as part of a new “offensive attack” maritime combat strategy.
“Today we are moving to the offensive. We are already moving out on an increase in lethality,” Vice. Adm. Rich Brown, Command, Naval Surfaces Forces, told an audience Jan. 14 at the Surface Navy Association Annual Symposium.
The concept is grounded upon a decided paradox … be ready to fight and kill today and tomorrow… to keep the peace. Within this strategic framework, Brown cited a handful of specific weapons systems intended to bring this vision to fruition and essentially prevent major war. It is no surprise that this kind of deterrence focus would take center stage in the often discussed era of “great power competition,” a global environment now inspiring the U.S. to make its best effort to stay in front of major rivals such as Russia and China.