Bradley Martin

The U.S. Navy is evolving to distributed maritime operations (DMO) in response to increased capabilities of near-peer adversaries, in the Western Pacific. To support DMO, the Navy needs new approaches to logistics and the resupply and sustainment of distributed units. The authors identify supply chain challenges for munitions and spare parts and recommend strategies to address demand forecasting, budgetary concerns, and industrial base capacity.

Individual augmentation, intended to address shortages, has evolved into a standard practice. The authors examine this policy's impact on the Navy Reserve in terms of recruiting, retention, individual and unit readiness, and ability to maintain a ratio of time deployed to time at home, specifically in mobilization of forces for duty in operations associated with the Global War on Terror and in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

The authors conducted a tabletop exercise to assess the geopolitical implications of Taiwan's semiconductor dominance and the vulnerabilities of the semiconductor supply chain. The exercise revealed that there are generally no good short-term options for responding if China attempts to unify with Taiwan and that a concerted effort should be made to reduce the concentration of semiconductor production in Taiwan.

Formal requirements for naval surface fire support (NSFS)--a way for the U.S. Navy to provide the equivalent of artillery support for forces operating ashore--are sometimes vague. For that reason, RAND researchers conducted an assessment of these requirements and programs and developed recommendations for changes to these requirements. Researchers also examined possible technological investments and solutions that could be considered by the Navy.

The authors of this report explore a more expansive approach to readiness assessments--one that looks beyond the narrow lens of operational readiness more typical of readiness systems in use in the Department of Defense and considers a broader set of dimensions that could affect readiness outcomes. This more expansive perspective can lead to a better understanding of the root cause of readiness shortfalls.

The authors review and assess the life-cycle management of equipment installed on U.S. Navy ships. This report demonstrates how inefficient organization results in seams between ships in new construction and those already in service and recommends management procedures for improving the readiness of this equipment, increasing its efficiency, and reducing sustainment costs.

This report is an exploration of possible alternatives for further consideration to potentially replace the U.S. Navy's legacy aircraft carrier force as it begins reaching expected service life in decades to come. The variants are possible alternatives that could be developed for less cost than the current program and potentially with sufficient capability. This is neither a formal analysis of alternatives nor a detailed engineering study.

The U.S. Navy's ship inventory and the shipbuilding and repair industrial base that supports these ships have experienced significant changes. In the next 30 years, additional significant changes to the fleet composition and the maintenance requirements of the fleet are likely. This report assesses possible supply and demand capabilities in the ship maintenance workload for the Navy and notes long-term challenges facing mitigation efforts.

This tool serves as a reference guide that documents key but enduring aspects of how the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations implements the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution process so that action officers, as well as flag officers and senior executives, can successfully navigate and effectively contribute to the process. This guide emphasizes the planning and programming phases of the process.