Naval Intelligence Must Relearn Its Own Navy
To best support their warfighting customers, naval intelligence professionals must know the threat and U.S. combat capabilities.
By Commander Christopher Nelson, U.S. Navy, and Eric Pedersen
February 2020
A common saying in U.S. naval intelligence is “We don’t do blue.†It means intelligence professionals do not analyze and report on U.S. naval operations, combat capabilities, or doctrine—blue forces—but instead focus on the adversary: red forces.
The saying is inaccurate, and it obscures a larger problem. “We don’t do blue†was never meant to mean “We don’t need to know blue.†That, though, is how too many in the community have interpreted it for far too long. Today, the sad truth is most naval intelligence officers lack even a basic understanding of U.S. naval combat power.
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2020/february/naval-intelligence-must-relearn-its-own-navy
