Some Unsolicited Advice for the Next CNO

[rangerrebew]

Some Unsolicited Advice for the Next CNO
By Anthony Cowden
July 31, 2023AP

The currently nominated next Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Admiral Lisa Franchetti, may recall – because I CC’d her on the e-mail – that I provided the current CNO some unsolicited advice on what to do during his tenure. A fairly unconventional move, I must admit, but I was caught up with the idea that someone who was deep selected for CNO, similar to Admiral Zumwalt’s situation, had the potential to act radically to better the Navy.

As way of background, the following is an edited-for-brevity version of the primary content of that e-mail (sent in October 2019, so it is clearly somewhat dated):


Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). I am a critic. I believe LCS to be a strategic mistake of epic proportions. My current recommendations WRT the program:
     - Stop building them, but that ship has sailed (pun intended!).
     - Mothball a third of the class(es), put a third into the reserves as NRF ships, keep a third on active duty.

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2023/07/31/some_unsolicited_advice_for_the_next_cno_969640.html

[Smokin Joe]

I am in favor of a littoral tactical capability similar to that provided by the PT boats in WWII. Note, that these had the capability to take on capital ships via torpedoes, as well.

Speed, versatility, lots of eggs in the basket, more bang for the buck, and ability to be transported in well deck 'mother' ships to theaters, yet capable of ocean travel as well. VLS would translate to the capital ship capability, while the shallow draft would enable brown water operations. In a pinch, these could act as command and control points for unmanned surface or even submarine vehicles, too.

One more thing of note: When faced with budget problems, Jefferson also supported a 'gunboat navy' for coastal defense, in addition to the 'regular' blue water navy. Those gunboats were to be kept on ways, to be launched as needed, which cut down to maintenance costs (wooden hulls in water accumulate barnacles, seaweed, and shipworms).