3

Recommendations

Based on the results of this study and on the implications of those results as discussed in Chapter 8 of this report, the following recommendations are conveyed to the Department of the Navy.

Recommendation 1: Plan and implement an aggressive program to create the entering wedges of capability that will position the naval forces to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Key technical capabilities anticipated by this study include:

• Information superiority as an integrated warfare area; capitalizing on and adapting to the vast commercial infrastructure;¹
• Technological support for highly qualified, better trained, and better educated people, retained in the force longer;
• A family of rocket-propelled, surface- and submarine-launched, land-attack guided missiles (adaptable to air delivery and to other missions);
• In combat aircraft: STOL, STOVL, standoff, and stealth;
• Air-to-air cooperative engagement at long-engagement ranges;
• Stealth and automation in ships, which must be designed as complete systems;
• Unmanned aerial and underwater vehicles providing essential capabilities for combat;
• Greatly expanded capability of submarines to support forces ashore;
• Advancing ASW through coherent signal processing and cooperative engagement in undersea warfare;
• Becoming able to clear mines rapidly during expeditionary operations;
• Ability of small units to neutralize large, built-up, populated areas with minimal casualties and collateral damage;
• A logistic system based on the use of modern information technology with lift, ships, and processes tailored for supporting forces at sea and ashore from the sea;
• Modeling and simulation applied to acquisition, readiness, deterrence, and warfare: theory and methods to suit the needs of future naval forces for deterrence and warfare.

Recommendation 2: Design, implement, and sustain a vigorous program of naval systems R&D to create the new capabilities.

This program should capitalize as much as possible on commercial technology development, while sustaining Department of the Navy science and technology and advanced development oriented toward specific naval force needs that the commercial world will not meet. The areas to be covered are described in the eight panel reports that present in detail the results of this study.

1. Of necessity, the information system will include some organic targeting capability as a fallback.