Bold course into the future or lost at sea a critical evaluation of the United States Navy's ongoing transformation

• Main Author: Peters, Todd David
• Other Authors: Russell, James
• Format: Others
• Published: Monterey California. Naval Postgraduate School 2012
• Subjects: National security
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/1749

Throughout its existence, the U.S. Navy has labored under the continuous scrutiny and skepticism of critics who have either questioned its strategic relevance or its cost. Most recently, this historic debate has centered on the various merits, limitations, benefits and difficulties of littoral or shallow-water combat capabilities, amphibious assault operations, long range precision strike operations, and the role of carrier battle groups. Ever rising costs of procurement combined with reductions in the overall end-strength of the U.S. military have further shaped this debate, especially in terms of how to collate force structure with strategic success. This thesis seeks to evaluate how well the U.S. Navy has demonstrated itself to be in terms of identifying, designing, and procuring the platforms it needs to successfully achieve its missions in the current and future threat environments.