Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson has expanded his vision for ensuring that the Navy maintains and enhances its strategic edge over potential adversaries. Richardson’s plan, named “A Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority, Version 2.0,” essentially expands upon a posture he initially put forth in January 2016. It calls for four specific lines of effort, or LOEs:
* Strengthening naval power “at and from the sea.”
* Achieving high-velocity outcomes.
* Strengthening the Navy “team of the future.”
* Expansion and strengthening of the Navy’s “Network of Partners.”
Each line of effort calls for specific recommendations that Richardson believes would make the Navy more agile, competitive, and tougher. Adaptation is necessary, he stated, because of the ever-expanding threats the nation faces. The plan focuses on deterrence of those threats at the sea bottom, surface, coastlines, skies and space — and “decisive combat operations” should those deterrents fail.
“Our rivals are intent on taking the lead from us — we must pick up the pace and deny them,” Richardson wrote. “WE cannot be satisfied with achieving minimum standards — we are a Navy focused on being the best we can be, every day.”
