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CALL
to
WAR
A Proud Legacy of Innovation
Inspires New Ways to Fight and Win
by
RADM Richard P. Terpstra, USN
Surprise
attack on American soil... An enemy we did not know well or
understand... An enemy who knew more about us than we did about
him... An ongoing revolution in warfare... The need to take the
fight to the enemy.
The Old and the New
Many things have changed
since a Great Generation rose up to challenge and defeat worldwide
enemies bent on intimidation and the destruction of all who opposed
them. Surely, World War II tested the character of our nation and
demonstrated the importance of innovation and the continuing need
for improving the way we fight in the face of unexpected threats and
an unpredictable enemy. While times have changed, and technology has
accelerated rapidly since the 1940s, lessons and principles of the
past still beckon during this current conflict and conflicts yet to
come. These lessons call upon the greatness of those in service
today to act now at best speed. The global war on terror - and it is
a war - or the next war against whatever foe may confront us,
challenges us to think differently. I believe we can learn a great
deal from the aggressive and sometimes risk-embracing mindset of our
World War II warriors. Whether through technical and tactical means
or sheer tenacity, new and important ways to fight and contribute to
the war effort came quickly to those heroes - because they had to!
While some of this
discussion may fall under the academic or policy realm of
"transformation," my intent is not to add to the multitude
of voices touting the need to transform our military capabilities -
that chorus is loud and sometimes confusing - but it's right-on! Rather,
my goal is to challenge each wardroom to discuss new ways to fight
and to call your attention to warriors of the past and the way they
waged war.
Joint Warfare
Solutions
It's fitting to preface
this discussion by noting the importance of joint warfare. The war
on terror highlights the absolute necessity for sharing
intelligence, situational awareness, and operational strengths. In
order to connect the dots and preempt the enemy, the importance of
the network as a weapon cannot be overstated. Against a shadowy
enemy operating as an organization that knows no borders, nothing
short of an all-source, collaborative, joint and inter-agency
full-court press will suffice to preempt terrorist acts and keep us
on the offensive. Organizations which work in isolation will become
increasingly irrelevant. Both successes and tragedies in Operation
Enduring Freedom can be traced directly to battle-space situational
awareness - or the lack of it - with the latter resulting in fire on
unintended targets. Sharing the operational strengths of different
forces - making the sum of the whole much greater than the
individual parts - is at the heart of joint warfare and central to
finding new ways to fight and win.
Legacy of Innovation
You may have noted that
I have not yet referred to submarines or submariners. This
discussion applies equally to all services and all branches, but
since I'm more familiar with submarine history and its inspirational
examples of innovation, it's a good place to begin. When
strategists prior to the outset of World War II considered likely
submarine mission areas and capabilities, most would not have
included: counter-communications operations; capturing and
interrogating prisoners; shore bombardment with both naval gunfire
and rockets; anti-surface warfare - boarding and seizure,
radar-directed surface attacks; harassment and diversionary
operations; and landing-party sabotage in enemy territory. Yet, in
just over three and a half years, each of these missions had been
conducted successfully. Notwithstanding the strategic strangulation
inflicted by our Submarine Force on the island nation of Japan, our
innovative forefathers delivered a great deal more than expected.
According to plans in effect before the war, submarines were to
serve as scouts, combat auxiliaries supporting the surface fleet,
and coastal defenders. Starting slowly with virtually no combat
tradition or experience - and limited by many technical and
operational problems - our submarines went on the offensive. The key
word is offensive. In the end, aggressive, well-trained submarine
crews, staying on the attack, resulted in unprecedented
success and victory.
Near Term
Discussion
Forward 50 years to a
different world with constrained budgets and a non-traditional enemy
- what lessons apply? Our Submarine Force leadership has established
a clear and powerful vision in the form of Submarine Joint Strategic
Concepts. ( See the U.S. Submarine Force Mission and Vision,
published by the Director, Submarine Warfare (N77), or their website:
www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/future.html)
. Team
Submarine, SUBTECH, the Submarine Future Studies Group, and
supporting industry are at work on many critical new capabilities,
including our centerpiece, the well-designed USS Virginia
(SSN-774)-class submarine. With that nearterm focus in mind, I offer
some areas for discussion, while acknowledging a great deal of
ongoing research and development. Extending the range, quality, and
accuracy of sensors is vital. In the littoral, one of the most
powerful methods of accomplishing this is through the use of Special
Operations Forces (SOF). Much notoriety was given to the example of
SOF on horseback in Afghanistan calling in precision air strikes.
But imagine submarine-delivered SEAL forces directing attacks of
submarine, air, or surface-launched weapons. The SSGN will be the
most effective method of employing SOF in 2007, but my hope is that
we move ahead now at best speed in this partnership. When properly
networked, the joint Navy-SOF combination can provide tremendous
synergy and many new war-fighting possibilities. Another method of
sensor extension that seems promising is small, expendable,
low-cost, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These devices, equipped
with micro-sensors and communications packages, could be
pre-programmed and launched or controlled from a submarine by any
number of methods and deliver a unique, close-in quick-reaction
capability for providing critical information not available from
other sources. A "high look" used to mean six more feet of
periscope sticking out of the water, but UAVs could give us several
thousand. Networked with other surveillance and strike platforms,
this concept has great potential for the joint expeditionary force.
A great deal of promising research and development has gone into
unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs). Dr. Edward Whitman's article on
the subject in the Summer 2002 issue of UNDERSEA WARFARE is an
excellent primer. Another concept that will yield additional
capabilities is the small, manned undersea vehicle. Think of
all that can be accomplished by the Advanced Seal Delivery System (ASDS).
I think we should be considering and assessing some unconventional
uses of that asset. In the weapons arena, I believe that the
capability to attack small, shallow-draft, high-speed surface
craft will become increasingly important to the joint expeditionary
force. Because of its inherent strengths, a submarine may be
best-positioned to kill these threats to naval forces under many
circumstances. By adapting existing small missiles for submarine
use, I also believe we could significantly add to the power and
effectiveness of sea-basing by providing a first line of defense.
Submarine mobility, on-station time, access, and large
electric-power availability portend great potential for information
operations, directed energy weapons, and space-systems support. I
suggest that study and investment in these key areas could provide
near term capabilities that are not otherwise achievable and give
combatant commanders many new and effective options. As a final
thought, the submarine's advantages in an anti-access environment
provide many reasons to team with other joint force platforms in
scenarios where weapons , sensors, or communication devices can be
delivered close-in by other platforms and then controlled or
activated at a later time by an on-station submarine. This approach
will allow the sea-based force to quickly deliver capabilities where
needed, reduce most threats, and keep the others more at arm's
length for added reaction time.
The
bravery and ingenuity of the crew aboard USS Barb (SS-220)
during World War II should inspire all submariners to consider new
ways to fight the war against terrorism, as well as future conflicts
that call the U.S. Submarine Force to battle.
"Raise a
Rumpus"
So began a personal
message from VADM Charles Lockwood, World War II COMSUBPAC, to LCDR
Gene Fluckey Commanding Officer of USS Barb (SS-220) at the
start of that boat's War Patrol 12. The account of that mission,
which earned her crew a Presidential Unit Citation and her CO
the Medal of Honor, is inspiring. I highly recommend reading the
well-told story of that patrol in ADM Fluckey's book, Thunder
Below. I was awed by the bravery and ingenuity of this crew and
their skipper, because they were always looking for new ways to
attack the enemy. I'm glad they were on our side! This was the type
of crew that had to turn down many volunteers for a sabotage party
sent ashore to blow up a Japanese railroad train. I guess they ran
out of targets at sea.
This account caused me
to reflect on whether I was doing everything I could to improve our
capabilities in the war on terror and beyond. I wondered whether I
was thinking and acting with the intensity and pressing need
reflective of our nation at war.
I am awed by the skill,
talent, and dedication of the greatest submarine force in the world.
I know that we are continually improving and have already
contributed mightily to Operation Enduring Freedom. I am proud
beyond words to have served as a part of the Submarine Force, and I
am thankful for the safety and protection afforded to my family and
all other Americans by the fact that our submarines are deployed.
You are doing a terrific job!
In closing, I want to
leave you with two phrases that sum up the spirit of the great ship Barb.
First, her motto: "We don't have problems, just
solutions." And second, an excerpt from her Patrol 12 Unit
Citation: "Barb fearlessly attacked the enemy at every
opportunity."
I will state again that
great and innovative work is ongoing across the entire spectrum of
submarine warfare. Amazing strides have been made in a tough fiscal
environment that requires difficult trade-offs and skilled
management. I hope that this article will stimulate additional
discussion on those difficult trades and further debate within each
ship on finding new ways to fight and contribute to the joint
force. Do we have an appropriate sense of urgency and
aggressiveness for the war on terrorism; and do we have the will to
take risks technically, physically, and fiscally to deploy new
techniques and capabilities? Unmatched in submarine history, the
heroes of World War II provide both example and inspiration in
facing these current challenges. And their unwavering focus on
winning provides much to reflect on as we answer the call to war. It
did for me.
RADM Terpstra is a 1974
Naval Academy Graduate who has served on many submarines in his
career, including USS Von Steuben (SSBN-632), USS Sturgeon
(SSN-637), and USS Pogy (SSN-647); he served as Commanding
Officer of USS Dallas (SSN-700) from 1990 to 1993. Most
recently he served as Commander, Submarine Group 10, and currently
works for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD).
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