Commanders of the U.S. 3rd and 10th fleets have emphasized dynamic force employment at WEST 2019 conference at the San Diego Convention Center.

Vice Adm. John Alexander, commander U.S. 3rd Fleet, and Vice Adm. Timothy “T.J.” White, commander U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet (FCC/C10F), said Feb. 13 at the San Diego Convention Center, dynamic force employment has many components.

"We, the Navy, are inherently dynamic,” Alexander said. “The forces we are moving forward are trained at a high level, are manned and equipped the way they need to be, and we can move them around however world events dictate.” 

Alexander, who is responsible for nearly 70,000 personnel, more than 100 ships, and more than 200 aircraft along the entirety of the U.S. West Coast, added that operating with partners and allies adds to the effectiveness of dynamic force employment (DFE).

“Dynamic force employment is not only about dynamically employing your force, but being able to have other forces dynamically employed with you,” he said. “We never do anything without allies and partners. We need to continue to work through multi-domain task forces and continue to incorporate our allies, partners and friends.” 

Offering a different perspective on DFE, White explained how FCC/C10F is an important component for providing assured command and control to the Fleet, enabling dynamic force deployment.

“We all spend a great deal of time thinking about great power competition, but the fight is right now in cyberspace,” White said. “That is why we, the Navy and Joint cyber force, are all postured to defend forward in order to support the Dynamic Force Employment model.”

White also stressed the importance of maintaining a strong network to serve as a collective defense against adversarial actions.

“Keeping the Fleet networked is a fundamental necessity for maintaining a distributed and lethal Naval force that is operationally unpredictable,” White said. “For Fleet Cyber, it’s not just about operating and securing our networks; it’s also about defending our networks, actively and persistently, against advanced persistent threats to keep our Fleet connected.”

DFE ensures that the U.S. Navy remains strategically predictable while being operationally unpredictable in this era of great power competition.

Among several top military leaders, including keynote speaker Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, to speak on the first day of the premier naval conference and exposition on the West Coast, Alexander and White were joined on the panel by Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force Lt. Gen. Joseph Osterman; and Deputy Commander, Pacific Area U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Nathan Moore.

WEST, now in its 29th year, brings military and industry leaders together in a single locale to encourage discussion with the makers of platforms and the designers of technologies impacting the warfighter and information domain. WEST is co-sponsored by Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) International and the U.S. Naval Institute (USNI).

U.S. 3rd Fleet provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy and leads naval forces in the Eastern Pacific. The command fosters joint, interagency and international relationships, which strengthens the ability to respond to crises and protect the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners.
FCC is responsible for Navy information network operations, offensive and defensive cyberspace operations, space operations and signals intelligence.

C10F is the operational arm of Fleet Cyber Command and executes its mission through a task force structure similar to other warfare commanders. In this role, C10F provides support of Navy and joint missions in cyber/networks, cryptologic/signals intelligence and space.

For news and information from Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet and Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet visit, www.navy.mil/local/c3f or www.navy.mil/local/FCCC10F or follow on twitter @USFLEETCYBERCOM.