Naval leaders, government officials and members of private industry continued to discuss the Surface Navy's future and capabilities at the 31st Annual Surface Navy Association Symposium in Arlington, Va., Jan. 16.

Vice Adm. Lisa Franchetti, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet, started off the second day of the annual symposium by addressing the importance of military leaders, government officials and industry leaders gathering at the annual symposium.

"Every year this symposium provides a great opportunity to bring together all of the stakeholders in surface warfare and plot the course for continued success in this ever-changing and complex security environment,” said Franchetti.

Franchetti also went on to talk about the range of U.S. assets in the 6th Fleet Area of Operations (AOR) as well as some of the tactics that current leaders are using to develop the readiness and capability of current Naval forces operating in that AOR.

“Every day we are conducting operations from Europe, down to the Gulf of Aden and over the Black Sea in an effort to maintain open and safe sea lines communication for every country to use and prosper from. At sea and ashore we are re-learning how to fight a new version of high-end adversaries using operations, exercises and war-games,” said Franchetti. “This knowledge focuses our efforts as we rebuild infrastructure and set our posture across the area of operation.”

Franchetti went in depth discussing the strategical advantages that can be gained from NATO exercises such as exercise Trident Juncture and Baltic Operations (BALTOPS). Trident Juncture is a NATO-led exercise designed to certify NATO response forces and develop interoperability among participating NATO Allied and partner nations, while BALTOPS is the premier annual maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic region and one of the largest exercises in Northern Europe enhancing flexibility and interoperability among allied and partner nations.

“These operations are extremely important in this area of great competition with Russia and China, and they strengthen the NATO alliance,” said Franchetti.

Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Richard V. Spencer, also spoke during the symposium, taking time to highlight the direction that the surface warfare navy is headed, and how to maintain a standard of excellence across the fleet. 

“The foundation for restoring readiness and increasing lethality has been set,” said Spencer. “The arrows are pointing in the right direction but the rate of change must increase. We need to deliver the Navy the nation needs with a true sense of urgency. We must be accountable for how we invest, and we must understand the return we are getting from that investment as it pertains to readiness and lethality and we must be disciplined, truly disciplined on our focus on people, capability and process. “

The Surface Navy Association was incorporated in 1985 to promote greater coordination and communication among the military, business and academic communities who share a common interest in naval surface warfare and to support the activities of Surface Naval Forces. The SNA is dedicated to recognizing the continuing contributions of the United States Navy and Coast Guard’s surface forces, showcasing professional excellence within the surface naval forces, dealing with the challenges faced by surface naval forces, nurturing communication among military, academic and business communities, enhancing and preserving the heritage of surface naval forces and providing forums on professional matters affecting the surface naval forces.

For updates and live streams from the symposium, visit our blog at http://navylive.dodlive.mil/2019/01/14/surface-navy-association-31st-annual-national-symposium/.