Naval Power in Action

Naval Power in Action focuses attention on the United States' current competition with China, laying out a case for acting in three areas: strengthening the homeland against economic coercion, modernising and reorganising institutions to successfully compete, and winning the positional fight with China over markets and military posture.

Amongst duck hunters, there is a saying that describes our nation's current predicament in the competition with China—shooting behind the duck. It means that the actions our leaders have been taking for many years have been reactive and ineffective, missing their mark. To correct this requires adjusting for the target's—China's—reaction and anticipating its course to aim for an interception point. This book aims to inform a near-term (within four years) approach to lead in this competition with China. And there is not much time to begin getting the aim right.

This book refines ideas in Brent Sadler's first book, U.S. Naval Power in the 21st Century, and focuses attention on the present, laying out a case for acting in three areas: strengthening the homeland against economic coercion, modernising and reorganising institutions to successfully compete, and winning the positional fight with China over markets and military posture. Achieving success in these three areas requires urgent action with effects following in waves—increased maritime presence, followed by improvements in national industrial resilience and capacities.

Doing this requires acting with what is at hand to deter China while setting the conditions for sustained competition well into the future. Bore-sighting on China, while necessary, can be dangerous if it blinds the nation to other dangers—our nation must be prepared and armed to be able to "chew gum and walk" as often eloquently stated by our political leaders. Top of the 'to-do' list is bolstering our economy's defence against coercion via a variety of vectors: cyber, sanctions, and direct attacks. Most urgent is addressing the paucity of shipping on which the nation's economy floats. This book is a roadmap for how to accomplish this complex task with urgency and effectiveness.