MARCH 2015

FORWARD ❚ ENGAGED ❚ READY

A Cooperative Strategy for

21st Century Seapower

A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [i]

America’s Sea Services—the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast 

Guard—uniquely provide presence around the globe. During 

peacetime and times of conflict, across the full spectrum—from 

supporting an ally with humanitarian assistance or disaster relief to 

deterring or defeating an adversary in kinetic action—Sailors, Marines, 

and Coast Guardsmen are deployed at sea and in far-flung posts to be 

wherever we are needed, when we are needed. Coming from the sea, we 

get there sooner, stay there longer, bring everything we need with us, 

and we don’t have to ask anyone’s permission.

Our founders recognized the United States as a maritime nation and 

the importance of maritime forces, including in our Constitution the requirement that Congress “maintain a Navy.” In today’s dynamic security 

environment, with multiple challenges from state and non-state actors 

that are often fed by social disorder, political upheaval, and technological 

advancements, that requirement is even more prescient. 

The United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are our 

Nation’s first line of defense, often far from our shores. As such, maintaining America’s leadership role in the world requires our Nation’s Sea 

Services to return to our maritime strategy on occasion and reassess 

our approach to shifting relationships and global responsibilities. This 

necessary review has affirmed our focus on providing presence around 

the world in order to ensure stability, build on our relationships with allies 

and partners, prevent wars, and provide our Nation’s leaders with options 

in times of crisis. It has confirmed our continued commitment to maintain the combat power necessary to deter potential adversaries and to 

fight and win when required.

Our responsibility to the American people dictates an efficient use of 

our fiscal resources and an approach that adapts to the evolving security 

environment. The adjustments made in this document do just that. Looking at how we support our people, build the right platforms, power them 

to achieve efficient global capability, and develop critical partnerships 

will be central to its successful execution and to providing that unique 

capability: presence.

PREFACE
[ii] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

Seapower has been and will continue to be the critical foundation of 

national power and prosperity and international prestige for the United 

States of America. Our Sea Services will integrate with the rest of our 

national efforts, and those of our friends and allies. This revision to A 

Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower builds on the heritage 

and complementary capabilities of the Navy-Marine Corps-Coast Guard 

team to advance the prosperity and guarantee the security of our Nation. 

The demands of a changing world and the defense of the American 

people and our interests require nothing less.

RAY MABUS

Secretary of the Navy
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [iii]

This maritime strategy describes how we will design, organize, 

and employ the Sea Services in support of our national, defense, 

and homeland security strategies. It also sets maritime priorities 

in an era of constrained resources, while emphasizing warfighting capabilities and forward naval presence to advance national interests today 

and guide preparations for tomorrow’s challenges. 

Forward naval presence is essential to strengthening alliances and 

partnerships, providing the secure environment necessary for an open 

economic system based on the free flow of goods, protecting U.S. natural 

resources, promoting stability, deterring conflict, and responding to aggression. As global maritime commerce expands, populations increase, 

competition for energy and natural resources grows, and advanced military technologies proliferate across the oceans and through the littoral, 

so too will challenges arise for anyone operating in those regions. 

The American people will continue to rely on the Sea Services to 

respond to fast-changing and complex world events that threaten the 

security of the United States and our allies and partners. Our Sailors, 

Marines, and Coast Guardsmen stand ready to meet these challenges 

with the same determination and responsiveness they have demonstrated for more than two centuries. 

FOREWORD

JOSEPH F. DUNFORD, JR.

General, U.S. Marine Corps

Commandant of the Marine Corps

JONATHAN W. GREENERT

Admiral, U.S. Navy

Chief of Naval Operations

PAUL F. ZUKUNFT

Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard

Commandant of the Coast Guard
Our foremost priority remains the 

security of the American people, 

our territory, and our way of life.
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [v]

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Section I THE GLOBAL SECURITY ENVIRONMENT 3

Geopolitical Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Military Challenges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Section II FORWARD PRESENCE AND PARTNERSHIP 9

Indo-Asia-Pacific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Middle East . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Europe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Africa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Western Hemisphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Arctic and Antarctic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Section III SEAPOWER IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL SECURITY 19

All Domain Access. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 

Deterrence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Sea Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Power Projection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Maritime Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Section IV FORCE DESIGN: BUILDING THE FUTURE FORCE 27

Flexible, Agile, and Ready Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

CONTENTS
Oceans are the lifeblood of the interconnected global 

community, where seaborne trade is expected to double 

over the next 15 years. Our forward naval forces support 

the free flow of commerce that has enabled unparalleled 

global economic growth over the last 70 years. Ninety 

percent of trade by volume travels across the oceans. 

Approximately 70 percent of the world’s population lives 

within 100 miles of the coastline—an area known as the 

littoral. Likewise, most maritime activity—commercial 

shipping, fishing, and oil and gas extraction—takes 

place within 200 miles of the shore. Above, a Japanese 

container ship arrives at the Port of Los Angeles.

[Photo courtesy of the Port of Los Angeles]
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [1]

INTRODUCTION

The United States of America is a maritime nation. For more than 

two centuries, the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard—the Sea 

Services—have operated throughout the world to protect American citizens and defend U.S. interests by responding to crises and, when 

necessary, fighting and winning wars. Since we published A Cooperative 

Strategy for 21st Century Seapower in 2007, changes in the security and 

fiscal environments, along with new strategic guidance, including the 

2012 Defense Strategic Guidance and the 2014 Quadrennial Defense and 

Homeland Security Reviews, mandate an updated maritime strategy to 

ensure that we continue to advance our national interests in an increasingly complex and interdependent world.

Forward-deployed and forward-stationed naval forces use the global 

maritime commons as a medium of maneuver, assuring access to overseas regions, defending key interests in those areas, protecting our citizens abroad, and preventing our adversaries from leveraging the world’s 

oceans against us. The ability to sustain operations in international waters 

far from our shores constitutes a distinct advantage for the United 

States—a Western Hemisphere nation separated from many of its strategic 

interests by vast oceans. Maintaining this advantage in an interconnected 

global community that depends on the oceans remains an imperative for 

our Sea Services and the Nation.

Today’s global security environment is characterized by the rising 

importance of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, the ongoing development 

and fielding of anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities that challenge our global maritime access, continued threats from expanding and 

evolving terrorist and criminal networks, the increasing frequency and 

intensity of maritime territorial disputes, and threats to maritime commerce, particularly the flow of energy. 

In addition to the risks emerging in this turbulent 21st Century, there 

are opportunities as well—many facilitated by the Sea Services through 

routine and constructive engagement with allies and partners. Chief 

among them is the potential for a global network of navies that brings 

together the contributions of like-minded nations and organizations 

around the world to address mutual maritime security challenges and 

respond to natural disasters.
[2] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

This maritime strategy reaffirms two foundational principles. First, 

U.S. forward naval presence is essential to accomplishing the following 

naval missions derived from national guidance: defend the homeland, 

deter conflict, respond to crises, defeat aggression, protect the maritime 

commons, strengthen partnerships, and provide humanitarian assistance 

and disaster response. Our self-sustaining naval forces, operating in the 

global commons, ensure the protection of the homeland far from our 

shores, while providing the President with decision space and options to 

deny an adversary’s objectives, preserve freedom of action, and assure 

access for follow-on forces. 

Second, naval forces are stronger when we operate jointly and together with allies and partners. Merging our individual capabilities and 

capacity produces a combined naval effect that is greater than the sum 

of its parts. By working together in formal and informal networks, we can 

address the threats to our mutual maritime security interests. Maximizing 

the robust capacity of this global network of navies concept, we are all 

better postured to face new and emerging challenges. 

The Sea Services have historically organized, 

trained, and equipped to perform four essential 

functions: deterrence, sea control, power projection, and maritime security. Because access to 

the global commons is critical, this strategy introduces a fifth function: all domain access. This 

function assures appropriate freedom of action in 

any domain—the sea, air, land, space, and cyberspace, as well as in the electromagnetic (EM) 

spectrum. 

This strategy informs naval force employment and describes a force that balances warfighting readiness with our Nation’s current and 

future fiscal challenges. Our force employment 

approach aligns capability, capacity, and platforms to regional mission demands, ensuring 

that our most modern and technologically advanced forces are located where their combat power is needed most. It 

also describes how naval forces will enhance their effectiveness, employ 

new warfighting concepts, and promote innovation. By doing so, the Sea 

Services chart a course that ensures we will carry forward our Nation’s 

interests and continue to serve as a cornerstone of U.S. national security.

Forward naval 

forces ensure the 

protection of the 

homeland far 

from our shores.
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [3]

Naval forces must advance U.S. interests in a global security 

environment characterized by volatility, instability, complexity, 

and interdependencies. This environment includes geopolitical changes and growing military challenges that profoundly influence 

this strategy. 

Geopolitical Changes 

Spanning from the West Coast of the United States to the eastern coast 

of Africa and containing eight of the world’s ten most populous countries, 

the Indo-Asia-Pacific region continues to increase in significance for our 

Nation as well as for our allies and partners. America’s economy and 

security are inextricably linked to the immense volume of trade that flows 

across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The economic importance, security 

interests, and geography of this vast maritime region dictate a growing 

reliance on naval forces to protect U.S. interests and maintain an enduring 

commitment to the stability of the region. 

Based on shared strategic interests, the United States seeks to 

strengthen cooperation with long-standing allies in the Indo-Asia-Pacific 

region—Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, the Republic of 

Korea, and Thailand—and continues to cultivate partnerships with states 

such as Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Micronesia, Pakistan, Singapore, and Vietnam. 

China’s naval expansion into the Indian and Pacific Oceans presents 

both opportunities and challenges. For example, China supports counter 

piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, conducts humanitarian assistance 

and disaster response missions enabled by its hospital ship, and participates in large-scale, multinational naval exercises. As a signatory of the 

Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES), China demonstrates its 

ability to embrace international norms, institutions, and standards of 

THE GLOBAL SECURITY 

ENVIRONMENT

Section I
[4] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

behavior commensurate with rising power status. However, China’s naval 

expansion also presents challenges when it employs force or intimidation 

against other sovereign nations to assert territorial claims. This behavior, 

along with a lack of transparency in its military intentions, contributes to 

tension and instability, potentially leading to miscalculation or even escalation. The U.S. Sea Services, through our continued forward presence and 

constructive interaction with Chinese maritime forces, reduce the potential for misunderstanding, discourage aggression, and preserve our commitment to peace and stability in the region. 

Persistent instability and under-governed areas across the Middle 

East and Africa allow violent extremist organizations and other terrorist 

organizations to operate. These include the Islamic State of Iraq and the 

Levant (ISIL), Hezbollah, Hamas, Al Shabab, and Boko Haram, as well as 

Al Qaeda and its affiliates. Networks such as these destabilize sovereign 

states and influence attacks like the early 2015 

shootings in Paris, highlighting the indispensable 

nature of forward and ready naval forces in the 

global effort to combat terrorism.

Under-governed areas ashore create conditions for regional instability ranging from piracy 

and illicit waterborne trafficking to support for 

terrorist activity. Through the concerted efforts of 

U.S. naval forces and our global partners, piracy 

is currently on the decline off the Horn of Africa, 

yet it remains a concern around West Africa, 

especially in the Gulf of Guinea and on the Indian 

and Pacific Oceans. This regional instability 

threatens global economic stability in a hyperconnected world and underscores the need for 

a global network of navies that leverages the best 

capabilities of participating states. 

Across North America and Europe, the North 

Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) remains the most powerful alliance in 

the world and the centerpiece of transatlantic security. Our mutual efforts 

to cooperate and integrate with member and partner countries on common maritime challenges such as counter piracy are a model for security 

cooperation. From developing an ashore ballistic missile defense (BMD) 

capability in Romania and Poland to operating in Standing NATO Maritime 

Groups, U.S. naval forces actively participate in NATO missions every day. 

Russian military modernization, the illegal seizure of Crimea, and 

ongoing military aggression in Ukraine underscore the importance of 

our commitments to European security and stability. NATO members 

can ensure the continued viability of the alliance by maintaining their 

commitment to the naval forces that provide security for the European 

maritime theater.

We are stronger 

when we operate 

together, engaged 

with allies and 

partners.
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [5]

‘‘The reality of today is that we have 

to think about the global network of 

navies. All it takes is a willingness to 

cooperate—there’s no commitment, 

you don’t have to join an alliance, 

anyone can plug-and-play. There’s 

a mission for everybody whether 

it’s humanitarian assistance and 

disaster response, counterterrorism, 

counter transnational organized 

crime, or counter piracy. 

 —ADMIRAL GREENERT 

America’s security and 

prosperity grow with that 

of our allies and partners. 

The Sea Services will 

continue expanding the 

global network of navies 

to address our common 

security interests. Shown 

here, the destroyer USS 

Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) 

operates with the Republic 

of Singapore frigate RSS 

Steadfast (FFG 70), the 

U.S. Coast Guard cutter 

Mellon (WHEC 717) and 

the Republic of Singapore 

corvette RSS Vigilance 

(90) during Cooperation 

Afloat Readiness and 

Training (CARAT) 

Singapore. CARAT is a 

series of bilateral exercises 

in Southeast Asia held 

annually to strengthen 

relationships and enhance 

force readiness.

‘‘
[6] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

Skyrocketing demand for energy and resources, as evidenced by a 

projected 56 percent increase of global energy consumption by 2040, 

underscores the criticality of the free flow of commerce through strategic 

maritime crossroads including the Straits of Hormuz and Malacca, as well 

as the Panama and Suez Canals. Although the United States is exporting 

more energy than it imports for the first time in decades, we remain tied to 

the global economy that depends on the uninterrupted supply of oil and 

gas from the Middle East and Central Asia. This uninterrupted supply can 

be placed at risk due to rising political instability and regional conflict. In 

particular, Iran continues to develop an increasing capability to threaten 

commerce transiting the Strait of Hormuz. A disruption in energy supply 

would immediately and significantly affect the global economy. Closer to 

home, dramatic changes in energy production and transportation, as well 

as the completion of the Panama Canal expansion 

project, will fundamentally alter shipping patterns 

within the United States and globally.

Transnational criminal organizations (TCO) 

remain a threat to stability in Africa and the Western Hemisphere, especially in Central America 

and the southern approaches of the U.S. homeland. Their networks facilitate human trafficking 

and interrelated flows of weapons, narcotics, and 

money, all of which could be exploited by terrorists to attack our homeland, allies, and overseas 

interests.

Environmental trends are increasingly shaping the maritime security environment, particularly in the littorals where most of the world’s 

population resides. Climate change–enhanced 

storms, rising sea levels, and coastal flooding 

are disproportionately affecting many island 

nations. This may trigger social instability and 

more frequent humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations. Rising ocean temperatures present new challenges and opportunities, most notably in 

the Arctic and Antarctic, where receding ice leads to greater maritime 

activity. In the coming decades, the Arctic Ocean will be increasingly 

accessible and more broadly used by those seeking access to the region’s abundant resources and trade routes. The predicted rise in maritime activity, including oil and gas exploration, commercial fishing, tourism, 

and mineral mining, is expected to increase the region’s strategic importance over time. Ensuring safe, secure, environmentally responsible 

activity in the Arctic region will require a broad spectrum of partnerships. 

Collaborative forums such as the Arctic Council, which the United States 

Our Sailors, 

Marines, and 

Coast Guardsmen 

stand ready to 

meet the challenges 

that face our 

Nation.
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [7]

The President directed that we 

be able to project power despite 

threats to access. We must leverage 

our respective Service strengths 

because we can no longer afford to 

go down separate investment paths.

 —ADMIRAL GREENERT

‘‘

‘‘

The Arleigh Burke–class 

guided-missile destroyer 

USS Sterett (DDG 104), 

shown here, participates 

in the International MineCountermeasures Exercise 

(IMCMEX) with the minecountermeasures ships 

USS Devastator (MCM 6) 

and USS Dextrous (MCM 

13) and the Royal Navy 

mine-countermeasures 

ship HMS Penzance (M 106). 

USS Sterett deployed as 

part of the Carl Vinson 

Carrier Strike Group 

supporting maritime 

security operations, strike 

operations in Iraq and 

Syria, and theater security 

cooperation efforts in 

the U.S. Fifth Fleet area 

of responsibility.
[8] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

will chair from 2015 to 2017, and the Antarctic Treaty System present 

opportunities for expanded cooperation.

Military Challenges

The Sea Services face a growing range of challenges in gaining access 

and operating freely in the maritime commons. Most prominently, the proliferation of technologies that allows potential adversaries to threaten 

naval and air forces at greater ranges complicates our access to some 

maritime regions (anti-access), as well as our ability to maneuver within those regions (area denial), including the littoral and landward access. 

These include long-range ballistic and cruise missiles supported by stateof-the-art command and control (C2) and integrated targeting networks; 

guided rockets, artillery, missiles, and mortars; advanced submarines and 

“smart” mines; advanced integrated air defense systems; fifth-generation 

fighter aircraft with enhanced sensors and weapons; and electronic warfare (EW), cyber, and space capabilities. Certainly a distinct challenge 

during wartime, these military technologies are also a concern in peacetime. For example, the free flow of goods and services can be impeded 

by state or non-state actors employing clandestine mining of a port or 

maritime crossroads. 

New challenges in cyberspace and the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum mean we can no longer presume to hold the information “high 

ground.” Opponents seek to deny, disrupt, disable, or cause physical damage to our forces and infrastructure with advanced networked information systems. The exploitation of space, cyberspace, and the EM spectrum 

threatens our global C2. Naval forces must have the resilience to operate 

under the most hostile cyber and EM conditions. 

Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threaten the United States, our 

allies, and our partners. North Korea continues to refine nuclear weapon 

capabilities and deploy long-range ballistic missiles. Likewise, Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technologies capable of delivering WMD. Additionally, terrorist networks seek these weapons for use 

against a wide array of targets. All constitute a direct threat to our homeland as well as to allies and partners. 

The complexity of these geopolitical changes and military challenges, 

particularly during a period of fiscal uncertainty, requires a bold and innovative approach by the Sea Services. This approach demands both a 

deeper cooperative relationship with our allies and partners and a greater 

emphasis on Joint Force interdependence, a deliberate and selective 

reliance and trust of each Service on the capabilities of the others to 

maximize its own effectiveness. 
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [9]

FORWARD PRESENCE 

AND PARTNERSHIP

Section II

Naval forces operate forward to shape the security environment, 

signal U.S. resolve, protect U.S. interests, and promote global 

prosperity by defending freedom of navigation in the maritime 

commons. By expanding our network of allies and partners and improving 

our ability to operate alongside them, naval forces: foster the secure environment essential to an open economic system based on the free flow 

of goods, protect U.S. natural resources, promote stability, deter conflict, 

and respond to aggression. During crises, forward naval forces provide the 

President immediate options to defend our interests, de-escalate hostilities, and keep conflict far from our shores. During wartime, forward naval 

forces fight while preserving freedom of access—and action—for followon forces. 

The Navy’s current budget submission will provide for more than 300 

ships and a forward presence of about 120 ships by 2020, up from an average of 97 in 2014, to be “where it matters, when it matters.” This includes 

forward-based naval forces overseas in places like Guam, Japan, and 

Spain; forward-operating forces deploying from overseas locations such 

as Singapore; and rotationally deployed forces from the United States. To 

provide forward presence more efficiently and effectively, we will adopt 

the following force employment innovations: 

■ Increase forward-basing of forces abroad to reduce costly rotations and deployments, while boosting in-theater presence. 

■ Provide globally distributed and networked expeditionary forces 

in concert with our allies and partners to increase effective naval 

presence, strategic agility, and responsiveness.

■ Employ modular designed platforms that allow mission modules 

and payloads to be swapped instead of entire ships, saving time 

and money. Littoral Combat Ships, which will be redesignated as 

Frigates (FF) in the future, are an example of this capability.
[10] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

In early January 2011, the 26th 

Marine Expeditionary Unit 

(MEU), embarked aboard the 

USS Kearsarge Amphibious 

Ready Group (ARG) in the 

Arabian Sea, was directed 

to land its ground combat 

element in Afghanistan to 

support Operation Enduring 

Freedom. Shortly thereafter 

the tumultuous events of the 

“Arab Spring” began to unfold 

in North Africa, and a portion 

of the ARG/MEU was directed 

into the Mediterranean. To 

reconstitute the MEU’s ground 

combat capabilities, they 

stopped at Crete long enough 

to embark 400 Marines flown 

in from the 2nd Marine Division 

in Camp Lejeune. They then 

positioned off the coast of Libya 

to participate in Operation 

Odyssey Dawn, conducting 

air strikes against the Gaddafi 

regime as well as successfully 

recovering a downed U.S. Air 

Force F-15E Strike Eagle pilot. 

These events illustrate the 

inherent operational flexibility 

and strategic mobility of the 

Navy–Marine Corps team.

The security environment changes, 

the tactics, techniques and procedures 

change, the threats change, but what 

won’t change is our role as the Nation’s 

crisis response force of choice.

 —GENERAL DUNFORD

‘‘

‘‘
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [11]

■ Expand the practice of employing adaptive force packages, which 

tailor naval capabilities to specific regional environments, thereby 

ensuring that our assets are located where they are most needed. 

For example, we tailor naval capabilities for participation in UNITAS, an annual multinational maritime exercise with our partners 

in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, so that more 

capable Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG) with embarked Marine 

Expeditionary Units (MEU) and Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) are 

available for more complex missions in other theaters. 

■ Take advantage of adaptive force packages to enable persistent 

engagements that build the capacity of allies and partners to 

respond to future crises.

In each region we will adhere to a force employment construct that 

aligns capability and capacity to mission demands.

Indo-Asia-Pacific 

With strategic attention shifting to the Indo-Asia-Pacific, we will increase 

the number of ships, aircraft, and Marine Corps forces postured there.

By 2020, approximately 60 percent of Navy ships and aircraft will be 

based in the region. The Navy will maintain a Carrier Strike Group, Carrier 

Airwing, and Amphibious Ready Group in Japan; add an attack submarine 

to those already in Guam; and implement cost-effective approaches such 

as increasing to four the number of Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) forward-stationed in Singapore to provide an enduring regional presence. 

The Navy will also provide its most advanced warfighting platforms to 

the region, including multi-mission ballistic missile defense–capable ships; 

submarines; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft. The Zumwalt-class destroyer—our most technologically sophisticated 

surface combatant—will deploy to the area, as will the F-35C Lightning II 

and the MQ-4C Triton high-endurance, unmanned aerial vehicle. 

The Marine Corps will maintain a Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) 

in the region, deploy a Marine Rotational Force to Australia, and make use 

of other land- and sea-based forces to provide conventional deterrence, 

conduct security cooperation, respond to crises and conflicts, as well as 

provide expeditionary support for operational plans. New assets, such 

as the MV-22 Osprey, CH-53K King Stallion, F-35B Lightning II, and Amphibious Combat Vehicle, will give these forces the increased range and 

improved capabilities required in this vast region. The Navy and Marine 

Corps will employ these forces from multi-purpose amphibious ships, 
[12] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

The amphibious capabilities provided 

by the Navy–Marine Corps team—

especially those that are forward 

postured—have long played a key role 

in enabling overseas access for missions 

across the range of military operations. 

For example, following the events of 

September 11, 2001, two Amphibious 

Ready Groups (ARG) with embarked 

Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU) 

were diverted to the North Arabian 

Sea from their steady-state activities 

elsewhere. With the addition of a fly-in 

command element, they formed Task 

Force 58 within the U.S. Fifth Fleet 

and conducted an amphibious assault 

350 miles inland to seize a lodgment 

for the introduction of additional joint 

forces. In August 2010, the Navy–Marine 

Corps team once again aggregated 

two ARG/MEUs in that region, but this 

time for the purpose of conducting 

humanitarian assistance operations 

in the wake of flooding caused by 

torrential rains in Pakistan.

Those same forces that conduct 

day-to-day forward presence 

and crisis response can quickly 

and seamlessly shift to provide 

assured access for Joint Forces.

 —GENERAL DUNFORD

‘‘

‘‘
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [13]

reconfigurable platforms, and expeditionary locations ashore throughout 

the Indo-Asia-Pacific. As an example, Marines currently deploy aboard Military Sealift Command ships such as the Dry Cargo/Ammunition (T-AKE) 

ship and Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) to train with partner nation security forces. The Marine Corps has recently forward-based MV-22 squadrons 

in the Western Pacific, and will deploy the first permanently forward-based 

fifth-generation strike aircraft to Japan.

The Coast Guard will rotationally deploy National Security Cutters 

and deployable specialized forces with the Navy and Marine Corps to 

safeguard U.S. territorial waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). 

Additionally, the Coast Guard will work with regional partners and navies 

using joint and combined patrols, ship-rider exchanges, and multinational 

exercises to build proficient maritime governance forces, enhance cooperation in maritime safety and security, and reduce illegal, unreported, and 

unregulated fishing. These multinational efforts are furthered through the 

Oceania Maritime Security Initiative and participation in the North Pacific 

Coast Guard Forum.

Our expanded forward naval presence in the Indo-Asia-Pacific will 

enhance our warfighting advantages in-theater, while providing a foundation for strengthening alliances through improved interoperability, more 

integrated operations, and increasingly complex exercises and training. 

It will also enhance partnerships through expanded maritime security 

operations, shared maritime domain awareness, and longer multilateral 

engagements. Our objective is to build and sustain regional capacities to 

deal with local maritime security challenges. By deepening security cooperation and multilateral mechanisms among the region’s states—especially 

members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)—U.S. 

naval forces will contribute to the long-term security of the global economic system. 

Middle East

The Middle East remains strategically vital for the United States and our 

allies. We will increase presence in the region from 30 ships today to about 

40 in 2020 to maintain credible combat power in the Middle East to deter 

conflict, reassure allies and partners, and respond to crises. 

The Navy and Marine Corps will continue the rotational deployment 

of Carrier Strike Groups with embarked airwings and Amphibious Ready 

Groups with embarked Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU) to the region. 

In addition, the Marine Corps will maintain a continuous presence in the 

Middle East, including a General Officer–led Marine Air-Ground Task 
[14] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

Force (MAGTF) command element and a Special Purpose Marine AirGround Task Force (SPMAGTF) equipped with MV-22 and KC-130 Hercules aircraft to maximize the operating radius for security cooperation and 

crisis response. The Navy and Marine Corps will maintain a headquarters 

facility in the Arabian Gulf, continue the deployment of ships there, and 

use new multi-mission vessels such as the Littoral Combat Ship, Joint 

High Speed Vessel, and Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) to support 

security cooperation, counterterrorism, expeditionary operations, minesweeping, and Special Operations Forces. 

The Coast Guard will deploy personnel to build partner nation capacity 

for maritime governance and simultaneously conduct maritime security, 

infrastructure protection, and Port State Control activities. Coast Guard 

patrol boats and deployable specialized forces on Navy and coalition ships 

will counter illicit maritime activity.

Our sustained forward naval presence in the Middle East will protect 

the homeland and promote regional stability by thwarting terrorist networks that threaten local and regional governance. It will also combat the 

proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and deter potential adversaries from threatening the flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz 

and the Suez Canal. We will enhance the capability and capacity of key 

partnerships, particularly the Gulf Cooperation Council, to promote interoperability with member states and other navies throughout the region. 

Europe

NATO and our European allies and partners remain vital to U.S. security 

interests within the region and around the world. Our interoperability with 

allies remains a priority, as demonstrated by the nine-month cooperative 

deployment of a Carrier Strike Group with British Royal Navy staff embarked and the combined Carrier Strike Group operations between the 

United States and France. Our naval installations in Europe are fundamental 

to sustaining naval forces operating in this and adjacent areas. Naval forces 

operating in Europe are ideally positioned to conduct prompt, flexible seabased operations in Europe, Africa, the Levant, and Southwest Asia. 

As we rebalance to the Indo-Asia-Pacific, we continue to recognize 

the enduring strategic significance and contributions of Europe and NATO 

in addressing common maritime security challenges such as Operation 

Ocean Shield, which has reduced piracy in the waters around the Horn of 

Africa. Underscoring our commitment to NATO, the Navy will continue 

supporting the Standing NATO Maritime and Mine Countermeasure Groups 

and provide forces in Europe that make unique contributions to the alliance, 
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [15]

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated 

fishing costs the global economy 

between $10 and $20 billion 

annually. The United States actively 

develops and implements maritime 

governance measures that are 

adopted by international fisheries 

management organizations. Our 

efforts to enhance international 

capacity to preserve sustainable 

fish stocks and other living marine 

resources promote global 

economic security, build avenues 

for cooperation on a wide variety 

of issues, and reduce international 

tension. Here, U.S. Coast Guard 

and Sierra Leone law enforcement 

personnel conduct a fishing vessel 

boarding, illustrating the utility of 

combined training and support to 

maritime forces around the world.

People ask why the Coast Guard 

partners with foreign governments 

to enforce fisheries laws far from our 

own Nation’s coast. The answer is that 

the economic security of many of 

those partner nations is heavily reliant 

on delicate fish stocks, underpinning 

regional stability and security.

 —ADMIRAL ZUKUNFT

‘‘

‘‘
[16] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

such as Aegis ballistic missile defense (BMD) ashore and afloat, protecting 

our allies and partners from ballistic missile threats. This includes basing 

four multi-mission, BMD-capable destroyers in Spain by the end of 2015. 

These ships also provide forward presence in the Mediterranean for security cooperation, maritime security, and crisis response missions. Continued maritime integration with NATO will be necessary to ensure long-term 

regional security and stability.

To augment episodic Amphibious Ready Group/Marine Expeditionary 

Unit (ARG/MEU) presence in the region, the Marine Corps will provide 

a land- or sea-based Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force 

(SPMAGTF), trained for employment singly or as part of a larger, composited force. One such SPMAGTF was stood up in 2013 to support missions in Europe and Africa. The Marine Corps will continue to employ 

such task-organized forces for security cooperation while maintaining 

readiness for crisis response. 

Africa

We will provide naval presence in Africa with adaptive force packages 

such as the Joint High Speed Vessel or Afloat Forward Staging Base with 

embarked Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen. Construction Battalions 

(Seabees), Explosive Ordnance Disposal units, Navy SEALs and other 

Naval Special Operations Forces, as well as Coast Guardsmen and Marines, 

will continue working alongside partner security forces to combat terrorism, illicit trafficking, and illegal exploitation of natural resources through 

initiatives such as the African Maritime Law Enforcement Partnership and 

the Africa Partnership Station. West African nations rely heavily on maritime forces to combat illicit trafficking, which has links to terrorist enterprises. For example, the Sea Services will continue working with partner 

nations in the Gulf of Guinea to find a long-term solution to maritime 

security challenges through information sharing, exercises, and joint 

patrols. The Navy will maintain an expeditionary base on the continent 

to support counterterrorism; maritime security; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. Forward deployed and rapidly 

deploying forces, such as ARG/MEUs, SPMAGTFs, and Marine Expeditionary Brigades (MEB) will engage in exercises and training to strengthen 

partnerships, remain prepared to support crisis response, and protect 

U.S. citizens and interests in the region.

We will continue working alongside European and African partners 

and regional organizations to strengthen African capabilities to respond 

to crises and contribute to stability in their respective states. 
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [17]

The Coast Guard has more than 

60 bilateral agreements with 

foreign governments that enable 

us to project maritime governance, 

rule of law, and global leadership 

through combined operations 

with host nations.

—ADMIRAL ZUKUNFT

‘‘

‘‘

The Joint Interagency Task 

Force South (JIATF-S) is an 

excellent example of naval 

cooperation close to our 

shores. This task force 

combines personnel from 

the Navy, the Coast Guard, 

and civilian law enforcement, 

all of whom work with 

multinational partners to 

reduce illicit drug trafficking 

throughout Central and South 

America. In 2013, fourteen 

Western Hemisphere and 

European nations helped 

seize more than 131 metric 

tons of cocaine valued at 

approximately $3 billion. 

These Coast Guardsmen in 

Miami Beach unload millions 

of dollars’ worth of seized 

illegal drugs.
[18] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

Western Hemisphere

We will strengthen partnerships and capacity in the Western Hemisphere 

to protect the homeland and to counter illicit trafficking and transnational 

criminal organizations. Coast Guard recapitalization efforts will produce 

a fleet of highly capable, multi-mission ships and aircraft, including the 

Offshore Patrol Cutter and the C-27J Spartan maritime patrol aircraft to 

counter threats, particularly in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and 

eastern Pacific Ocean. The Navy will maintain its base at Guantanamo Bay, 

Cuba, to support joint and combined military operations and to enhance 

interagency efforts to develop regional security and cooperation. The Marine Corps will employ task forces or SPMAGTFs to support security cooperation activities that increase interoperability with regional partners and 

strengthen their capacity to interdict transnational criminal organizations. 

We will employ amphibious ships and other platforms, including Littoral 

Combat Ships, Joint High Speed Vessels, Afloat Forward Staging Bases, 

hospital ships, other Military Sealift Command ships, and Coast Guard platforms, to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions. 

We will also employ maritime patrol aircraft such as the P-8A Poseidon 

and unmanned aerial vehicles. Other ships and aircraft will provide periodic 

presence for recurring military-to-military engagements, theater security 

cooperation exercises, and other missions.

Arctic and Antarctic

Consistent with the predicted growth in maritime activity, the Sea Services 

will assess Arctic access and presence needs, improve maritime domain 

awareness, and pursue cooperation with Arctic partners to enhance the 

maritime safety and security of the region. This will require us to further 

develop our ability to operate in the Arctic, including in ice-covered and 

ice-obstructed waters. The Coast Guard will apply the multi-mission capabilities of the National Security Cutter to provide a tailored seasonal presence for command and control and aerial surveillance, and will begin the 

design process for a new, heavy icebreaking capability to support operations in both the Arctic and Antarctic. The Coast Guard will also pursue the 

formation of a maritime assistance, coordination, and operations group, 

open to members of the eight Arctic Council nations. The purpose of this 

group will be coordination of multinational search and rescue operations, 

training exercises, maritime traffic management, disaster response, and 

information sharing.
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [19]

SEAPOWER IN SUPPORT OF 

NATIONAL SECURITY

Section III

The Sea Services operate in the world’s oceans to protect the 

homeland, build security globally, project power, and win decisively. 

This ability to maneuver globally on the seas and to prevent others 

from using the sea against our interests constitutes a strategic advantage 

for the United States. Carrier Strike Groups with embarked airwings, as 

the naval forces’ preeminent strike capability, and amphibious task forces 

with embarked Marines, along with surface combatants, submarines, and 

Coast Guard cutters, provide flexible and sustainable options from the 

sea to the littoral in support of the following naval missions: defend the 

homeland, deter conflict, respond to crises, defeat aggression, protect 

the maritime commons, strengthen partnerships, and provide humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

We organize, train, and equip naval forces to accomplish these missions through the five essential functions: all domain access, deterrence, 

sea control, power projection, and maritime security. We employ these 

functions in a combined-arms approach as the summation of U.S. seapower, providing a unique comparative advantage for the Joint Force 

and the Nation. 

All Domain Access

All domain access is the ability to project military force in contested 

areas with sufficient freedom of action to operate effectively. In today’s 

security environment, that access is increasingly contested by state 

and non-state actors that can hold even our most advanced forces and 

weapon systems at risk with their own sophisticated anti-access/area 

denial strategies. 

Employed in coordination with the Navy–Marine Corps team’s sea 

control and power projection capabilities, all domain access allows Joint 

Force Maritime Component Commanders to provide cross-domain capability to the Joint Force through the following elements:
[20] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

Evolving anti-access/

area denial capabilities 

by potential adversaries 

drive the need to orient 

our warfighting capability 

toward greater integration 

and interoperability of 

platforms, sensors, weapons, 

and systems. These initiatives 

are being built around 

emerging capabilities such 

as the Naval Integrated Fire 

Control–Counter Air (NIFCCA) program for defense 

against enemy aircraft 

and missiles. This program 

integrates reconnaissance, 

fighters, and shipboard fire 

control systems to defeat 

threats at long range. The 

E-2D Hawkeye, shown 

here landing on the flight 

deck of the USS Dwight 

D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), 

integrates these elements 

of NIFC-CA.

We must be able to achieve access in 

any domain. That means altering how 

we plan and coordinate actions in the 

air, sea, land, space, and cyberspace 

domains, identifying and leveraging 

the right capability mix to assure 

access and freedom of action.

 —ADMIRAL GREENERT

‘‘

‘‘
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [21]

■ Battlespace awareness, which provides: persistent surveillance 

of the maritime domain, including the landward portion of the 

littoral, and the information environment; penetrating knowledge of the capabilities and intent of our adversaries; an understanding of when, where, and how our adversaries operate; and 

a comprehensive grasp of the environment in which our forces 

will operate.

■ Assured command and control, which provides commanders the 

ability to maintain robust, resilient, and agile networks for the 

command and control of forces in contested environments. 

■ Cyberspace operations, including both defensive and offensive 

measures, which preserve the ability to utilize friendly cyberspace 

capabilities; protect data, networks, net-centric capabilities, and 

other designated systems; and project power by the application 

of force in or through cyberspace. 

■ Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare (EMW), a relatively new concept, which blends fleet operations in space, cyberspace, and the 

electromagnetic spectrum with advanced non-kinetic capabilities to create warfighting advantages. 

■ Integrated fires, which provide an expanded range of kinetic and 

non-kinetic options for the commander to fully exploit and, when 

necessary, attack adversary capabilities and vulnerabilities. 

Cross-domain synergy is achieved when these elements are synchronized, providing Joint Force commanders a range of options in all domains to defeat anti-access/area denial strategies. These options include 

greater emphasis on force-wide, coordinated non-kinetic capability and 

counter-targeting techniques as opposed to engaging each threat with 

increasingly expensive kinetic weapons. In short, we must become more 

comprehensive in our offensive capability to defeat the system rather 

than countering individual weapons. As an example, we may more effectively defeat anti-ship ballistic and cruise missile threats by making use 

of superior battlespace awareness to employ cyber and EMW capabilities in an integrated fires approach that defeats the threat before it has 

even been launched.

Assuring access in all domains begins in peacetime through routine 

regional operations with the naval and maritime forces of our allies and 

partners. These efforts enhance relationships, build capability and capacity, 

and lead to access in the maritime environment. When naval forces set 

the conditions for access in peacetime, we enhance our interoperability 

with allies and partners to more readily achieve all domain access during 

conflict. 
[22] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

Naval forces achieve all domain access as part of joint operations, improving relationships and deterrence in peacetime and enabling success 

against our enemies in wartime. This function supports all naval missions.

Deterrence

We achieve deterrence by convincing potential enemies that they cannot win or that the cost of aggression would be unacceptable. 

Strategic nuclear deterrence is guaranteed by Navy ballistic missile 

submarines (SSBN) that provide the United States with an assured, 

precise, nuclear second-strike capability. Always at sea, SSBNs patrol 

undetected, remaining in continuous communication and capable of 

immediate response. As the most secure and survivable element of our 

Nation’s nuclear triad, it is imperative that our sea-based nuclear forces 

be maintained at peak readiness and fully resourced. 

Conventional deterrence is provided by naval forces through the overwhelming combat power of our Carrier Strike Groups with embarked airwings; surface and subsurface combatants with precision attack weapons; 

and the scalable, deployable, expeditionary combat power of Marine 

Expeditionary Forces (MEF), Marine Expeditionary Brigades, and Marine 

Expeditionary Units employed from various combinations of amphibious 

ships, maritime prepositioning, and forward bases. The Coast Guard maintains a continuous presence in our ports, internal waterways, along our 

coasts, and offshore, providing an additional layer of defense against maritime threats. Together with multi-mission ballistic missile defense–capable 

ships, these naval forces offer a wide range of credible deterrent options 

that are agile, flexible, and scalable. They are also positioned to rapidly 

respond to defend the homeland and our allies should deterrence fail.

This function supports the naval missions of defending the homeland, deterring conflict, and strengthening partnerships.

Sea Control

Sea control allows naval forces to establish local maritime superiority 

while denying an adversary that same ability. Forward naval forces 

employ a full spectrum of layered capabilities for the destruction of 

enemy naval forces, suppression of enemy sea commerce, and protection of vital sea lanes, including ports of embarkation and debarkation, 

which enables strategic sealift and facilitates the arrival of follow-on forces. 

The essential elements of sea control are surface warfare, undersea warfare, strike warfare, mine warfare, air and missile defense, maritime domain awareness, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. 
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [23]

Naval aviation is essential 

to our ability to conduct 

power projection and to 

deter and defeat aggression. 

Helicopters and fixed-wing 

aircraft operating from 

aircraft carriers, amphibious 

ships, and shore stations, and 

helicopters operating from 

cruisers and destroyers—

complemented by advanced 

unmanned aerial vehicles—

have played critical roles in 

recent campaigns and remain 

ready to fulfill any assigned 

mission. The F/A-18E Super 

Hornet shown here takes off 

from the aircraft carrier USS 

John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in 

the Pacific Ocean.

The centerpieces of naval capability 

remain the Carrier Strike Group and 

Amphibious Ready Group . . . These 

ships, aircraft, Sailors, and Marines 

have deterred and defeated aggression 

since World War II and will continue 

to do so well into the future.

 —ADMIRAL GREENERT

‘‘

‘‘
[24] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

Establishing sea control may require projecting power ashore to 

neutralize threats or control terrain in the landward portion of the littorals. 

Similarly, projecting and sustaining power ashore requires establishing 

sea control in the adjoining seas and airspace. Because of this, sea control and power projection are mutually reinforcing. This function supports 

the naval missions of defending the homeland, defeating aggression, and 

strengthening partnerships.

Power Projection

In a broad sense, power projection is the ability of a nation to apply all or 

some of its elements of national power—diplomatic, informational, military, or economic—to respond to crises, contribute to deterrence, and 

enhance regional stability. 

Naval power projection includes conventional strikes against targets 

ashore, integrated kinetic strikes and non-kinetic fires against enemy 

forces, advance force operations, raids, and all forms of amphibious operations, from ship-to-objective maneuver and sea-based fire support to 

forces ashore to missions conducted by Naval Special Warfare and Special Operations Forces. Navy strike forces led by aircraft carriers, surface 

combatants, and other ships, as well as submarines provide long-range, 

sea-based strike capabilities. Naval expeditionary forces can project 

power deep inland to disrupt the enemy, destroy enemy forces, and seize 

terrain in support of a joint campaign. 

Power projection also depends upon our ability to sea-base capabilities and leverage Military Sealift Command’s strategic sealift and logistics 

support, as well as Joint Force aerial refueling, and the global strategic 

laydown of our bases and facilities that safeguard, deliver, and sustain 

our forces. Naval Logistics Integration is a key enabler of our ability to sustain forces operating from the sea. Historically, the capability to sustain 

distant operations has served as a cornerstone of naval power projection. 

Naval power projection capabilities also facilitate other elements of 

“smart power” missions in the form of humanitarian assistance and disaster response, as demonstrated in the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the 2011 

tsunami in Japan, and the 2013 typhoon in the Philippines. Positioned to 

respond rapidly to disasters in key regions, forward naval forces working 

with allies and partners are ready to save lives, provide immediate relief, 

and set the conditions for effective civilian response without relying on 

damaged or inaccessible ports or airfields ashore. This function supports 

the naval missions of defending the homeland, responding to crises, 
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [25]

U.S. participation in 

multinational forums and 

institutions, such as the 

International Maritime 

Organization, leads to 

improvements in global 

standards for commercial 

vessel and port security, 

safety at sea, anti-piracy, 

and protection of the 

maritime environment and 

resources. Here, U.S. Coast 

Guard and China Fisheries 

Law Enforcement Command 

personnel embark a stateless 

vessel suspected of high seas 

drift net fishing. This illegal 

and universally condemned 

practice poses a significant 

threat to ocean ecosystems 

and the food and economic 

security of nations that rely 

on fisheries resources.

The Coast Guard’s vast array of authorities 

is unique—we are a regulatory agency, a 

federal law enforcement organization, and 

one of the Nation’s five armed services. We 

sustain mission excellence by combining 

our authorities and competencies with the 

significant capacity of our sister services. 

 —ADMIRAL ZUKUNFT

‘‘

‘‘
[26] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

deterring conflict, defeating aggression, and providing humanitarian 

assistance and disaster response. 

Maritime Security

Maritime security protects U.S. sovereignty and maritime resources, supports free and open seaborne commerce, and counters weapons proliferation, terrorism, transnational crime, piracy, illegal exploitation of the 

maritime environment, and unlawful seaborne immigration. 

Naval forces provide maritime security in the maritime commons 

and the seaborne approaches to our Nation. The United States manages 

critical mineral and marine resources in our 4.5 million square mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and maintains internationally recognized 

search and rescue responsibility in the larger Western Hemisphere Transit Zone. Operating in and beyond our EEZ, Coast Guard and Navy ships 

and aircraft are the forward edge of the Nation’s layered defense, developing maritime domain awareness, establishing effective maritime governance, and protecting the homeland. 

Maritime security supports U.S. efforts to uphold the laws, rules, and 

norms that govern standards of behavior in the maritime commons for 

transit, trade, and the pursuit of natural resources. Particularly important is cooperation with other coast guards to address both military and 

non-military state-sponsored challenges to sovereign rights.

We conduct maritime security operations by locating and monitoring vessels suspected of carrying illicit cargo or persons. If required, we 

intercept and board these vessels in support of U.S. law or international 

sanctions. Operating with the Coast Guard’s unique legal authorities, 

naval forces combat the illegal drug trade, human trafficking, and the 

unlawful exploitation of natural resources, particularly in the Western 

Hemisphere. Maritime security operations further support the broad 

maritime governance activities of the United States. These include assuring access to ice-covered and ice-obstructed waters in the Arctic and 

Antarctic. 

Because all nations share in the collective benefits of maritime security, it is a promising area for expanded cooperation with our allies and 

partners. Through multinational exercises and training, we will conduct 

maritime security force assistance to combat transnational organized 

crime and protect fisheries and maritime commerce. This function supports the naval missions of defending the homeland, protecting maritime 

commons, and strengthening partnerships.
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [27]

FORCE DESIGN: BUILDING 

THE FUTURE FORCE

Section IV

I

n this time of fiscal austerity, our force is sized to support defeating 

one regional adversary in a large, multi-phased campaign, while denying the objectives of, or imposing unacceptable costs on, another 

aggressor in a different region. This force-sizing construct also ensures 

our capability and capacity to support global presence requirements. To 

accomplish this, the Navy and Marine Corps must maintain a fleet of more 

than 300 ships, including 11 aircraft carriers, 14 ballistic missile submarines 

(replaced by 12 Ohio Replacement Program SSBN(X)), and 33 amphibious ships, while the Coast Guard must maintain a fleet of 91 National 

Security, Offshore Patrol, and Fast Response Cutters.

A smaller force, driven by additional budget cuts or sequestration, 

would require us to make hard choices. We would be forced to execute 

this maritime strategy at increased levels of risk for some missions and 

functions, decrease forward presence, and reduce our footprint in some 

geographic regions. Such cuts would also limit our warfighting advantages. Specifically, in the event of a return to sequestration levels of 

funding, Navy surge-ready Carrier Strike Groups and Amphibious Ready 

Groups available for crises and contingencies would be insufficient to 

meet requirements, and the Navy’s ability to maintain appropriate forward 

presence would be placed at risk. 

In building the future force, we will make institutional changes and 

take prudent risks as we balance investments in readiness, capability, 

and capacity. We will maintain our commitment to our Service members, 

employ new operational concepts, and develop innovative capabilities. 

As we develop this future force, we will value energy as a critical resource 

across all naval missions to enhance our operational reach, energy 

security, and energy independence. The following implementation principles, along with Service-specific documents such as the Marine Corps’ 

Expeditionary Force 21 and Marine Expeditionary Brigade Concept of 

Operations and classified supplements, will guide our efforts to ensure 

we remain a capable and combat-ready naval force.
[28] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

Flexible, Agile, and Ready Forces 

In designing our future force, we will:

■ Preserve an appropriate inventory of surge-ready naval forces 

that are combat-ready and prepared to rapidly respond to crises, 

major contingencies, and threats against the homeland, while 

relying on forward deployed naval forces as our shaping and 

response force. Maintaining this balance allows us to respond 

to today’s crises while remaining ready for tomorrow’s conflicts.

■ Develop a motivated and relevant future force of Sailors, Marines, 

and Coast Guardsmen who are diverse in experience, background, 

and ideas; personally and professionally ready; and proficient in 

the operation of their weapons and systems.

■ Develop a balanced force of submarines, aircraft carriers, amphibious ships, and surface combatants designed for combat. These 

ships must be complemented by reconfigurable platforms such 

as the Joint High Speed Vessel, National Security Cutter, and auxiliaries including Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off (LMSR) 

ships, Dry Cargo/Ammunition (T-AKE) ships, Mobile Landing Platforms (MLP), and the Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB).

■ Improve Joint Force interdependence through initiatives that 

eliminate gaps and seams, reduce unnecessary redundancy, and 

increase synergy with the Air Force and Army in developing concepts of operation for countering anti-access/area denial threats. 

We cannot go it alone. For example, naval forces depend heavily 

on the Air Force’s aerial refueling and global intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Likewise, the Army’s 

globally deployable Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) 

and Patriot missile batteries and the Navy’s Integrated Air and 

Missile Defense (IAMD) systems complement each other with 

their robust capabilities. The employment of Special Operations 

Forces from Navy ships is another example of Joint Force interdependence.

■ Implement a predictable naval force employment model—the 

Navy’s Optimized Fleet Response Plan (O-FRP)—which structures 

pre-deployment maintenance, training, and inspection schedules 

to improve operational readiness and availability in order to meet 

Global Force Management (GFM) requirements. 
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [29]

■ Prioritize affordability in every aspect of our acquisition process 

by controlling costs throughout the system lifecycle. For example, we will expand Open Systems Architecture initiatives to 

improve the use of intellectual property and increase competition. This will drive down total ownership costs, improve warfighting capability, and lead to sustainable future programs.

■ Collaborate with our industry partners to design interoperable 

and adaptable platforms that can rapidly plug in new sensor, information, logistic, and weapon payloads. Modularity will define 

our future force.

■ Plan and balance acquisitions and maintenance strategies to 

ensure the viability of the industrial base.

■ Improve operational energy capabilities that enhance our reach 

and energy security. These measures will include the use of Marine 

Corps initiatives to improve deployed energy consumption, the 

development of bio-fuels, and other programs that emphasize 

energy efficiency.

People

To ensure that our active and reserve Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen—as well as civilians—remain our greatest asymmetric advantage, 

we will:

■ Sustain support for the needs of our families and our wounded 

Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen to ensure that we honor 

the Nation’s sacred trust with those who serve and those who 

pay the heaviest price.

■ Enhance the safety, security, and quality of professional and personal life for our Service members, civilians, and families. We will 

continue to hold commands accountable for establishing an environment that allows our people and their loved ones to thrive 

amidst the extraordinary commitments and sacrifices that they 

collectively undertake. 

■ Further our warfighting advantage by developing leaders who 

personify their moral obligation to the naval profession by upholding core values and ethos, who fulfill these obligations as leaders of character and integrity, and who confidently exercise their 

authority and responsibility with a strong and abiding sense of 

accountability for their actions. 
[30] Forward ✦ Engaged ✦ Ready

Events over the past few years 

have demonstrated the utility of 

forward deployed expeditionary 

forces. In 2013 the Special 

Purpose Marine Air-Ground 

Task Force-Crisis Response 

(SPMAGTF-CR) was established 

for U.S. European Command 

and U.S. Africa Command to 

increase capacity for security 

cooperation and crisis response. 

On January 3, 2014, as a result 

of ethnic violence in South 

Sudan, elements of SPMAGTFCR conducted a non-combatant 

evacuation of U.S. citizens from 

that country. A U.S. Marine 

is shown above leading U.S. 

Ambassador Susan D. Page 

to a waiting aircraft. In the 

future, we intend to sea-base 

the SPMAGTF-CR to further its 

operational flexibility and reach.

In an era of tight budgets and 

uncertainty, we believe we’re a 

reasonably priced insurance policy. 

And history has shown the cost of 

not having that insurance policy.

 —GENERAL DUNFORD

‘‘

‘‘
A COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER, MARCH 2015 [31]

■ Modernize the Navy’s total force personnel system with a holistic 

strategy that evolves the All-Volunteer Force, creating more agile 

and family-friendly career paths in line with 21st Century social and 

economic realities. We will also develop a market of choice and 

challenge for high performers and remove the long-standing “up 

or out” system, which fails to maximize our investment in our people.

■ Create a true learning competency that unites our acquisition, requirements, and programming efforts to deliver the latest in technology and design, resulting in realistic simulation and live, virtual, 

and constructive scenarios before our people deploy. Once deployed, we will further hone their skills through robust exercises 

with allies and partners in challenging operating environments. 

■ Optimize the total force mix by strategically employing the Selected Reserve, managing differentiated talents to create more 

adaptive and agile warriors, and expanding Service opportunities 

to a wider population in support of peacetime operations and to 

provide essential surge capacity.

■ Cultivate strategic thought and intellectual capital through individual Service initiatives such as the reinvigoration of the Navy 

and Marine Corps Naval Board, the establishment of the Navy 

Strategic Enterprise to create synergy among the naval staffs 

and other strategically minded institutions, and the development 

of a cadre of strategic thinkers. 

■ Expand and empower the Foreign Area Officer (FAO) community 

to ensure they remain ready to build and strengthen international 

partnerships and serve as key enablers for joint, maritime, and 

coalition operations.

Concepts

We will develop, refine, and validate new warfighting concepts through 

Service-level war games and exercises, joint concept technology demonstrations, and full-scale joint and coalition exercises. By harnessing the 

teamwork, talent, education, and imagination of our diverse naval force 

and our allies and partners, we will:

■ Develop regional and global power projection capabilities, in 

support of the Joint Operational Access Concept, that provide 

a full range of options describing how the future Joint Force will 

conduct operations to gain and maintain access and freedom of 

action in the global commons.
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■ Advance the global network of navies concept by deepening 

security cooperation with allies and partners. This involves: 

➤ Expanding the cooperative deployment construct that integrates allied and partner forces into Carrier Strike Group and 

Amphibious Ready Group pre-deployment training, readiness exercises, and deployments. 

➤ Enhancing warfighting effectiveness between allies and partners. We will accomplish this through Service, joint, allied, and 

combined exercises of increasing complexity and comprehensiveness, including those that improve interoperability in 

amphibious operations, particularly in the Indo-Asia-Pacific 

and Europe. Additionally, we will increase personnel exchanges and intelligence sharing, as well as create a common operating picture on both classified and unclassified 

networks. 

➤ Pursuing regional and international forums to discuss overlapping sovereignty and economic, security, defense, and law 

enforcement concerns. This will foster multilateral cooperation on combined operations, information exchange, combating illegal trafficking, emergency response, maritime 

security, and fisheries protection.

■ Re-align Navy training, tactics development, operational support, and assessments with our warfare mission areas to mirror 

how we currently organize to fight. In each warfare community, 

the Navy will establish a warfare development center responsible 

for conducting tactical through advanced theater-level training. 

■ Conduct sea control and power projection in a more distributed 

fashion in littoral environments. This includes employing forward 

deployed and surge expeditionary forces that are task-organized 

into a cohesive amphibious force in order to provide scalable 

options to defeat land-based threats, deny enemy use of key 

terrain, or establish expeditionary advance bases and oceanic 

outposts as described in Expeditionary Force 21. We will accomplish this using reconfigurable platforms, more sophisticated 

sea-basing concepts, and technologies that enhance battlespace 

awareness down to the expeditionary squad level.

■ Develop tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) that target 

adversary vulnerabilities. We will explore the right balance between traditional kinetic strikes and non-kinetic actions. This will 
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conserve capacity of limited resources in the magazine in favor 

of more efficient and less costly means, where available, to disrupt 

an adversary’s kill chain.

■ Develop and evolve our electromagnetic maneuver warfare, space, 

and cyber concepts of operation to achieve desired effects through 

blended kinetic and non-kinetic means. The electromagnetic-cyber 

environment is now so fundamental to military operations and so 

critical to our national interests that we must treat it as a warfighting domain on par with sea, air, land, and space.

■ Evolve our counter–small boat swarm TTPs to include the use of 

innovative technologies such as lasers, advanced guns, and remotely piloted “smart” vehicles to counter this threat.

Capabilities

Continuous innovation informs how we fight, and it drives how we invest. 

We will focus our resources on capabilities that allow us to retain and 

improve our warfighting advantages. When appropriate, we will prioritize 

capability over capacity and emphasize modularity and open architecture in current and future platform design.

ALL DOMAIN ACCESS

In response to rising anti-access/area denial challenges, we will:

■ Prioritize capabilities that gain and maintain access, when and 

where needed, across all warfighting domains. 

■ Develop a force capable of effective, autonomous operations in 

an information-denied or -degraded environment.

■ Extend our cyber security and resiliency by addressing the 

acquisition and modernization of our platforms, systems, and 

information technology networks; by instituting quality assurance programs to protect critical warfighting capabilities; and 

by establishing common technical standards, certifications, 

and authorities to sustain the readiness of our cyber programs 

and systems.

■ Develop networked, integrated, and multi-dimensional capabilities to defeat adversary air and missile threats. We will evolve 

key components of our fire control networks, advanced electronic 
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warfare applications, and next-generation, over-the-horizon, surface-to-air missiles that expand the range and capacity of our 

integrated air and missile defense capability.

■ Optimize the use of our platform payload volume by integrating kinetic and non-kinetic warfighting capabilities in cyberspace 

and the electromagnetic spectrum. This will include cuttingedge directed energy weapons and targeted cyber and EMW 

operations that exploit, disrupt, disable, or destroy adversary 

networks, sensors, and weapon systems. 

■ Enhance the capability of Marine Air-Ground Task Forces (MAGTF) 

to command and control forces responding to crises or contingencies and executing forcible entry operations. 

■ Organize and equip Marine Expeditionary Brigades to exercise 

command and control of joint and multinational task forces, 

enable the Marine Expeditionary Force for larger operations, and 

integrate with the Navy for amphibious operations. This includes 

improving the ability to rapidly deploy and combine forces into 

a cohesive and agile composite force scaled to the mission.

■ Enhance the ability to command and control operations to project power from the sea in contested environments, including 

interoperability with partner nations.

■ Integrate fifth-generation aviation capability into the MAGTF 

and forward deploy this capability in sea- and shore-based roles, 

including from expeditionary advance bases and oceanic outposts. 

DETERRENCE

As long as nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction 

threaten our Nation and our allies, we will provide a safe, secure, and 

credible sea-based strategic deterrent. The Navy’s top priority is to 

ensure that the most survivable leg of our Nation’s strategic nuclear 

triad remains fully resourced and ready through the existing SSBN force 

and continued development of the Ohio Replacement Program. This 

includes the national command and control system, underwater platform, launch system, and ballistic missile capability that will collectively 

provide better survivability and increased lethality. 

To enhance conventional deterrence options from the sea, we will 

field our next-generation aircraft carriers, ships, submarines, and aircraft 

capable of long-range precision strike, as well as improve the operational access of our future expeditionary forces.
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SEA CONTROL AND POWER PROJECTION

To sustain our ability to defeat aggression, respond to crises, and 

strengthen partnerships, we will:

■ Advance naval capabilities that maintain our undersea dominance, especially in contested environments. We will continue to 

improve fixed and mobile undersea sensors, while also deploying advanced multi-functional sensors and protection systems 

on ships and aircraft, providing a high-altitude anti-submarine 

warfare capability, and developing unmanned undersea vehicles.

■ Continue developing and integrating unmanned systems that 

improve our ability to operate beyond the limits of human endurance and in highly contested, high-risk environments. This includes air, surface, undersea, and land-based applications.

■ Prioritize development of long-range stand-off weapons to 

complement stealth aircraft capabilities. This includes the ability to engage targets at extended ranges and in contested 

environments to provide a credible air-, surface-, and submarinelaunched strike.

■ Improve our capability to seize, establish, sustain, and protect 

austere expeditionary bases that enhance naval operations in 

anti-access/area denial threat environments.

■ Develop the capability to employ connectors, including combinations of landing craft, amphibious vehicles, small craft, and 

multi-mission aviation platforms in the littoral, with reduced radar 

signature, greater stand-off ranges, and increased speed and 

capacity. This will involve continued research and development 

of high water speed options for amphibious assault. 

■ Employ more efficient at-sea power generation systems and 

emerging technologies in miniaturization, automation, propulsion, materials, and manufacturing. These capabilities will reduce 

energy consumption and enable us to better sustain forward 

forces while accommodating new weapons such as directed 

energy systems and electromagnetic railguns.

■ Develop alternative weapon systems such as directed energy 

and electromagnetic railguns. The directed energy weapons will 

counter threats at the speed of light with extreme precision and 
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an unlimited magazine. The railgun will provide precise naval 

surface fire support, land strikes, and ship defense to deter enemy 

vessels at greater ranges. 

■ Continue developing innovative alternate energy sources and 

efficiency technologies. Hybrid powerplants, for example, are in 

service today and are increasing the on-station time and operational availability of our surface forces. 

MARITIME SECURITY

To combat terrorism, illicit trafficking, piracy, and threats to freedom of 

navigation in the maritime domain, we will:

■ Increase our capabilities in integrated maritime detection, 

monitoring, and intelligence, along with those of our allies and 

partners, to improve global maritime domain awareness. This 

involves exploring more stringent Automated Identification System reporting requirements for vessels weighing less than the 

currently mandated 300 tons, as well as fielding innovative 

technologies that enhance effectiveness against the small vessel 

threat. 

■ Strengthen the International Port Security Program to further 

ensure the integrity and legitimacy of commercial vessels and 

cargo traveling to our shores. 

■ Enhance our interoperability and capability to perform visit, 

board, search, and seizure in contested environments.

■ Improve interoperability between Navy and Coast Guard vessels, aircraft, and shore facilities, in accordance with the National 

Fleet Policy to maximize sea control and maritime security capabilities.

■ Support our allies and partners through training, exercises, 

and the provision of capabilities, via foreign military sales and 

financing, to increase their capacity to address maritime security 

challenges.

Through institutional changes, balanced investments, and a commitment to developing our Service members, we will build a future force 

that is capable and combat-ready.
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The United States will increasingly leverage its Sea Services in the 

pursuit of its national security objectives. In this turbulent world, 

the Sea Services provide the Nation with credible, flexible, and 

scalable options to sustain freedom of the seas, rapidly respond to crises, 

and deter and defeat aggression. This strategy identifies a series of geopolitical, military, and fiscal challenges, as well as opportunities for naval 

forces to shape or overcome them.

As we face the challenges of the 21st Century, we will remain committed to the development of our people; we will validate new operational 

concepts; and we will employ innovative capabilities that sustain our 

warfighting advantages, particularly in contested environments. Meeting these challenges requires that we embrace the global network of 

navies, because we are stronger when we work together with our allies 

and partners.

Our foremost priority remains the security and prosperity of our 

Nation, the American people, and our way of life. This strategy ensures 

that the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard continue protecting American citizens and advancing U.S. interests, as we have done for more than 

two centuries. American seapower—forward, engaged, and ready.

CONCLUSION
Our most important asymmetric 

advantage—the men and women of the 

Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard—are 

committed to implementing A Cooperative 

Strategy for 21st Century Seapower.

www.

www usmc.mil www.navy.mil www.uscg.mil .usmc.mil www.navy.mil www.uscg.mil