New Navy Commercial

I just saw this on the Navy Times Website--news of a new Navy commercial soon to replace the "Accelerate Your Life" campaign. Obviously aimed at the demographic groups most likely to enlist, the commercial features lots of pictures of Seals and inshore types, some ships, some airplanes, and some footage of WWII sailors doing the things they did. (Here is the commercial)

I've had conversations many times with Peter Swartz of the Center for Naval Analyses, a brilliant man, a great American, and one of the godfathers of the 1980's Maritime Strategy. He was particularly helpful to me and the strategy team as we conducted our deliberations, serving as a sounding board for many ideas and putting together extraordinarily helpful workshops that prodded our thinking along. Peter does a wonderful job of sending stuff to me that shows the CNO or other officials making references to the Maritime Strategy--mostly I think to show me that it is still being talked about. Just the other night, he and I discussed the very consistent messaging the Navy is doing with respect to CS21. At the end of the conversation, I repeated something I've said since the document came out--until it moves money, the Maritime Strategy is just good birdcage carpeting.

That said--this commercial is clearly derivative of the Maritime Strategy---especially the key message "A Global Force For Good". The very last paragraph of the Strategy says, "United States seapower is a force for good, protecting the Nation's vital interests even as it joins with others to promote security and prosperity across the globe". Whatever advertising agency the Navy is using has clearly determined that young people with a propensity to join the Navy increasingly see themselves as connected with the rest of the world--in a global system, if you will. Cribbing this theme from the Maritime Strategy is a wise play, and I think it serves as an effective theme for the campaign.

By the way--we stole the "force for good" thing from a Royal Navy strategy document I read. Always thought it was a great way to sum things up.

Bryan McGrath

A Few Good Reads

Who is your favorite Pakistani blogger? Mine is Mosharraf Zaidi, and his analysis of the Kerry-Lugar Bill is brilliant reading. That article is one of the Afghanistan top 5 reads for the week.

This AEGIS BMD essay in Space Review by Brian Weeden will give you plenty to think about. Well, it certainly has given me a lot to think about. You folks who worked on Operation Burnt Frost will enjoy it.

Too many sailors who read here daily not to note this call by ADM Harvey. When a 3-star asks for your opinion, give it. When we raise issues related to gender on this blog, the comments of the post can creep towards 100. Surely you folks can muster a couple dozen comments for the Admiral, and that means you too ladies. ADM Harvey has one of the most useful blogs in the Navy, it is a shame more people aren't using the opportunity it offers.

USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) is on deployment. It might be worth watching BHRs Facebook and Twitter pages, and the reason I say this is because in the Pacific right now we have 2 Typhoons and a Tsunami today. Anything can happen, and they are the front lines for the US. Just saying, all kinds of opportunities for BHR to change the way the Navy uses social software, and there are a bunch of smart PAOs in the Pacific who will be backing them up.

Opinion: ARGs with Marines on them is naval diplomacy and soft power. Americans will find the BHR social software efforts to get the word out. In my opinion, the BHR PAOs need to be focused on connecting to audiences in the places you are going, not audiences in the places you come from. The Navy rightfully sees information as a weapon, but that should not apply to CHINFO. However, CHINFO needs to take a different approach to information, and look at information as an influence enterprise.

See the new article at the Jamestown Foundation by Michael S. Chase and Andrew S. Erickson Changes in Beijing’s Approach to Overseas Basing? It would appear the conversation of limited forward basing has begun in China. This is still a far cry from the "String of Pearls" theory, but establishing forward bases of any kind would represent a shift in policy.

Israeli Submarines - Maybe Not?

This AFP story is what started the list of news stories claiming Israel had accepted two new submarines.

Now I am hearing from a friend at Janes that "HDW confirmed to us that construction is still in progress and no deliveries have taken place."

I'll take the word of the folks at Janes over the word of AFP every time. I can't imagine Israel would complain about the news article though, this type of military disinformation propaganda is what they do to keep everyone else guessing.

Electronic Attack (VAQ) 132 Good to Go!

One small step for naval aviation, one giant leap for the United States.

Electronic Attack (VAQ) 132 received the official notification in a Sept. 22 Navy message from Capt. Tom Slais, Commander Electronic Attack Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet, that the squadron was certified "safe for flight operations in the EA-18G."

"Your hard work and dedication is exemplary, and I am confident you will continue to display the same pride and professionalism as you execute safe operations and maintain your aircraft," said Slais.

The first operational Growler squadron to attain "safe for flight" status since the first EA-18G arrived Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in June 2008 recently returned from a successful carrier qualification detachment on board USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) with a 100 percent qualification rate.

I think I have made it clear how much I love this platform. Not perfect, some power issues to work out and a few other kinks in the system, but in all I believe the Growler is the best fighter introduced to the US Navy since the Tomcat, and probably the most important evolution of capabilities in naval aviation since moving to jet aircraft.

New Pictures of Varyag

We are finally getting some new pictures of Varyag before the 60th Anniversary parade. It really looks like they are doing a lot of work, especially on the island. From looking at all the stuff they have on the deck, I think there is more going on then just the work they are doing on the island, but it's hard to tell right now.