Ukraine and Russia in High-Stakes Battle for the Black Sea?
Center for Maritime Strategy
America’s intellectual center for the study of the relationship between maritime strategy and international security
New Featured Series:"Up for Debate"
“Up for Debate” is a project of the Center for Maritime Strategy geared towards driving thoughtful, energizing discussion about pressing issues facing the U.S. Sea Services and international maritime security.
Our monthly series places two contrasting expert views into written conversation with each other about a timely issue of maritime significance. “Up for Debate” provides a platform for respectful and informed debate which can shape thinking about maritime strategy and security policy. The authors’ arguments are their own, not reflecting any institutional perspectives.
Read the September edition here and stay tuned for the October feature!
In the News
Quoted by Diana Stancy Correll, Navy Times September 15, 2023: Navy, Marine Corps Test Warfighting Concepts
?“‘If you can’t do distributed logistics, you’re going to be in trouble,’ retired Adm. James Foggo, the exercise’s senior role player for higher headquarters, told reporters. ‘We’re stressing the force. There’s just not enough stuff to go around,’ Foggo said. ‘So, somebody’s going to get what they need here. Somebody else here may have to wait a little bit. But where are the priorities?'”.
Interviewed by Joshua Keating , The Messenger September 13, 2023: Ukraine and Russia in High-Stakes Battle for the Black Sea?
“‘I think they’ve just lost all initiative,’ Steven Wills, navalist at the Center for Maritime Strategy, told The Messenger, referring to the Russian naval ambitions. ‘Whatever plans they originally had, they immediately abandoned them and they’ve gone into garrison, hunker down mode.’”
Featured Publications
In The MOC September 14, 2023: How to defeat Russia’s War on Ukrainian Grain: Navies go Small, Diplomacy goes Big
领英推荐
By Bradford Dismukes & Barry Blechman
In response to Russia's blockade of Ukrainian grain, Ukraine established a near-shore shipping corridor and a Black Sea counter-blockade. To strengthen these efforts, NATO and the U.S. are recommended to endorse a protective shipping route, supply naval technology, and introduce an "International Grain Export Convention" to safeguard regional grain exports.
In The MOC September 12, 2023: Tending to a Distributed Maritime Operation: The Ongoing Need for More Navy Tenders
Throughout the 20th century, the U.S. Navy utilized tenders to service and repair ships, proving vital during World War II and the Cold War. However, post-Cold War reductions significantly diminished the tender fleet, and with current naval strategies focusing on distributed and uncrewed operations, there's an urgent need to rebuild the tender force for modern challenges.
Podcast: Maritime Nation
Dr. Steve Wills talks with Secretary John Lehman about the state of and direction for the Congressional Commission on the Future of the Navy. Secretary Lehman offers a unique perspective on Commission — and more broadly on commissions’ organization and functions — thanks to his service on the 9/11 Commission and experience as the 65th Secretary of the Navy. An old commercial once intoned “When EF Hutton Talks, People Listen,” and likewise, when Secretary John Lehman talks naval issues on Maritime Nation, everyone should listen.
The Admiral's Reading List
Foreign Affairs Magazine , August 10, 2023: Back in the Trenches: Why New Technology Hasn’t Revolutionized Warfare in Ukraine
By Stephan Biddle
The conflict in Ukraine showcases the integration of advanced technologies but also emphasizes traditional warfare methods similar to WWI and WWII. Despite the inclusion of drones, AI, and other modern weapons, loss rates of tanks and aircraft in Ukraine align with historical norms from past wars. While technology plays a role in warfare, the tactical usage and adaptation to these technologies are more decisive in outcomes. The warfare patterns in Ukraine reflect a combination of both rapid offensives and defensive stalemates, not solely determined by technological advancements. Calls for revolutionary changes in military strategy based on the Ukraine conflict may be premature, as both new and historical tactics and technologies remain relevant.