Vice Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of Naval Submarine Forces, briefs Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday during Large Scale Exercise 2021 in Norfolk, Va., August 10, 2021. U.S. Navy / Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Theodore Green
The Naval Brief: Large Scale Exercise starts; New secretary visits sailors; Robot gas stations; and more
Welcome to The Naval Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the sea services’ future.
Global exercise tests collaboration and concepts. Large Scale Exercise 21 has finally kicked off, with 25,000 participants in 17 time zones using virtual training technology to coordinate as they test out several warfighting concepts, Defense One reports. “I've never seen anything like this...And this technology allows us to do things at a level where we haven't in the past,” said Vice Adm. James Kilby, the deputy commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
SecNav visits the fleet on his first day. Carlos Del Toro was sworn in Monday as the 78th Secretary of the Navy. Tuesday, he released a letter to the fleet discussing four challenges the service faces (China, culture, climate, and COVID), and visited sailors and Marines in Norfolk who were participating in LSE 21.
Robot gas stations. The Defense Department is about to begin an experiment with barges retrofitted to autonomously operate as fueling stations for aircraft, Defense One reports. Eventually, sailors and Marines could access a network of these stations to refuel their ships and aircraft while at sea.
Sign up to get The Naval Brief every Thursday from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On this day in 1957, Lt. Cmdr. Don Walker completed the first test of the Automatic Carrier Landing System when he landed his F3D Skyknight on the USS Antietam. The system was designed to be used in all weather conditions without the help of the pilot.
From Defense One
Climate Change Is Already Disrupting the Military. It Will Get Worse, Officials Say // Patrick Tucker: Even as wildfires drain National Guard resources, the Pentagon is racing to develop computer models that can better guide decisions about sustainability efforts.
COVID-19 Vaccines Will Become Mandatory For Troops Next Month—or Sooner // Jacqueline Feldscher: Biden says he will approve Austin's recommendation to require vaccinations by mid-September, or sooner if the FDA formally approves them.
China’s New Missile Fields Are Just Part of the PLA Rocket Force’s Growth // Ma Xiu and Peter W. Singer: Since 2017, the PLARF has grown by one-third and worked to streamline and improve various support functions that are key to combat efficiency.
If China and the US Claim the Same Moon-Base Site, Who Wins? // Tara Copp: Relatively few craters are attractive, and there’s no consensus about avoiding conflict over them.