The Naval Brief: Navigation Plan; Cyber reservists; Interchangeability at RIMPAC; and more...

Welcome to The Naval Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the sea services’ future.

NavPlan. The chief of naval operation’s new Navigation Plan calls for 3 to 5 percent budget increases over inflation every year to get the future fleet that the service needs; however, one expert says accomplishing that would be “unprecedented,” Defense One reports. “Over the last 75 years, only one-third of the time has the Department of the Navy's budget grown by 3 percent or more in real terms,” said Travis Sharp, fellow and director of defense budget studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.

Cyber talent. U.S. Fleet Cyber Command is training reservists to help fix vulnerabilities in the Navy’s unclassified networks, and in the month of March alone, the sailors fixed more than 3,300 problems, Defense One reports. Deputy Commander Rear Adm. Steve Donald said he wants to expand the program—which includes more sailors who are not designated network analysts than those who are—to include more networks that have vulnerabilities but aren’t of concern to national security, like facilities management.

CNO at RIMPAC. When Adm. Mike Gilday visited ships and sailors during the Rim of the Pacific exercise, he was asking how commanders were gathering feedback and being honest about their strengths and weaknesses, Defense One reports. Gilday also heard from the leadership of the USS Abraham Lincoln about their recent deployment to 7th Fleet, and the Japanese Izumo about their efforts to modify the ship to operate F-35Bs in the future. 

Sign up to get The Naval Brief every Thursday from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On July 29, 2017, the destroyer USS Rafael Peralta was commissioned. The ship was named in honor of Marine Corps Sgt. Peralta, who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004. 

From Defense One

Biden Is Arming Ukraine To 'Play For a Tie,' Some America-First GOPers Say // Jacqueline Feldscher

The view reveals disagreement even among Trump-following Republicans about how to respond to Russia's invasion.

The Navy Should Assemble a Fleet for Littoral Campaigns // Bryan Clark

Don't build a fleet to fight off a Chinese invasion force; build one that gives the U.S. and allies more options.

Lack of Workers Is Hurting Supply Chains More than COVID, Defense Execs Say // Marcus Weisgerber

An economic slowdown might be the only way to fill job vacancies, says Raytheon CEO.