This year marks the 68th annual Current Strategy Forum (CSF) hosted by the Secretary of the Navy at the U.S. Naval War College. The first CSF was held on 9 May 1949 under the title “Round Table Talks.” This event offered an opportunity for the nation’s public servants, scholars, and senior military officers to join with College faculty and students to discuss the future strategy of the United States. Over the years, the CSF has expanded to include a cross section of America’s civilian and military leadership to encourage a wide-ranging debate on national and international security.
Fleet design represents a classical strategic problem of balancing ends, ways, and means. One difficulty is defining and understanding the “ends and ways” in a fast-changing and complex strategic environment in an era of rapid technological change, as well as coming up with the “means” in the face of resource constraints.
This year’s forum will seek to:
- understand what history tells us about the enduring principles of national purpose and strategy that will guide decisions about the future
- recognize the geostrategic challenges that lie ahead for the country
- promote an informed discussion about the role that naval forces will play in meeting our national objectives
- undertake a critical analysis of what tomorrow’s force structure will need to look like to underwrite international security
Suggested Reading
- Future Navy
- CNO’s Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority
More on CSF