Naval Operations Concept Explains Ways to Meet Maritime Challenges

By Judith Snyderman, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- A bloggers roundtable was held June 2 to discuss the Naval Operations Concept (NOC) 2010 released to ensure U.S. maritime assets line up with overall defense strategy. "The goal of the document is to coordinate with the QDR (Quadrennial Defense Review)," said Capt. Mark Montgomery, Navy Strategy branch head, during the DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable.

While the QDR guides decisions for the size and structure of the overall military force, the NOC focuses on roles that the Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard play.

Montgomery said the NOC describes how sea-based forces will confront contemporary threats and challenges including, "enhancing security, preventing conflict and if necessary, prevailing in war."

He added that it builds on the naval services' overarching strategy document, A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower.

What is new about the NOC, Montgomery said, is a "whole of government approach." In addition to working in partnership with other U.S. agencies, the NOC supports working with allies to avoid duplicating efforts, "so that we are wisely spending what are increasingly scarce resources."

Capt. John McLain, of the Navy Strategy and Policy Division, also participated in the discussion. He said that in many ways, the updated vision for the Maritime Strategy is already being realized.

"We typically are engaged as part of a whole of government effort within usually an international framework," he said.

As one example, McLain recounted the fast response and contributions made by naval forces to multi-agency and international aid efforts after a massive earthquake erupted in Haiti in January. The NOC document, McLain explained, elevates the role of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as, "not just reactive disaster response but also proactive humanitarian assistance."Montgomery added that the NOC includes sections on confronting irregular challenges and on expanding the definition of deterrence.

He acknowledged that some external audiences expected to see specifics in terms of force size and ship numbers in the NOC, but he said it is not intended to be a requirements document. Montgomery added that Navy analysts will take part in upcoming Defense future warfighting campaign scenarios which could shape the future size and structure of maritime forces.

"We wouldn't want to prejudge the results of these war fighting campaign scenarios, nor would we want the operational concept of the Navy tied to a change in any one threat," Montgomery said. He added the main audience for the NOC is internal and the content aims "to explain to the officers and sailors down on the deck plates what the naval operational concept is [and] how we execute the 'ways' associated with the ['means'] of the Maritime Strategy."

Instead, McLain said the NOC acknowledges that naval forces are rebalancing resources, and that "we have to perform our core missions with one Navy and [it] must be able to operate across a full spectrum of operations."