Overview

Naval Power in Action focuses attention to the United States' current competition with China, laying out a case for acting in three areas: strengthen the homeland to economic coercion, modernize and reorganize institutions to successfully compete, and winning the positional fight with China over markets and military posture. Amongst duck hunters there is a saying that describes our nation's current predicament in the competition with China - shooting behind the duck. It means that the actions our leaders have been taking for many years have been reactive and ineffective, said another way, missing their mark. To correct this requires adjusting for the target's - China's - reaction and anticipating its course to aim for an interception point. This book aims to inform a near-term (within four years) approach to lead in this competition with China. And there is not much time to begin getting the aim right. This book refines ideas in Brent Sadler's first book,U.S. Naval Power in the 21st Century, and focuses attention to the present, laying out a case for acting in three areas: strengthen the homeland to economic coercion, modernize and reorganize institutions to successfully compete, and winning the positional fight with China over markets and military posture. Achieving success in these three areas all requires urgent action with effects following in waves - increased maritime presence, followed by improvements in national industrial resiliency and capacities. Doing this requires acting with what is at hand to deter China, while setting the conditions for a sustained competition well into the future. Bore-sighting on China while necessary can be dangerous if it blinds the nation to other dangers - our nation must be prepared and armed to be able to ""chew gum and walk"" as often eloquently stated by our political leaders. Top of the 'to-do' list - bolstering our economy's defense to coercion via a variety of vectors - cyber, sanctions, direct attacks. Most urgent is addressing the paucity of shipping on which the nation's economy floats. This book is a roadmap for how to accomplish this complex task with urgency and effectiveness.

Full Product Details

9781682475775

Table of Contents

Reviews

“The U.S. Navy is straining to meet the challenges before it, risking adequate deterrence which could result in the outbreak of a major war in the Pacific this decade. Action is required NOW! However the thinking and approach to naval operations in this century must change in the face of emerging technologies and the rise of Chinese naval capabilities. Naval Power in Action builds perfectly on Brent’s previous book, and lays out a plan for establishing regionally focused fleets, like First Fleet dedicated to operations in Southeast Asia; an idea I championed as Secretary of the Navy. Timely and mandatory read for today’s practitioners of national power.”—Kenneth J. Brathwaite, former Secretary of the Navy “The United States is locked in a New Cold War with the Chinese Communist Party that will determine the fate of the Free World. To win this competition, we need to act with urgency to reduce our economic dependence on China, modernize institutions, and reestablish maritime dominance. Naval Power in Action is a blueprint for achieving these goals and a compelling articulation of naval statecraft. It should be required reading across the national security space.”—Mike Gallagher, former U.S. Representative and Chairman of the House Select Committee on Competition with the Chinese Communist Party “The security threat to our Nation posed today by Communist Chinese commercial shipping and naval forces working in coordination to dominate the free oceans is grave – but not insurmountable. Brent clearly articulates the elements of the Chinese threat and charts the course our Nation must take NOW to blunt the onslaught and put us on the path to regain our sea power. Key is the case for establishing a Maritime Department that would unite various dispersed offices across government and focus us on required action. Naval Power in Action goes further and uniquely articulates how this strategic imperative fits into a wider comprehensive rivalry with China. A fresh take on how to solve intractable problems!”—Rear Adm. Mark Buzby, USN (Ret.), former United States Maritime Administrator “Once again Brent Sadler delivers a provocative take on our nation’s maritime ills, and how to fix them. Naval Power in Action applies his earlier book’s concept of naval statecraft  in a comprehensive strategic action plan. This is particularly important as the world is increasingly unsettled, and Sadler offers new thinking and ways in which to keep the peace while staying ahead of our adversaries. It should be required reading for naval professionals and national security analysts.”—Capt. Bernard D. Cole, USN (Ret.), Professor of International History at the National War College   

Author Information

Brent Droste Sadler is a twenty-six-year Navy veteran with numerous operational tours on nuclear powered submarines. He has been a member of personal staffs of senior defense department leaders and was a military diplomat in Asia. He writes about great power competition, advanced technologies, and building the Navy the nation needs.Sadler is the author of U.S. Naval Power in the 21st Century: A New Strategy for Facing the Chinese and Russian Threat. Sadler lives in Arlington, Virginia.

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