OTA Selected Studies

CNA Operations & Tactics Analysis Publications

CNA’s Integrated Ship Database Fourth Quarter 2011 Update
September 1, 2012
CNA’s Integrated Ship Database (ISDB) brings together data on naval ships from disparate online government sources such as the Naval Vessel Register, the Military Sealift Command’s Ship Inventory, USN Chief of Information’s Navy Fact File, the Naval History and Heritage Command’s Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, and the Maritime Administration’s Naval Defense Reserve Fleet Inventory. This document and its associated database file represent the 24th quarterly update of the ISDB since its inception in December 2005. New to the ISDB with this update is information on the operational ages of ships, both current and historical.
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The Navy Role in Confronting Irregular Challenges – Implementing the Navy Vision for CIC
March 1, 2011

The U.S. Navy has initiated efforts to confront irregular challenges (CIC) associated with regional instability, insurgency, crime, and violent extremism. A key document for understanding how the Navy will do this is the Chief of Naval Operations’ U.S. Navy Vision for Confronting Irregular Challenges. However, it remains unclear which of the Navy’s capabilities are most useful for CIC actions and how Naval forces can best contribute to the CIC effort.

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The Navy Distributed Engineering Plant (DEP) Bottom Up Review: Building More Efficient Processes in Bridging Communication Gaps
April 1, 2009

The Distributed Engineering Plant (DEP) within Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) tasked CNA to conduct a Bottom Up Review (BUR) of the DEP program. The stated goal was to establish more transparency and traceability of clients' requirements through the DEP testing process. In order to address this concern, we examined the process steps, roles and responsibilities, and information-sharing tools involved in DEP combat system interoperability testing. Our analysis shows that one key to tracing clients' requirements through the testing process is additional engagement with the client through collaboration -- DEP personnel involved earlier in test planning and clients participating later into the testing cycle. We have developed or modified several tools to assist in promoting this collaboration: • Clearly defined roles and responsibilities for key stakeholders during each process step • A matrix that DEP clients can use to make explicit connections between test objectives and test design • Targeted analysis that carries original client requirements through the analysis and reporting phases of testing.

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USMC Training: A Synthesis of CNA's Work
November 1, 2008
Maintaining a corps of highly skilled Marines is critical to the success of the Marine Corps. Such a force is the result of well-conceived and designed training programs. CNA’s training analyses are designed to help the Marine Corps develop and maintain such programs. Our analyses tend to fall into two categories- training assessment, and the economics of training. In our training assessment studies, we attempt to answer the following questions, “Is what is being taught, being learned?” and “Is what is being taught, what needs to be taught?” We use a skills-based approach to identify the core skills that a Marine needs to acquire through specific training and to assess whether the training teaches those skills. The second type of training study we undertake explores the links between manpower and the training pipeline. In one sub-set of studies, we focus on the rates and causes of attrition, particularly for first-term non-EAS Marines, and on critical indicators that the Marine Corps can use to better track manpower throughout the training pipeline. A second sub-set focuses on how long it takes to train a Marine, and the effect of the training process on manpower.
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Future Naval Training Environments
November 1, 2002

The Secretary of the Navy asked CNA to consider and evaluate options for training naval forces in the future. His objective is to ensure that naval forces are ready for real-world operations. This training encompasses individual military personnel; units such as ships, squadrons, or battalions; and large forces such as battle groups and the Marine Air Ground Task Force. This training prepares these various levels of naval forces for the challenges they could face in combat. Thus, it prepare them to perform their tasks, no matter how complex, in the face of danger to themselves and others. (Preparing forces to perform in dangerous circumstances is a driving factor behind the use of real fire in training environments.) In doing our evaluation, we sought to understand the elements of training that are vital and those that are not. We also sought to understand what can be represented or simulated and what must be replicated and practiced. And we analyzed planned future systems and future operational concepts and what will require in terms of an effective training environment. These requirements shaped our analysis.

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Renewal of Navy's Riverine Capability: A Preliminary Examination of Past, Current, and Future Capabilities

The Navy, seeking to rejuvenate its ability to carry out riverine, or river-based, wartime operations with an aim of supporting those operations in Iraq by March 2007, asked CNA to help define the "maritime domain" in which riverine operations take place as well as how the Navy's resources would be affected. Assessing operations in the context of maritime domain required the researchers to consider elements including terrorism, piracy, geography, and environmental factors. The study, conducted by CNA's Operations Evaluation Group, examines the Navy's long history of riverine operations as well as the nature and complexity of those operations. View Report

Analysis of major military and political themes during the Balkan Operations

This study dissects the major military and political themes of the 1990s. The Balkans provides a useful case study because of the multiplicity of operations and the opportunity to see how all of the operations interacted with each other.

Civil-Military Relations in the US: How Were the 1990s Different?

During the 1990s there was much debate about the state of U.S. civil-military relations. CNA examined the topic using not only the wealth of literature on the subject, but also our first-hand operational information. By combining these sources we were able to take a unique look at the evolution of civil-military relations in the 1990s.

Domestic Weapons of Mass Destruction Training Requirements and Policy Recommendations for the Reserve Forces

CNA studied and helped establish training needs, standards, and priorities for the Reserve forces to help them best respond to a weapons of mass destruction event. We provided the Reserve forces leadership with a framework for developing training requirements as well as a training baseline.

Do Crisis Response Operations Affect Political and Economic Stability

How does military intervention affect economic development? This study uses case studies and cross-country regression analysis to examine whether military crisis response operations actually affect overall levels of political and economic stability. Proponents of US military operations abroad often argue that maintaining visibility around the world helps promote global stability. In turn, stability provides an environment conducive to increased economic growth and development by encouraging trade and investment. Our economic analysis sought to answer two questions:

  • Do different regions of the world react in different ways to military crisis response operations?
  • Do countries at different levels of economic development react in different ways to military crisis response operations?

We found several differences, depending on the length of the operation. Short operations have a positive effect on political stability for several months after completion of the operation, particularly in Africa and low-income countries, but they do not appear to affect economic stability. Longer operations can affect both political and economic stability over the long term, but the extent of the effect is unclear. This analysis provides quantitative evidence that crisis response operations do affect future political and economic stability. View Report

Modeling the likelihood of succumbing to heat stress

Aircraft carrier flight deck operations, especially in warmer climates, expose personnel to radiant heat, jet exhaust, and, in some cases, extreme ambient temperatures. Extreme temperatures affect not only personnel safety, but operations as well. We developed a model to assess the likelihood of air craft carrier crew members succumbing to heat stress, determined actions to reduce the likelihood of heat stress, and identified commercially available cooling equipment that might be used on the flight deck to further reduce heat stress incidents.

Standards of Performance for Tactical Measures of Effectiveness

The military uses the Mission Essential Tasks (MET) system to help define and organize training and planning. CNA assessed the use of the MET system as the Navy trains for more complex missions and operating environments.

Metrics for the Sea Trial Process

Sea Trial is the Navy's fleet innovation and experimentation process. As part of the larger strategy of transformation, CNA reviewed past efforts and specifically focused on patterns and metrics observed during previous transformation efforts and how they might be applied to the Sea Trial process.

Complex Humanitarian Emergencies During the 1990s: How Did They Help To Define the Decade?

In the 1990s the United States employed its military in a variety of operations, both combat and operations other than war. CNA looked at defining characteristics of humanitarian operations during the 1990s to anticipate the challenges and requirements for the current decade and beyond. The study focuses specifically on complex humanitarian emergency operations in Somalia, Bosnia and Kosovo.

Navy Role in Homeland Defense Against Asymmetric Threats

As part of the ongoing debates regarding the missions of the U.S. military in the post-Cold War and now the post-September 11 era, CNA examined the role of the Navy in protecting the U.S. homeland, specifically against asymmetric threats.

Improving Chemical-Biological Defense for Domestic Navy Bases

Developing the capability to respond to chemical or biological attacks is an important part of an effective anti-terrorism and force protection strategy. CNA studied how the Navy can improve chemical and biological defense at domestic installations.

Logistics Modernization

The study provides an executive assessment of the Marine Corps' Logistics Modernization (LM) efforts. LM represents a comprehensive approach to improving Marine Corps logistics and combat service support through a focus on process improvement.

What is an Expeditionary Strike Force?

The Navy and Marine Corps recently developed the expeditionary strike force concept (ESF). To understand the relationship between ESF and other department and service concepts, CNA developed a "concept map" to simplify and organize information about the ESF and how it fits into overall DoD strategic objectives.

Impact of Encroachment on Marine Corps Training

CNA examined the effects of encroachment on Marine Corps unit readiness. This began with Marine Corps training requirements and examines federal laws, conflicts about land use and regulations designed to protect natural resources, and their impact on training at major base complexes.

Political Risk Analysis for Range Planning

CNA developed a political assessment tool to help the Navy analyze and understand the political forces at work with regard to training range expansion, development, and sustainment. Following the decision to cease naval training on the island of Vieques, CNA has worked with the Secretary of the Navy and Department of the Navy to identify new training needs, necessary range requirements, and other issues associated with developing new training options.

The Practice of Military Experimentation

This study is part of a broader effort to explore and discuss the role, practice, and art of military experimentation. It explores the differences between experimentation and exercises and how experimentation serves the military. It also provides a template for conducting experimentation.

Operations From the Sea Base Wargame: Summary Report

The Office of Naval Research and the Marine Corps Combat Development Command conducted a wargame to look at sea basing operations. CNA collected, documented, and analyzed the game results within an operational and programmatic context.

Joint National Training Capability: Functional Area Training Resource Requirements

The Joint Forces Command conceived the Joint National Training Capability (JNTC) to tackle the difficulties associated with creating joint, integrated training. JNTC focuses on altering existing training and training facilities to achieve more joint training. The Office of the Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) asked CNA to analyze and provide recommendations as to which functional areas should be the focus for the JNTC.