Research for Navy

This paper focuses on the Dardanelles Campaign (the navy portion), and compare it to a modern-day naval scenario—potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz (SoH). Although such comparisons are not new, arguments have been made that greater attention should be paid to the Dardanelles as a learning tool for littoral warfare.

We investigated the personnel inventory that would be necessary to meet the Navy’s manpower requirements for the 313-ship Navy. We find that at any time over the 30-year shipbuilding plan, the Service’s immediate manpower requirements could be satisfied with an endstrength of only 322,000. However, we estimated that the Service’s minimum viable long-term personnel inventory will be between 332,000 and 334,000. One reason for the higher long-term requirements is that the Navy will have to add about 3,500 enlisted shore billets to maintain reasonable sea/shore flows for all ratings. Another reason is that the Service will need to add about 2,000 enlisted billets to support a viable “agricultural tail”-the base of the personnel pyramid that is necessary to grow the Service’s more senior enlisted ranks. In addition, we believe that the Navy’s current manpower requirement plans are based on an overly optimistic assessment of the Service’s ability to cut billets from the shore establishment; we expect that a more realistic assessment adds about 2,000 Sailors to the minimum viable personnel inventory. Finally, several changes in the fleet plan that are being considered will increase manpower requirements by a few thousand.

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.

The Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Manpower, Personnel, Training, & Education (N1)) for the eighth year, asked CNA to organize a conference for the Navy manpower and training community leadership and the research organizations that support that community. The goal of the conference was to help researchers better leverage their resources, provide more useful products, and improve the overall research program. The theme for the Eighth Annual Navy Workforce Research and Analysis Conference held in May 2008, was “Leading the Change: The Research Community in the Navy’s Strategic Vanguard.” Ms. Anita Blair, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (M&RA), Acting, RADM William E. Landay III, Chief of Naval Research, and VADM Mark E. Ferguson III, Chief of Naval Personnel began with plenary sessions. Ms. Blair presented the DoN Human Capital Strategy’s vision and strategic objective. RADM Landay delivered the keynote presentation, which focused on the Office of Naval Research (ONR) science and technology work. VADM Ferguson presented “The Role of Research and Analysis in Achieving FIT”, a total force concept for delivering the right Sailor to the right job. Researchers presented briefings in breakout sessions on manpower, personnel, training, education, diversity, quality of life and related topics.