NPG14_CHINFO_Web_7Mar14

U.S. NAVY PROGRAM GUIDE 2014
OPERATE FORWARD
The Navy will continue to Operate Forward with ready forces,
where it matters, when it matters. The Navy and Marine Corps
are our nation’s “away team” and history demonstrates the Navy
is at its best when we are present forward and ready to respond.
Our FY 2015 Program delivers the fleet size and readiness to provide
the overseas presence directed in the Secretary of Defenseapproved
Global Force Management Allocation Plan (GFMAP)
and rebalances our effort toward the Asia-Pacific region, while
sustaining support to our partners in the Middle East and Europe.
Global presence is the key to the Navy’s mandate to be where it
matters and to be ready when it matters. The Navy will maintain
a carrier strike group and amphibious ready group in both the
Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions for the foreseeable future,
even under the reduced discretionary budget caps. In addition,
the Navy will maintain about three CSGs and three ARGs certified
for all operations and available to “surge.” However, in the event
funding is lowered to the reduced discretionary cap level, the Navy
will only have one CSG and ARG “surge ready.”
High demand for naval forces requires an innovative combination
of rotational deployments, forward basing, rotational crewing,
and the use of partner nation facilities overseas. The Navy is working
to better align ships with missions by fielding Mobile Landing
Platforms (MLP), Afloat Forward Staging Bases, Joint High Speed
Vessels (JHSV) and Littoral Combat Ships during the next five
years. These ships use rotational military or civilian crews, which
enable the ships to remain forward longer and free up other ships
for other missions. The FY 2015 Program also provides the future
fleet with a mix of ships that better aligns capability and capacity
with the needs of each geographic region and its missions. For
example, LCS and JHSV will be well suited for maritime-security,
security-cooperation, and humanitarian-assistance missions,
particularly in Africa, South America, and the Western Pacific.
Similarly, the AFSB is fully capable of supporting MCM, counterpiracy,
and counter-terrorism operations overseas.
Building on the successful deployment of the USS Freedom
(LCS 1) to Singapore, which concluded in December 2013, the
FY 2015 Program sustains funding for further LCS operations in
Southeast Asia with the 16-month deployment of the USS Fort
Worth (LCS 3) during 2015 and early 2016. Additionally, we will
base two more Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (in addition to the
two arriving in 2014) in Rota, Spain to provide ballistic missile
defense to our allies and free up U.S.-based destroyers for operations
in other regions.
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