Future Fleet Planning : A Preliminary Consideration of Naval Capabilities and Risks

One-liner: The emerging security environment will require the U.S.

Navy to develop new capabilities and greater versatility.

New capabilities will depend less on mass and firepower, pointing to concepts for small, affordable platforms and unmanned vehicles. 450-character abstract: The greatest risks to U.S. national security are no longer the traditional conflicts for which its armed forces have been optimized.

The authors describe emerging security challenges and their implications for the U.S.

Navy of about 2020. What capabilities can it apply to address foreseeable challenges, and with how much risk?

In the face of rapid change, future ships will need to be versatile and adaptable and be fielded quickly yet still be affordable.

This suggests the increasing use of small platforms and unmanned systems.