August 18, 2023

Colloquium Topic: A New Model Navy for an Era of Great Power Rivalry

U.S. Naval Power in the 21st Century is the culmination of a decade of theoretical and hands-on testing of a concept called naval statecraft. It is a framework suitable for our era, that leverages our nation’s strengths in navigating a dangerous decade that could rapidly become a violent peace or worse. Key in this approach is an active strategy with its theory of victory based on a Navy able both to field a war-winning fleet and compete aggressively in peace.  This is easier said than done and requires reconceptualizing statecraft in its blending of military, economic, and technological trends. That said, there is a strong case that a maritime strategy is most appropriate and that there is an urgency to act as China and Russia rearrange the world to their ends. To succeed in this new era, a new model navy is needed to contest our rivals today, while setting the foundations for leveraging emerging technologies, so that the nation remains secure well into the future.

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Colloquium Speaker: Brent Sadler

Brent Sadler had a 26-year Navy career with numerous operational tours on nuclear-powered submarines, as personal staff of senior Defense Department leaders, and as a military diplomat in Asia. As a senior research fellow, Brent’s focus is on maritime security and the technologies shaping our future maritime forces, especially the Navy.

Brent is a native of Springfield, Virginia, and a 1994 graduate with honors of the United States Naval Academy with a degree in Systems Engineering (robotics) and a minor in Japanese. As a 2004 Olmsted Scholar in Tokyo, Japan, he studied at Keio University, Jochi University, and the United Nations University. He has a M.A. from Jochi University and M.S. from National War College where he graduated with distinction in 2011 receiving several writing and research awards.