By Johnny Franks, Warrior Editorial Fellow
In a world where maritime power dynamics are constantly shifting, the U.S. is increasingly focused on innovation and integration to prepare for great power conflict. Amid intensifying geopolitical tensions, the U.S. Navy has unveiled innovative strategies and technologies to counteract China’s sophisticated Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategy in the contested Indo-Pacific region.
This initiative underscores a pivotal shift in military doctrine to ensure dominance in an era where advanced missile systems, cyber warfare, and space-based surveillance capabilities increasingly challenge traditional power projections. The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Vision 2028 (IAMD Vision 2028), made public in 2022, represents the foundation of this new strategic posture. It emphasizes the need to protect critical assets dispersed across the vast Indo-Pacific Area of Responsibility (AOR) from China’s growing arsenal of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and hypersonic weapons. Given these threats, the U.S. military’s operational strategy is evolving from reliance on fixed Main Operating Bases (MOBs) to a more dynamic, agile concept of operations that includes the Advanced Expeditionary Base Operations (EABO) and the use of Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO).
Central to countering the A2/AD challenge is integrating and netting sensors across the Indo-Pacific with regional allies and partners, forming a comprehensive, layered sensor coverage that enables “birth-to-death” tracking of threats within air and space domains. This includes leveraging Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) systems and the GhostEye radar network for intercontinental and tactical ballistic missile detection. The envisioned regional integrated fire-control architecture and interoperable software platforms will ensure a seamless fusion of sensor data, providing a unified image of the threat environment and enabling rapid, coordinated responses. The U.S. Navy’s acquisition programs are instrumental in this transition, focusing on long-ranged weapons, unmanned surface vessels (USVs), and new classes of ships designed to support distributed operations.
These programs include the Maritime Strike Tomahawk and the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), along with the development of Large and Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels (LUSV and MUSV) that act as adjunct missile magazines and sensor network nodes, respectively. Furthermore, the operational concepts underline the use of communications and networking technologies to connect dispersed units, forming cohesive battle forces capable of countering A2/AD threats. This includes initiatives to modernize the Navy’s surface force with advanced electronic warfare systems, SPY-6 radars, and Aegis Baseline 10 capabilities. In addressing the intellectual framework for these strategies, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) advocates moving beyond the traditional A2/AD model towards exploiting temporal advantage (ETA) to understand and counter Chinese and Russian military strategies. This involves a nuanced understanding of how adversaries manipulate time in their operations and the development of U.S. strategies that prevent them from achieving a temporal advantage. Collectively, these initiatives reflect a holistic approach to countering the A2/AD challenge, integrating advanced technologies, operational concepts, and international collaboration to ensure dominance in the Indo-Pacific.
The focus on mobility, resilience, and integrated defense underscores a strategic pivot towards a more distributed, networked force structure capable of deterring aggression and ensuring freedom of maneuver in contested environments. In a world where maritime power dynamics are constantly shifting, the U.S. is increasingly focused on innovation and integration to prepare for great power conflict. Amid intensifying geopolitical tensions, the U.S. Navy has unveiled innovative strategies and technologies to counteract China’s sophisticated Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategy in the contested Indo-Pacific region.
This initiative underscores a pivotal shift in military doctrine to ensure dominance in an era where advanced missile systems, cyber warfare, and space-based surveillance capabilities increasingly challenge traditional power projections. The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Vision 2028 (IAMD Vision 2028), made public in 2022, represents the foundation of this new strategic posture. It emphasizes the need to protect critical assets dispersed across the vast Indo-Pacific Area of Responsibility (AOR) from China’s growing arsenal of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and hypersonic weapons.
Given these threats, the U.S. military’s operational strategy is evolving from reliance on fixed Main Operating Bases (MOBs) to a more dynamic, agile concept of operations that includes the Advanced Expeditionary Base Operations (EABO) and the use of Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO). Central to countering the A2/AD challenge is integrating and netting sensors across the Indo-Pacific with regional allies and partners, forming a comprehensive, layered sensor coverage that enables “birth-to-death” tracking of threats within air and space domains.
This includes leveraging Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) systems and the GhostEye radar network for intercontinental and tactical ballistic missile detection. The envisioned regional integrated fire-control architecture and interoperable software platforms will ensure a seamless fusion of sensor data, providing a unified image of the threat environment and enabling rapid, coordinated responses. The U.S. Navy’s acquisition programs are instrumental in this transition, focusing on long-ranged weapons, unmanned surface vessels (USVs), and new classes of ships designed to support distributed operations.
These programs include the Maritime Strike Tomahawk and the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), along with the development of Large and Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels (LUSV and MUSV) that act as adjunct missile magazines and sensor network nodes, respectively. Furthermore, the operational concepts underline the use of communications and networking technologies to connect dispersed units, forming cohesive battle forces capable of countering A2/AD threats. This includes initiatives to modernize the Navy’s surface force with advanced electronic warfare systems, SPY-6 radars, and Aegis Baseline 10 capabilities. In addressing the intellectual framework for these strategies, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) advocates moving beyond the traditional A2/AD model towards exploiting temporal advantage (ETA) to understand and counter Chinese and Russian military strategies. This involves a nuanced understanding of how adversaries manipulate time in their operations and the development of U.S. strategies that prevent them from achieving a temporal advantage. Collectively, these initiatives reflect a holistic approach to countering the A2/AD challenge, integrating advanced technologies, operational concepts, and international collaboration to ensure dominance in the Indo-Pacific.
The focus on mobility, resilience, and integrated defense underscores a strategic pivot towards a more distributed, networked force structure capable of deterring aggression and ensuring freedom of maneuver in contested environments. In a world where maritime power dynamics are constantly shifting, the U.S. is increasingly focused on innovation and integration to prepare for great power conflict. Amid intensifying geopolitical tensions, the U.S. Navy has unveiled innovative strategies and technologies to counteract China’s sophisticated Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategy in the contested Indo-Pacific region. This initiative underscores a pivotal shift in military doctrine to ensure dominance in an era where advanced missil
e systems, cyber warfare, and space-based surveillance capabilities increasingly challenge traditional power projections. The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Vision 2028 (IAMD Vision 2028), made public in 2022, represents the foundation of this new strategic posture.
It emphasizes the need to protect critical assets dispersed across the vast Indo-Pacific Area of Responsibility (AOR) from China’s growing arsenal of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and hypersonic weapons. Given these threats, the U.S. military’s operational strategy is evolving from reliance on fixed Main Operating Bases (MOBs) to a more dynamic, agile concept of operations that includes the Advanced Expeditionary Base Operations (EABO) and the use of Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO). Central to countering the A2/AD challenge is integrating and netting sensors across the Indo-Pacific with regional allies and partners, forming a comprehensive, layered sensor coverage that enables “birth-to-death” tracking of threats within air and space domains. This includes leveraging Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) systems and the GhostEye radar network for intercontinental and tactical ballistic missile detection. The envisioned regional integrated fire-control architecture and interoperable software platforms will ensure a seamless fusion of sensor data, providing a unified image of the threat environment and enabling rapid, coordinated responses.
The U.S. Navy’s acquisition programs are instrumental in this transition, focusing on long-ranged weapons, unmanned surface vessels (USVs), and new classes of ships designed to support distributed operations. These programs include the Maritime Strike Tomahawk and the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), along with the development of Large and Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels (LUSV and MUSV) that act as adjunct missile magazines and sensor network nodes, respectively. Furthermore, the operational concepts underline the use of communications and networking technologies to connect dispersed units, forming cohesive battle forces capable of countering A2/AD threats. This includes initiatives to modernize the Navy’s surface force with advanced electronic warfare systems, SPY-6 radars, and Aegis Baseline 10 capabilities. In addressing the intellectual framework for these strategies, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) advocates moving beyond the traditional A2/AD model towards exploiting temporal advantage (ETA) to understand and counter Chinese and Russian military strategies.
This involves a nuanced understanding of how adversaries manipulate time in their operations and the development of U.S. strategies that prevent them from achieving a temporal advantage. Collectively, these initiatives reflect a holistic approach to countering the A2/AD challenge, integrating advanced technologies, operational concepts, and international collaboration to ensure dominance in the Indo-Pacific. The focus on mobility, resilience, and integrated defense underscores a strategic pivot towards a more distributed, networked force structure capable of deterring aggression and ensuring freedom of maneuver in contested environments. In a world where maritime power dynamics are constantly shifting, the U.S. is increasingly focused on innovation and integration to prepare for great power conflict. Amid intensifying geopolitical tensions, the U.S. Navy has unveiled innovative strategies and technologies to counteract China’s sophisticated Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategy in the contested Indo-Pacific region.
This initiative underscores a pivotal shift in military doctrine to ensure dominance in an era where advanced missile systems, cyber warfare, and space-based surveillance capabilities increasingly challenge traditional power projections. The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Vision 2028 (IAMD Vision 2028), made public in 2022, represents the foundation of this new strategic posture. It emphasizes the need to protect critical assets dispersed across the vast Indo-Pacific Area of Responsibility (AOR) from China’s growing arsenal of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and hypersonic weapons. Given these threats, the U.S. military’s operational strategy is evolving from reliance on fixed Main Operating Bases (MOBs) to a more dynamic, agile concept of operations that includes the Advanced Expeditionary Base Operations (EABO) and the use of Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO).
Central to countering the A2/AD challenge is integrating and netting sensors across the Indo-Pacific with regional allies and partners, forming a comprehensive, layered sensor coverage that enables “birth-to-death” tracking of threats within air and space domains. This includes leveraging Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) systems and the GhostEye radar network for intercontinental and tactical ballistic missile detection. The envisioned regional integrated fire-control architecture and interoperable software platforms will ensure a seamless fusion of sensor data, providing a unified image of the threat environment and enabling rapid, coordinated responses. The U.S. Navy’s acquisition programs are instrumental in this transition, focusing on long-ranged weapons, unmanned surface vessels (USVs), and new classes of ships designed to support distributed operations.
Video Analysis – Countering China in the Pacific
These programs include the Maritime Strike Tomahawk and the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), along with the development of Large and Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels (LUSV and MUSV) that act as adjunct missile magazines and sensor network nodes, respectively. Furthermore, the operational concepts underline the use of communications and networking technologies to connect dispersed units, forming cohesive battle forces capable of countering A2/AD threats. This includes initiatives to modernize the Navy’s surface force with advanced electronic warfare systems, SPY-6 radars, and Aegis Baseline 10 capabilities. In addressing the intellectual framework for these strategies, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) advocates moving beyond the traditional A2/AD model towards exploiting temporal advantage (ETA) to understand and counter Chinese and Russian military strategies. This involves a nuanced understanding of how adversaries manipulate time in their operations and the development of U.S. strategies that prevent them from achieving a temporal advantage.
Collectively, these initiatives reflect a holistic approach to countering the A2/AD challenge, integrating advanced technologies, operational concepts, and international collaboration to ensure dominance in the Indo-Pacific. The focus on mobility, resilience, and integrated defense underscores a strategic pivot towards a more distributed, networked force structure capable of deterring aggression and ensuring freedom of maneuver in contested environments. . In a world where maritime power dynamics are constantly shifting, the U.S. is increasingly focused on innovation and integration to prepare for great power conflict. Amid intensifying geopolitical tensions, the U.S. Navy has unveiled innovative strategies and technologies to counteract China’s sophisticated Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategy in the contested Indo-Pacific region. This initiative underscores a pivotal shift in military doctrine to ensure dominance in an era where advanced missile systems, cyber warfare, and space-based surveillance capabilities increasingly challenge traditional power projections.
The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Vision 2028 (IAMD Vision 2028), made public in 2022, represents the foundation of this new strategic posture. It emphasizes the need to protect critical assets dispersed across the vast Indo-Pacific Area of Responsibility
(AOR) from China’s growing arsenal of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and hypersonic weapons. Given these threats, the U.S. military’s operational strategy is evolving from reliance on fixed Main Operating Bases (MOBs) to a more dynamic, agile concept of operations that includes the Advanced Expeditionary Base Operations (EABO) and the use of Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO). Central to countering the A2/AD challenge is integrating and netting sensors across the Indo-Pacific with regional allies and partners, forming a comprehensive, layered sensor coverage that enables “birth-to-death” tracking of threats within air and space domains. This includes leveraging Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) systems and the GhostEye radar network for intercontinental and tactical ballistic missile detection.
The envisioned regional integrated fire-control architecture and interoperable software platforms will ensure a seamless fusion of sensor data, providing a unified image of the threat environment and enabling rapid, coordinated responses. The U.S. Navy’s acquisition programs are instrumental in this transition, focusing on long-ranged weapons, unmanned surface vessels (USVs), and new classes of ships designed to support distributed operations. These programs include the Maritime Strike Tomahawk and the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), along with the development of Large and Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels (LUSV and MUSV) that act as adjunct missile magazines and sensor network nodes, respectively. Furthermore, the operational concepts underline the use of communications and networking technologies to connect dispersed units, forming cohesive battle forces capable of countering A2/AD threats. This includes initiatives to modernize the Navy’s surface force with advanced electronic warfare systems, SPY-6 radars, and Aegis Baseline 10 capabilities.
In addressing the intellectual framework for these strategies, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) advocates moving beyond the traditional A2/AD model towards exploiting temporal advantage (ETA) to understand and counter Chinese and Russian military strategies. This involves a nuanced understanding of how adversaries manipulate time in their operations and the development of U.S. strategies that prevent them from achieving a temporal advantage. Collectively, these initiatives reflect a holistic approach to countering the A2/AD challenge, integrating advanced technologies, operational concepts, and international collaboration to ensure dominance in the Indo-Pacific. The focus on mobility, resilience, and integrated defense underscores a strategic pivot towards a more distributed, networked force structure capable of deterring aggression and ensuring freedom of maneuver in contested environments.
Johnny Franks holds an MA in U.S. Foreign Policy & National Security from American University and a BA in Diplomacy & World Affairs from Occidental College. With a specific interest in geopolitical security and military technology, Johnny has primarily focused his research and analysis on the Russia-Ukraine conflict from 2014 onwards. As part of his MA coursework, Johnny contributed to developing an Arctic defense strategy in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense
