Defense leaders laud air-sea battle concept initiative

  • Published
  • By Donna Miles
  • American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  The air-sea battle concept being developed by Air Force and Navy officials exemplifies the closer, more integrated relationships the military needs in order to confront future challenges, top Pentagon leaders said.

The new concept is "a prime example of how we need to keep breaking down stovepipes between services, between federal agencies and even between nations," said Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Speaking at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation and commissioning ceremony May 26, Admiral Mullen urged the cadets to embrace this spirit as they launch their military careers.

"The military owes it to our commander in chief and to the American taxpayers to operate effectively and efficiently across the battle space," he said.

This requires that the services "integrate our efforts with each other and with our civilian counterparts" and "work seamlessly with old allies and new friends," Admiral Mullen said.

It also requires the services to "keep pace with a flatter, faster and more inter-connected world," he said.

Adm. Gary Roughead, the chief of naval operations, and Gen. Norton Schwartz, the Air Force chief of staff, both have teams fleshing out details of the plan that will promote closer cooperation between their respective services.

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates called the concept one of the "more innovative strategies and joint approaches" the military needs in facing the future.

Speaking last month at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space Exposition here, Secretary Gates called the agreement between the Air Force and Navy to work together on the air-sea battle concept "an encouraging development."

The concept "has the potential to do for America's military deterrent power at the beginning of the 21st century what air-land battle did near the end of the 20th," Secretary Gates said.

Army and Air Force officials adopted the air-land battle concept two decades ago to deal with the then-Warsaw Pact threat in Europe, significantly boosting U.S. combat power.