Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert Wednesday released his 2015-2019 CNO’s Navigation Plan to highlight how the Navy will invest in its future force given Defense Department and Navy strategy documents and budgets.

“This fiscal climate compelled the Navy to make tough choices across a wide range of competing priorities,” Greenert wrote in the document. “We focused first on building appropriate capability, then delivering it at a capacity we could afford. Our Navy will do its part to ‘put our fiscal house in order,’ but we will do so in a responsible way, balancing current readiness with the need to build a highly capable future fleet. Despite likely sequestration in FY 2016, our priority is to operate forward where it matters, when it matters, and be ready to address a wide range of threats and contingencies.”

USS George Washington (CVN 73). Photo: U.S. Navy.
USS George Washington (CVN 73). Photo: U.S. Navy.

In line with his “warfighting first” mantra, Greenert wrote “our Navy must be able to achieve access in any domain—where we need it, when we need it—and possess the capability mix of kinetic and non-kinetic weapons to prevail today and be ready to win tomorrow.”

To accomplish that, the Navy must sustain its 14-ship Ohio­-class SSBN fleet while developing its replacement; sustaining the undersea advantage by increasing the Virginia-class attack submarine fleet to 20 boats and the P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance fleet to 80 by 2019; deliver the first-in-class USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) destroyer and USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) aircraft carrier; and improve the netted, multimission capabilities of the carrier air wing through the addition of the Joint Strike Fighter and new sensors and weapons.

The document also calls for the expanded role of small surface combatants and support ships to provide combatant commanders a spectrum of low- to high-capability ships for whatever mission arises; putting cruisers and amphibious dock landing ships into phased maintenance, as outlined in the fiscal year 2015 budget request; leveraging the electromagnetic spectrum through the Next Generation Jammer, EA-18G Growler and more; and strengthening networks at sea and ashore against cyber threats.

The Navigation Plan reflects both progress made and fiscal problems faced. Compared to last year’s document, Greenert was able to cross out delivery of USS America (LHA-6) and recapitalizing the surface connector fleet with the Ship to Shore Connector thanks to progress in both those programs. But last two years’ documents also highlighted the importance of adding more Growlers and F/A-18 Super Hornet, a plan that has been curtailed thanks to budget cuts.

“Here’s where our investments are going, this is the plan, this is the track we intend to stay on,” Navy spokesman Capt. Danny Hernandez said of the CNO’s Navigation Plan. “The priority remains to be present and to keep the CNO’s Sailing Directions at the forefront of how we’re going to make decisions.”

But, Hernandez noted, whereas past plans included items dealing with external threats–the plan released two years ago emphasized mining technology and mine countermeasures, as Iran had recently threatened to mine the Straight of Hormuz–the key threat this year is the budget. Sequestration could return, the Navy does not have the USS George Washington (CVN-73) refueling and complex overhaul in its long-term budget plans, and it plans to lay up half its cruiser fleet for modernization even though Congress has thus far seemed reluctant to allow it. And on top of that, the Ohio-replacement program looms over the shipbuilding budget account through 2021, putting pressure on everything else the Navy hopes to accomplish in that time period.

Hernandez said the CNO’s Navigation plan closely reflects the budget submission but is meant to be more accessible to sailors. “If we get this communicated at all levels, it helps us ensure we can all reach our objectives together,” he said.