Adm. Jonathan Greenert, the chief of naval operations (CNO), said recently there needs to be increased emphasis on quickly getting weapons systems to the fleet.
Greenert said there has been progress under the notion of “speed to the fleet,” citing the MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned helicopter that has been deployed to Afghanistan and is also designed to operate off the Littoral Combat Ship. But the Navy needs to more rapidly field the next anti-torpedo torpedo, autonomous unammned underwater systems to hunt for mines, and electronic attack and warfare systems.
“We’ve got to continue pushing,” he said.
Greenert was speaking at the Surface Navy Association symposium recently in Arlington, Va. His speech was in part devoted to global operations as the Obama administration places greater focus on a presence in the Asia-Pacific region. He said Singapore has offered to host Littoral Combat Ships and to provide the infrastructure to support them.
The CNO said the service is currently undergoing a review of its force structure that is due for completion in the spring.