Recent Trends in Naval Technology

Naval technology today is characterized by progress within two distinct, but interrelated trends. First of all, naval technology is focused upon the support of land-based forces as a strategy to control the world’s seas. “Today’s technological meta-trends favor sea denial over sea control” (Gasparre, 2009, p. 1). These new technologies focus upon improving the delivery capacity of navy vessels. These include new developments in forward propulsion and hull design to support small force tactical mobility. For example, hovercraft advancements allow sea-based vessels to quickly transport troops to land-based locations.
The second trend focuses upon the defense of major sea vessels. The recent development of new forms of surveillance, including satellite technology, have made large carriers more vulnerable to attacks. The second trend focuses upon making naval vessels more defensible. Many different developments enable the improved defense of naval forces. These include “advances in radar, networking, lasers and design modularity” (Gasparre, 2009, p. 1). Laser technology, in particular, may prove beneficial to naval forces in the short term. “The laser’s capability could potentially be implemented on a wide range of missions for deployed forces – namely for self defense from threats” (Laser Quest, 2009, p. 1). While once considered the playground of Star Wars, lasers may provide the navy with an important defensive advantage.

References:
Gasparre, R. (2009). Taking Control of Naval Pre-Positioning.
Retrieved online http://www.naval-technology.com/features/feature61485/.
Laser Quest – Could naval forces soon be equipped with laser
weaponry? (2009). Retrieved online http://www.naval- technology.com/features/feature53846/.

Educating the members of the Navy

In order to merge technology with naval leadership, the Navy must focus upon educating its members about new technology. When a new technology is introduced, the Navy should hire civilian personnel to train naval officers. The Navy should also focus upon having its own members maintain and repair new technology. The Navy should also integrate new educational platforms, such as online training courses, to enable the training of navy officers in remote locations. While this effort would be costly, it could help the Navy in the long term from becoming too dependent upon civilian aid. The Navy can supplement this targeted training by focusing its recruitment efforts upon individuals with technological knowledge. For example, recruiting at engineering schools or advertising the Navy’s ability to pay for college after service might help boost the recruitment of knowledgeable enlistees.