US Naval Training Center - Compass Yearbook (Bainbridge, MD)

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into small and vulnerable areas following that time-proven rule of warfare- divide and conquer. CONTINENTAL DEFENSE The United States Navy is playing an increasingly important role in continental air defense, whose radar fences include the distant early warning line, the mid-Canada line, and the pine tree line. In order to prevent the Soviet Air Force from making an end around these radar fences, the United States Navy is charged with the responsibility of providing the ships and air- craft of the seaward extension of the distant early warning line and the contiguous ocean area radar coverage off the coasts. We have learned to identify the submarine with the torpedo- ing of ships and the mining of channels and harbor and sea approaches. In recent years the submarine has assumed an ad- ditional vital role as a member of anti-submarine forces. Now what may well prove to be an even more important function of the submarine is its employment as a guided or ballistic missile launcher. USS NAUTILUS NUCLEAR POWERED SUBMARINE AT SEA NUCLEAR SEA POWER The advent of nuclear power, long range sonar, and guided missiles have had such a radical effect on the submarine that it must be considered virtually as a new weapon. Nuclear power combined with improved hydrodynamics in hull designs gives to the modern submarine greatly increased submerged speeds, and endurance limited only by the stamina of the crew. New long range sonar enables our submarines to project anti-submarine warfare to the very enemy breakwater for the purpose of detect- ing and sinking enemy submarines departing for and returning from patrols. The combination of the guided missile and the submarine gives to us a weapon of unprecedented stealth and secrecy. This submarine can be used to destroy naval installations, targets of naval interest and, most important in that first phase of anti- submarine warfare, the destruction of U-boat pens before the enemy submarines have a chance to get to sea. Survival of the free world depends upon the continuing ability of the Allied Anned Forces to maintain suflicient strength to counter and overcome any potential enemy, but the projection of military power by air, land or sea depends upon the ability of the United States Navy to control the seas. The United States Navyls Shipbuilding and Conversion Pro- grams are designed to meet the challenge of the Atomic Age and are patterned on a long range plan to shift to nuclear power, atomic weapons, guided missiles, and advanced warfare tech- mques. The USS NAUTILUS, the first nuclear powered submarine, has exceeded our fondest hopes in operational capabilities. She has steamed over 50,000 miles without refueling, Half of this has been completely submerged. Our carrier planes have the capability of delivering the atomic bomb. An interesting devel- opment in missiles includes the development of a long range missile. The Navy intends to launch these missiles from ships. This will impart to the United States the tremendous advantage of missile mobility. In other words, the Navy can launch these missles from any place on the seven seas. GUIDED MISSILE REGULUS lAUNCHED AT SEA l l l I i l l 1 I !

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LEGEND: El MUTUAL DEFENSE NATIONS AND POSSESSIONS MAGG NATIONS AND POSSESSIONS I NEUTRAL NATIONS I USSR AND SATELLITES ,5 MAJOR SEA LANES PROJECTED BUMMUNIST MOVE T0 BUT MAJOR SEA lANES AND DIVIDE THE FREE WORLD FREE WORLD DEFENSE HE FREE WORLD is in effect an oceanic coalition which includes such major treaties as the Organization of American States, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Northern Tier, South East Asia Treaty Organization, Australia-New Zealand- United States and bilateral treaties with Spain, the Philippine Republic, Nationalist China, The Republic of Korea and Japan. Combined, these nations face the power of the Soviet Union and her satellites, including Red China. This means that the United States needs a Navy with the planes, ships and men to do a job which in many aspects is peculiar to naval power alone. Current events point up the urgency of backing our immobile bases on foreign real estate with a modern, fast, hard-hitting Navy. The United States has become the arsenal of the free world. Current commitments undertaken by the United States include eight treaties involving 42 nations, and military assistance agree- ments with 20 additional nations. Although not all of these treaties bind the United States to go to war, there is a strong moral obligation to do so. That all these treaties are dependent on sea usage is not so surprising if it is remembered that 7202, of the world is water. At the present time 62 nations, 52 percent of the worlds land area, and 54 percent of the worlds popula- tion, depend upon sea power for survival. DISTANT DEFENSE The distant defense we build against communist aggression depends upon sea power for maintenance of our international lanes of communication. These sea lanes must be made secure. Over these ocean lanes come the raw materials which keep the industrial machine of this nation running and, conversely, over these same lanes go the finished products which are vital to the survival of the free world and the economy of the free nations. The offensive capabilities of the United States Navy are specifi- cally designed to maintain the security of these sea lanes. In a general war it is obvious that Soviets will make every effort to cut these lanes. To lose control of these sea lanes would divide the free world

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FUTURE NAVAL POWER Naval power is divided into the following functions: air war- fare, submarine warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and amphibious warfare and support. In naval warfare all of these functions are closely interrelated. , First, let us discuss the fast attack force. The fast attack force comprises several carriers depending upon the mission. It is screened by guided missile cruisers and guided missile frigates as well as todayls versatile destroyers. The offensive capabilities of this naval force include the destruction of enemy planes and guided missiles before they become airborne, the mining of chan- nels, disruption of interior transportation systems and the de- struction of shipping. The capability of fast carrier forces to destroy naval installations by atomic weapons contributes to that highly important phase of anti-submarine warfare, the destruc- tion of enemy submarines before they get to sea. Fast carrier forces provide bombardment of enemy fortifications as well as closely coordinated air support for the ground forces of the Army and Marine Corps. Defensively, the fast carriers have the built-in capability of defense against enemy guided missiles and aircraft. This far- roving force, in all-out nuclear war with its disastrous conse- quences, may well throw the balance in our favor. The Soviet Union is sure to have every fixed air base in the free world pin- pointed and these will be included in the simultaneous attack on the industrial centers of this country. In contravention, the elusive mobility of the fast attack force imposes a serious burden on the Soviet Union. First, he is never sure of the exact location of this carrier attack force, and, second, he never. knows where this force will strike. At even todayls modest speeds, the fast at- tack force can be anywhere within 1.5 million square miles of open sea in 24 hours. i'wbismov INDUSTRIAL DESTROY xx; AREAS ENEMY AIRCRAFT . AIR SUPPORT FOR GROUND FORCES AL INSfALtk Ions, 'pN .cgmsns, 15 SEA POWER MOBILITY Mobility is of greater importance now than it has ever been in the history of warfare. The destructive power of modern weapons increases the importance of flexible mobility beyond anything in the past. The basic essence of naval power is mobility. The sea lends a mobility which land-based power can never have. The modern and future submarine potential of the USSR impose a serious threat to our national security along the coasts of the United States. This enemy submarine threat falls in three areas: guided missiles, mining, and attacks on our ships. To defeat the Soviet submarine menace is going to take ex- treme efforts on our part. The emphasis must be on offensive anti-submarine warfare. It will take the concerted action of sur- face ships, submarines and planes. Anti-submarine warfare naturally falls into three phases. 'x IDIQTROYEBRIDGES ' Vt. Te. - DESTROY suamygm: PEh First, we must be able to destroy enemy submarines before they get to sea. This job falls to the aircraft of the fast attack force, the guided missile submarine, and in the future to the long range sea plane. In addition, we will use the mining capa- bilities of our submarines in his port approaches. Secondly, we must be able to destroy enemy submarines en- route to the target. This is done by submarines in barriers in coordination with aircraft. The attack submarine itself can sink enemy submarines. A hunter-killer group with its support car- rier in the center and its screen of destroyers carries fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. The helicopter is a new addition to the family of weapons to be used against the enemy submarine and gives great promise. Thirdly, we must be able to destroy enemy submarines after they arrive in the target area. To do this we have escorts for ocean and coastal convoys.