{"id":51431,"date":"2024-03-04T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-04T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2024\/03\/04\/how-us-navy-leaders-see-power-evolving-at-dawn-of-the-information-age\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:38:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:38:39","slug":"how-us-navy-leaders-see-power-evolving-at-dawn-of-the-information-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2024\/03\/04\/how-us-navy-leaders-see-power-evolving-at-dawn-of-the-information-age\/","title":{"rendered":"How US Navy leaders see power evolving at \u2018dawn of the information age\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SAN DIEGO \u2014 The sounds of progressive-rock icon Rush crackled through the speakers as the commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet approached the lectern at the West naval conference in California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adm. Samuel Paparo, recognizing the tune, smiled as he grabbed the microphone. He then quipped about past lives and \u201ca lot of illegal things\u201d that took place as he came of age in the 1980s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Times have since changed, and some have found religion in the military, Paparo said. And, much like the times, the demands of a modern-day warrior<\/a> with a mean, mean stride are constantly evolving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are in the middle of another epochal change,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that is the dawn \u2014 and I do mean the dawn \u2014 of the information age.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the U.S. Defense Department prepares for potential confrontations with Russia or China and juggles counterterrorism operations in the Greater Middle East and Africa, it\u2019s emphasizing data: how it\u2019s collected; how it\u2019s shared; and how it can be weaponized. But by some of the department\u2019s own measures, including the 2023 Strategy for Operations in the Information Environment, it is falling behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"U.S.
U.S. Navy Adm. Samuel Paparo is the commander of the Pacific fleet. (Colin Demarest\/Staff)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

State actors and extremist groups<\/a> alike have long exploited the information ecosystem in an attempt to distort or degrade U.S. standing. Operating online and below the threshold of armed conflict ducks the consequences of physical battles, where personnel levels, accumulated stockpiles and technology budgets can make all the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Navy in November published a 14-page document laying out how it plans to get up to speed, arguing neither ship nor torpedo alone will strike the decisive blow in future fights. Rather, it stated, a marriage of traditional munitions and exquisite software will win the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thinking was prominent at the AFCEA- and U.S. Naval Institute-hosted West confab, where Paparo and other leaders spoke, and where some of the world\u2019s largest defense contractors mingled and hawked their wares. Signs promised secure connectivity. Other screens advertised warrens of computerized pipes and tubes through which findings could flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho competes best in this \u2014 who adapts better, who\u2019s better able to combine data, computing power and [artificial intelligence]<\/a>, and who can win the first battle, likely in space, cyber and the information domain \u2014 shall prevail,\u201d Paparo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subs and simulation<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. has sought to invigorate its approach to information warfare, a persuasive brew of public outreach, offensive and defensive electronic capabilities, and cyber operations that can confer advantages before, during and after major events. Rapidly deployable teams of information forces that can shape public perceptions are a must, the Defense Department has said, as is a healthy workforce comprising military and civilian experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Navy in 2022 embedded information warfare specialists aboard submarines to study how their expertise may aid underwater operations. That pilot program is now advancing into a second phase, with information professional officers and cryptologic technicians joining two East Coast subs, the Delaware and the California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Years prior, the service made information warfare commanders<\/a> fixtures of carrier strike groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the first and the most decisive battle,\u201d said Paparo, who previously told Congress that Indo-Pacific Command, his future post, is capable of wielding deception to alter attitudes and behaviors. \u201cThe information age will not necessarily replace some of the more timeless elements of naval combat, maneuver and fires, but will in fact augment them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t