After Raid on Venezuela, Pentagon Makes Case for Expansive Naval Power
In the aftermath of the events in Venezuela last weekend, the Pentagon's top leadership has been making the case that a capable navy is a key element in its vision of a powerful, dominant American military force - not a defense establishment prioritizing management and compliance, but a military built for hard power in service of the American interest.
In a speech Monday at Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth highlighted plans for a future "golden fleet," anchored by the future Trump-class battleship. Calling for a future of American dominance, he said that the fleet is "a declaration to the world that our command of the seas is and will remain non-negotiable."
This vision includes a hard pivot on acquisition strategy, away from long-term contractual relationships and delivery timelines in favor of rapid R&D and flexible purchasing. In its prioritization of cutting-edge technology, the new policy echoes the "revolution in military affairs" of former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, but with an added emphasis on business competition.
"We are rebuilding our military with the best equipment, training, and leadership to ensure our warfighters are never in a fair fight," said Hegseth. "We've been clear the era of rewarding delays and cost overruns is over. The days of cost-plus contracts for programs that are years behind schedule are finished. . . . For those who can't adapt, who are too comfortable with the old slow ways of doing business, we wish them well in their other future endeavors because we will find new partners who will adapt, who will invest, who will take care of their people, who will move at speed and at scale."
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In an interview on Fox News on Sunday, Navy Secretary John Phelan added that the recent events in Venezuela demonstrate the service's importance and its striking power. The operation was a "masterclass in precision," he told former congressman Trey Gowdy in an interview.
"I think any of our adversaries who saw that mission and understood the complexity, the coordination . . . and lightning execution . . . you don't want to mess with the United States military," Phelan said.
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