U.S. Navy Admiral Discusses Hot Topics in the Navy

Reference News Network reported on February 13 According to the French magazine "Le Point" website on February 8, the current international tensions continue to escalate, and naval power has returned to the core of American power politics. The U.S. Navy has deployed a large fleet around Iran, while also positioning a smaller fleet off the coasts of Cuba and Venezuela. As the commander of the U.S. Navy, Admiral and Chief of Naval Operations Daryl Caudle accepted an exclusive interview with "Le Point" magazine at this critical juncture.

"Le Point" magazine asked: In the era of drones and hypersonic missiles, the vulnerability of aircraft carriers has sparked widespread debate. In future wars, will these maritime behemoths still hold strategic value?

Daryl Caudle answered: I am often asked this question, and the answer is yes. In fact, the importance of aircraft carriers will further increase. Take the USS Nimitz, which entered service in 1975, as an example; it is currently the oldest of the 11 active aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy. Throughout its service life, it has carried eight types of carrier-based aircraft, from the F-4 Phantom II fighter to the current F-18 fighter. This means that as long as the aircraft carrier is designed properly, there are no limits to the types of aircraft it can carry. In the near future, aircraft carriers will not only carry traditional fighter jets but will also launch unmanned combat drones.

Having a mobile launch platform that can quickly maneuver thousands of kilometers globally is an advantage that will not disappear quickly. Whenever a sudden situation arises somewhere in the world, the U.S. Navy can arrive on the scene within two weeks: the USS Abraham Lincoln was moved from the Indo-Pacific region to the Persian Gulf in less than 10 days. For the foreseeable future, aircraft carriers will remain the core strength of the Navy, and I have no concerns about that.

Question: Is the Navy more vulnerable to increasingly complex aerial threats than in the past?

Answer: The key to naval operations lies in detecting the enemy and making oneself "invisible," which relies on satellites detecting electromagnetic signals from space. This may seem counterintuitive, but aircraft carriers are not necessarily easier to detect than frigates. From space, these two vessels actually look quite similar, just two small points emitting signals.

Thus, the art of naval warfare lies, on one hand, in capturing the "signal characteristics" of target vessels through satellites, submarines, and radars and sensors mounted on nearby ships, and on the other hand, in reducing one's own signal characteristics. It is also essential to minimize the noise of vessels to avoid detection by submarines while limiting radio communications. Additionally, our vessels are designed with considerations for maintaining stealth in the electromagnetic spectrum, being acoustically quiet, and being visually hard to detect.

Question: What are your thoughts on the rapid development of the Chinese Navy?

Answer: Data shows that the Chinese Navy has surpassed the U.S. Navy in certain areas, but not in all. Our submarine force is stronger, while China has more surface vessels; we have 11 aircraft carriers, while China has fewer than us. Nevertheless, if we include the fleets of our allies and partners (Japan, Australia, South Korea) that could potentially fight alongside us, our number of vessels could be comparable to China's.

Question: How is technological development changing the nature of warfare?

Answer: Our traditional vessels (destroyers, submarines, aircraft carriers) are gradually being equipped with new technologies that exponentially enhance their combat capabilities; at the same time, unmanned surface vessels, unmanned underwater vehicles, and drones are also being introduced. These systems are effectively utilized on the surface, underwater, and in the air, enhancing our combat capabilities by alternately or simultaneously executing intelligence collection, reconnaissance, surveillance, and combat missions. Soon, our aircraft carriers will be equipped with carrier-based drones, and the MQ-25 stealth refueling drone, currently in testing, can operate in areas about 1,000 kilometers from the carrier, further extending the operational radius of carrier-based aircraft.

However, when discussing modern warfare, one cannot avoid the topics of space warfare and cyber warfare. Elon Musk's SpaceX has deployed the "Starlink" civilian satellite and "Starshield" military satellite constellations in low Earth orbit very efficiently. The military satellites deployed by the U.S. Space Force in geostationary orbit also hold extremely important value. But even as the importance of space, cyber, and drones continues to rise, one thing must be clear: no war can be won through "virtual combat"; the human factor remains the core element.

Question: The USS Gerald R. Ford has been patrolling the Caribbean near Venezuela and Cuba since last November. Will it stay there long-term?

Answer: The hemisphere we refer to, which is "the Americas" in your European terminology, is a priority direction. President Trump made this clear in the updated U.S. National Security Strategy released last December. In the Caribbean, the U.S. Navy's mission is to combat illegal trafficking—drugs, fentanyl, human trafficking, and oil smuggling conducted through "gray fleets" (suspicious vessels flying convenient flags) or "black fleets" (tankers with falsified registration information and disabled tracking systems). The U.S. Navy will maintain a long-term presence in the region.

Question: How does the U.S. Navy plan to strengthen its presence in the Arctic region?

Answer: For the past five years, I have been actively involved in discussions on Arctic issues, working to raise public awareness of the region's importance—home to billions of dollars worth of natural gas, oil, and rare earth resources. If left unchecked, Russia will dominate the Arctic. Therefore, my Arctic strategy includes three points: first, to enhance our presence and operational capabilities in the high-latitude Arctic, including deploying submarines to operate under the ice, which we are already capable of doing; second, to act in concert with allies and partners, with the Arctic Council being an important platform, where Canada plays a significant role; third, to mobilize public opinion to recognize the importance of Arctic issues and the actions needed to prevent this strategic area from falling into the hands of countries like Russia. (Translation/ Wang Zhongju)