Reimagining naval warfare: Why "the small, the agile, and the many" matters

Naval warfare is evolving, and retired Admiral Lorin Selby and the Honorable Erik Bethel argue that to stay ahead, the U.S. must embrace “the small, the agile, and the many.” They challenge reliance on massive platforms and calls for autonomous systems, digital innovation, and private-sector collaboration to reshape defence. Join them at SuperReturn North America for an exclusive fireside chat, where they’ll dive deeper into these game-changing ideas.

As the U.S. Navy charts its course through the 21st century, it faces a pivotal moment in global security. For decades, traditional naval strategies relied on large, expensive platforms like aircraft carriers, but this approach fails in today’s evolving threat landscape. To maintain superiority, we must abandon reliance on massive, complex, and costly platforms and build a more distributed force. We call it, “the small, the agile, and the many.”

The case for urgency

The 2020s are reshaping great power competition and America’s adversaries are exploiting emerging technologies to challenge the balance of power. Historical superiority no longer guarantees dominance. Just as battleships became obsolete with the rise of air power, today’s large naval platforms face the same risk. If the Navy fails to adapt, it will fall behind.

A new administration, a new opportunity

A new administration presents a rare opportunity to challenge entrenched mindsets, drive innovation, and inject fresh thinking. However, expecting the Navy’s traditional leadership to disrupt itself is unrealistic. The Department of Defense should look to Silicon Valley, where innovation succeeds by breaking from convention and challenging the status quo. America’s adversaries have already transformed modern warfare. Though it may be an uncomfortable truth, consider the Houthis—who, despite their limited resources, have compelled the U.S. to respond to threats with costly, large-scale platforms and multimillion dollar missiles. This asymmetric dynamic exposes a deeper problem: a failure to adapt and innovate against emerging threats. The same lack of imagination is evident in the reluctance to embrace autonomous systems in the Indo-Pacific. Yet, solutions exist. The real challenge is not feasibility, but the willingness to rethink conventional strategies before our adversaries force us to. The key question is: Can we disrupt ourselves before our adversaries do it for us?

Lessons from history: Hedge strategies in naval power

On December 8, 1941, battleships lay crippled at Pearl Harbor, but the Navy’s investment in aircraft carriers and submarines proved decisive. That hedge ensured victory in the Pacific. Today, we face a similar challenge. What is our hedge against the potential obsolescence of aircraft carriers and other large platforms? The answer lies in autonomous systems—swarms of unmanned assets operating above, below, and on the ocean surface. This is not about abandoning the existing fleet but complementing it with adaptable, resilient, and distributed forces.

Organizational change: What needs to evolve?

To reimagine naval power, we must transform leadership, processes, and culture. Key steps include: - Transform leadership – develop and reward leaders who prioritize innovation, embrace disruption, and think beyond traditional platforms. - Encourage a “challenger” mindset – apply lessons from Silicon Valley to question and replace outdated structures. - Break down barriers – address why new ideas fail to scale, and empower decisionmakers to embrace transformative concepts.

The small, the agile, and the many

The Navy’s future must be anchored on formations that are digitally native, distributed, and highly adaptable. Rather than relying on large, individual platforms, these future formations should consist of interconnected networks of unmanned systems, sensors, and weapons working together in real time. - Digitally native systems – Just as tech giants operate with software-driven agility, naval systems must be designed for rapid updates and adaptability. - Agility and scale – Large, rigid platforms must give way to mass-produced, rapidly deployable, and continuously evolving systems.

Harnessing the power of partnerships

Reimagining naval warfare is not the Navy’s mission alone. It requires the full spectrum of American ingenuity. History proves that major breakthroughs—such as wartime industrial mobilization or SpaceX’s innovations—come from partnerships. This effort must extend beyond traditional defense contractors to small businesses, startups, and independent innovators. From AI researchers to college students experimenting with autonomous navigation; every contributor has a role in shaping the future of naval power.

Building the future with urgency

To achieve this vision, the Navy must adopt a "minimum viable product" mindset. This means rapidly prototyping, testing in real-world environments, and iterating at speed. The traditional acquisition system must give way to modern methodologies such as DevSecOps, digital twin modeling, and integrated at-sea experimentation. Success also requires leadership capable of managing not just technical risks but portfolio risks—ensuring that we are prepared for a future where the dominant force structure may differ radically from today’s.

Answering the call

The call to reimagine naval warfare is a call to action. It requires embracing bold ideas and building a force ready for tomorrow’s threats. Instead of relying on “the large and the complex,” we must invest in “the small, the agile, and the many.” The time for change is now. By challenging stagnant and outdated structures, rethinking operations, and embracing transformative concepts, we will ensure that America’s Navy remains the most dominant and adaptable force on the seas for generations to come.

Admiral Lorin Selby (ret) – is a Partner at Mare Liberum Fund. He is the former US Navy Chief Engineer, Chief of Naval Research and 30+ year submarine officer. Erik Bethel – is a Partner at Mare Liberum Fund and fellow at CSIS. He is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and serves on the Board of the Naval War College Foundation.