14: State of the US Navy 2023

In this episode of the Warships Pod, host Iain Ballantyne is joined by two long-timeand highly valued contributors to Warships IFR magazine and also to the “Guide tothe US Navy.”They are Dr Robert Farley, who currently teaches at the Patterson School ofDiplomacy and International Commerce, University of Kentucky and David Axe, ajournalist, author and filmmaker based in South Carolina.Topics discussed include: the general ‘State of the US Navy’ today and if it is stillable to enforce Pax Americana; whether the USN is adequately coping with the hereand now while getting ready for the future; the nature of threat (and level ofcompetition) it faces from the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China andVladimir Putin’s maritime forces (especially in light of the Russian Navy’sperformance in the Ukraine War).Other topics touched on include: the strange saga of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS);confusion over the future of the so-called Gator Navy (the amphibious warfare forcesof the USN and the US Marine Corps); whether or not the new Constellation Classfrigate will plug the surface combatant gap; the plus and minus points of the modernAmerican fighting fleet.For more details on WARSHIPS IFR magazine http://bit.ly/wifrmagFollow it on Twitter @WarshipsIFR and on https://www.facebook.com/WarshipsIFR/To buy the ‘Guide to the US Navy 2023’ https://bit.ly/gusn2023• Iain Ballantyne is the Editor of Warships IFR magazine and the author of numerousnaval and military history books, including ‘HMS London’, ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours toDoom’ and ‘Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron.’ He also contributes commentarieson naval and Defence topics to various media outlets. Twitter @IBallantyn• In addition to teaching at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and InternationalCommerce at the University of Kentucky, Robert Farley writes extensively about anarray of Defence issues. They include airpower, sea power and military innovation.He is a Senior Editor of ‘Lawyers, Guns and Money’ and manager of the LGMpodcast. Twitter @drfarls• David Axe writes for ‘Forbes’, ‘The Daily Beast’ and ‘Rolling Stone.’ His most recentbook is ‘Drone War: Vietnam’ (Pen & Sword Military). Twitter @daxe