STS 2023 Theme: Undersea Dominance and Deterrence in the ‘Decade of Maximum Danger’

The US Undersea Force is one of the most lethal and capable undersea forces in the world; however, we are entering a “decade of maximum danger” and we must maintain a sense of urgency in order to execute our plans, preserve our overmatch, and ensure we are ready to fight now.  We need to address long-term competition with China and sustain our military advantage against Russia, as our adversaries are expending large amounts of resources in an attempt to erode our overmatch in the undersea domain. China has already fielded the largest navy in the world and is rapidly improving its capabilities in both the surface and undersea; we must deter the PLA(N) threat and if necessary, defeat their efforts in the maritime domain. This decade will also see the fielding of COLUMBIA as well as the continued development of the next generation of SSN, all while pushing to maintain our aging undersea force at its maximum readiness. We have to ensure that our forces can be quickly modernized with the capabilities we need to maintain our edge in this critical decade and beyond.  Additionally, our allies and partners recognize the US Navy as their on-scene partner for building combined maritime strength, and we must do whatever it takes to enhance that relationship.  In order to further strengthen the Navy’s warfighting advantage, the Force must be ready to deter and, if necessary, dominate in the undersea domain of both today and the future.

With that in mind, we invite you to the 2023 Submarine Technology Symposium with the theme of “Undersea Dominance and Deterrence in the ‘Decade of Maximum Danger,’” as covered in the following sessions: 

Technical Sessions for STS 2023: 

Session I:  Assessment of Adversaries’ Capabilities 

Session Chair – Mr. Craig Shelden, ONI N9
Assistant Session Chair – STSCM(SS) Matt Lindsey, USN, Ret.; Marine Acoustics, Inc.

  • USW threats  
  • Sensor/platform modeling to understand adversary capabilities  
  • Russia / China tech threat assessment  
  • Technology to support expanding collection opportunities 
  • Threat-based training scenarios  

Session II: Modernizing Our Strategic Deterrent 

Session Chair – Mr. Matthew Schultheis, ARL/PSU
Assistant Session Chair – Mr. Steven P. Landau, SPA

  • Weapons and Effects – D5LE2; Mk7/W93 
  • Non-Traditional – CPS; new platforms & payloads; new delivery vehicles 
  • Collaboration – technology sharing with other platforms, services; UK partnership update 

Session III Maintain Our Overmatch in the Undersea Domain 

Session Chair – Mr. Michael Malchiodi, JHU/APL
Assistant Session Chair – Mr. Edward Rishmany, SEACORP

  • Ensuring Access and Extending the Reach of Undersea Forces  
  • Subsea Seabed Warfare (SSW)  
  • Learning from VACL & Technology Insertion to Enable SSN(X)  

Session IV: Enhance US Alliances and Partnerships 

Session Chair – Mr. Jeffery Hebert
Assistant Session Chair – RADM Matthew Zirkle, USN, Ret., Defense Maritime Solution, Inc.

  • AUKUS Capability and Capacity Acceleration  
  • Technology Interoperability  
  • Operational Integration for Enhanced Lethality  

Session V: Developing, Fielding, and Maintaining the Undersea Force at the Speed of Competition  

Session Chair – Mr. Chris Mahonen, GDEB
Assistant Session Chair – CAPT Steve Harrison, USN, Ret., SAIC

  • Improving the Speed of Technology capabilities 
  • Improving the Speed of Manufacturing and First-Time Quality 
  • Maintenance impacts on availability and force structure 
  • Rapidly evolving VACL 
  • Enabling SSN(X) 

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