WASHINGTON— Brent Sadler, Senior Research Fellow for Naval Warfare and Advanced Technology at The Heritage Foundation, released his new book: U.S. Naval Power in the 21st Century: A New Strategy for Facing the Chinese and Russian Threat.  

To win the new Cold War with China, America’s defense structures need an update. U.S. Naval Power in the 21st Century provides such a framework for the new threats facing the U.S.. Sadler offers a detailed roadmap to build a war-winning fleet capable of deterring the dangerous competitors in peacetime.  

Sadler presents a compelling new strategy and organizing approach that he calls “naval statecraft,” which acknowledges the centrality and importance of the maritime domain. While similar in scale and scope to Cold War containment strategies against the Soviets, naval statecraft encompasses much more. Consider the China threat: countering China requires more than a lethal fleet. It necessitates crippling China’s stronghold over global supply chains. Building upon what existed during the Cold War, Sadler provides a unique vision for competing with China and Russia. 

Sadler said: “The world is on the cusp of a dangerous decade, and whether it becomes a violent peace or worse is a function of how we as a nation choose to respond. Conventional thinking has not delivered the results or the forces needed to effectively compete with China and Russia. Time is in short supply, and the Navy has been unable to grow to meet the challenges fast enough. This book and its core naval statecraft approach are intended to spark new thinking about our current strategic predicament and provide solutions.” 

Rather than simply calling for better coordinated U.S. diplomacy, military operations, and economic statecraft, Sadler argues for coherently and sustainably integrating the levers of national power. His approach, no small feat, is informed by a long career rich in experience working with various agencies of government, foreign militaries, and our allies.   

Brent Sadler, a twenty-six-year Navy veteran with numerous operational tours on nuclear-powered submarines, has been a member of personal staffs of senior defense department leaders and was a military diplomat in Asia. He writes about great power competition, advanced technologies, and building the Navy the nation needs.   

You can purchase U.S. Naval Power in the 21st Century:  A New Strategy for Facing the Chinese and Russian Threat here.