CSF 2024 | Keynote Address - Dr. Andrew F. Krepinevich, Jr., Solarium LLC

Keynote Address - Dr. Andrew F. Krepinevich, Jr., Solarium LLC Dr. Andrew F. Krepinevich, Jr., is a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute and at the Center for a New American Security, and president of Solarium LLC, a consulting firm. In 1995 he founded the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, which he led for 21 years. His service at CSBA was preceded by a 21-year career in the U.S. Army. Dr. Krepinevich has served in the Department of Defense’s Office of Net Assessment, and on the personal staff of three secretaries of defense. He has also served as a member of the National Defense Panel, the Defense Science Board Task Force on Joint Experimentation, the Defense Policy Board, the Congressional National Defense Strategy Commission, the Army Special Operation Command’s Advisory Board, the Army Science Board, and as chairman of the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel. Dr. Krepinevich has taught on the faculties of West Point, Georgetown University, the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and George Mason University. His most recent book is The Origins of Victory: How Disruptive Military Innovation Determines the Fates of Great Powers. He also authored The Last Warrior: Andrew Marshall and the Shaping of Modern Defense Strategy; 7 Deadly Scenarios: A Military Futurist Explores War in the 21st Century; and The Army and Vietnam. Among his recent articles are “The Eroding Balance of Terror,” “The New Nuclear Age,” and “The Big One: Preparing for a Long War With China,” all published in the journal Foreign Affairs. His most recent studies include “Modernizing the Nuclear Triad: Decline or Renewal?” and “Archipelagic Defense 2.0,” published by the Hudson Institute. A graduate of West Point and the Naval War College, Dr. Krepinevich holds an M.P.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. In 2020 Dr. Krepinevich received West Point’s Distinguished Graduate Award. About the Current Strategy Forum: This year marks the 73rd annual Current Strategy Forum (CSF) at the Naval War College in Newport, hosted by the Secretary of the Navy. The first CSF was held on 9 May 1949 under the title “Round Table Talks.” This event offers an opportunity for the Nation’s public servants, scholars, and senior military officers to join the College faculty and students to discuss the future strategy of the United States. Over the years, the CSF has expanded to include a cross section of America’s civilian and military leadership to encourage a wide-ranging debate on national and international security. This year’s theme: "America’s Seapower and Maritime Statecraft." The wars in Europe and the Middle East, and the danger of conflict in Asia and the Pacific, underscore the need for clear strategic guidance to provide for the security and wellbeing of the American people and the partners of the United States around the globe. In a speech at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro introduced the theme of Maritime Statecraft as a guiding principle for understanding the importance of seapower and maritime strategy in upholding an American-led, rules-based international order. The Secretary underscored the importance of strategy in meeting the challenges ahead for the United States. “I always say that I expect my Admirals and Generals to be skilled warfighters. But more so, I demand that they be strategic thinkers — that they strive first to deter our adversaries and, if called upon, be victorious during times of conflict.” The Naval War College, since its founding by Stephen B. Luce and the teachings of Alfred Thayer Mahan, has led professional military education in developing future leaders to be strategic thinkers. This year’s forum will seek to understand the role of the United States naval forces and maritime statecraft as part of an overall national strategy to meet the strategic challenges before us.