AUGUST 23, 2024 – Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Lisa Franchetti attended the Warfare Commander’s conference (WARCOM) held at the Naval Aviation Warfare Development Center (NAWDC) in Fallon, Nevada, on August 19-20, 2024. This critical event united top warfighters to present, discuss, and refine the latest innovations and tactical strategies in Naval operations.
WARCOM provides a structured and dynamic platform for collaboration among leaders in Aviation, Surface, and Information Warfare. The conference is designed to include a wide array of commanders, such as those from Strike Groups, Air Wings, Information Warfare units, Type Wings, Destroyer Squadrons, Amphibious Squadrons, as well as Commanding Officers of CVNs and ships. The event also integrates representation from Numbered Fleets, OPNAV, and acquisition sectors, ensuring a holistic approach to Naval warfare.
“WARCOM is all about the highest levels of advanced warfighting in all domains from space to the sea bed floor,” said Vice Adm. Dan Cheever, Commander, Naval Air Forces. “We are thinking, acting and operating differently to preserve the peace, respond in crisis and win decisively in combat. It is our free thinking, our tactical and operational excellence that will prove decisive.”
Adm. Franchetti underscored the pivotal role of WARCOM ‘24, emphasizing its importance in bringing together diverse expertise from across the Navy’s operational spectrum. This year’s conference aims to fortify the U.S. Navy’s position as the world’s leading fighting force by fostering a comprehensive and integrated approach to warfare and highlight the significance of leveraging collective knowledge and strategies to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving tactical environment.
“As the Navy’s center of excellence for advanced tactics and combat training, Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC) remains focused on developing the most knowledgeable, competent and proficient Naval warfighters in order to compete and win in an ever evolving strategic landscape,” said Rear Adm. Mike Spencer, Commander, Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center. “The Fallon Range Training Complex and the NAWDC staff and facilities provide a second to none, cutting-edge training environment that will always ensure our Navy prevails throughout the spectrum of competition, crisis and conflict. NAWDC’s hosting of WARCOM serves as a pinnacle event to advance Navy warfighting across all warfare competencies.”
A key focus of WARCOM ‘24 is the development and enhancement of the Navy’s warfighting ecosystem. This ecosystem encompasses the full range of Naval warfare capabilities—surface, aviation, subsurface, information, and special operations—ensuring they work seamlessly together to provide a cohesive and formidable operational force. By integrating various domains of warfare, the conference aims to create synergies that enhance overall effectiveness and adaptability in complex and contested environments.
Vice Adm. Mike Vernazza, Commander, Naval Information Forces and the Navy’s IBoss, explained how Information Warfare underpins this ecosystem.
“The Navy’s warfighting ecosystem depends on a robust constellation of capabilities – all enabled by Information Warfare,” said Vernazza. “IW’s pillars of Assured Command and Control, Battlespace Awareness, and Integrated Fires are foundational to every single warfighting area in the high-end fight.”
Adm. Franchetti stressed the importance of utilizing all aspects of Naval warfare to ensure an effective, integrated, and lethal force. Her direction was centered on maintaining the Navy’s edge against increasingly sophisticated adversaries through a unified approach that leverages the full spectrum of naval capabilities.
“Bringing together warfighters from all communities in Fallon this year reflects the changing character of war and enhances our ability to integrate and accelerate efforts across tactical and operational levels of warfighting. As warfare evolves, so must the Navy,” said Franchetti “Our ability to work with the Joint Force in a warfighting ecosystem, enables us to achieve compounding effects that confound and degrade adversaries’ ability to sense and make sense of the information environment, allowing us to maneuver our strengths against their weaknesses.”
Adm. Franchetti emphasized the need for a unified and integrated approach to achieve superior operational outcomes and adapt to emerging threats.
WARCOM ‘24 is instrumental in aligning Navy leaders with cutting-edge training, operational readiness, and emerging tactics, while also addressing theater-specific requirements. The conference’s focus on enhancing the Navy’s warfighting ecosystem highlights the importance of integration and collaboration in maintaining a strategic advantage and ensuring continued excellence in naval operations.
This was Franchetti’s first time attending WARCOM as CNO.