Adm. Daryl Caudle

WASHINGTON

Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command

04 June 2025 Good morning, and thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.

• I want to begin by expressing my deep appreciation to the Indiana Congressional delegation for their steadfast support of the United States Navy — the most powerful and capable maritime force the world has ever known.
• As Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, I wear many hats. My responsibilities include generating and preparing combat-ready naval forces, deterring strategic attacks against the homeland, and supporting U.S. Strategic Command. These duties rest on three strategic imperatives that shape how I view our mission.
• First, the homeland must remain secure from strategic attack — full stop. Our ability to maintain continuity of government, operations, and decision-making in crisis depends on that guarantee. There can be no gaps in the Navy’s responsibility to field, sustain, and execute integrated deterrence.
• Second, we must consistently and affordably generate combat-ready forces to meet our global commitments. That means we must be ready to respond at a moment’s notice — with Sailors who are trained, equipped, and fiercely determined to win.
• Third, we must create conditions for our Fleet to maneuver decisively across all domains — from seabed to space, including cyberspace — to deliver lethal effects at the time and place of our choosing.
• These are not just talking points. They’re hard-earned truths. And they’re difficult to achieve — especially in a world where our technological edge is constantly contested.
• When you look at maritime history, technological superiority has been the deciding factor in nearly every major naval conflict. Leadership, tactics, and grit matter immensely — but when both sides are equally matched in those areas, it's the side with superior technology that wins.
• Our Sailors have the courage, skill, and commitment to fight victoriously.
• But I don’t want a fair fight. I want them to have overwhelming technical overmatch — the kind of advantage that ensures victory comes swiftly and decisively, on terms favorable to the United States.
• And that’s where Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane comes in.
• What the Crane team does every single day is vital — absolutely vital — to ensuring we never lose our technological edge. Across Expeditionary Warfare, Electronic Warfare, and Strategic Missions, Crane is delivering game-changing capabilities that keep our warfighters ready and lethal.
• Let’s be clear: The threats we face are growing more complex by the day.
• While countering the People’s Republic of China remains a central focus, we must not take our eye off threats to the homeland. Our adversaries — China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and violent extremist organizations — are watching, learning from one another, and increasingly coordinating across domains and theaters.
• We cannot allow ourselves to be strategically distracted. Crane helps prevent that by ensuring our forces have the most advanced, resilient tools at their fingertips.
• Let me break down three key enablers of Crane’s critical role:
• First, Crane acts as a hub — a collaborative nerve center connecting program offices, industry partners, academia, and most importantly, the end-users in the Fleet.
• They don’t just coordinate — they take on accountability. As Admiral Rickover famously said, “Unless you can point your finger at who is responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible.” The team at Crane accepts that responsibility — and they own it. They’re the connective tissue making innovation real, timely, and impactful.
• Second, Crane understands the velocity of modern warfare. Innovation today has a short shelf life. Every new capability is born with an expiration date, and if we hesitate, we fall behind.
• Crane doesn’t hesitate. Their innovation cycles move at breakneck speed, pushing us ahead of the curve and enabling the Navy to "lee-turn" our competitors — fielding advanced capabilities not just for tomorrow, but for today’s fight.
• Third, they bring unmatched technical depth — and they pair it with a nuanced understanding of mission needs. That’s rare. It means they don’t just build what’s possible; they build what’s needed. And they do it by putting the right experts in the right place to solve the hardest problems.
• Make no mistake — this is a battlefield. It may not be front-page news, but the fight to maintain our technological supremacy is real, it’s relentless, and it’s essential to our national security.
• The men and women at N-S-W-C Crane are delivering. They’re transforming ideas into action, concepts into capability, and research into readiness. Their relentless drive ensures that the U.S. Navy sets the pace — so fast that our adversaries stumble trying to match it.
• So let me close with this:
• To the team at Crane — thank you. Thank you for your tireless dedication to ensuring our warfighters never enter a fair fight.
• And to the members of Congress here today — thank you for recognizing the strategic importance of this work and for your continued support of the Crane mission.
• Our success in the future fight will depend on the investments and vision we sustain today. With your support, and with the ingenuity of the Crane team, I’m confident the United States Navy will continue to lead — decisively, dominantly, and always in defense of our great Nation.
• Thank you.