Expand Foreign Exchanges to Create an Interchangeable Naval Force

This commentary is the fourth in a series exploring ways to strengthen the U.S. Navy’s fleet. The U.S. Navy is the central node in a network of democratically minded, technologically advanced partners that confer a strategic advantage for building a combined fleet. The Navy has programs to exchange foreign professionals and send U.S. personnel abroad in order to increase collaboration and interchangeability. There are suggestions to expand enlisted personnel exchanges and increase the number of foreign personnel exchanges on U.S. Navy operations. It’s also recommended to pair student learning exchanges with fleet experience to develop a comprehensive picture of the American way of war. Additionally, international engagement programs should be centralized under one managerial umbrella to achieve interchangeability. Expanding soft power personnel exchanges can build common knowledge and enhance combined tactical training opportunities. Cmdr. Douglas Robb commanded the U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer Spruance and is currently a U.S. Navy fellow at the University of Oxford. The opinions expressed are his own and do not reflect the views of the U.S. Defense Department, the Department of the Navy, or the U.S. government.