''Strategic Leadership'' Seminar Series
Wednesday 27 May, 17.15
Old Library, All Souls College, Oxford, OX1 4AL
Beyond the Hybrid Fleet: A Naval Design to Deter PRC Gray Zone Operations
Captain Rene Cano, US Navy & CCW
The U.S. Navy remains optimized to deter and defeat a traditional amphibious invasion of Taiwan, while the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is more likely to pursue a slow, layered gray zone campaign to achieve unification without triggering decisive conflict. This mismatch risks leaving the United States prepared for the least likely course of action while vulnerable to the most probable one. Effective deterrence in this environment will require a Navy capable of imposing immediate, scalable, and primarily non-lethal costs across multiple domains. Moving beyond the current hybrid fleet construct, future naval design must emphasize distributed unmanned systems and sustained operational presence to contest coercion below the threshold of war.
Rene Cano graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He also holds master’s degrees in National Security Strategy from the National War College and in Business Administration from the Naval Postgraduate School.
A career submarine officer, he has served aboard fast-attack and ballistic missile nuclear-powered submarines, as well as in staff assignments at the Pentagon and Submarine Force Headquarters. He commanded Submarine Readiness Squadron 31, where he was responsible for generating combat-ready submarines through logistics, repair, medical, and weapons support. His work examines how resilient supply chains and infrastructure underpin naval power and credible deterrence against great power challengers.
Seminars at 17.15, Old Library, All Souls College, Oxford, OX1 4AL.
All are welcome, no need to book.
