Brown and Green Navy

The Navy's new shipbuilding plan, announced earlier this week, will give more focus to a fleet geared toward coastal warfare. They've been saying this since the end of the Cold War, but its finally coming, says this article:

Adm. Michael G. Mullen, who took over as chief of naval operations in July, yesterday sketched out a future U.S. Navy that will operate as a "brown water" and a "green water" force in rivers and along"A lot of that is closer to shore, whether it's in the rivers of certain countries that we would be involved to assist in, or whether it's in the shallows near land," said Mullen, who spoke to reporters yesterday after making an "all hands" visit with enlisted sailors at Pearl Harbor coasts in addition to its traditional big-ship, blue-water role.

And this is the fleet that will get us there:

The New York Times reported that as part of a Navy plan to increase its fleet to 313 ships and reverse years of decline in shipbuilding, Mullen wants 55 small, fast littoral combat ships, which are designed to counter mines, diesel submarines and surface craft in coastal regions.

A new command is being created for this new mission:

The new Navy Expeditionary Combat Command in Norfolk, Va., will include three squadrons operating "brown water" river boats. The command will oversee elements of Seabees, explosive ordnance disposal sailors, and the 11,000 master-at-arms security force, Mullen said.