Adapting the Future Forces for Strategic Advantage—US and UK Senior Leaders in Conversation

Speakers: Air Marshal Ian Gale (Director General Joint Force Development, UK StratCom); and Vice Admiral Stuart Munsch (Director for Joint Force Development, J7, US Joint Staff)

Date: 13 October 2021

Speaker Session Summary

SMA hosted a speaker session with Air Marshal Ian Gale (Director General Joint Force Development, UK StratCom) and Vice Admiral Stuart Munsch (Director for Joint Force Development, J7, US Joint Staff), as part of its SMA UK MoD Strategic Advantage Speaker Series.

No country has a ubiquitous strategic advantage over all other countries.This forces countries—like the US and UK—to examine their systemic processes for competing with diverse actors on a global scale. Air Marshal Gale commented that the UK and US should carefully choose where to apply leverage, use resources and personnel, and exert influence to maximize their actions’ effectiveness in the geographic regions that matter the most. Also, US and UK decision makers in must endeavor to fully understand the conflicts they become involved in, the levers of influence and options available to them, and how to measure the effectiveness of their operations. Other factors that influence strategic competition—but harder for the US and UK to control—are adversaries’ alliances, geography, and to some extent their own soft power, which is partially based off countries’ preconceptions of their actions. These factors are becoming more prevalent as China increases its geopolitical and economic influence.

To compete effectively, the US and UK rely on three pillars to compete globally: their ability to mass produce products, the creation of new technology, and the proficiency of their actions. As more countries become economically dependent on China and China continues to increase its industrial power, the US and UK should focus on the proficiency of which they use their resource use. However, even though China’s size and ability to mass produce products is one of its advantages, it takes all three pillars to win a strategic competition. Vice Admiral Munsch commented that the US can leverage its private industrial base to help compete with China. Also, the US must balance its want to be a free and open society with its need to protect its national security. If the US can create a collaborative environment for its engineers, operators, and those who control their budgets then the US will be better able to compete not only with China, but its other adversaries as well. Vice Admiral Munsch concluded the presentation by stating that having a peer competitor in China will help the US focus its efforts much like it did during the Cold War.

Speaker Session Recording

Note: We are aware that many government IT providers have blocked access to YouTube from government machines during the pandemic in response to bandwidth limitations. We recommend viewing the recording on YouTube from a non-government computer or listening to the audio file (below), if you are in this position.

Briefing Materials

Biographies:

Ian Gale (Director General Joint Force Development, UK StratCom) was appointed Director General Joint Force Development in April 2021, responsible for the conceptual element of UK fighting power: concepts & doctrine, training & education, exercise & experimentation, lessons learned & innovation. Before that he was Assistant Chief of the Air Staff from April 2019, responsible for the coherence and coordination of the Royal Air Force, international relations, strategic engagement and parliamentary business on behalf of the Chief. Ian has commanded at flight, wing and station level amassing over 3000 flying hours and 350 operational missions as a Tornado Weapons Instructor and in Operational Test & Evaluation of Tornado and Typhoon. He was appointed MBE for his leadership in ops and trials and the Sir Arthur Barratt prize for developing new tactics / techniques for the 2003 Scud-hunting campaign. He was at the forefront of the deployment of Tornado to Afghanistan in 2009 and fought the 2011 Libya campaign as the Deputy Air Contingent Commander. As CO RAF Lossiemouth, he commanded a unit of 2500 personnel, three Tornado Squadrons, a Search and Rescue Flight, an RAF Regiment Wing and various smaller units across Scotland, during a time of unprecedented operational activity in two theatres, for which he received the 1 Group Leadership Prize and an Institute of Directors award. Ian has served twice in MOD capability directorates. He led the rapid procurement of the HERMES 450 Remotely Piloted Air System to Iraq and Afghanistan during his time in the Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) area and serving in Deep Target Attack, was responsible for the Complex Weapons portfolio. In 2013/14, he worked in Joint Forces Command as the Deputy Head of Collection in C4ISR, where he led strategic development across all three services, as well as programme directing a record-breaking urgent procurement case for a new Maritime Patrol Aircraft. As Assistant Chief of Staff for C2ISR Capability Delivery, he was the Senior Responsible Owner for current and nascent airborne ISR capabilities including Reaper and Protector, Sentinel, Shadow, Airseeker, E-7 Wedgetail and the P-8A Maritime Patrol Aircraft. His programmes secured the Minister for Defence Procurement’s acquisition award in each of the 4 calendar years he served in that post. Ian has completed the Civil Service Senior Leadership Programme and Higher Command and Staff Course. He holds an MA in Defence Studies and an MBA. He is a Chartered Manager and a graduate of the Major Projects Leadership Academy at Oxford University’s Business School and is a mentor on the RAF’s ‘Rise Together’ scheme, where he enjoys helping others to achieve their best.

Vice Adm. Stuart Munsch (Director for Operational Plans and Joint Force Development, J7, Joint Staff), a native of North Dakota, graduated from the Naval Academy in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. At Annapolis, he was brigade commander of his class and an All-American and national champion pistol shooter. Selected for a Rhodes Scholarship, he attended Oxford University and earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

He then was assigned to four consecutive sea duty assignments, serving on USS Will Rogers (SSBN 659), USS Jefferson City (SSN 759), USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) on the staff of Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group 5, and USS Tucson (SSN 770). In 1999, Munsch reported ashore to U.S. Pacific Command, where he served in the Plans and Policy Directorate (J5) prior to becoming deputy executive assistant to the commander. He then was selected for a White House Fellowship and served as special assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture.

Munsch commanded USS Albuquerque (SSN 706) from 2002 to 2005, followed by duty in the Pentagon as the military assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense and then as executive assistant to the Director, Submarine Warfare, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV N87).

Munsch commanded Submarine Development Squadron (DEVRON) 5 from 2008 to 2010 and then returned to the Pentagon to head the Navy Strategy branch (OPNAV N513). Selected for flag rank, he was reassigned as deputy director, Undersea Warfare (OPNAV N97).

Sent overseas to Japan and Bahrain, Munsch commanded Submarine Group 7 and Task Forces 74 and 54 from 2013 to 2015, followed by duty in the Pentagon as the senior military assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. In 2017 Munsch reported to OPNAV N3/N5 as the assistant and in 2018 became the deputy chief of naval operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy. In 2019 he established and served as the initial deputy chief of naval operations for Warfighting Development, N7. He assumed his role as director for Joint Force Development (J7) in 2020.

Munsch is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI fellow and recipient of the U.S. Navy League’s Decatur Award for operational excellence. His awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Distinguished Service

Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (five awards), and several unit awards shared with shipmates.

The SMA Strategic Advantage Speaker Series description and list of the other sessions in this series can be downloaded here.