Original broadcast: 12/07/25
The episode of Fed Gov Today features the new Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Daryl Caudle, in his first long-form TV interview as CNO, airing to audiences worldwide on the American Forces Network. The episode also includes Dell Technologies’ Suri Durvasula, who argues that “people-first” technology boosts warfighter decision-making, readiness, and morale—especially by improving connectivity at sea. He points to efforts like Navy Flank Speed bringing everyday tools (such as Microsoft 365/Teams) to shipboard environments, and highlights “disconnected logistics” and emerging concepts like a “G-wallet” to modernize the supply chain, link sensors, and speed parts sourcing across the fleet.
The program then shifts to Caudle’s vision of an “ideal Navy,” emphasizing capability, readiness, integration with the joint force, and allies over any single ship-count target. He frames the gap between today’s Navy and that vision around three priorities: the “foundry” (people, infrastructure, and material readiness), the “fleet,” and “the way we fight.” Caudle’s first message to the fleet—“Sailors First”—puts quality-of-life issues near the top, including his directive that no sailor should have to live aboard ship in port. He describes progress moving sailors ashore and stresses better housing, pay reliability, better Wi-Fi, and reduced everyday friction as foundational to building a resilient, lethal force. In part two, Caudle ties “Sailors First” to treating sailors like world-class athletes and calls for greater urgency across the defense industrial base to deliver ships, repairs, and munitions on time. The episode closes with program notes and a preview of upcoming episodes and events.
Adm. Daryl Caudle describes an “ideal Navy” that is defined less by a specific ship count and more by what the fleet can do, how ready it is, and how sustainably it can deliver combat power. He notes that while studies and legislation often cite targets like 355 or 381 ships, shipbuilding and decommissioning rates have stayed roughly equal for years, keeping the Navy around 300 ships. Because he does not expect that to change dramatically in his time, he prioritizes capability, readiness, and the right mix of forces, including high-end ships, high-end aircraft, and unmanned autonomous vehicles that can deliver lethality. He also emphasizes the need to integrate effectively with the joint force and with allies and partners, while meeting global demands such as protecting sea lines of communication and being prepared for the most stressing operational plans.
Caudle explains the gap between today’s Navy and his vision through three priorities he calls the foundry, the fleet, and the way the Navy fights. The foundry includes people, infrastructure, and material readiness, and he places sailors at the center with a “Sailors First” approach. He highlights quality-of-life initiatives like ensuring no sailor lives aboard ship in port, improving housing, pay reliability, and connectivity. He argues these “small” issues reduce friction, build resilience, and strengthen warfighting performance. He also calls for greater urgency in the defense industrial base to deliver ships, repairs, parts, and munitions on time.
Suri Durvasula frames the Navy’s technology modernization as “people first,” arguing that the real goal is helping sailors and warfighters make faster, better decisions while improving readiness and morale. He says today’s operations are technology-enabled end to end, and that better data and tools can speed everything from troubleshooting and repairing parts to ensuring the right ammunition and equipment are positioned where they’re needed. Just as important, he highlights the “emotional side” of readiness: shipboard life can still be surprisingly disconnected, so improving secure connectivity helps sailors stay connected to the outside world, boosting morale and supporting performance when crews must be ready at a moment’s notice.
He points to the Navy’s Flank Speed effort as an example of progress, describing it as a way to bring familiar everyday capabilities—like Office 365
Looking ahead, he emphasizes logistics as a major opportunity, referencing “disconnected logistics” and the ability to source parts across the fleet quickly to keep platforms—like aircraft—mission ready. He also mentions “G wallet” as an emerging enabler for innovating the military supply chain, comparing it to commercial practices that link demand signals, sensors, analytics, and fulfillment. Finally, he argues capabilities proven in one area—such as rapid analytics—should be leveraged more broadly across the force.