CDR Salamander wrote these for the US military, so some of them are far out-of-scale for tiddlers like the Canadian Armed Forces, but the spirit is still valid and relevant:
1. No weapon system presently under production will be allowed to stop production until its replacement is under production itself.
2. Acknowledge we have lied to ourselves for decades actual magazine requirements in war (use “new” lessons from the Russo-Ukraine War for the tender to save face — whatever works) — and accelerate/restart production of everything from ASW weapons to strike weapons of all types.
3. Acknowledge that we do not have enough weapons — specifically anti-air and land attack — on our warships. Every war proves this and recent experience tells us this.
4. If I take away your access to satellite VOX & DATA and you cannot navigate and fight, you are not a wartime asset and your funding sent somewhere useful.
5. Accelerate capacity for repair away from fleet concentration areas, preferably afloat. Maximize production of sealift and begin the process to replace the C-5M.
6. If your combat unit does not have organic, robust unmanned ISR under the command of your unit’s commander, you are worthless in the war to come and you will have such a capability by FY25 or you will be disestablished.
7. Pass the Salamander Bill: no General of Flag Officer shall, for a period no less than 5-yrs from retirement date, receive compensation of any kind or anything of value from any publicly or privately held company that does business with the federal government, nor shall they serve in any non-paid positions with same.
Yes, #7 is important. If you have not realized why in 2022, you are part of the problem.
