Andy Cichon | U.S. Naval Institute

Lieutenant Commander Cichon, is a surface warfare officer, has served in various ships and afloat staffs and in the Royal Australian Navy’s Australian Maritime Warfare Centre as air warfare project manager. He currently is the Surface Warfare Syndicate head at Tactical Training Group Pacific.

Articles by Andy Cichon

The USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) sails with the unmanned surface vessel Ranger in the Pacific Ocean in September 2023.

Rebooting the High-Low Mix of Ships

By Lieutenant Commander Frederick “Andy” Cichon, U.S. Navy (Retired)

February 2024

The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard should collaborate on a new approach to Admiral Zumwalt’s 1970s high-low shipbuilding strategy.

Training and equipping Coast Guard port security units to operate and counter uncrewed systems would help protect critical ports both at home and abroad.

Equip Port Security Units with Uncrewed Systems

By Lieutenant Commander Frederick “Andy” Cichon, U.S. Navy (Retired)

December 2023

Coast Guard port security units must be trained and equipped to operate and counter uncrewed systems.

A Naval Special Warfare operator conducts a special reconnaissance utilizing a PUMA drone during Operation Noble Defender in 2023.The answer to landing and resupplying Marines ashore amid gray zone operations may be shifting to operating from the destroyers, auxiliaries, and supply ships.

21st-Century Marine Detachments for 21st-Century Drone Warfare

By Lieutenant Commander Frederick “Andy” Cichon, U.S. Navy (Retired)

October 2023

The Marine Corps should reestablish the Marine detachment (MarDet) to counter new threats like UAS and USVs.

Helicopter

Fight Mines Instead of People

By Lieutenant Commander Frederick “Andy” Cichon, U.S. Navy (Retired)

July 2022

The United States must prepare to intervene in a blockade and mining of Taiwan’s ports—without directly engaging China’s naval forces.

land-attack missiles

EABO Must Be a Joint Effort

By Lieutenant Commander Frederick “Andy” Cichon, U.S. Navy (Retired)

April 2022

Marine littoral regiments will need the support of Army air defenses and Air Force aircraft.

The ground-based air defense future weapons system is designed to modernize low altitude air defense by providing increased capability. The MADIS Mk 1 includes a turret-launched Stinger missile, multi-functional electronic warfare capability, direct-fire weapon, electro optical infra-red (EO/IR) optic, and a shoulder-fired Stinger missile for dismounted operations.

Missiles . . . from the Shore

By Lieutenant Commander Frederick “Andy” Cichon, U.S. Navy

January 2021

Marines doing EABO need organic protection from aircraft and missiles.

Effective command and control, including airborne radar and fighter direction, has been key to air-to-air victory in every air campaign, enabling less advanced fighters to defeat superior adversaries.

C2 Is the Fighter’s Winning Edge

By Lieutenant Commander Andy Cichon, U.S. Navy

September 2020

In the next high-end war, the advantage the F/A-18 and F-35 will need is the support of effective command and control.

Aerial oblique starboard view of HMAS Hobart (DDG-39) sailing with the USS John Finn (DDG-113)

Australia and the U.S. Must Prioritize High-End Warfighting

By Lieutenant Commander Frederick "Andy" Cichon, U.S. Navy

February 2019

Over the past few decades, the U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) have exercised and operated together in the Middle East, Indian Ocean, and Pacific, mainly focusing on counterpiracy ...