The Nimitz Warfare Analysis Center is the U.S. Navy’s pre-eminent Center for operational and strategic analysis of issues and events with strategic implications within the maritime domain. The Center supports Fleet commanders and national policymakers with timely, relevant, and predictive analysis of adversary naval forces to achieve decision advantage in peace, crisis, and war.
Mission
Nimitz conducts all-source analysis and produces authoritative naval warfare assessments, from the tactical to strategic levels of war, in support of Fleet and Joint warfighting operations and national decision makers' requirements. It does this by evaluating, analyzing, and producing intelligence assessments related to current and future naval strategies, operational capabilities, foreign maritime peacetime and wartime tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), and intentions of foreign countries.
Functions, Roles & Responsibilities
Through its two departments, Nimitz provides timely operational and strategic analysis of issues and events with strategic implications within the maritime domain, producing intelligence assessments at all classification levels in support of U.S. and allied naval forces and national decision makers. The Department of Naval Analysis (DNA) provides critical intelligence required for planning and conducting campaigns and major operations to accomplish strategic objectives within theaters or operational areas. Within the department, six geographically-aligned divisions support intelligence consumers with sub-sets of functional areas of expertise. The Naval Warfare Department (NWD) provides detailed analysis of the operational and tactical military abilities of potential adversaries. NWD provides this dedicated, Fleet-focused support via four functionally aligned divisions - SWORD (undersea warfare), SPEAR (air warfare), SABER (surface warfare], and SPECTRUM (cyber/electronic warfare/C41SR).
Nimitz’s key functions include:
- Conducts long-term, penetrating, all-source analysis and production in support of national, theater, and Navy component-level strategy, operational, campaign and war planning through detailed assessments of foreign naval forces and their maritime strategies.
- Leverages the tactical expertise of Fleet-experienced submarine, air, surface, and Information Warfare Officers and Sailors, who work alongside a cadre of civilians and contractors.
- Supports operational commanders, mission planners, Naval Warfighting Development Centers, and the National Intelligence Community with unique and in-depth analysis covering naval adversaries’ capabilities and TTPs.