New advisory unit

DON Creates Office of Strategic Assessment to Push Maritime Statecraft

The Department of the Navy has established the Office of Strategic Assessment to spearhead the maritime statecraft that Secretary Carlos del Toro proposed toward a comprehensive U.S. naval and commercial maritime power.

Del Toro, a speaker at a past Potomac Officers Club event, said OSA will bring a key capability to ensure that the United States is prepared to build upon its global maritime dominance today while also ready to face future challenges.

One of the office’s functions is to provide the secretary with data-driven analyses and recommendations on investments and future modernization, the Navy said. Overall, OSA will inform the Navy’s development of guidelines and priorities for a modernized force ready to repel high-end conflict while also protecting U.S. global maritime interests.

Cara LaPointe, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate with over 25 years of experience in national security and technology policy, has been appointed as OSA’s first director. Her previous leadership experience in government service includes the role of a naval surface warfare officer and engineering duty officer.