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About the Event

Naval power around the world has shifted since the World Wars and the Cold War of the 20th Century.

John Lehman, who served as Secretary of the Navy in the Ronald Reagan administration from 1981–1987, where he promoted the creation of a 600-ship Navy, joins the World Affairs Council to discuss how the US Navy played a crucial role in winning the Cold War, and how the US Navy today continues to play a part in our military affairs around the world.

At one point, the US Navy had nearly 7,000 naval assets during World War II. Today, it has 415, making it the third largest navy by numbers.

While both North Korea and China have more naval assets than the United States, and with Iran and Russia not far behind the US in terms of naval assets—the US is still considered the most powerful and technologically advanced navy in the world.

But for how long can the United States maintain its status, and how are the changing tides of naval power around the world going to affect the future of the global order?