At Sea Against the Soviet Fleet : The Evolution of U.S. Navy Operational Intelligence in the Cold War

At Sea Against the Soviet Fleet is a historyof the evolution of the United States Navy's Operational Intelligence culture that informs great power competition with China today. At Sea Against the Soviet Fleet examines the critical transformation of naval intelligence during a pivotal era marked by the Cold War and the Vietnam conflict.Bryan Leese meticulously details how U.S. Navy operational intelligence evolved to meet the complexities of modern naval warfare, particularly in response to the increasing threats posed by the Soviet Navy.Structured into four main parts, this book begins by examining the Vietnam War and the institutionalization of shipboard operational intelligence, or what Navy intelligence calls Opintel.The book highlights the establishment of Integrated Operational Intelligence Centers as part of the RA-5C Vigilante program and the innovative strategies that emerged in air combat and targeting. Leese goes on to underscore the necessity of Opintel to the U.S.Navy’s clo