Beyond the Hybrid Fleet: A Naval Design to Deter PRC Gray Zone Operations

Wednesday, 27 May 2026, 5.15pm to 6.45pm

The U.S. Navy remains optimized to deter and defeat a traditional amphibious invasion of Taiwan, while the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is more likely to pursue a slow, layered gray zone campaign to achieve unification without triggering decisive conflict. This mismatch risks leaving the United States prepared for the least likely course of action while vulnerable to the most probable one. Effective deterrence in this environment will require a Navy capable of imposing immediate, scalable, and primarily non-lethal costs across multiple domains. Moving beyond the current hybrid fleet construct, future naval design must emphasize distributed unmanned systems and sustained operational presence to contest coercion below the threshold of war.

Rene Cano graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and is a licensed Professional Engineer. He also holds master’s degrees in National Security Strategy from the National War College and in Business Administration from the Naval Postgraduate School.

A career submarine officer, he has served aboard fast-attack and ballistic missile nuclear-powered submarines, as well as in staff assignments at the Pentagon and Submarine Force Headquarters. He commanded Submarine Readiness Squadron 31, where he was responsible for generating combat-ready submarines through logistics, repair, medical, and weapons support. His work examines how resilient supply chains and infrastructure underpin naval power and credible deterrence against great power challengers.

Speaker(s): Captain Rene Cano (US Navy & SST:CCW)

Series: SST:CCW Seminar Series (Strategy, Statecraft, and Technology, Changing Character of War Centre)

Venue: All Souls College - Wharton Room - Wharton Room All Souls College High Street Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 4AL United Kingdom

Department: Politics & Int Relations (Department)