The University of Leeds

Graduate Student, History

Thesis Title: Governmental Efficiency and Naval Effectiveness ; Estimates, Manoeuvres and Royal Navy Transformation 1884-1904

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          This thesis examines a radical, though stabilizing, change in the interaction between technological, industrial, naval, political and governmental relationships that  transformed the Victorian Royal Navy from 1884-1904.  This adaptive change emerged as a direct response to criticism of the Royal Navy during the 1885 crisis with Russia over Afghanistan. In 1887, after two years of deliberations, a new operational and a corresponding administrative process were established.
          The start of the consistent conduct of annual naval manoeuvres (Manoeuvres) in 1887 was a novelty that came about as a consequence of internal and public disquiet over the Royal Navy’s 1885 war readiness, ship design (armour, armaments and stability) concerns, unease about the lack of an adequate Fleet for defense of England, and a perceived threat to England’s trade network from France’s Jeune Ecole.
        That same year, First Lord of the Admiralty Statements on the Naval Estimates (First Lord Statements) were started to provide Parliament with financial transparency for naval expenditures. This corrective measure was implemented because during the 1885 war crisis the Admiralty had accidentally exceeded its Vote of Credit by over £1,000,000.  The naval and political process together created a novel feedback mechanism that was a central feature of naval advances over subsequent decades. 
          This dual-pronged process contributed to the long-term efficiency and effectiveness of the Royal Navy by providing a venue to test mobilization plans, logistics, communications, force manning levels, fleet warship types, and tactics.  The Manoeuvres tested effectiveness and accountability by providing an exercise where naval readiness could be assessed by naval professionals in a simulated wartime environment. They also publicized naval developments and stimulated debates in Parliament and the press to provide a political testing process. The First Lord Statements ensured efficiency and accountancy by clearly and succinctly linking Naval Estimates to annual construction and operational plans.
        The Manoevures-First Lord Statements process is not only a striking example of Professor Oliver MacDonagh’s nineteenth century revolution in British government; but, also shows how Victorian politicians and admirals sought to control the forces and processes that shaped the Royal Navy.

CV : Mani Malagón served in a broad spectrum of military functions including nuclear submarine command, major staff, intelligence, operations and diplomacy.  He obtained his B.S. in Mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and was commissioned as a Naval Officer in April 1976.
      His first operational tour was on USS BARB (SSN-596) based out of San Diego, California where he was qualified as a Submarine Warfare Officer and Engineer Officer.  After serving on BARB he became the Radiological Controls Officer on the tender USS DIXON (AS-37) in San Diego, CA as a lieutenant.  From this tour he went to the Naval Postgraduate School (NPGS) in Monterey, CA where he earned a M.S.E.E. in 1986. At NPGS he worked with Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits and Artificial intelligence (AI).       
      Captain Malagón then served as the Navigator and Operations Officer on USS SILVERSIDES (SSN-679) based out of Norfolk, VA from 1986 to 1989.  His next tour was as Executive Officer, USS PUFFER (SSN-652) home ported in San Diego, CA from 1989 to 1991. PUFFER went to the North Pole with the first major improvement to the submarine High Frequency (HF) sonar. This was the beginning of a long association with the University of Texas (Austin) Applied Physics Laboratory in HF sonar development, communications and other research projects.       
      From 1991 to 1993 he was a founding member of Commander, Submarine Force, United States Pacific Fleet, (CSP) Tactical Readiness Evaluation team.  Following this tour he commanded USS OLYMPIA (SSN-717) from 1994 to 1996; and then, he served on the staff of CSP from 1996 to 1998 as the Deputy for Intelligence (N2). As the CSP N2 he was responsible for the implementation of the latest technology into submarine sensors and data processing networks prior to deployments; and, for the overall training readiness for mission performance. This entailed a close working relationship with the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Several Applied and Advanced Research Laboratories (including University of Texas, MIT Lincoln Laboratories, Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins and Washington State), the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), Naval Undersea Warfare Command (NUWC), NAVOCEANO, Program Executive Office for Submarines (PEO SUBS), and a host of other technology organizations including IBM and Lockheed-Martin.
      From 1998 to 1999 he attended the United States Army War College (USAWC) in Carlisle, PA. His thesis at the USAWC focused on the evolutionary forces that have shaped man and man’s environment during conflict; and, why war remains a permanent fixture of the human landscape.  Specifically the work examined the psychology of terrorism. 
      He was then assigned to the staff of Commander, United States Seventh Fleet (C7F) as the Deputy for Communications (C4I) (N6/J6) based out of Yokosuka, Japan from 1999 to 2001.  Onboard BLUE RIDGE he worked closely with the science advisor and staff to radically alter the operations and intelligence information processing processes and systems over the course of two years. This required intense cooperation with the scientific and technical community; and, included close cooperation with CTF 74 (Amphibious Warfare) and III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) to ensure seamless integration of capabilities across the entire war-fighting spectrum. 
      After his tour at C7F, he served as the Defense Attaché for Santiago, Chile where he was instrumental in the creation of the Office of Naval Research regional office for Latin America.  His duties there included representation of the Secretary of Defence (SEDCEF), Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) and the Chief of Naval Intelligence (CNI) with naval, military and political dignitaries.
      Upon the sudden death of his parents in 2003 he requested a return to the U.S. and was assigned to Commander, Mine Warfare Command (CMWC) and served as both Deputy for Readiness, Training and Tactics (N7) and Deputy for Requirements and Development (N8) at CMWC.  In this capacity he worked a broad spectrum of Mine-Counter Measures (MCM) issues (Air-AMCM, Surface-SMCM, Underwater-UMCM) related with MCM training programs, technical performance, force protection; and operational capabilities, evaluation and readiness. 
      After retirement from active duty, and prior to commencing his Ph.D. program, he served from January 2005 to March 2005 as the Technical Director for CMWC where he was responsible for future technological development for Mine Warfare forces. The Technical Director position encompassed a broad spectrum of activities from oceanography to laser physics, with a long-range view of the shifting strategic landscape, yet with a constant aim of quickly adapting technologies for more effective and efficient detection and clearance of mines.
      He is the recipient of the Legion of Merit with gold star, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Navy Commendation Medal with four gold stars.

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