No branch of the Armed Forces better epitomizes both the promise and the peril of American superpower than the United States Navy. Unrivaled in its ability to project conventional military strength across the world's oceans, the Pentagon's fleet of ships and submarines is increasingly challenged by a range of new threats, from radical Islam to the rise of China, and tasked with host of new missions, from missile defense to sea-basing.

What is the role of sea power in the post-9/11 world? How should the Navy transform—in its strategy, doctrine, posture, and procurement—to ensure its relevance in the global war on terror? How large should the U.S. fleet be, and what should it look like? How should the U.S. Navy respond to China's naval modernization and the shifting balance of maritime power in the Asia-Pacific region?

These and other questions will be the subject of an all-day AEI conference, the second in a series on the future of America's armed forces. Admiral Vern Clark, chief of naval operations, will deliver the keynote address.