Adm. Michael G. Mullen, who took over as chief of naval operations in July, yesterday sketched out a future U.S. Navy that will operate as a "brown water" and a "green water" force in rivers and along coasts in addition to its traditional big-ship, blue-water role.

"A lot of that is closer to shore, whether it's in the rivers of certain countries that we would be involved to assist in, or whether it's in the shallows near land," said Mullen, who spoke to reporters yesterday after making an "all hands" visit with enlisted sailors at Pearl Harbor.

"We're in a long war, it's a global war on terror, (and) the Navy is incredibly relevant in that," he said. "We're changing mission sets for the future to get at that."

The New York Times reported that as part of a Navy plan to increase its fleet to 313 ships and reverse years of decline in shipbuilding, Mullen wants 55 small, fast littoral combat ships, which are designed to counter mines, diesel submarines and surface craft in coastal regions.

Mullen yesterday said he hasn't made a final decision on the shipbuilding number. The Navy recently announced the first littoral combat ship will be based in San Diego, but no decision has been made on the basing of any of the ships in Hawai'i, he said.

"Certainly, because of the number, my expectation is there will be several bases at which they will be homeported," Mullen said.

With the end of the Cold War, the Navy has focused more on counterterrorism, counterdrug and humanitarian assistance operations. Many of those missions occur in ports and in shallow waters. Part of the plan calls for working closer with the Coast Guard.

"What I think is important is we're reaching for these additional missions, if you will, which are very relevant to the global war on terror, and it involves engaging other countries," said Mullen, who commanded a destroyer at Pearl Harbor from 1985 to 1987.

The new Navy Expeditionary Combat Command in Norfolk, Va., will include three squadrons operating "brown water" river boats. The command will oversee elements of Seabees, explosive ordnance disposal sailors, and the 11,000 master-at-arms security force, Mullen said. He added that the challenges here in the Pacific reflect challenges that exist around the world.

"The one real difference is the Pacific ... is a big area and there is a lot of water and you need lots of ships to cover that water," Mullen said.

With budget cuts, Mullen said, "We're going to have to figure out as we move to these new areas what we're not going to do that we've done in the past."

Mullen said 7,000 sailors are in Iraq and Afghanistan, and "I think that number is going to go up." He said about 500 will be sent to Iraq to run a new prison, and the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will be taken over by the Navy early next year.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.