Overview

Naval Warfare is about controlling the commons. The sea is the highway of the world. Whoever controls the sea controls trade, and whoever controls trade controls the world.

Core Idea

The core idea is Projection. A navy allows you to project power anywhere on the globe without needing permission to cross borders.

Formal Definition

Combat in and on the sea.

  • Blue Water Navy: Can operate across the open ocean (US, UK, France).
  • Green Water Navy: Coastal defense.

Intuition

  • The Choke Point: Controlling narrow straits (Suez, Malacca, Hormuz) gives you a stranglehold on the global economy.
  • The Fleet in Being: Just having a fleet scares the enemy, even if it never leaves port.

Examples

  • Battle of Trafalgar: Nelson defeated Napoleon at sea, ensuring Britain ruled the waves for a century.
  • Battle of Midway: The turning point of the Pacific War (Aircraft Carriers replaced Battleships).

Common Misconceptions

  • Misconception: It’s just ships shooting at each other.
    • Correction: Modern naval warfare is mostly about air power (carriers) and submarines (stealth).
  • Misconception: Land power is more important.
    • Correction: “Whosoever commands the sea commands the trade; whosoever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the world, and consequently the world itself.” (Sir Walter Raleigh).

Applications

  • Blockade: Starving the enemy (e.g., British blockade of Germany in WWI).
  • Deterrence: Nuclear submarines.

Criticism and Limitations

  • Cost: Navies are incredibly expensive to build and maintain.

Further Reading

  • The Influence of Sea Power upon History by Alfred Thayer Mahan