Understanding Naval Warfare, 3rd Edition

This updated new edition of Understanding Naval Warfare offers the reader an accessible introduction to the study of modern naval warfare, providing a thorough grounding in the vocabulary, concepts, issues and debates, set within the context of relevant history. The third edition explains traditional concepts and explores current and emerging ideas concerning the theory and practice of naval warfare, relating these to recent events including Sino-American naval competition and the Russian-Ukraine War. Navies operate in an environment that most people do not understand and that many avoid. They are equipped with a bewildering range of ships, craft and other vessels and types of equipment, the purpose of which is often unclear. Writings on naval warfare are usually replete with references to esoteric concepts explained in specialist language that can serve as a barrier to understanding. This book cuts through the obscure and the arcane to offer a clear, coherent and accessible guide to the key features of naval warfare which will equip the reader with the knowledge and understanding necessary for a sophisticated engagement with the subject. The new edition is divided into two key parts. The first focuses on concepts of naval warfare and introduces readers to the ideas associated with the theory and practice of naval operations and includes a chapter where the history of the last century of naval warfare is explored in order to illustrate the key concepts. The second part focuses on the conduct of war at sea and on peacetime roles for contemporary navies and now includes new material on hybrid warfare and grey zone operations and on joint warfare, multi-domain operations and integrated deterrence within the context of evolving great power rivalry at sea. This textbook will be essential reading for students of naval warfare, sea power and maritime security and is highly recommended for those studying military history, strategic studies and security studies in general. Understanding Naval Warfare Cover -1 Endorsements 2 Half Title 4 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Contents 8 Illustrations 10 Preface 12 List of Abbreviations 16 Introduction 20 History and Strategy 22 Sea Power and Maritime Power 24 Sea Power 25 Maritime Power 25 Naval Power 26 Maritime Strategy 26 Naval Forces 27 The Role of Navies 28 Key Points 29 Further Reading 30 Notes 30 Part I: Concepts of Naval Warfare and Maritime Power 32 1. The Nature of the Maritime Operating Environment 34 The Physical Environment 35 Size and Connectivity 35 Featureless 36 Inhospitable 36 Economic Dimesions 37 Political Dimensions 39 Legal Dimensions 39 The Law of the Sea 39 The Law of Armed Conflict at Sea 41 The Military Dimension 43 Connected 43 Opaque 44 Distance 45 Numbers 45 Terrain 45 Platforms and Personnel 46 Command and Leadership 47 Technology and Infrastructure 48 Attributes of Naval Forces 48 Limitations 50 Conclusion 51 Further Reading 52 Notes 53 2. Maritime Strategy and Naval Warfare I 56 What Is Maritime Strategy and What Is It for? 57 Laws, Principles or Fertiliser? 58 Traditional Maritime Strategy 60 Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914) 60 A 'Blue Water' School of Thought 64 Sir Julian Corbett (1854-1922) 64 Key Concepts Summarised 66 Command of the Sea 67 Lines of Communication 68 Decisive Battle 68 Offensive Action 69 Corbett, Decisive Battle and the Offensive 69 Concentration of Forces 70 Fleet-in-Being 70 Blockade 71 Expoliting Command of the Sea 71 Major-General Sir Charles Callwell (1859-1928) 72 Conclusion 72 Key Points 73 Further Reading 74 Notes 75 3. Maritime Strategy and Naval Warfare II 78 Commerce Raiding 78 The Jeune École 79 Risk Fleet or Luxury Fleet? 82 The Test of War (1914-1918) 84 Strategy and Policy from 1918 to 1945 87 German Thinking between the Wars 87 The Soviet New School / Young School 88 Admiral Raoul Castex (1878-1968) 89 Theory Tested Once Again (1939-1945) 90 Maritime Strategy in the Nuclear Age 91 Admiral of the Fleet Sergei Gorshkov (1910-1988) 91 The People's Liberation Army Navy 92 Non-naval Warfare 93 Conclusions 93 Key Points 94 Further Reading 94 Notes 95 4. Naval Diplomacy 98 War and Diplomacy 99 Limited Naval Force and Gunboat Diplomacy 101 Naval Presence 104 Strengths and Limitations 105 Limitations 109 Navies and Naval Diplomacy Today 110 Key Points 113 Further Reading 113 Notes 114 5. Putting Theory into Practice 117 Part 1: From Trafalgar (1805) to Tsushima (1905) 117 Part 2: From the Dreadnought to Tokyo Bay (1906-1945) 124 Conclusion 132 Further Reading 132 Notes 133 Part II: Contemporary Practice 138 6. Combat Operations at Sea: Sea Control and Sea Denial 140 Sea Control 140 Sea Denial 143 Methods and Means 148 Technology, Tactics and Command & Control 154 Tactics 155 Conclusion 158 Key Points 158 Further Reading 159 Other Sources 159 Notes 159 7. Combat Operations at Sea: Exploiting Sea Control 162 Military Sea Lift 162 Blockade, Embargo and Quarantine 164 Embargo and Quarantine 167 Maritime Interdiction Operations 168 Protection of Shipping 169 Direct Defence or Distant Cover? 172 The Problem with 'Sea Lanes' and 'Sea Lines' 172 The Value of Convoy? 172 Conclusion 174 Key Points 174 Further Reading 175 Useful Websites 175 Notes 175 8. Combat Operations from the Sea 178 Maritime Power Projection 179 Naval Strikes 180 Naval Gunfire 181 Carrier Aviation 181 Missiles 183 Drones 185 Marines and Naval Special Forces 185 Electronic Warfare and Cyber Attack 186 Amphibious Operations 186 Amphibious Assaults 186 Amphibious Raids 187 Amphibious Withdrawals 187 Amphibious Demonstration 188 Amphibious Support to Crisis Response and Other Operations 188 Enduring Characteristics 189 Expeditionary Operations 190 Projecting Power in the Twenty-First Century 192 Conclusion 195 Key Points 196 Further Reading 196 Useful Websites 197 Notes 197 9. Maritime Security 200 What are Constabulary Operations 200 New Approaches to Security 201 The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 201 Blue Economy 202 Globalisation 202 Institutional Need 202 Maritime Security 203 Coast Guards and Constabulary Navies 204 Key Challenges 207 Maritime Jurisdiction 207 Terrorism at and from the Sea 208 Trafficking: Arms; People; Narcotics 210 Piracy 211 Environment Degradation 214 Fishing 215 Navies and Maritime Security Operations 215 Maritime Domain Awareness 216 Conclusion 217 Key Points 217 Further Reading 218 Useful Websites 218 Notes 219 10. Contemporary Challenges and Naval Policy 222 The Contemporary Security Environment 223 Complex Challenges, Hybrid Warfare and Grey Zone Activity 224 The Future Maritime Battlespace 225 Technology and Techniques 227 Uncrewed Systems/Drones 230 Weapons of Mass Destruction 232 Ballistic Missile Defence 233 Anti-Access and Area-Denial/Counter-Intervention 234 Great Power Rivalry and Peer-to-Peer Conflict 235 The Eagle and the Dragon 235 In Defence of Naval Supremacy 236 Red Flag over the Pacific? 239 Beyond the Shadow of the Great Powers 241 Conclusion 242 Key Points 243 Further Reading 243 Useful Reference Sources: 244 Other Sources 244 Notes 245 Conclusion 248 Notes 254 Appendix I. Maritime Warfare Areas 255 Naval Warfare Areas 256 Note 256 Appendix II. Abbreviations for Types of Ship and Submarine 257 Appendix III. A Sample of World Navies in 2022 259 Notes 259 Select Bibliography 260 Index 265 joint,operations;,seapower;,naval,war;,multi-domain,warfare;,strategy;,maritime,security; joint operations,seapower,naval war,multi-domain warfare,strategy,maritime security This updated new edition of Understanding Naval Warfare offers the reader an accessible introduction to the study of modern naval warfare, providing a thorough grounding in the vocabulary, concepts, issues, and debates, set within the context of relevant history. The third edition explains traditional concepts and explores current and emerging ideas concerning the theory and practice of naval warfare, relating these to recent events including Sino-American naval competition and the Russian-Ukraine War. Navies operate in an environment that most people do not understand and that many avoid. They are equipped with a bewildering range of ships, craft and other vessels and type of equipment, the purpose of which is often unclear. Writings on naval warfare are usually replete with references to esoteric concepts explained in specialist language than can serve as a barrier to understanding. This book cuts through the obscure and the arcane to offer a clear, coherent and accessible guide to the key features of naval warfare which will equip the reader with the knowledge and understanding necessary for a sophisticated engagement with the subject. The new edition is divided into two key parts. The first focuses on concepts of naval warfare and introduces readers to the ideas associated with the theory and practice of naval operations and includes a chapter where the history of the last century of naval warfare is explored in order to illustrate the key concepts. The second part focuses on the conduct of war at sea and on peacetime roles for contemporary navies, and now includes new material on hybrid warfare and grey zone operations, and on joint warfare, multi-domain operations and integrated deterrence within the context of evolving great power rivalry at sea. This textbook will be essential reading for students of naval warfare, sea power and maritime security, and highly recommended for those studying military history, strategic studies and security studies in general.