Rethinking Maritime Strategy: a New Approach for a More Complex Maritime Environment

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The Maritime Strategy We Need -- Armed Forces Journal June 2007 By CDR JOHN PATCH
Strategy formulation requires an in-depth assessment of history, theory, future capabilities and threats, national policy, and the realities of international relations. Analyses of the post-Cold War American experience reveal trends relevant to maritime strategy.

http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2007/06/2729159

Comment on this article for the Maritime Strategy Website:
http://www.jhuapl.edu/MaritimeRegistry/post_comments.aspx?lid=137


Posted by Web Editor on 6/5/2007 10:53:33 AM


Seapower: The Next Generation An article published in the March 2007 Marine Corps GAZETTE (containig ideas which are now are in the public domain) suggests items for consideration for inclusion in the US Navy's Maritime Strategy. By CAPT Marcus J. Fisk USNR/CAPT J. Lee Johnson USN (Ret) Reprinted courtesy of the Marine Corps Gazette. Copyright retained by the Marine Corps Gazette. Available at http://www.jhuapl.edu/MaritimeRegistry/Documents/SeapowerNextGen.doc


Posted by Web Editor on 4/27/2007 4:27:06 PM


Maritime strategy, at its core, is very simple. Protect the nation's economic wealth generated through maritime trade, protect our use of the maritime lines of communication for our military, and project power from the maritime domain in support of land efforts once the first two priorities are accomplished. Conversly, you have to deny your adversaries economic use of the maritime domain to generate wealth, deny him the use of maritime lines of communication to move his forces or supply them, and prevent your adversary from using the maritime domain to attack your efforts on land.
These strategic goals apply equally to the three main maritime areas: open ocean (outside 20NM or 40ft depth), coastal, and riverine. Historically the US Navy has executed well in the open ocean, and at times in the coastal and riverine areas, but needs further development in these later areas while not forgeting the open ocean.
The US Navy needs to recognize and protect our maritime international trade from all potential adversaries (including criminal). We need to ensure our forces can get to the fight overseas and be sustained from our CONUS strategic supply, and we need to project firepower and ship to shore land manuever forces over the beach.
We need to prevent our enemies from generating wealth (such as with the drug trade or human traffiking), using the maritime for mobility (such as the use of rivers to move arms or dhows to move terrorists), and prevent them from using the maritime to conduct attacks against us, such as attacking maritime infrastructure using small boats.
An over-arching umbrella over the entire strategy is the need for maritime domain awareness, without which no element of maritime strategy can be effectively implemented.

Posted by LCDR Matthew Weber on 1/11/2007 6:21:58 PM


I think that the public lacks understanding and appreciation of the economic impact the Navy exerts worldwide by securing shipping lanes for international trade. I'm not an economist, and so not qualified to perform technical analysis of this sort, but the Navy could do itself a big favor by funding a renowned economist to do such a study. For example, what would the price of a barrel of oil be internationally if the sea routes were unsafe?
What would a Lexus or a Mercedes cost? How would this impact the balance of payments? Do foreign countries "pay" for the security our Navy provides to their shipping through reduced costs of foreign goods. If so, what sort of economic return does the US get from its investment in the Navy?

Posted by CAPT Bill Hocter MC USN on 1/9/2007 12:06:51 PM

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