The Navy’s role, according to its doctrine, is “gaining and maintaining maritime superiority or supremacy” through “presence offshore.” In the past, this concept has been termed “command of the sea” or “sea control.” Through sea control, the Navy protects the United States while also maintaining access to strategic areas and ensuring global freedom of action. Sea control is a central aspect of the concept of seapower.
Understanding seapower is essential in order to understand contemporary naval operations. The ability to exercise sea control over requires the ability to mass effects in a specific place at a particular time. But positioning naval forces to mass effects requires navies to contend with the “tyranny of distance.” Oceans are …show more content…
The need to supply these forces poses another challenge, which is why classical seapower theorists such as A.T. Mahan insisted on the need to establish bases throughout the world to sustain global naval operations. The advent of nuclear-powered ships and replenishment vessels to resupply at sea has lessened the need for overseas bases, but the tyranny of distance still applies—travel across the ocean involves long distances and therefore takes time. Lastly, seapower is linked to national economic strength because naval forces protect sea lines of communication (SLOCs), which connect military logistics nodes and include global commercial shipping lanes.
The Navy’s core capabilities derive from this understanding of seapower. Doctrinally, the Navy provides six core capabilities: forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, maritime security, and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief. First, forward presence refers to …show more content…
Built around an aircraft carrier and its air wing, the CSG also includes 2-5 other ships. Usually at least two are destroyers or cruisers, which provide air and ballistic missile defense for the CSG, conduct long-range strike using cruise missiles, and perform anti-submarine warfare. A fleet supply ship provides logistical support. In addition, CSGs often include an attack submarine designed to destroy hostile surface ships or enemy submarines. The attack submarine frequently operates independently of the rest of the CSG. The CSG’s focus, however, is on protecting the carrier and its air
Understanding seapower is essential in order to understand contemporary naval operations. The ability to exercise sea control over requires the ability to mass effects in a specific place at a particular time. But positioning naval forces to mass effects requires navies to contend with the “tyranny of distance.” Oceans are …show more content…
The need to supply these forces poses another challenge, which is why classical seapower theorists such as A.T. Mahan insisted on the need to establish bases throughout the world to sustain global naval operations. The advent of nuclear-powered ships and replenishment vessels to resupply at sea has lessened the need for overseas bases, but the tyranny of distance still applies—travel across the ocean involves long distances and therefore takes time. Lastly, seapower is linked to national economic strength because naval forces protect sea lines of communication (SLOCs), which connect military logistics nodes and include global commercial shipping lanes.
The Navy’s core capabilities derive from this understanding of seapower. Doctrinally, the Navy provides six core capabilities: forward presence, deterrence, sea control, power projection, maritime security, and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief. First, forward presence refers to …show more content…
Built around an aircraft carrier and its air wing, the CSG also includes 2-5 other ships. Usually at least two are destroyers or cruisers, which provide air and ballistic missile defense for the CSG, conduct long-range strike using cruise missiles, and perform anti-submarine warfare. A fleet supply ship provides logistical support. In addition, CSGs often include an attack submarine designed to destroy hostile surface ships or enemy submarines. The attack submarine frequently operates independently of the rest of the CSG. The CSG’s focus, however, is on protecting the carrier and its air