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*The [[United States Navy]] maintains eleven [[Carrier Strike Group]]s (one centered on [[USS Enterprise (CVN-65)|USS ''Enterprise'']], the remainder on [[Nimitz class aircraft carrier|''Nimitz'' class carriers]]), of which six are deployed or ready for deployment within 30 days, and two ready for deployment within 90 days under the [[Fleet Response Plan]] (FRP). The US Navy also maintains a posture of [[Nuclear weapons and the United States|Continuous At Sea Deterrence]] (CASD) through the [[Trident missile|Trident]] [[submarine-launched ballistic missile]]s on [[Ohio class submarine|''Ohio''-class submarine]]s. It also maintains a continuous deployment of [[Expeditionary Strike Group]]s that embark a [[Marine Expeditionary Unit]] with an [[Aviation Combat Element]] of [[Landing Helicopter Dock]]s and [[LHA (hull classification symbol)|Landing Helicopter Assault]].<ref>[http://www.navy.mil/navydata/navy_legacy_hr.asp?id=146 Status of the U.S Navy]</ref>
*The [[United States Navy]] maintains eleven [[Carrier Strike Group]]s (one centered on [[USS Enterprise (CVN-65)|USS ''Enterprise'']], the remainder on [[Nimitz class aircraft carrier|''Nimitz'' class carriers]]), of which six are deployed or ready for deployment within 30 days, and two ready for deployment within 90 days under the [[Fleet Response Plan]] (FRP). The US Navy also maintains a posture of [[Nuclear weapons and the United States|Continuous At Sea Deterrence]] (CASD) through the [[Trident missile|Trident]] [[submarine-launched ballistic missile]]s on [[Ohio class submarine|''Ohio''-class submarine]]s. It also maintains a continuous deployment of [[Expeditionary Strike Group]]s that embark a [[Marine Expeditionary Unit]] with an [[Aviation Combat Element]] of [[Landing Helicopter Dock]]s and [[LHA (hull classification symbol)|Landing Helicopter Assault]].<ref>[http://www.navy.mil/navydata/navy_legacy_hr.asp?id=146 Status of the U.S Navy]</ref>

===Navies with limited expeditionary capabilities===
A number of other countries maintain navies capable of a relatively limited expeditionary operation.
*The [[Indian Navy]] maintains a Carrier Battle Group around [[INS Viraat|''INS Viraat'']] from Western Fleet and an Amphibious Task Group around [[INS Jalashwa|''INS Jalashwa'']] from Eastern Fleet. Induction of the first [[Vikrant class aircraft carrier|''Vikrant class'']] is expected in 2012,<ref>[http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/vikrantclassaircraft/ Vikrant Class Aircraft Carrier, India]</ref> while the [[INS Vikramaditya|''INS Vikramaditya'']] to be inducted in 2014.<ref>[http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/ins-vikramaditya-may-hit-delay-cost-increases-03283/ INS Vikramaditya: Waiting for Gorshkov]</ref> Indian Navy has continuous deployments in Indian Ocean Region from Strait of Hormuz to Strait of Malacca.<ref>[http://www.jmss.org/jmss/index.php/jmss/article/download/90/100 India's drive for a blue water Navy]</ref>
*The [[Italian Navy]] operates 2 indigenous [[aircraft carrier]]s.
*The [[Spanish Navy]] operates a single indigenous aircraft carrier.
*The [[Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force]] operates 2 indigenous [[Hyūga class destroyers|helicopter carrier]]s.
All 4 of these navies are capable of limited oceanic operations.<ref>{{cite web |author= |title= Japan ships join piracy patrols |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7943826.stm|work= |publisher= [[BBC]]|date= 14 March 2009|accessdate=30 September 2009}}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}}
The [[Brazilian Navy]] also owns a French-built carrier but mainly operates in its coastal and regional waters. The [[Royal Thai Navy]] owns a Spanish-built carrier that is largely inactive. Many navies, including the [[Republic of Korea Navy]],<ref>[http://www.mnd.go.kr/news/mndNews/content.jsp?enewsFlag=mnd&section=p_sec_3&enewsId=155119621 "해군작전사령부 창설 54주년..어제와 오늘 그리고 미래"]. <U>Ministry of National Defense Official Website</U>. Retrieved March 4, 2007.</ref> [[Royal Australian Navy]],<ref>[[List of recent Australian warship deployments to the Middle East]]</ref> [[Canadian Forces Maritime Command]],<ref>{{cite web |author= |title= Canadian ships to patrol Persian Gulf|url= http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=98beff93-5ffc-4bf8-ae54-9d027365d3fa|work= |publisher= [[The Vancouver Sun]]|date= |accessdate=30 September 2009}}</ref>[[People's Liberation Army Navy]]<ref>[http://www.ndu.edu/inss/docUploaded/ChinaStrategicPerspectives3.pdf China’s Out of Area Naval Operations:
Case Studies, Trajectories, Obstacles, and Potential Solutions]</ref><ref>{{cite web |author= |title= Chinese ships will fight pirates |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7789303.stm|work= |publisher= [[BBC]]|date= 18 December 2008|accessdate=30 September 2009}}</ref>, and the [[German Navy]] do not operate aircraft carriers but are capable of deploying a limited number of ships away from their home waters either alone or in coordination with "blue water navies". [[People's Liberation Army Navy]] [[Future Chinese aircraft carrier|plans to introduce]] the former aircraft carrier Varyag into service.


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 16:50, 31 December 2010

Ships from eight countries sailing together during the RIMPAC exercise in 2006.

The term blue-water navy is a colloquialism used to describe a maritime force capable of operating across the deep waters of open oceans.[1] While what actually constitutes such a force remains undefined, there is a requirement for the ability to exercise sea control at wide ranges. The term used in the United Kingdom is expeditionary.

Capabilities of a blue-water navy

HMS Vanguard of the Royal Navy Vanguard class ballistic missile submarines.

"Blue-water" (high seas) naval capability[2] means that a fleet is able to operate on the "high seas." While traditionally a distinction was made between the coastal brown-water navy (operating in the littoral zone to 200 nautical miles (370 km)) and a seagoing blue-water navy, a new term "green-water navy" has been created by the U.S. Navy.[3] Green-water navy appears to be equivalent to a brown-water navy in older sources. The term brown-water navy appears to have been reduced in U.S. Navy parlance to a riverine force.

In modern warfare blue-water navy implies self-contained force protection from sub-surface, surface and airborne threats and a sustainable logistic reach, allowing a persistent presence at range. In some maritime environments such a defence is given by natural obstacles, such as the Arctic ice shelf.

Few navies can operate as blue-water navies, but "many States are converting green-water navies to blue-water navies and this will increase military use of foreign Exclusive Economic Zones [littoral zone to 200 nautical miles (370 km)] with possible repercussions for the EEZ regime." [4]

As there is no clear definition of a blue-water navy, the status is disputed. Usually it is considered to be strongly linked to the maintenance of aircraft carriers capable of operating in the oceans. "In the early 80s there was a bitter and very public battle fought over whether or not to replace Australia's last aircraft carrier, HMAS Melbourne. Senior navy personnel warned without a carrier, Australia would be vulnerable to all types of threat. One ex-Chief of Navy went so far as to claim that Australia "would no longer have a blue-water navy (one capable of operating away from friendly coasts)." [5]

The term blue-water navy should not be confused with the brown, green and blue water capability of a ship. U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Mullen pointed out in an interview with KQV (Pittsburgh): "We are looking at, in addition to the blue-water ships which I would characterize and describe as our aircraft carriers and other ships that support that kind of capability, we're also looking to develop capability in what I call the green-water and the brown-water, and the brown-water is really the rivers . . . These are challenges we all have, and we need to work together to ensure that the sea lanes are secure." [6] The capability for blue, green or brown water depends on the vessel's specifications. The vessels of a green-water navy can often operate in blue-water for example. A number of nations have extensive maritime assets but lack the capability to maintain the required sustainable logistic reach. Some of them join coalition task groups in blue-water deployments.

While a blue-water navy can project sea control power into another nation's littoral, it remains susceptible to threats from less capable forces. Sustainment and logistics at range yield high costs and there may be a saturation advantage over a deployed force through the use of land-based air or surface-to-surface missile assets, diesel-electric submarines, or asymmetric tactics such as Fast Inshore Attack Craft. An example of this vulnerability was the October 2000 USS Cole bombing in Aden.[7][8][9]

Navies described as blue-water navies

These are navies that have successfully used the capabilities of their blue-water navies to exercise control at high seas and from there have projected power into other nations' littoral waters.

  • The Russian Navy maintains a Carrier Battle Group around Admiral Kuznetsov and multiple Surface Action Groups centred around nuclear-powered Large Battle Cruisers of Kirov Class. Russia also maintains a posture of Continuous At Sea Deterrence (CASD) with its ballistic missile submarine fleet, comparable to United States Navy. [citation needed]

Navies with limited expeditionary capabilities

A number of other countries maintain navies capable of a relatively limited expeditionary operation.

All 4 of these navies are capable of limited oceanic operations.[18][citation needed] The Brazilian Navy also owns a French-built carrier but mainly operates in its coastal and regional waters. The Royal Thai Navy owns a Spanish-built carrier that is largely inactive. Many navies, including the Republic of Korea Navy,[19] Royal Australian Navy,[20] Canadian Forces Maritime Command,[21]People's Liberation Army Navy[22][23], and the German Navy do not operate aircraft carriers but are capable of deploying a limited number of ships away from their home waters either alone or in coordination with "blue water navies". People's Liberation Army Navy plans to introduce the former aircraft carrier Varyag into service.

See also

References

  1. ^ British Maritime Doctrine, BR 1806, Third Edition, dated 2004.
  2. ^ China's aircraft carrier ambitions: seeking truth from rumors Naval War College Review, Wntr, 2004 by Ian Storey, You Jiinfers.
  3. ^ Q&A with Adm. Michael G. Mullen 2006 CNO's Guidance Release Media Roundtable Pentagon, Washington, DC 13 October 2005
  4. ^ Naval activity in the foreign EEZ—the role of terminology in law regime Alexander S. Skaridov, St. Petersburg Association of the Law of the Sea, 7 Kazanskaya St., St. Petersburg 191186, Russia, Available online 11 November 2004
  5. ^ Why buy Abrams Tanks? We need to look at more appropriate options By Gary Brown - posted Wednesday, 31 March 2004
  6. ^ KQV RADIO (PITTSBURGH) INTERVIEW WITH JOE FENN MAY 19, 2006
  7. ^ "HMS Norfolk goes back to the day job". Eastern Daily Press. June 7, 2003. Retrieved 2009-02-23. [dead link]
  8. ^ Rob van Heijster (April 6, 2005). "Smart Range of Burst fuzes" (PDF). TNO. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
  9. ^ "Protecting Naval Surface Ships from Fast Attack Boat Swarm Threats". defense-update.com. January 10, 2007. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
  10. ^ French Navy official website
  11. ^ The Harrier takes its final bow
  12. ^ Flagship's return ends carrier strike capability
  13. ^ current fleet deployments
  14. ^ Status of the U.S Navy
  15. ^ Vikrant Class Aircraft Carrier, India
  16. ^ INS Vikramaditya: Waiting for Gorshkov
  17. ^ India's drive for a blue water Navy
  18. ^ "Japan ships join piracy patrols". BBC. 14 March 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
  19. ^ "해군작전사령부 창설 54주년..어제와 오늘 그리고 미래". Ministry of National Defense Official Website. Retrieved March 4, 2007.
  20. ^ List of recent Australian warship deployments to the Middle East
  21. ^ "Canadian ships to patrol Persian Gulf". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
  22. ^ [http://www.ndu.edu/inss/docUploaded/ChinaStrategicPerspectives3.pdf China’s Out of Area Naval Operations: Case Studies, Trajectories, Obstacles, and Potential Solutions]
  23. ^ "Chinese ships will fight pirates". BBC. 18 December 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2009.
See also: Maritime geography

External links

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