Maritime Strategy and Sea Denial: Theory and Practice

Description

This book focuses on the theory and practice of maritime strategy and operations by the weaker powers at sea. Illustrated by examples from naval and military history, the book explains and analyzes the strategies of the weaker side at sea in both peacetime and wartime; in defense versus offense; the main prerequisites for disputing control of the sea; and the conceptual framework of disputing control of the sea. It also explains and analyzes in some detail the main methods of disputing sea control - avoiding/seeking decisive encounters, weakening enemy naval forces over time, counter-containment of enemy naval forces, destroying the enemy's military-economic potential at sea, attacks on the enemy coast, defense of the coast, defense/capturing important positions/basing areas, and defense/capturing of a choke point. A majority of the world's navies are currently of small or medium-size. In the case of a war with a much stronger opponent, they would be strategically on the defensive, and their main objective then would be to dispute control of the sea by a stronger side at sea. This book provides a practical guide to such a strategy. This book would be of much interest to students of naval power, maritime security, strategic studies and military/naval history. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Maps Preface List of Abbreviations Chapter 1: Strategic framework Stronger vs. weaker side Maritime strategy in peacetime Maritime strategy in a war Notes Chapter 2: Defense vs. offensive Importance Defense vs. offense Active vs. passive defense Defensive and offensive Land vs. sea Notes Chapter 3: Prerequisites Notes Chapter 4: Disputing sea control Operating environment Characteristics Dynamics Main methods Methods of combat employment Notes Chapter 5: Avoiding/seeking a decisive encounter The roots The concept Active fleet-in-being Passive fleet-in-being Semi-activefleet-in-being Seeking a decisive encounter Notes Chapter 6: Weakening of the enemy’s naval forces over time Offensive mining Notes Chapter 7: Counter-containment Strategic diversion Tying up enemy forces Notes Chapter 8: Destroying the enemy’smilitary-economic potential at sea Requirements Main methods Tenets Notes Chapter 9: Attack on the enemy’s coast Notes Chapter 10: Defense of the coast Elements Notes Chapter 11: Defense/capturing of important positions/basing areas Notes Chapter 12: Defense/capturing a choke point Notes Select bibliography Books Monographs Articles Index