Page 9 - NAVAL SCIENCE 3 TEXTBOOK

The Importance of Sea Power

Throughout history the oceans have always been important to V<lst arena from which awesome weapOilS of mass destruction such
hut1l<.lI1kind, as they have been i1 major means whereby travel, as nuclear-tipped ballistic and cruise missiles cllll be launched
COlllmerce, cultural exchange. and military power projection have from nuclear-powered submarines beneath the surf.1ce, or cruise
been accomplished. Since \Vorld \Vaf II, four major developments missiles and nltnck aircraft from surf.1ce ships. These weapons can
have cJllphasized the importance of the oceans even more. Two of reach not onl)r conslnl nrens but also targets f..1r inland. This has
these arc political, and two are technological. changed military strategy profoundly, for there is now no place on
The first major political development has been the rapid Earth beyond the range of direct attack from the sea.
increase in Ilew nations since \Vorld \,Vilf II. Only 51 nations The second major technical development is nuclear techl1ol-
fOfmed the United Nations after the war; today there arc over 190. ob1)'. Nuclear energy has both constructive and destructive uses.
ivlany of these nrc underdeveloped Third \·Vorld countries. tempt- On the constructive side arc fission reactors used for ship and sub-
ing targets for more 3ggressive nations. marine propulsion at sea, and large-scale electrical power genera-
The second political development is the stead), increase in the tion ashore. On the destructive side is the thermonuclear warhead
interdependence of all nations of the world since \'Vorld \Var II. that C;:1I1 be launched from land, sea, or air to obliterate any target
The internet and international commerce have linked all nations against which it is used.
of the world together to a degree unprecedented in the history of Today our Navy's strength extends to the t:lrthest corners of the
the world. The United States today is cOlllmitted by treaty or agree- globe. ivtobile sea-based forces both extend the defensive perimeter
ment to assist in the defense and dewlopment of well over half the around the United States, and make possible military power pro-
world's nations. Through our participation in the United Nations, jection .1I1d deterrence ngainst aggression wherever needed.
we render indirect assistance to even more. Many of these border
on oceans or seas. These oceans and seas ilre often the menns by
Strategic Ocean Areas
which any needed assistance can be delivered.
The first of the major technological developments is the As was discllssed in Nnvnl Sciellce 2, there are four main ocean
"inhmd reach" of sea power. The sea is no longer just a means of areas that are of prime strategic importance to the United States.
nttack of constal targets or shield against invasions. It has become a The first is the Atlantic, which includes the J\'tediterranean Sea,
the North Atlantic, and the western approaches to Europe. This
area was the main site of confrontation between the \"'estern allies
and the Soviet bloc during the Cold \'Var. The second area is the
Pacific Ocean, extending from the Bering Strait off Alaska to the
Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia. This was the site of two wars
and many other confrontations between the Uniled Stntes and its
allies and COlllmunist states such as North Vietnam, China, and
North Korea.
The third prime strategic ocean area is the Arctic Ocean, which
lies north of our North American continent and separates it from
Asia. 'fhe advent of the nuclear submarine made this ice-encrusted
ocean into an important area of naval operations when in the mid-
1960s submarines of the Soviet Union, United States, and other
NATO nations began routine cruises under the polar icecap. It has
also been proposed as a route for submarine tml1sport of crude
The Navy's reach was always limited to the range of its guns until the oil shipments, and more recently with the increased melting of
advent of aircraft and missiles. Cruise missiles like this Tomahawk be-
ing fired by the guided missile cruiser USS Shiloh greatly extend the much of its surface ice. for surface shipping along the legendary
capabilities of modern warships. Northwest Passage.

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