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Exploring The Options—The Development Of Usn Tactical Doctrine, 1913–23, Trent Hone

Naval War College Review

The interwar period was a time of innovation and creation of doctrine in the U.S. Navy. The tactics and underlying assumptions developed during this time and recorded in various instructions and manuals set the foundation for the Navy’s success in World War II and beyond. War games, fleet exercises, and empowerment of midlevel officers to make decisions changed the fundamental culture of the Navy for the better.

The Future Navy—Near-Term Applications Of Artificial Intelligence, Christian H. Heller

Naval War College Review

Many examples of task automation using artificial intelligence exist in private industry. The U.S. military has a great opportunity to exploit these developments and adapt them for use throughout the force, particularly in areas such as logistics and administration, freeing up man-hours and resources for other, more-complex activities.

Northwest Pacific—Exploring North Korea’S Asymmetric Military Strategy, Mirko Tasic

Naval War College Review

North Korea’s military strategy can be difficult to decipher, but it should not be regarded as irrational or insignificant. Over the past decade, the North Korean regime has taken deliberate steps to increase its asymmetric military capabilities, giving credence to the argument that North Korea is engaging in offensive posturing, not simply defensive buildup.

The Hattendorf Prize Lecture, 2018, Geoffrey Till

Naval War College Review

“History, Truth Decay, and the Naval Profession”

Why in this age of constant technological, economic, social, and political change should navies actively concern themselves with the naval past? Herein I will try to answer this question, one often asked by skeptics anxious to insert into the developing courses of professional military education (PME) material that seems so much more relevant to the contemporary problems they face.

From The Editors, Carnes Lord

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Autumn 2019 Full Issue, The U.S. Naval War College

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Can We Starve The Civilians? Exploring The Dichotomy Between The Traditional Law Of Maritime Blockade And Humanitarian Initiatives, Phillip J. Drew

International Law Studies

The contemporary practice of maritime blockade can trace its origins to the Dutch Placaat of 1564, under which the Dutch Navy enforced the closure of Spanish ports to maritime traffic, both inbound and outbound. Although originally designed to stop all military reinforcements from reaching an area, in the ensuing 450 years, blockade has developed into a method of warfare whose effects are primarily economic. As a result of the urbanization of much of the world’s population over the past 200 years, many States have become heavily reliant on imported foodstuffs and commodities, most of which moves by sea. When those …

Marine Insurance Prohibitions In Contemporary Economic Warfare, Richard L. Kilpatrick, Jr.

International Law Studies

As States and supranational actors increasingly employ economic sanctions to promote security objectives, a recent trend has focused on the regulation of commercial shipping activities. These maritime sanctions have restricted port access for designated vessels, banned the import and export of certain cargo classes, enhanced authorization for vessel inspections, and even justified vessel seizures. Critically, these techniques have also included targeted prohibitions on marine insurance covering designated vessels and cargo. Designed to frustrate sanctioned actors in their attempts to utilize maritime assets for malign purposes, marine insurance prohibitions thwart these efforts and also blunt the ability to generate revenue through …

Maritime Autonomous Vehicles Within The International Law Framework To Enhance Maritime Security, Natalie Klein

International Law Studies

Technological developments necessitate a review of long-standing and diverse international legal principles. The law of the sea is no exception in this regard where the introduction of different Maritime Autonomous Vehicles (MAVs) has prompted consideration of how the laws of naval warfare and rules governing the safety of international shipping accommodate these craft. This paper shifts the focus to the international laws relating to maritime security. It assesses how well the existing international legal framework for maritime security can account for the use of MAVs by law enforcement agencies and by non-state actors who are turning to MAVs for criminal …

Armed Groups And The Protection Of Health Care, Ezequiel Heffes

International Law Studies

That armed groups have been responsible for attacks against health care personnel and for violating the protection of health care is not news. This is one of the greatest humanitarian challenges of contemporary armed conflict. Armed groups, however, have also attempted to evacuate and treat wounded enemy fighters and civilians and, in certain contexts, they have even provided health care services for the civilian population living in the territories under their control. This article describes some of the key issues related to the variation of armed groups’ behaviors when dealing with the protection of health care, inquiring into why some …

Classification Of Cyber Capabilities And Operations As Weapons, Means, Or Methods Of Warfare, Jeffrey T. Biller, Michael N. Schmitt

International Law Studies

Despite several persistent controversies regarding how international law applies to cyber operations during an armed conflict, general understanding of the law in this domain is maturing. Reasoning by analogy to non-cyber application and interpretation of international law underlies much of the progress. Yet, although preexisting normative structures and legal terminology enable legal advisors and scholars to usefully draw upon previously acquired experience and understanding, there are obstacles to definitive analogizing that result from fundamental differences between cyber and kinetic operations. The number of imperfect analogies that underlie some of the normative uncertainty in the field underscores this point.

One key …

Reflections On Reading, John E. Jackson

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Maritime Strategies For The Xxi Century: The Contribution Of Admiral Castex, Paul A. Povlock, Lars Wedin

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Bombs Without Boots: The Limits Of Airpower, Dale C. Rielage, Anthony M. Schinella

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

The ‘Stan, Richard J. Norton, Kevin Knodell, David Axe, Blue Delliquanti

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Like War: The Weaponization Of Social Media, Doyle Hodges, P. W. Singer, Emerson T. Brooking

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

The American Military: A Concise History, Marc Beaudreau, Joseph T. Glatthaar

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

“They Were Playing Chicken”—The U.S. Asiatic Fleet’S Gray-Zone Deterrence Campaign Against Japan, 1937–40, Hunter Stires

Naval War College Review

The current environment is not the first time the United States has faced a destabilizing challenge in the western Pacific. In 1937, Japanese forces in China undertook a campaign to expel U.S., British, and other Western interests from that country as part of imperial Japan’s effort to dominate East Asia. The gray-zone tactics used during the Japanese campaign of 1937–40, and the deterrence actions of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet, can help shed light on the situation in the China Sea today.

Storm Clouds On The Horizon—Challenges And Recommendations For Military Recruiting And Retention, Christopher J. Mcmahon, Colin J. Bernard

Naval War College Review

In light of current Department of Defense (DoD) priorities to increase the size of the military forces, new strategies must be developed to recruit and retain high-quality personnel with the right expertise to fill the expanding number of open billets. DoD should consider modifying existing policies to address this need, lest serious personnel issues overtake other force priorities.

Back To Basics—Research Design For The Operational Level Of War, Margaret M. Polski

Naval War College Review

The military-research criteria gap has been a challenge for researchers and planners. By examining the nature of war fighting and exploring how we could better assess, select, and evaluate research methods, we will create a more informed research process, ultimately leading to improved practices and more-credible outcomes.

Preparing Today For The Mines Of Tomorrow, Joshua Edwards

Naval War College Review

Maritime mining long has been called on to support various naval strategies. However, shifting objectives and naval priorities call for new analysis. By adapting methodologies developed for land mines, we can find measures of effectiveness (MOEs) aligned to operational objectives, explore developmental mining concepts, and present new MOEs for maritime mining operations.

Nato’S Selective Sea Blindness—Assessing The Alliance’S New Navies, Thomas-Durell Young

Naval War College Review

The navies of NATO countries fall into two categories: old and new. The new navies lack modernization and readiness, making them deficient in their contributions to NATO security priorities. Sea blindness is a problem across the spectrum of NATO governments and illuminating this problem is now more important than ever in light of an increasingly aggressive Russia.

From The Editors, Carnes Lord

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Summer 2019 Full Issue, The U.S. Naval War College

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Ciwag Hosts Academic Workshop On Maritime Irregular Warfare, June 2019, The U.S. Naval War College

CIWAG Events

CIWAG hosted a Maritime Irregular Warfare Workshop on 25-26 June, 2019. The invited U.S. and international academics discussed the strategic and operational challenges associated with irregular warfare in the maritime domain. Participating scholars presented proposals for CIWAG’s new maritime focused case studies series. The first cases in the new “Maritime Irregular Warfare Studies” series will be released in late 2019.

Ciwag Maritime Irregular Warfare Workshop Workbook, The U.S. Naval War College

CIWAG Events

CIWAG hosted a Maritime Irregular Warfare Workshop on 25-26 June, 2019. The invited U.S. and international academics discussed the strategic and operational challenges associated with irregular warfare in the maritime domain. Participating scholars presented proposals for CIWAG’s new maritime focused case studies series. This workbook contains the first cases in the new “Maritime Irregular Warfare Studies” series.

Introduction To Economic Mobilization, A. W. Vanaman

Naval War College Review

Three concepts are essential to the study of the economic basis of warfare. The first of these concepts—logistics—in the traditional sense had to do with the transport, quartering, and supply of troops in the field; however, recent combat experience has greatly expanded the meaning of the word.

The Principles Of War, Frank L. Johnson

Naval War College Review

Part of the mission of the Naval War College is to further an understanding of the fundamentals of warfare. The "Principles of War" are considered to be one of those fundamentals. Accord­ingly, it is my purpose this morning to review with you the more widely accepted "Principles of War" and to give a few examples of their application in order to provide a better understanding and appreciation of their usefulness as guides in sound planning and in successful operations.

Indeterminacy In The Law Of Armed Conflict, Adil Ahmad Haque

International Law Studies

Controversy and confusion pervade the law of armed conflict. Its most basic rules may seem ambiguous, vague, incomplete, or inconsistent. The prevailing view of customary international law confronts serious problems, in principle and in practice, when applied to the customary law of armed conflict. Legal indeterminacy, in its different forms, might be reduced or resolved in light of the object and purpose of the law of armed conflict, or by taking into account other relevant rules of international law. Unfortunately, the purpose of the law of armed conflict is itself the subject of deep disagreement. So is the relationship between …

Voice Of America, Foy D. Kohler

Naval War College Review

Now, in just plain physical terms, what is the Voice of America? I have had a lot of ladies ask me where our station is and things like that; apparently conceiving the Voice of America as a radio station comparable to their local radio station, but with a few strange characters around who are multilingual and can say the same thing in many different languages. Well it isn't that; it is a colossal radio operation. NBC and CBS combined are pretty small, as radio operations go, compared with what is, and particular­ly with what will be, the Voice of America.