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From The Archives: Bringing Air To The Sea: Four Competing Paths To Developing U.S. Naval Aviation And Their Lessons, Sam J. Tangredi

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Sea Power And The American Interest: From The Civil War To The Great War, Ryan Wadle, John Fass Morton

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Great Naval Battles Of The Pacific War: The Official Admiralty Accounts: Midway, Coral Sea, Java Sea, Guadalcanal & Leyte Gulf, Richard Norton, John Grehan

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Winning Without Fighting: Irregular Warfare And Strategic Competition In The 21st Century, Kevin D. Stringer, Rebecca Patterson

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict With China, Richard Norton, Hal Brands, Michael Beckley

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Dark Nights, Deadly Waters: American Pt Boats At Guadalcanal, Ed Hernandez, Keith Warren Lloyd

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Lessons From The Admiral: Naval Wisdom And Sea Stories For Leaders, Edwin Handley, Mark C. Fava

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

The Art Of Military Innovation: Lessons From The Israel Defense Forces, Punsara Amarasinghe, Edward N. Luttwak, Eitan Shamir

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Us-China Rivalry: Great Power Competition In The Indo-Pacific, Andrew Erickson, Brian C. H. Fong

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

At The Dawn Of A Naval Renaissance—India Takes A Relook At Mahan, Raja Menon

Naval War College Review

Mindful of its Chinese neighbor’s extraordinary naval expansion, India looks to bring Mahanian truths into a naval landscape that Captain Mahan might strain to recognize.

Sg Radar In The Solomon Islands Campaign—Assumptions, Perceptions, Reality, Leonard R. Heinz

Naval War College Review

Radar made its appearance in Pacific night combat in August 1942, but initial attempts to use the new technology in surface actions proved disappointing, leading to the development of a standardized combat information center organization on warships to gather, synthesize, analyze, and report information to commanders in real time.

Floating Fortresses—American Carriers’ Extraordinary Resilience To Battle Damage, Walker Gargagliano

Naval War College Review

On the basis of Cold War–era munitions accidents and World War II combat experience, U.S. carriers of today are far more resistant to battle damage than commonly believed.

Mission And Weapon Drive Fleet Design, Jeff Vandenengel

Naval War College Review

Today, the U.S. Navy’s primary mission is changing from power projection to sea control, and as a result its primary weapon is changing from the aerial bomb to the missile. Those shifts in mission and weapon will inevitably drive the Navy to a new fleet design, one different from the carrier-centric model that has dominated since World War II.

From The Editors, Sam J. Tangredi, Editor-In-Chief

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Summer/Autumn 2025 Full Issue, The U.S. Naval War College

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Cmsi Translations #25: A New Pillar For Distant Oceans: Concepts For The Chinese Navy's New Generation Of General-Purpose Destroyers, Ying Tian

CMSI Translations

A recent unconfirmed rumor about the Chinese Navy developing a new general-purpose guidedmissile destroyer has stirred debate online. Many commenters argue that the Type 055 already offers exceptional capability across air defense, missile defense, anti-ship, anti-submarine, and general warfare roles, and is more than capable of meeting current mission needs. But because it’s expensive to build, it is not practical to produce in large numbers or to use for routine tasks, so it will likely remain a smaller part of the fleet. In contrast, the more affordable Type 052D class is limited by its size and displacement, which restricts how …

Military Ai And The Specter Of The Limitless War, Yuval Shany, Yahli Shereshevsky

International Law Studies

Legal and extra-legal factors related to the development of international humanitarian law (IHL) support the exercise of strategic restraint during armed conflicts. We claim, however, that technological developments in the area of military artificial intelligence (AI) fundamentally do away with many of the technological constraints that limited the capacity of militaries to fully utilize the “license to kill” afforded to them by IHL. Such a violence-enhancing effect can become even more dramatic in cases where other restraining factors are less effective. The upshot of our analysis is that the implicit assumption that IHL would be applied in a context of …

Vol. 1, No. 1 Full Issue, China Maritime Studies Institute

CMSI Quarterly Review

Full issue of Issue 1 of the CMSI Quarterly Review.

Cmsi Translations #24: Accelerating The Development Of (Plan) Marine Corps Combat Capabilities To Win In High End Maritime Warfare, Rear Admiral Zhu Chuansheng

CMSI Translations

At present and for a period into the future, numerous security concerns and threats will persist along China's periphery, in the far seas, and overseas. [China’s] national security threats are primarily at sea, the focal point of military struggle is at sea, and the center of gravity for the expansion of [China’s] national interest is also at sea.3 As the elite amphibious combat force, the PLAN Marine Corps finds its primary theaters of operations in oceans, on islands, and overseas. It must closely monitor maritime and overseas security developments, accurately assess security threats, coordinate maritime and overseas operations, clearly identify …

Cmsi Note 17: Replacement Removed: Vadm/General Wang Houbin—Naval Star Turned Rocket Force Commander’S Terminal Trajectory, Andrew S. Erickson, Christopher H. Sharman

CMSI Notes

Key Takeaways:

• On 17 October, China’s Ministry of National Defense announced that General (former Vice Admiral) Wang Houbin (王厚斌), Commander of the PLA Rocket Force (PLARF), was among nine senior officers expelled for “serious violations of Party discipline.”

• A career naval aviator and seasoned PLA Navy (PLAN) staff officer, Wang rose rapidly—promoted to General (3-star) in 2023 and appointed PLA Rocket Forces (PLARF) Commander to replace disgraced General Li Yuchao.

• The official reason for Wang’s downfall—“serious financial crimes involving exceptionally large sums”—echoes a familiar corruption narrative that seldom tells the full story.

• Alternative explanations point to …

Artificial Intelligence And The “Armed Attack” Threshold In International Law, Katie A. Johnston

International Law Studies

This article argues that the deployment of artificial intelligence, even in its strong fully autonomous form, does not have significant consequences for the application of the jus ad bellum framework, and in particular the armed attack threshold. As with all new weapons technologies, the deployment of artificial intelligence in the resort to force requires consideration of what “imminence” means in this context. However, artificial intelligence is fundamentally a means of making decisions to resort to force or contributing to the reasons for which such decisions are made by humans. Unlike the jus in bello, the jus ad bellum is …

Assessing The Role Of Ai In Determining The Necessity And Proportionality Of The Exercise Of Self-Defense Against An Armed Attack, Marco Roscini

International Law Studies

This article explores whether artificial intelligence (AI) constitutes an asset or rather a challenge in assessing the necessity and proportionality of a State’s response to an armed attack in the context of self-defense. Two central arguments are advanced. First, while AI may assist in detecting incoming threats of armed attacks, abstract and highly context-driven notions like necessity and proportionality would be very difficult to encode into algorithms. Second, even assuming that this were possible, relying on AI to determine the necessity and proportionality of a self-defense response would present as many challenges as it does advantages and, therefore, should be …

Symposium—Introduction, Russell Buchan

International Law Studies

In March 2025 the University of Reading and the U.S. Naval War College convened a workshop at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom to examine the application of the jus ad bellum, jus in bello, and international criminal law to the use of military AI. This is the introduction to the symposium, published as Volume 107 of International Law Studies.

Sailors And Scholars: The History Of The U.S. Naval War College, 1884–2009, Vol. 1, John Hattendorf, B. Mitchell Simpson Iii, John R. Wadleigh

Sailors and Scholars, Second Edition

Volume I, 1884–1984: The First Century, covers from the Naval War College’s founding during the era of Luce and Mahan through its centennial anniversary during the Cold War, detailing how the College came to be widely acclaimed as the premier center of professional naval education and thought.

Sailors And Scholars: The History Of The U.S. Naval War College, 1884–2009, Vol. 2, John Hattendorf

Sailors and Scholars, Second Edition

Volume II, 1984–2009, brings this history of the Naval War College into the modern era. For over 125 years, the institution has left its mark on maritime strategy and the naval profession in the United States. This volume contains chronological appendices listing significant events, College leaders, and distinguished graduates.

Classification Of The Armed Conflicts In The Near East, Marco Sassòli

International Law Studies

This article explores the proper classification of Israel’s current conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah as international or non-international armed conflicts. It discusses the different possibilities of how the international humanitarian law of international or non-international armed conflict applies to those conflicts and whether and to what extent the international humanitarian law of military occupation applies to the conduct of Israel Defence Forces in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. It also explains why the proper classification of the conflicts still matters and is not only an intellectual exercise for scholars or students. While every conflict has its specifics, the article deals …

Iran And Its Proxies: Attribution And State Responsibility, Jennifer Maddocks

International Law Studies

Iran has invested heavily in proxy militias since the regime's founding in 1979. In the decades that followed, groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shi'a militias in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthis in Yemen have projected Iran's influence across the region. Today, Iran's proxy network is considerably weakened due to Israel's military actions following October 7, 2023, and the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. Yet the Houthis' attacks on Israel and against Red Sea shipping demonstrate how Iran's support to these groups continues to facilitate their conduct in violation of international law. This article examines Iran's potential …

Ciwag Policy Papers #1: Seabed Warfare Is Here: A U.S. - Led Global Strategy To Secure The Ocean Floor, Dave Brown

CIWAG Policy Papers

Dr. Jahara Matisek, James Langan, Andrew Rolander, and CIWAG Director David A. Brown, COL (Ret.) build on discussions from CIWAG's 2025 Maritime Symposium, co-sponsored with the Naval War College Foundation, and expanding on key insights shared in "The Trident" podcast episode on maritime sabotage, this paper demonstrates why protecting critical undersea infrastructure is no longer optional—it’s urgent. "Growing numbers of incidents and the destruction of pipelines and cables in the waters around Europe and Taiwan signal a global shift: the seabed has become a contested battlespace. The combination of difficulty of detection and attribution, plus the severe consequences to economic …

Cmsi Translations #23: The Elusive "Deep-Sea Beast": Analysis Of The Performance Of The Main Equipment Of The U.S. Navy Virginia-Class Nuclear Attack Submarine, Wang Xiangxiang

CMSI Translations

In the vast expanse of the blue ocean, the U.S. Navy's Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine, with its exceptional performance and advanced technology, has become the backbone of the U.S. Navy's undersea force in the 21st century. As one of America’s most modern nuclear attack submarines, the Virginia-class leads the global development of nuclear submarine technology with its multifunctional and multi-purpose design, exceptional stealth, and powerful combat capabilities.

Space: The Final Frontier (For State Power): The History Of The East India Company And The Future Of Outer Space, Richard Culbert

International Law Studies

Outer space may be the last domain where States largely lack the capability to use coercive force as an instrument of State control. In all areas of the globe, major powers have militaries and police forces that far exceed the capability of even the largest corporations. As corporations take an increasingly large role in outer space commerce it is likely that these private actors will develop a capacity to use force that quickly surpasses even the most powerful States.

To date there has been little analysis of this future phenomenon by legal scholars. Perhaps as a result, the current international …