A question of balance: Warfighting and naval operations other than war

Abstract

Bowers and Bekkevold examine how navies are seeking to balance peacetime operations with the requirements for maintaining warfighting capabilities. By examining the doctrines of a cross-section of the world’s navies, including the United States and China, the chapter elicits three key areas which can determine a navy’s operational posture; national need, equipment, and size. The chapter demonstrates that as long as fiscal restraint remains and immediate geopolitical challenges persist navies will prioritize wartime capabilities often at the expense of good order at sea.