American Sea Power and the Obsolescence of Capital Ship Theory

by R.B. Watts

Overview

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the United States has sought to achieve Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan's vision of "command of the sea" using large battle fleets of capital ships. This strategy has been generally successful: no force can oppose the U.S. Navy on the open seas.

Yet capital ship theory has become increasingly irrelevant. Globally, irregular warfare dominates the spectrum of conflict, especially in the aftermath of 9/11. Fleet engagements are a thing of the past and even small scale missions that rely on capital ships are challenged by irregular warfare.

In a pattern evident since World War II, the U.S. Navy has attempted to adapt its capital ship theory to irregular conflicts--with mixed results--before returning to traditional operations with little or no strategic debate. This book discusses the challenges of irregular warfare in the 21st century, and the need for U.S. naval power to develop a new strategic paradigm.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476620763
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	11/16/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	232
Sales rank:	819,644
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Dr. R.B. Watts is a retired Coast Guard captain who has written extensively on sea power and contingencies in USNI Proceedings, the Naval War College Review and other professional journals and most recently served as the Coast Guard Chief of Contingency Planning and Exercises before retiring to take a professorship at the National War College, where he teaches courses in war and statecraft, domestic policy, homeland security, military history, and irregular warfare. He lives in Washington D.C.
Dr. R.B. Watts is a retired Coast Guard captain who has written extensively on sea power and contingencies in USNI Proceedings, the Naval War College Review and other professional journals and most recently served as the Coast Guard Chief of Contingency Planning and Exercises before retiring to take a professorship at the National War College, where he teaches courses in war and statecraft, domestic policy, homeland security, military history, and irregular warfare. He lives in Washington D.C.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
One. The Changing Paradigm of War: The United States and Irregular Warfare Theory
Two. The Philosophy: A.T. Mahan and the Foundations of U.S. Naval Thought
Three. War Fighting Theory and Practice, 1914–1941: The Ascendancy of the Capital Ship
Four. Lessons, Retrenchment, and Theory, 1945–1951
Five. Theory and the Challenge of Irregular Warfare, 1950–1980
Six. Theoretical Renaissance: The Maritime Strategy, 1980–1990
Seven. Strategy Adrift, 1990–2001
Eight. The New Challenge: 9/11 and the Use of Naval Power in Irregular Warfare
Nine. The Legacy Lives On
Conclusions—The Cycles of History
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Watts does an admirable job of covering the historical basis for his theory...a noteworthy entry into an area that is rarely explored...meticulous research...a worthwhile read”—Center for International Maritime Security.

From the Publisher