Anavy,naval force,military maritime fleet,war navy, ormaritime force is thebranch of a nation'sarmed forces principally designated fornaval andamphibious warfare; namely,lake-borne,riverine,littoral, orocean-bornecombat operations and related functions. It includes anything conducted by surfaceships,amphibious ships,submarines, and seaborneaviation, as well as ancillary support, communications, training, and other fields.
The strategic offensive role of a navy isprojection of force into areas beyond a country's shores (for example, to protectsea-lanes, deter or confrontpiracy, ferry troops, or attack other navies, ports, or shore installations). The strategic defensive purpose of a navy is to frustrate seaborne projection-of-force by enemies. The strategic task of a navy also may incorporatenuclear deterrence by use ofsubmarine-launched ballistic missiles. Naval operations can be broadly divided between riverine and littoral applications (brown-water navy), open-ocean applications (blue-water navy), and something in between (green-water navy), although these distinctions are more about strategic scope than tactical or operational division.
First attested in English in the early 14th century,[1] the word "navy" came viaOld Frenchnavie, "fleet of ships", from theLatinnavigium, "a vessel, a ship, bark, boat",[2] fromnavis, "ship".[3] The word "naval" came from Latinnavalis, "pertaining to ship";[4]cf.Greekναῦς (naus), "ship",[5]ναύτης (nautes), "seaman, sailor".[6] The earliest attested form of the word is in theMycenaean Greek compound word𐀙𐀄𐀈𐀗,na-u-do-mo (*naudomoi), "shipbuilders", written inLinear B syllabic script.[n 1]
The word formerly denoted fleets of both commercial and military nature. In modern usage "navy" used alone always denotes a military fleet, although the term "merchant navy" for a commercial fleetstill incorporates the non-militaryword sense. This overlap in word senses between commercial and military fleets grew out of the inherentlydual-use nature of fleets; centuries ago, nationality was a trait that unified a fleet across both civilian and military uses. Although nationality of commercial vessels has little importance in peacetime trade other than fortax avoidance, it can have greater meaning during wartime, whensupply chains become matters of patriotic attack and defense, and when in some cases private vessels are even temporarily converted to military vessels. The latter was especially important, and common, before 20th-century military technology existed, when merely addingartillery andnaval infantry to any sailing vessel could render it fully as martial as any military-owned vessel. Suchprivateering has been rendered obsolete in blue-water strategy since modern missile and aircraft systems grew to leapfrog over artillery and infantry in many respects; but privateering nevertheless remains potentially relevant inlittoral warfare of alimited andasymmetric nature.
Naval warfare developed when humans first fought from water-borne vessels. Before the introduction of thecannon and ships with enough capacity to carry them, navy warfare primarily involved ramming and boarding actions. In the time ofancient Greece and theRoman Empire, naval warfare centered on long, narrow vessels powered by banks ofoarsmen (such astriremes andquinqueremes) designed to ram and sink enemy vessels or come alongside the enemy vessel so its occupants could be attacked hand-to-hand. Naval warfare continued in this vein through theMiddle Ages until the cannon became commonplace and capable of being reloaded quickly enough to be reused in the same battle.
Nusantaranthalassocracies made extensive use of naval power and technologies. This enabled the seafaring local people (either Malays ofSrivijaya or Javanese ofMataram) to attack as far as the coast ofTanzania andMozambique with 1000 boats and attempted to take the citadel of Qanbaloh, about 7,000 km to their West, in 945–946 AD.[15]: 110 [16]: 39 In 1350 ADMajapahit launched its largest military expedition, the invasion ofPasai, with 400 largejong and innumerable smaller vessels.[17] The second largest military expedition, invasion ofSingapura in 1398, Majapahit deployed 300 jong with no less than 200,000 men.[18][19] The average jong used by Majapahit would be about 76.18–79.81 mLOA, carrying 600–700 men, with 1200–1400 tonsdeadweight.[20]: 60–62
The mass anddeck space required to carry a large number of cannon made oar-based propulsion impossible, and ships came to rely primarily onsails. Warships were designed to carry increasing numbers of cannon andnaval tactics evolved to bring a ship's firepower to bear in abroadside, withships-of-the-line arranged in aline of battle.
The development of large capacity, sail-powered ships carrying cannon led to a rapid expansion ofEuropean navies, especially theSpanish andPortuguese navies that dominated in the 16th and early 17th centuries, and helped propel theAge of Discovery andcolonialism. The repulsion of theSpanish Armada (1588) by the English fleet revolutionized naval warfare by the success of a guns-only strategy and caused a major overhaul of theSpanish Navy, partly alongEnglish lines, which resulted in even greater dominance by the Spanish. From the beginning of the 17th century the Dutch cannibalized thePortuguese Empire in theEast and, with the immense wealth gained, challenged Spanishhegemony at sea. From the 1620s, Dutch raiders seriously troubled Spanish shipping and, after a number of battles that went both ways, theDutch Navy finally broke the long dominance of the Spanish Navy in theBattle of the Downs (1639).
England emerged as a major naval power in the mid-17th century in the firstAnglo-Dutch war with a technical victory. Successive decisive Dutch victories in the second and third Anglo-Dutch Wars confirmed the Dutch mastery of the seas during theDutch Golden Age, financed by the expansion of theDutch Empire. TheFrench Navy won some important victories near the end of the 17th century but a focus upon land forces led to the French Navy's relative neglect, which allowed theRoyal Navy to emerge with an ever-growing advantage in size and quality, especially in tactics and experience, from 1695. As a response to growing naval influence of the navies of Portuguese, the warrior king of the Marathas,Shivaji laid the foundation of theMaratha navy in 1654.
Throughout the 18th century the Royal Navy gradually gained ascendancy over the French Navy, with victories in theWar of Spanish Succession (1701–1714), inconclusive battles in theWar of Austrian Succession (1740–1748), victories in theSeven Years' War (1754–1763), a partial reversal during theAmerican War of Independence (1775–1783), and consolidation into uncontested supremacy during the 19th century from theBattle of Trafalgar in 1805. These conflicts saw the development and refinement oftactics that came to be called theline of battle.
The next stage in the evolution of naval warfare was the introduction ofmetal plating along the hull sides. The increased mass required steam-powered engines, resulting in an arms race between armor and weapon thickness and firepower. The first armored vessels, the FrenchGloire and BritishHMS Warrior, made wooden vessels obsolete. Another significant improvement came with the invention of the rotating turrets, which allowed the guns to be aimed independently of ship movement. The battle betweenCSS Virginia andUSS Monitor during theAmerican Civil War (1861–1865) is often cited as the beginning of this age of maritime conflict. TheRussian Navy was considered the third strongest in the world on the eve of theRusso-Japanese War, which turned to be a catastrophe for the Russian military in general and the Russian Navy in particular. Although neither party lacked courage, the Russians were defeated by the Japanese in the Battle of Port Arthur, which was the first time in warfare that mines were used for offensive purposes. The warships of the Baltic Fleet sent to the Far East were lost in the Battle of Tsushima. A further step change in naval firepower occurred when the United Kingdom launchedHMS Dreadnought in 1906, butnaval tactics still emphasized the line of battle.
A major paradigm shift in naval warfare occurred with the introduction of theaircraft carrier. First atTaranto in 1940 and then atPearl Harbor in 1941, the carrier demonstrated its ability to strike decisively at enemy ships out of sight and range of surface vessels. TheBattle of Leyte Gulf (1944) was arguably thelargest naval battle in history; it was also the last battle in which battleships played a significant role. By the end ofWorld War II, the carrier had become the dominant force of naval warfare.
World War II also saw theUnited States become by far the largest naval power in the world. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, theUnited States Navy possessed over 70% of the world's total numbers and total tonnage of naval vessels of 1,000 tons or greater.[21] Throughout the rest of the 20th century, theUnited States Navy would maintain a tonnage greater than that of the next 17 largest navies combined. During theCold War, theSoviet Navy became a significant armed force, with large numbers of large, heavily armedballistic missile submarines and extensive use of heavy, long-ranged antisurface missiles to counter the numerous United Statescarrier battle groups. Only two nations, the United States andFrance, presently operateCATOBAR carriers of any size, whileRussia,China andIndia operate sizeableSTOBAR carriers (although all three are originally of Russian design). TheUnited Kingdom is also operating twoQueen Elizabeth-class carriers, which are the largestSTOVL vessels in service, and India is currently building one aircraft carrier,INS Vikrant, and considering another. France is also looking at anew carrier, probably using a CATOBAR system and possibly based on the BritishQueen Elizabeth design.
A navy typically operates from one or morenaval bases. The base is aport that is specialized in naval operations, and often includes housing, amunitions depot, docks for the vessels, and various repair facilities. During times of war temporary bases may be constructed in closer proximity to strategic locations, as it is advantageous in terms of patrols and station-keeping. Nations with historically strong naval forces have found it advantageous to obtain basing rights in other countries in areas of strategic interest.
Navy ships can operate independently or with a group, which may be a smallsquadron of comparable ships, or a largernaval fleet of various specialized ships. The commander of a fleet travels in theflagship, which is usually the most powerful vessel in the group. Before radio was invented, commands from the flagship were communicated by means of flags. At night signal lamps could be used for a similar purpose. Later these were replaced by the radio transmitter, or the flashing light when radio silence was needed.
A "blue water navy" is designed to operate far from the coastal waters of its home nation. These are ships capable of maintaining station for long periods of time in deep ocean, and will have a longlogistical tail for their support. Many are also nuclear powered to save having to refuel. By contrast a "brown water navy" operates in the coastal periphery and along inland waterways, where larger ocean-going naval vessels can not readily enter. Regional powers may maintain a "green water navy" as a means of localized force projection. Blue water fleets may require specialized vessels, such asminesweepers, when operating in thelittoral regions along the coast.
A basic tradition is that all ships commissioned in a navy are referred to as ships rather than vessels, with the exception of destroyers and submarines, which are known as boats. The prefix on a ship's name indicates that it is a commissioned ship.
An important tradition on board naval vessels of some nations has been theship's bell. This was historically used to mark the passage of time, as warning devices in heavy fog, and for alarms and ceremonies.
The ship's captain, and more senior officers are "piped" aboard the ship using aBoatswain's call.
In the United States, theFirst Navy Jack is a flag that has the words, "Don't Tread on Me" on the flag.
By English tradition, ships have been referred to as a "she". However, it was long considered bad luck to permit women to sail on board naval vessels. To do so would invite a terrible storm that would wreck the ship. The only women that were welcomed on board werefigureheads mounted on the prow of the ship.
Firing a cannon salute partially disarms the ship, so firing a cannon for no combat reason showed respect and trust. As the tradition evolved, the number of cannons fired became an indication of the rank of the official being saluted.
Historically, navy ships were primarily intended for warfare. They were designed to withstand damage and to inflict the same, but only carried munitions and supplies for the voyage (rather than merchant cargo). Often, other ships that were not built specifically for warfare, such as thegalleon or the armed merchant ships inWorld War II, did carry armaments. In more recent times, navy ships have become more specialized and have included supply ships, troop transports, repair ships, oil tankers and other logistics support ships as well as combat ships.
Naval ship names are typically prefixed by an abbreviation indicating the national navy in which they serve. For a list of the prefixes used with ship names (HMS,USS,LÉ, etc.) seeship prefix.
Today's warships are significantly faster than in years past, thanks to much improved propulsion systems. Also, the efficiency of the engines has improved, in terms of fuel, and of how many sailors it takes to operate them. In World War II, ships needed to refuel very often. However, today ships can go on very long journeys without refueling. Also, in World War II, the engine room needed about a dozen sailors to work the many engines, however, today, only about four or five are needed (depending on the class of the ship). Today, naval strike groups on longer missions are always followed by a range of support and replenishment ships supplying them with anything from fuel and munitions, to medical treatment and postal services. This allows strike groups and combat ships to remain at sea for several months at a time.
The term "boat" refers to small craft limited in their use by size and usually not capable of making lengthy independent voyages at sea. The old navy adage to differentiate between ships and boats is that boats are capable of being carried by ships. (Submarines by this rule are ships rather than boats, but are customarily referred to as boats reflecting their previous smaller size.)
Navies use many types of boat, ranging from 9-foot (2.7 m) dinghies to 135-foot (41 m) landing craft. They are powered by either diesel engines, out-board gasoline engines, or waterjets. Most boats are built of aluminum, fiberglass, or steel.Rigid-hulled inflatable boats are also used.
Patrol boats are used for patrols of coastal areas, lakes and large rivers.
Landing craft are designed to carry troops, vehicles, or cargo from ship to shore under combat conditions, to unload, to withdraw from the beach, and to return to the ship. They are rugged, with powerful engines, and usually armed. There are many types in today's navies includinghovercraft. They will typically have a power-operated bow ramp, a cargo well and after structures that house engine rooms, pilot houses, and stowage compartments. These boats are sometimes carried by larger ships.
Special operations craft are high-speed craft used for insertion and extraction of special forces personnel and some may be transportable (and deployed) by air.
Boats used in non-combat roles include lifeboats, mail boats, line handling boats, buoy boats, aircraft rescue boats, torpedo retrievers, explosive ordnance disposal craft, utility boats, dive boats, targets, and work boats. Boats are also used for survey work, tending divers, and minesweeping operations. Boats for carrying cargo and personnel are sometimes known as launches, gigs, barges or shore party boats.
Naval forces are typically arranged into units based on the number of ships included, a single ship being the smallest operational unit. Ships may be combined intosquadrons orflotillas, which may be formed intofleets. The largest unit size may be the whole Navy orAdmiralty.
Atask force can be assembled using ships from different fleets for an operational task.
Despite their acceptance in many areas of naval service,female sailors were not permitted to serve on board U.S. submarines until the U.S. Navy lifted the ban in April 2010.[22] The major reasons historically cited by the U.S. Navy were the extended duty tours and close conditions which afford almost no privacy. The United Kingdom's Royal Navy has had similar restrictions. Australia, Canada, Norway, and Spain previously opened submarine service to women sailors.[23]
A navy will typically have two sets of ranks, one forenlisted personnel and one forofficers.
Typical ranks for commissioned officers include the following, in ascending order (Commonwealth ranks are listed first on each line; USA ranks are listed second in those instances where they differ from Commonwealth ranks):
"Flag officers" include any rank that includes the word "admiral" (or commodore in services other than the US Navy), and are generally in command of abattle group, strike group or similar flotilla of ships, rather than a single ship or aspect of a ship. However, commodores can also be temporary or honorary positions. For example, during World War II, a Navy captain was assigned duty as a convoy commodore, which meant that he was still a captain, but in charge of all the merchant vessels in the convoy.
The most senior rank employed by a navy will tend to vary depending on the size of a navy and whether it is wartime or peacetime, for example, few people have ever held the rank of Fleet Admiral in the U.S. Navy, the chief of theRoyal Australian Navy holds the rank of Vice Admiral, and the chief of theIrish Naval Service holds the rank of Commodore.
Naval infantry, commonly known asmarines, are a category of infantry that form part of a state's naval forces and perform roles on land and at sea, includingamphibious operations, as well as other, naval roles. They also perform other tasks, including land warfare, separate from naval operations.
During the era of theRoman empire, naval forces included marinelegionaries formaritime boarding actions. These were troops primarily trained in land warfare, and did not need to be skilled at handling a ship. Much later during the age of sail, a component of marines served a similar role, being ship-borne soldiers who were used either during boarding actions, as sharp-shooters, or in raids along shorelines.
The SpanishInfantería de Marina was formed in 1537, making it the oldest, current marine force in the world. TheBritishRoyal Marines combine being both a ship-based force and also being specially trained incommandofrogman-style operations and tactics, operating in some cases separately from the rest of the Royal Navy. The Royal Marines also have their ownspecial forcesunit.
In the majority of countries, the marine force is an integral part of the navy but there are variations such as the FrenchTroupes de marine, which is actually part of theFrench Army. TheUnited States Marine Corps is a separate armed service within the United States Department of the Navy, with its own leadership structure.
Naval aviation is the application ofmilitary air power by navies, whether fromwarships that embark aircraft, or land bases.
In World War I, several navies usedfloatplanes andflying boats – mainly forscouting. By World War II,aircraft carriers could carry bomber aircraft capable of attacking naval and land targets, as well as fighter aircraft for defence. Since World War II helicopters have been embarked on smaller ships in roles such as anti-submarine warfare and transport. Some navies have also operated land-based aircraft in roles such asmaritime patrol andtraining.
Naval aviation forces primarily perform naval roles at sea. However, they are also used in a variety of other roles.
^Raymoure, K.A."na-u-do-mo".Minoan Linear A & Mycenaean Linear B. Deaditerranean. Archived fromthe original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved25 March 2014.
^Kumar, Ann (2012). 'Dominion Over Palm and Pine: Early Indonesia's Maritime Reach', in Geoff Wade (ed.),Anthony Reid and the Study of the Southeast Asian Past (Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies), 101–122.
^Hill (June 1960). "Hikayat Raja-Raja Pasai".Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.33: pp. 98 and 157: "Then he directed them to make ready all the equipment and munitions of war needed for an attack on the land of Pasai – about four hundred of the largest junks, and also many barges (malangbang) and galleys." See also Nugroho (2011), pp. 270 and 286, quotingHikayat Raja-Raja Pasai, 3: 98: "Sa-telah itu, maka di-suroh baginda musta'idkan segala kelengkapan dan segala alat senjata peperangan akan mendatangi negeri Pasai itu, sa-kira-kira empat ratus jong yang besar-besar dan lain daripada itu banyak lagi daripada malangbang dan kelulus." (After that, he is tasked by His Majesty to ready all the equipment and all weapons of war to come to that country of Pasai, about four hundred large jongs and other than that much more of malangbang and kelulus.)
^Nugroho (2011), pp. 271, 399–400, quotingSejarah Melayu, 10.4: 77: "...maka bagindapun segera menyuruh berlengkap tiga ratus buah jung, lain dari pada itu kelulus, pelang, jongkong, tiada terbilang lagi." (then His Majesty immediately ordered to equip three hundred jong, other than that kelulus, pelang, jongkong in uncountable numbers.)
^Leyden, John (1821).Malay Annals: Translated from the Malay language. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown.p. 86: "The bitara immediately fitted out 300 junks together with the vessels calúlús, pelang, and jongkong in numbers beyond calculation, and embarked on board of them two Cati of Javans (200,000). Then having set sail, they arrived at Singhapura, and immediately engaged in battle."
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