Sea power

Sea power is a state's capacity to shape events through maritime forces, seaborne trade, and access to oceans. It combines naval strength with the economic and geographic conditions that sustain influence at sea.

Sea control: The ability to use a maritime area for one's purposes while limiting an opponent's use of it. Naval forces turn sea power into operational freedom over particular waters.
Alfred Thayer Mahan: A United States naval officer and historian whose writings argued that command of the sea shaped national power. His influential account gave sea power a systematic strategic vocabulary.
Battle of Trafalgar: An 1805 naval battle in which the British fleet defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets. The victory secured Britain's naval advantage during the Napoleonic Wars.
Land power: A state's capacity to influence events through its armies, territory, and control of land routes. It relies on territorial position and land forces rather than maritime access and fleets.
Power projection: The ability to deploy military force beyond a state's territory to influence events elsewhere. Naval mobility lets states project force across oceans without relying on neighboring territory.
The Influence of Sea Power upon History: Alfred Thayer Mahan's 1890 study of naval power and its influence on historical outcomes. This book made the case for sea power influential among political and naval leaders.
Battle of Tsushima: A 1905 naval battle in which Japan decisively defeated Russia's Baltic Fleet in the Korea Strait. The victory demonstrated how a modern fleet could reshape regional power.
Air power: A state's capacity to influence events through military aircraft and control of the air. Aircraft can project force rapidly, but their reach and endurance depend on different infrastructure.
Maritime logistics: The planning and movement of supplies, personnel, and equipment by sea. Sustained operations far from home depend on moving fuel, food, and ammunition by sea.
Julian Corbett: A British naval historian and strategist who analyzed maritime strategy in relation to war on land. Corbett challenged narrow fleet-centered accounts by emphasizing maritime communication and joint strategy.

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