The Decline of European Naval Forces

This book aims to provide insight into the development of Europe's naval forces since the end of the Cold War. In order to comprehend the drastic changes the majority of European navies have undergone over the last twenty five years, the defense policies and naval strategies of eleven European state [...]
Visa längre beskrivning

This book aims to provide insight into the development of Europe's naval forces since the end of the Cold War. In order to comprehend the drastic changes the majority of European navies have undergone over the last twenty five years, the defense policies and naval strategies of eleven European states as well as the evolution, deployment, and capabilities of their respective naval forces are analyzed. The book is divided into three parts. The first part introduces the underpinning elements of the maritime domain as well as the principal theories of seapower, based on the writings of the most renowned naval strategists. Furthermore, the current changes to the established post-Cold War order are addressed. This includes the rise of major powers in the Asian-Pacific Region, the coinciding shift in the global naval balance from the West (Atlantic) to the East (Indian Ocean and Pacific), and the consequences this will arguably have for European powers in protecting their interests at and from the sea. Part two represents the mainstay of the book. In eleven case studies the development of Europe's most important naval forces is construed according to the respective strategic framework in which they have operated over the past two decades. In addition, the general composition of their forces, the range of their capabilities, as well as important technical features are described. The study shows that since the end of the Cold War, all but few European navies have significantly decreased in size and, thus, have ceded important capabilities along the way. Moreover, more traditional naval roles, such as sea-control and conventional deterrence, lost much of their importance as the new security environment required navies to focus on expeditionary capabilities and maritime security operations such as low-intensity peace-keeping missions at great distances from European shores. In the final part of the book, the findings of the preceding chapters will be summarized to form the argument that more than two decades of continuous cuts to Europe's naval defense sector can be considered serious brinkmanship. Based on the understanding of seapower as a prerequisite for political influence and economic health, the consequences of the geopolitical shift towards the Asian-Pacific Region, and most importantly the general decline of European traditional naval capabilities, the author concludes that the ability of European states to influence events near and abroad by means of their naval forces has been atrophied and will continue to be called into question in the future.