Green-water navy is terminology created to describe a naval force that is
designed to operate in its nation's littoral zones and has the competency to
operate in the open oceans of its surrounding region. It is a relatively
new term, and has been created to better distinguish, and add nuance, between two
long-standing descriptors: blue-water navy and brown-water navy.
It is a non-doctrinal naval term used in different ways. It originates with the
United States Navy, who use it to refer to the portion of their fleet that
specializes in offensive operations in coastal waters. Nowadays such ships rely
on stealth or speed to avoid destruction by shore batteries or land-based
aircraft. The US Navy has also used the term to
refer to the first phase of the expansion of China's navy into a full
blue-water navy. Subsequently other authors have applied it to other
national navies that can project power locally, but cannot sustain operations
at range without the help of other countries. Such navies typically have
amphibious ships and sometimes small aircraft carriers, which can be escorted
by destroyers and frigates with some logistical support from tankers and
other auxiliaries. Definitions
The elements of maritime geography are loosely defined and their meanings have
changed throughout history. The US's 2010 Naval Operations Concept defines
blue water as "the open ocean", green water as "coastal waters, ports and
harbors", and brown water as "navigable rivers and their estuaries". Robert
Rubel of the US Naval War College includes bays in his definition of brown
water, and in the past US military commentators have extended brown water
out to 100 nautical miles from shore. During the Cold War, green water denoted
those areas of ocean in which naval forces might encounter land-based
aircraft. The development of long-range bombers with anti-ship missiles turned
most of the oceans to "green" and the term all but disappeared. After the Cold
War, US amphibious task forces were sometimes referred to as the green-water
navy, in contrast to the blue-water carrier battle groups. This distinction
disappeared as increasing threats in coastal waters forced the amphibious
ships further offshore, delivering assaults by helicopter and tiltrotor
from over the horizon. This prompted the development of ships designed to operate
in such waters – the Zumwalt-class destroyer and the littoral combat ships;
modelling has suggested that current NATO frigates are vulnerable to swarms
of 4-8 small boats in green water. Rubel has proposed redefining green water as
those areas of ocean which are too dangerous for high-value units,
requiring offensive power to be dispersed into smaller vessels such as
submarines that can use stealth and other characteristics to survive. Under
his scheme, brown water would be zones in which ocean-going units could not
operate at all, including rivers, minefields, straits and other choke
points. As the preeminent blue-water navy of the
early 21st century, the US Navy is able to define maritime geography in terms of
offensive action in the home waters of its enemies, without being constrained
by logistics. This is not true for most other navies, whose supply chains and
air cover typically limit them to power projection within a few hundred
kilometres of home territory. A number of countries are working on overcoming
these constraints. Other authors have started to apply the term "green-water
navy" to any national navy that has ocean-going ships but lacks the
logistical support needed for a blue-water navy. It's often not clear
what they mean, as the term is used without consistency or precision.
It should be noted that a green-water navy does not mean that the individual
ships of the fleet are unable to function away from the coast or in open
ocean, instead it suggests that due to logistical reasons they are unable to be
deployed for lengthy periods, and must have aid from other countries to sustain
long term deployments. Also the term "green-water navy" is subjective as
numerous countries that do not have a true green-water navy maintain naval
forces that are on par with countries that are recognized as having
green-water navies. For example, the German Navy has near the same capability
as the Canadian Navy but is not recognized as a true green-water navy.
However, the differences between blue-water navies and brown or
green-water navies is usually quite noticeable, for example the US Navy was
able to quickly respond to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines
Flight 370 and continue operations in the region with relative ease even
though the search area covered the Indian Ocean. On the contrary, in 2005
the then green-water navy such the Russian Navy was unable to properly
respond when its AS-28 rescue vehicle became tangled in undersea cables unable
to surface, relying on the blue-water Royal Navy to respond and carry out the
rescue in time. Just as nations build up naval
capability some lose it, for example the Austro-Hungarian Navy was a modern green
water navy of the time, however as the countries lost their coasts during World
War I their navies were confiscated and their ports became parts of Italy and
Yugoslavia. The Axis powers lost naval capabilities after their defeat in World
War II with most of Japan's Imperial Navy and Germany's Navy being disarmed
and their troop and ship numbers capped and monitored by the allies. The
collapse of the USSR also brought with it the collapse of the second largest
naval force in the world, and the largest submarine force in the world.
Although the Russian Federation made sure to inherit the most capable ships,
passing most older models to successor states, it still lacked the logistical
capabilities of the Soviet Navy as it was no longer able to operate away from
Russian shores for extended periods of time. Moreover, budget cuts forced large
cuts in the submarine force, such as the retirements of the Typhoon-class
submarine. As the Soviet Navy was built largely around submarine warfare the
losses in the submarine capability have adversely affected the capability of the
newly formed Russian Navy as well. Navies described as being green-water
navies = Australia=
The Royal Australian Navy is well established as a green-water navy. The
navy sustains a broad range of maritime operations, from the Middle East to the
Pacific Ocean, often as part of international or allied coalitions. The
RAN operates a modern fleet, consisting of destroyers, frigates, conventional
submarines as well as an emerging amphibious and power projection
capability based on the recent commissioning of HMAS Choules and the
first of two new Canberra-class landing helicopter docks, HMAS Canberra.
Amphibious capability – 27,000 tonne HMAS Canberra, and 16,190 tonne HMAS
Choules. Replenishment capability – 18,221 tonne
HMAS Success and the 46,755 tonne HMAS Sirius.
= Brazil= The Brazilian Navy has frequently been
dubbed a ‘green-water’ force by experts. The navy is primarily focused on
securing the nations littorals and exclusive economic zone, but also
maintains the capacity to operate in the wider South Atlantic Ocean. Since the
early 2000s, the Brazilian Navy has contributed to a number of peacekeeping
and humanitarian missions. Carrier capability – 32,800 tonne São
Paulo. Amphibious capability – 12,000 tonne
Bahia. Replenishment capability – 10,000 tone
Almirante Gastão Motta and the 12,889 tonne Marajó.
= Canada= According to the criteria as outlined in
the 2001 publication, "Leadmark: The Navy’s Strategy for 2020", the Royal
Canadian Navy had met its description of a 3rd tier "Medium Global Force
Projection Navy" - a green-water navy with the capacity to project force
worldwide with the aid of more powerful maritime allies. In this context, the
Canadian Navy ranked itself alongside the navies of Australia and the
Netherlands. The Royal Canadian Navy operates across the globe, most recently
actively supporting coalition forces in the gulf of Aden, Libya and the Persian
Gulf during Canada's ten year commitment to the war in Afghanistan.
The recent decommissioning of obsolete destroyers has left Canada without a
credible modern air warfare capability. Combined with having no force
projection/sustainment capabilities as of 2015, this has rendered the RCN
dependent on allies. The RCN is more akin to a brown water navy until new
classes commission, such as the Queenston class from 2021, Single Class
Surface Combatant Project from 2025, and the proposed Amphibious Assault Ship
Project in the future. = Israel=
The Israeli Navy has previously deployed in offensive combat operations in the
Eastern Mediterranean region, in the littoral waters of Egypt and Syria
during the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War. It retains the strategic
edge over other Navies in the Eastern Mediterranean barring the Turkish Navy,
and the presence of blue-water carriers belonging to the blue-water Navies.
= Italy= The Italian Navy is a green-water navy
and maintains a broad spectrum of capabilities. It routinely deploys to
the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf as part of multinational anti-piracy
missions such as Operation Ocean Shield and Operation Atalanta. The Italian Navy
also deploys a carrier battle group in support of a number of NATO operations
when needed; One such example was during operation Operation Enduring Freedom
where the carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi was deployed alongside British, French and
American aircraft carriers. Carrier capability – 27,910 tonne Cavour
and the 13,850 tonne Giuseppe Garibaldi. Amphibious capability – three 8,000
tonne San Giorgio-class LPDs. Replenishment capability – 13,400 tonne
Etna and two 8,000 tonne Stromboli class replenishment ships.
= Japan= The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is
considered to be a green-water navy. Overseas JMSDF deployments include
participation in the Combined Task Force 150, and an additional task force in the
Indian Ocean from 2009 to combat piracy in Somalia. The first postwar overseas
naval air facility of Japan was established next to Djibouti-Ambouli
International Airport. Helicopter carrier capability – two
19,000 tonne Hyūga-class helicopter destroyers and two 27,000 long ton
Izumo-class helicopter destroyers. Amphibious capability – three 14,000
tonne Ōsumi-class tank landing ships. Replenishment capability – two 25,000
tonne Mashu class and three 15,000 tonne Towada class.
= Netherlands= The Royal Netherlands Navy has been
officially described as a 3rd tier "Medium Global Force Projection Navy" -
or a green-water navy with the capacity to project force worldwide with the aid
of more powerful maritime allies. In this context, the Royal Netherlands Navy
ranks alongside the navies of Australia and Canada, while the USN is a 1st tier
global blue-water navy and Britain and France are 2nd tier blue-water navies.
For many years since the end of the Cold War, the Royal Netherlands Navy has been
changing its role from national defence to overseas intervention.
Amphibious capability – 12,750 tonne HNLMS Rotterdam and the 16,800 tonne
HNLMS Johan de Witt. Replenishment capability – 27,800 tonne
Karel Doorman. = South Korea=
The Republic of Korea Navy is considered to be a green-water navy. In 2011, the
government authorized the building of a naval base on Jeju Island to support the
new Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships, the base will also be capable of
supporting joint forces with the US Navy. A ski-jump for the operation of
V/STOL jet fighters is being considered for the second ship of the Dokdo class.
The Korean government is considering to buy surplus Harriers as a possible
interim for the F-35 Lightning II if they choose to operate VTOL aircraft at
all. Amphibious capability – 18,800 tonne
ROKS Dokdo. Replenishment capability – three 9,180
tonne Cheonji-class replenishment ships. = Spain=
The Spanish Navy is a green-water navy and participates in joint operations
with NATO and European allies around the world. The fleet has 54 commissioned
ships, including; one amphibious assault ship, two amphibious transport docks, 11
frigates and three conventional submarines.
Amphibious/carrier capability – 26,000 tonne Juan Carlos I.
Amphibious capability – two 13,815 tonne Galicia-class landing platform docks.
Replenishment capability – 17,045 tonne SPS Patiño and the 19,500 tonne SPS
Cantabria replenishment ships. = Turkey=
The Turkish Navy is accepted as having reached full green-water capabilities in
the mid-1960s and has participated in joint operations with NATO, the Israeli
Navy and the Egyptian Navy throughout the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea. The
Turkish Navy operates five conventional submarines.
See also Blue-water navy
Brown-water navy Maritime geography
References