Navy

A navy (often Navy) is the branch of a country's military forces principally designated for naval warfare, namely lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includes operations conducted by surface vessels (ships), submarine vessels, and seaborne aviation, as well as ancillary support, communications, training, and other fields; recent developments have included space-related operations. The strategic offensive role of a Navy is projection-of-force into areas beyond a country's shores (for example, to protect sea-lanes, ferry troops, or attack other navies, ports, or shore installations). The strategic defensive purpose of a Navy is to forestall and frustrate sea-borne projection-of-force by enemies.

Additional reading

• Non-fiction:
• Corbett, Sir Julian, Some Principles of Maritime Strategy, 1911.
• Mahan, Alfred Thayer, The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783, 1918, Little Brown, Boston.
• Starr, Chester G., The Influence of Sea Power on Ancient History, 1989, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-505666-3.
• Fiction:
• Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October
• Hornblower series by C. S. Forester
• Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian