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Ships from seven countries sailing together during the RIMPAC exercise in 2006.

The term blue-water navy is a colloquialism used to describe a maritime force capable of operating across the deep waters of open oceans. ^[1] While what actually constitutes such a force remains undefined, there is a requirement for the ability to exercise sea control at wide ranges. The term used in the United Kingdom is expeditionary.

"Blue-water" (high seas) naval capability ^[2] means that a fleet is able to operate on the "high seas." While traditionally a distinction was made between the coastal brown-water navy (operating in the littoral zone to 200 nautical miles (370 km)) and a seagoing blue-water navy, a new term, "green-water navy," has been created by the U.S. Navy^[3], green-water navy, which appears to be equivalent to a brown-water navy in older sources. The term brown-water navy appears to have been reduced, in U.S. Navy parlance, to a riverine force.

In modern warfare blue-water navy implies self-contained force protection from sub-surface, surface and airborne threats and a sustainable logistic reach, allowing a persistent presence at range. In some maritime environments such a defence is given by natural obstacles, such as the Arctic ice shelf.

Few navies can operate as blue-water navies, but "many States are converting green-water navies to blue-water navies and this will increase military use of foreign Exclusive Economic Zones [littoral zone to 200 nautical miles (370 km)] with possible repercussions for the EEZ regime." ^[4]

An example for the difference between a blue-water navy and a green-water navy: "...The first should be a 'green-water active defense' that would enable the People's Liberation Army Navy to protect China's territorial waters and enforce its sovereignty claims in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. The second phase would be to develop a blue-water navy capable of projecting power into the western Pacific . . . Liu [commander in chief of the PLAN 1982-88 and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission 1989-97] believed that in order to fulfill a blue-water capability, the PLAN had to obtain aircraft carriers . . ." ^[5] Aircraft carriers are deployed with other specialized vessels in carrier battle groups, providing protection against sub-surface, surface and airborne threats.

As there is no clear definition of a blue-water navy, the status is disputed. Usually it is considered to be strongly linked to the maintenance of aircraft carriers capable of operating in the oceans. "In the early 80s there was a bitter and very public battle fought over whether or not to replace Australia's last aircraft carrier, HMAS Melbourne. Senior navy personnel warned without a carrier, Australia would be vulnerable to all types of threat. One ex-Chief of Navy went so far as to claim that we" (the Australians) "would no longer have a blue-water navy (one capable of operating away from friendly coasts)." ^[6]

The term blue-water navy should not be mixed up with brown, green and blue water capability or ship. U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Mullen pointed out in an interview with KQV (Pittsburgh): "We are looking at, in addition to the blue-water ships which I would characterize and describe as our aircraft carriers and other ships that support that kind of capability, we're also looking to develop capability in what I call the green-water and the brown-water, and the brown-water is really the rivers . . . These are challenges we all have, and we need to work together to ensure that the sea lanes are secure." ^[7] The capability for blue, green or brown water depends on the vessels specifications. The vessels of a green-water navy can often operate in blue-water for example. A number of nations have extensive maritime assets but lack the capability to maintain the required sustainable logistic reach. Some of them join coalition task groups in blue-water deployments.

While a blue-water navy can project sea control power into another nation's littoral, it remains susceptible to threats from less capable forces. Sustainment and logistics at range yield high costs and there may be a saturation advantage over a deployed force through the use of land-based air or surface-to-surface missile assets, diesel-electric submarines, or asymmetric tactics such as Fast Inshore Attack Craft. An example of this vulnerability was the October 2002 USS Cole bombing in Aden in 2000. [1][2] [3]

These are navies that have successfully used the capabilities of their blue-water navies to exercise control at high seas and from these have projected power into other nations' littoral waters.

• The United States Navy maintains continuous readiness to deploy six Carrier Strike Groups simultaneously as well as deploy an additional two within 30 days under the Fleet Response Plan (FRP) while maintaining a posture of Continuous At Sea Deterrence through the Trident submarine-launched ballistic missiles on Ohio-class submarines. The U.S. Navy also maintains a continuous deployment of Expeditionary Strike Groups that embark a Marine Expeditionary Unit with an Aviation Combat Element of Landing Helicopter Docks and Landing Helicopter Assault.
• The United Kingdom's Royal Navy maintains two task forces concurrently (one based around an aircraft carrier and one based around an Amphibious Command Ship) and maintains a Continuous At Sea Deterrence policy. At least one task group is deployed at any one time. There are currently two Invincible-class aircraft carrier in operation, with a further one in reserve. The Royal Navy also uses the Ocean-class Landing Platform, Helicopter (LPH) as well as the two Albion-class amphibious transport docks] as the centre of a task group. The UK also supports a number of standing commitments worldwide on a continuous basis.
• The French French Navy (Marine Nationale) has the ability to deploy an aircraft-carrier-based task group and maintains a Continuous At Sea Deterrence included in the Force Océanique Stratégique (Strategic Oceanic Force). France also has a wide range of naval deployments throughout the world.
• The Chinese Navy operates a blue water navy. The Chinese have 10 aircraft carriers, 17 battleships, and a large number of other ships.

These are navies that operate in considerable numbers in blue water or could do so and are probably capable of projecting power into other nations' littoral waters out of the blue-water.

• The Russian Navy maintains a carrier battle group around Admiral Kuznetsov and a posture of Continuous At Sea Deterrence (CASD) with its ballistic missile submarine fleet. They also have five large cruisers (two Kirov class and three Slava class) which could be used as the center of a surface action group.
• The Indian Navy maintains a carrier battle group with INS Viraat and operates the LPD INS Jalashva.^[8]
• The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has a large fleet dominated by destroyers which operates in blue water in defense of the Japanese islands.

See also: Maritime geography

• Description of the Falklands War