Green-water navy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.[1] 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 The littoral combat ship USS Independence was designed for
avoid destruction by shore batteries or land-based green-water operations
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.

Contents
1 Definitions
2 Examples of green-water navies
2.1 Australia
2.2 Brazil
2.3 Canada
2.4 Italy
2.5 Japan
2.6 The Netherlands
2.7 South Korea
2.8 Spain
3 See also
4 References

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".[2] Robert Rubel of the US
Naval War College includes bays in his definition of brown water,[3] and in the past US military commentators
have extended brown water out to 100 nautical miles (190 km) from shore.[4]
During the Cold War, green water denoted those areas of ocean in which naval forces might encounter land-
based aircraft.[3] The development of long-range bombers with anti-ship missiles turned most of the oceans to
"green" and the term all but disappeared.[3] 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.[5] 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.[6] 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.[3] 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.[3]

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. Another example is the Portuguese Navy that, despite being usually classified as a minor
navy, has several times conducted sustained operations in faraway regions typical of the green-water navies.
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.[7]

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, as it had lost the logistical capabilities of the Soviet Navy, 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.

Examples of green-water navies

Australia
The Royal Australian Navy is well established as a green-water
navy.[8][9] 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.[10] 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
commissioning of HMAS Choules and two Canberra-class landing
helicopter docks.[11]
HMAS Canberra
Carrier / Amphibious capability - 27,000 tonne HMAS Canberra
and HMAS Adelaide
Amphibious capability – 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.[12] The navy is primarily focused on securing the nation's
littorals and exclusive economic zone (EEZ), 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.

Amphibious capability – 12,000 tonne Bahia, 8,757 tonne

Newport-class tank landing ship, two 8,571 tonne Round Table-
class landing ship logistics
Replenishment capability – 10,000 tone Almirante Gastão Motta The Brazilian aircraft carrier São
and the 12,889 tonne Marajó. Paulo

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 (e.g. United Kingdom,
France and the United States).[9] In this context, the Royal Canadian
Navy ranked itself alongside the navies of Australia and the
Netherlands.[9] However, as of 2016, the recent decommissioning of
obsolete ships as part of an ongoing modernisation effort (see National HMCS Halifax
Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, Amphibious Assault Ship Project)
has left Canada without replenishment or amphibious capable ships, as well as the lack of a credible air-defence
capability. The RCN's submarine capability consists of four second hand vessels of unreliable availability, with
only one available for operations as of June 2016. This has led critics to view the Royal Canadian Navy as
being more akin to a brown-water navy.[13]

Italy

The Italian Navy has been categorised as a "regional blue-water navy" in Liu Huaqing's Memoirs (1994),[14]
and as a "multi/extra regional power projection navy" by Professors Daniel Todd and Michael Lindberg.[15] In
the 1989 publication "The Atlantic Alliance and the Middle East", Joseph I. Coffey asserts that Italy's blue-
water capabilities do not extend beyond the Mediterranean sea.[16] Today, the navy possesses two light aircraft
carriers (Cavour and Giuseppe Garibaldi) as well as a modern fleet of surface combatants and submarines. The
Marina Militare routinely deploys to the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf
as part of multinational anti-piracy missions such as Operation Ocean
Shield and Operation Atalanta,[17] and is capable of deploying a carrier
battle group in support of NATO or EU operations; such as during
Operation Enduring Freedom (2001) and EU Navfor Med (European
migrant crisis).

Carrier capability - 27,910 tonne Cavour and the 13,850 tonne

Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Amphibious capability - three 8,000 tonne San Giorgio-class The aircraft carrier Cavour
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.[8] Overseas JMSDF deployments include participation in
the Combined Task Force 150,[18][19] 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.[20]

Helicopter carrier capability – two 19,000 tonne Hyūga- JS Hyūga

class helicopter destroyers and two 27,430 tonnes Izumo-class
helicopter destroyers. - Can be modified to carry fixed wing
aircraft.
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.

The 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 (e.g. Britain, France and the United States).[9] 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.[9] For many
years since the end of the Cold War, the Royal Netherlands Navy has
been changing its role from national defence to overseas HNLMS Johan de Witt
intervention.[21]

Amphibious capability – 12,750 tonne HNLMS Rotterdam and the 16,800 tonne HNLMS Johan de Witt.
Replenishment capability – 27,800 tonne Karel Doorman (Also has amphibious capabilities).

South Korea

The Republic of Korea Navy is considered to be a green-water navy.[8] 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.[22] A ski-jump for the operation of V/STOL jet
fighters is being considered for the second ship of the Dokdo class.[23] 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.[24]
 Amphibious capability – 18,800 tonne ROKS Dokdo, four 4,300
tonne Go Jun Bong-class LST's, and one 7,000 tonne Cheon
Wang Bong-class LST, with more under construction.
Replenishment capability – three 9,180 tonne Cheonji-class
replenishment ships.

ROKS Dokdo

Spain

The Spanish Navy is, like the Italian Navy, a green-water navy, blue-
water in the Mediterranean, and participates in joint operations with
NATO and European allies around the world.[25] The fleet has 54
commissioned ships, including; one amphibious assault ship (also used
as an aircraft carrier), two amphibious transport docks, 5 AEGIS
destroyers (5 more under construction), 6 frigates, 7 corvettes (2 more
under construction) and three conventional submarines. (4 under
construction)

Amphibious/carrier capability – 26,000 tonne Juan Carlos I.

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.

See also
Blue-water navy
Brown-water navy
Maritime geography

References

1. Bratton, Patrick C (2012).Sea Power and the Asia-Pacific(https://books.google.com/books?id=RxOpAgAAQBAJ&sou

rce=gbs_navlinks_s). London, United Kingdom: Routledge.ISBN 1-136-62724-3.
2. "Naval Operations Concept 2010 – Implementing the Maritime Strategy" (http://www.marines.mil/news/publications/D
ocuments/Naval%20Operations%20Concept%202010.pdf)(pdf). US Naval Service. p. 16. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
3. Rubel, Robert C. (Autumn 2010),"Talking About Sea Control"(http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a536641.pdf)
(PDF), Naval War College Review, 63 (4): 44–46
4. Burkitt, Laurie; Scobell, Andrew;Wortzel, Larry M. (July 2003). "The Lessons of History : The Chinese People's
Liberation Army at 75"(http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/pub52.pdf) (pdf). Strategic Studies
Institute, U.S. Army War College. p. 185. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
5. Gillespie, T.C.; Lesher, S.M.; Miner, P.D.; Cyr, B.P. (23 March 1992), Composite Warfare and The Amphibians(http://w
ww.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a272337.pdf)(pdf), Marine Corps University, pp. 9–24, retrieved 7 May 2012
6. Abel, Heiko (September 2009)."Frigate Defense Effectiveness in Asymmetrical Green W ater Engagements" (http://ww
w.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA508855) . Naval Postgraduate School. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
7. "Russian submarine surfaces with entire crew alive"(http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-08-06-russian-s
ub_x.htm). USAToday.com. Associated Press. 6 August 2005. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
8. Till, Geoffrey (15 August 2013).Naval Modernisation in South-East Asia: Natur e, Causes and Consequences. London:
Routledge. p. 267. ISBN 1-135-95394-5.
9. Leadmark: The Navy’s Strategy for 2020 (http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2012/dn-nd/DB3-22-2001-en
g.pdf), Directorate of Maritime Strategy, Department of National Defence
 10. "Operations" (http://www.navy.gov.au/navy-today/operations). Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
11. "Canberra commissioning marks new era in ADF amphibious warfare" (http://australianaviation.com.au/2014/11/canber
ra-commission-marks-new-era-in-adf-amphibious-warfare/) . Australian Aviation. 28 November 2014. Retrieved
16 March 2015.
12. Pryce, Paul (19 January 2015)."The Brazilian Navy: Green Water or Blue?" (http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Art
icles/Detail/?lng=en&id=187085). Offiziere.ch. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
13. National Post View: Harper’s shipbuilding strategy is coming apart at the seams(http://news.nationalpost.com/full-com
ment/national-post-view-harpers-shipbuilding-strategy-is-coming-apart-at-the-seams) , http://news.nationalpost.com/, 29
June 2015
14. The Chinese Navy: Expanding Capabilities, Evolving Roles?(https://books.google.com/books?id=SDDDP_a3yIQC&pg
=PA100&dq=offshore+navy&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=snippet&q=regional-blue%20water%20type&f=false) ,
2012 (Footnote no. 16, page 139)
15. Todd, Daniel; Lindberg, Michael (1996). Navies and Shipbuilding Industries: The Strained Symbiosis(https://books.goo
gle.com/books?id=he5KL_tWQvMC&printsec=frontcover&hl=it#v=onepage&q&f=false) . Greenwood Publishing
Group. pp. 56–57. ISBN 9780275953102. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
16. Coffey, Joseph I. (1989). The Atlantic Alliance and the Middle East(https://books.google.com/books?id=RmttAAAAM
AAJ&q=The+Atlantic+Alliance+and+the+Middle+East&dq=The+Atlantic+Alliance+and+the+Middle+East&hl=en&sa
=X&ved=0ahUKEwiR4ZKn0LjJAhXB7w4KHc_SAa0Q6AEIIT AB). United States: University of Pittsburgh Press.
p. 89. ISBN 9780822911548. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
17. Marina Militaire – Operations(http://www.marina.difesa.it/EN/operations/Pagine/default.aspx) , marina.difesa.it, (In
Italian)
18. Japan Ministry of Defense."Activities based on Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law (December 2001 – October
2007) – Replenishment Operations"(http://www.mod.go.jp/e/data/refueling/refueling.html).Retrieved 2013-05-06.
19. Asahi Shimbun. "Japan’s New Blue Water Navy: A Four-year Indian Ocean mission recasts the Constitutionand the
US-Japan alliance" (http://www.japanfocus.org/-The_Asahi_Shimbun_Culture_Research_Center -/1812). Retrieved
2013-05-06.
20. Japan Ministry of Defense."MOD/JSDF ANSWERS – Anti-Piracy Efforts" (http://www.mod.go.jp/e/about/answers/ant
i/index.html). Retrieved 2012-11-16.
21. Warship 2006, Conway's Maritime Press – W orld Navies in Review 2006)
22. Sang-Hun, Choe (18 August 2011). "South Korean Navy Base Divides Jeju Island Residents"(https://www.nytimes.co
m/2011/08/19/world/asia/19base.html?pagewanted=all). The New York Times. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
23. Sung Ki, Jung (26 October 2013)."S. Korea Envisions Light Aircraft Carrier"(https://archive.is/20131026174917/htt
p://www.defensenews.com/article/20131026/DEFREG03/310260005/S-Korea-Envisions-L ight-Aircraft-Carrier).
defensenews.com. Archived from the original (http://www.defensenews.com/article/20131026/DEFREG03/310260005/
S-Korea-Envisions-Light-Aircraft-Carrier)on 26 October 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
24. "Dokdo Class Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH)"(http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/dodko-class/). naval-
technology.com. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
25. "ESPS Rayo Joins EU Naval Force Operation Atalanta"(http://eunavfor.eu/esps-rayo-joins-eu-naval-force-operation-ata
lanta/). eunavfor.eu. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2015.

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