navy
Sign in to savethumb|330x330px|, a modern guided-missile destroyer, escorting a reproduction of the 18th-century . A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a state's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includes anything conducted by surface ships, amphibious ships, submarines, and seaborne aviation, as well as ancillary support, communications, training, and other fields.
AI overview
A navy is the part of a country's military that operates on water, using ships, submarines, and aircraft to conduct warfare and related operations on lakes, rivers, coastal areas, and oceans. It matters because it enables nations to project power, protect their interests, and conduct combat operations in maritime environments.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
19 sectionsContents
- Etymology and meanings
- History
- Operations
- Traditions
- Naval organization
- Ships
- Boats
- Units
- Personnel
- Ranks
- Naval infantry
- Naval aviation
- See also
- Notes and references
- Notes
- Citations
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|330x330px|, a modern guided-missile destroyer, escorting a reproduction of the 18th-century . A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a state's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includes anything conducted by surface ships, amphibious ships, submarines, and seaborne aviation, as well as ancillary support, communications, training, and other fields.
The strategic offensive role of a navy is projection of force into areas beyond a country's shores (for example, to protect sea-lanes, deter or confront piracy, ferry troops, or attack other navies, ports, or shore installations). The strategic defensive purpose of a navy is to frustrate seaborne projection-of-force by enemies. The strategic task of a navy also may incorporate nuclear deterrence by use of submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Naval operations can be broadly divided between riverine and littoral applications (brown-water navy), open-ocean applications (blue-water navy), and something in between (green-water navy), although these distinctions are more about strategic scope than tactical or operational division.