Naval Operations Concept - Defense Technical Information Center

n Theater anti-access weapons, including land and anti-ship ballistic
missiles (ASBMs), advanced diesel submarines, and associated ISR
networks.
n Area denial weapons in the littoral, employed by both state and
non-state actors, to include mines, coastal defense cruise missiles,
swarming fast attack craft, mini-submarines and increasingly quiet
and more capable submarines.
n Technologies that disrupt space and cyberspace capabilities,
particularly command, control, communication, computer, and
intelligence (C4I) systems.
Central Idea
Our ability to establish local sea control is fundamental to exploiting
the maritime domain as maneuver space, protecting critical sea lines of
communication, and projecting and sustaining combat power overseas.
The persistent forward presence of U.S. naval forces promotes familiarity
with the choke points, sea lanes, and littorals that comprise the strategic
maritime geography, as well as the activities and conditions that affect the
operational environment. Forward presence also facilitates engagement
with allies and partners—many of whom possess potent sea control and
power projection capabilities—who may share their superior regional
knowledge and contribute to combined sea control operations. Naval
forces achieve sea control by neutralizing or destroying threats in the
maritime, space and cyberspace domains that constrain our freedom to
maneuver, conduct follow-on missions, or restore maritime security.
Achieving Sea Control
Naval forces conduct sea control operations in environments ranging
from uncertain to openly hostile, and must frequently contend with
adversary tactics such as:
n Opposed Transit. An adversary seeks to deny U.S. and allied ability to
use the sea lines of communication outside the theater of operations.
Chapter Sea Control