Page 145 - MDSL Final

CONCEPTS AND APPLICATION OF MARITIME POWER
face the new and existing maritime challenges and to improve maritime
security and economic progress in the country.

‘Maritime power represents the country’s wealth and
prosperity.’

Employment of Maritime Power

Command of the Sea

The term Command of the Sea believed to be first used
by the Royal Navy in sixteenth century. In the strict
definition of the term, Command of the Sea meant
complete, absolute and permanent control of a specific
part of the ocean or sea area, thereby ensuring one’s free
use of sea lanes of communication and full denial of it to
the adversary. However, in practice Command of the Sea
can never be achieved as per the definition by securing a
certain sea area by way of permanent presence of a naval
force.

The destruction of enemy’s fleet is the best method to
achieve the Command of the Sea. The Japanese defeat in
the Battle of Midway with heavy losses paved the way for
allied forces to achieve Command of the Sea in the pacific
theatre of battle during the Second World War.

In practical terms, Command of the Sea can be achieved
by one side when they are relatively superior to the
adversary in a certain area of the ocean ensuring freedom
of navigation, uninterrupted flow of shipping whilst
denying same to the enemy.

The Command of the Sea could be achieved if our maritime forces being
able to exploit the seas for own advantage while denying the use of
enemy. However, it is argued that in contemporary maritime situation,
achieving of Command of the Sea is unrealistic and it is limited to time

To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea 127