Beyond the threshold: The Royal Navy’s role in intra-war deterrence

“If you rub it in, both at home and abroad, that you are ready for instant war… and intend to be first in, and hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down… then people will keep clear of you.” – Admiral of the Fleet Lord ‘Jackie’ Fisher Whilst the Royal Navy is the custodian of the United Kingdom’s ultimate security guarantee via the Continuous At-Sea Deterrent (CASD), and often synonymous with that role, the utility of sea power extends far beyond the binary of deterrence success or failure. The calculus of deterrence doesn’t end at the first shot, as Schelling argue…