Seablindness and the Royal Navy after 1964

By Dr James W E Smith

Message from the Editor

With his trademark dissection of the conventional wisdom, the author argues that the concept of ‘seablindness’ is merely window dressing for a fundamental misunderstanding of the principles of British national strategy that has manifested over the last 60 years. A 20 minute read.

The term ‘seablindness’ is an excuse for failure. The term hides the truth, and continuing to explain away the problem of the declining understanding of the Royal Navy, maritime strategy, and seapower, by making excuses only makes the situation worse. Although never properly quantified, this term has morphed from addressing how to educate and communicate what the Navy is for, and why maritime strategy matters, to mindlessly blaming those who make decisions that impact the RN and our national defence. The notion that HM Government and Parliament should just ‘get it’ is lacklustre and distractin…

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