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

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

08 Jan 26
Posted by: Carl Hines
16 minutes, 27 seconds read
Message from the Editor

The author argues against the prevailing binary view of deterrence, favouring instead a grey zone or limited conflict model that places the RN as escalation manager, with nuclear Continuous At-Sea Deterrent (CASD) playing a vital deterrent role. A 15 minute read.

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 argued, military strategy has become the diplomacy of violence. War is not merely a contest of strength, but a bargaining process where the Royal Navy contributes to the management of escalation even after the threshold of conflict has been crossed.[1] This article exa…

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