News, Articles and Comment

Ed. Sixteen years ago, in response to a History Today article for the 66^th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, Rules of the Game author Andrew Gordon examined the question of the strategic significance of the air battle (in which FAA pilots took part), and emphasized the RN’s role in stopping the German invasion before it could begin. Republished here from NR 95/1 for the 83^rd anniversary of the Battle. A 15 minute read.

Ed. The author examines the difficulty of planning Operation CHROMITE, General MacArthur’s daring amphibious assault on Inchon during the Korean War. MacArthur’s ability to situate the landing in the strategic context of the Cold War, and his mastery of operational warfare, ensured that the local tactical difficulties were overcome. Winner of the Professor Eric Grove Memorial Prize at BRNC Dartmouth. A 15 minute read.

Ed. In July 1997 (NR 85/3, p. 202) Lt G D Franklin reviewed the experience of the British Pacific Fleet (BPF) in the war against Japan, observing that, although the valuable combat lessons paid dividends in Korea, by the time of the Falklands conflict they had seemingly been forgotten. Republished here for the 78^th anniversary of VJ Day. A 25 minute read.

Ed. The Naval Review‘s Briefing Room is being expanded to include expert summaries on UK Defence institutions and formations. Currently on file are summaries of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) and, reproduced here, the United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG).

Ed. Major General Jim Morris RM is Standing Joint Force Commander (SJFC). Among his responsibilities is command of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Headquarters, for which the UK is the NATO-nominated framework nation. In this article he considers some of the security challenges faced in the Arctic High North and the Baltic regions and the importance of the JEF as a regional security framework for delivering security. A 10 minute read.

Ed. With a laudable desire for linguistic clarity worthy of David Watkin Waters, Dr Mark Barton considers the language barrier impacting the cultivation of Joint and Service-wide consensus of concept meaning in operational planning. A 10 minute read.

Ed. The increasingly Joint and interservice nature of senior command raises fascinating possibilities regarding the career paths of future RN and RM officers. Through research and interviews the author asks, and answers, the question of what path a Royal Marine might follow to become First Sea Lord. A 30 minute read.

Ed. The author surveys the Delivering Combined Seapower (DCS) concept, with the goal of moving from interoperable USN-RN operations to a more thoroughly integrated interchangeable dynamic. Credit to the United States Center for Maritime Strategy, originally published on the Maritime Ops Center website (https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/strengthening-the-special-relationship-delivering-combined-sea-power/). A 5 minute read.