Maritime Defence Without Naval Threat: The Case of the Baltic

Abstract

Discussions of naval doctrine seem to be totally dominated by the classical notions of sea-power and destruction of commerce. According to these concepts, in any war the Soviet Union would seek to imperil the transatlantic supply lines, compelling the West to strengthen its escort capability, and, as in the strategy of John Lehman, former US Secretary of the Navy, to reassert undisputed naval supremacy, pushing the Soviet navy back through the Norwegian Sea and into closed seas like the Baltic, and tying it down in the defence of its home and base areas.