The first sea lord has hit back at those, including army chiefs, who oppose big projects planned for the navy, notably the building of two aircraft carriers.
Attention paid to land conflicts overlooks a fundamental point about the UK's relationship with and dependence on the sea, Jonathon Band writes in the Guardian. "Our nation's dependence on the sea means that our ability to control what happens there and in the coastal regions of the world where the majority of the global population live, is central to our continued security and prosperity," he says.
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"This is not just about national defence; true, our submarines continue their role as guardians of the British nuclear deterrent, the ultimate guarantor of national defence, and our maritime operations continue around the world, whether countering piracy off Somalia or facilitating the interception of drugs in the Caribbean and elsewhere.
"The global sea lanes are the arteries along which the economy of this nation flows … The UK is an island nation and that necessitates a maritime strategy."
The navy is coming under pressure to abandon or cut projects as attempts are made to reduce defence expenditure. It was disclosed earlier this week that the costs of the two carriers, first estimated at £3.9bn, will now be at least £5bn. Pressure is mounting to abandon, or delay plans to replace Trident, estimated to cost at least £70bn over its lifespan. Existing plans also include building nuclear-powered, conventionally- armed, submarines, and a new fleet of destroyers.
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