naval warfare

Military operations conducted on, under, or over the sea and waged against other seagoing vessels or targets on land or in the air. The earliest naval attacks were raids by the armed men of a tribe or town using fishing boats or merchant ships. The first warships were galleys, replaced in the 16th and 17th centuries by sail-driven warships equipped with cannons. The British victory over the Spanish Armada (1588) marked a major development: British galleons refused to allow the Spanish ships to get close enough for boarding and hand-to-hand combat and instead pounded them with guns of superior firing capability. Ships of the line and cruisers emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the later 19th century, steam replaced sail propulsion, and ironclads offered greater protection against the increasing power of guns. The battleship, developed in these years, reigned until World War II, when the Pearl Harbor attack proved that bombers launched from aircraft carriers could sink any and all surface ships. Since then, naval air power—missiles as well as carrier-based planes—has been the primary weapon of the world's fleets. Submarines also play a major role in naval warfare.

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Act of war whereby one party blocks entry to or departure from an enemy area, often a coast. Blockades are regulated by international law and custom, which require advance warning to neutral states and impartial application. Penalties for breach of blockade are seizure of ship and cargo and their possible condemnation as lawful prizes. Neutral ships may not be destroyed for blockade running.

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Institution for the training of commissioned officers for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. It was founded at Annapolis, Md., in 1845 and reorganized in 1850–51. Women were first admitted in 1976. Graduates are awarded the degree of bachelor of science and a commission as ensign in the Navy or as second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Annapolis has produced many notable Americans, including George Dewey, Richard E. Byrd, Chester Nimitz, William F. Halsey, Jr., A.A. Michelson, Hyman Rickover, Jimmy Carter, Ross Perot, and several astronauts.

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On a Naval Ship or shore activity, a Department is a section devoted to one of several major tasks. Most Ships have Operations, Engineering, Deck or Weapons, and Medical Departments. Aircraft Carriers and some large landing vessels have an Aviation, while cargo ships have one for that purpose.

In the book Carrier, Tom Clancy records the various departments of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington as they were in autumn 1997. Interestingly, Clancy wrote the book without having ever set foot on the ship.

• Administration (ADMIN)—the record keepers of the ship and oversees personnel, maintenance, logistics, financial and other records. The Department Head (DH) was a Lieutenant (O-3).
• Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Division (AIMD)—provides spares, maintenance facilities and support personnel for the Carrier Air Wing. The DH was a Commander.
• Air Department (AIR)—oversees operations on the flight deck, hangars and air-space near the carrier. The DH is known as the "Air Boss" and is a Commander; his assistant is called the "Mini Boss" and is usually a Commander.
• Command Religious Ministries Department (CRMD)—looks after the crew's spiritual and moral welfare. The DH was a Captain and the Command Chaplain of the ship.
• Deck Department (DECK)—handles lines, anchors and small boats among a range of other traditional sailor duties. The Deck Department is headed by a Lieutenant Commander.
• Medical Department (MEDICAL)—OiC: Senior Medical Officer (SMO) a Medical Corps CDR.
• Dental Department (DENTAL)—provides dental services to the crew of the carrier and battle group. The DH was a Dental Corps CDR. In FY 2007 the Navy began to merge aircraft carriers' Medical & Dental Depts into a single "Health Services Dept" under the SMO. This process began aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) in the fall of 2006. This combined HS Dept is still colloquially known as the Medical Dept. And continuing longtime naval tradition, the main spaces occupied by the Med Dept are still colloquially known as Sickbay.
• Engineering Department (CRMD)—responsible for most systems on board the ship from electrical power to sewage treatment. The Chief Engineer (CHENG) is usually a Lieutenant Commander. On non-nuclear ships the Engineering Department is responsible for the propulsion systems. On a nuclear-powered ship, the reactors are maintained by the secretive Reactor Department (REACTOR). The head of the Reactor Department is the ship's Reactor Officer (RO) and was a Captain.
• Combat Systems Division (CSD)—OiC: Combat System Officer (CSO) a CDR.
• Legal Department (LEGAL)—OiC: Ship's Legal Officer (LEGAL-OFF) a JAG Corps LCDR.
• Marine Detachment (MARDET)—OiC: Marine 1st Lieutenant.
• Navigation Department (NAV)—OiC: Navigation Officer ('GATOR') a CDR.
• Operations Department (OPS)—OiC: Operations Officer (OPSO) a CDR.
• Safety Department (SAFETY)—OiC: Safety Officer (SAFETYO) a CDR.
• Supply Department (SUPPLY)—OiC: Supply Officer (SUPPO) a Supply Corps CDR.
• Training Department (TRAINING)—OiC: an LT (O-3).
• Weapons Department (WEPS)— OiC: the 'Gunner' or "Gun Boss," a CDR. Firing weapons controlled by the Tactical Action Officer (TAO) in the Combat Direction Center (CDC).

See also: military science, Military History of the United States