Combined Operations in Modern Naval Warfare

Book excerpt: In this paper, I have touched on three important aspects of the interservice coordination problem as it relates to planning for maritime conflicts. First, there are indeed important reasons why the Department of the Navy's planning process is substantially different from those of the other services. Second, when the services do collaborate on any level, the nature of that cooperation tends to follow a consistent pattern. Third, I have listed a few areas in which the modern military context has put growing pressure on traditional ad hoc joint arrangements. Finally, I have cited a few leading directions along which would-be joint planners might find productive interservice cooperation opportunities.