Web Sitings

Official Naval Policy

Gregory L. Witol

From the Summer 1997 Issue of Maritime Affairs Newsletter

What makes the internet such a fascinating and novel method of research is the ability to access documents from a variety of sources, nearly instantaneously. Within the last year or so, several countries have released new naval and defence strategies and updates. Being able to view all of these documents gives the researcher the opportunity to compare and contrast where different navies are heading. It is particularly interesting to see how different regions perceive their interests and threats. In this column, we'll go over the availability of strategy documents from a variety of regions around the globe.

Canada, for example, has released Adjusting Course: A Naval Strategy for Canada in March of 1997. The complete document can be found at http://www.marlant.hlfx.dnd.ca/actofc.html. As a document, it is aimed far more at defence researchers and analysts. A more "public" document is The Naval Vision, (http://www.marlant.hlfx.dnd.ca/vision.html).

The Royal Navy's home page (http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk) has plenty of interesting and detailed information, but its presentation is obviously based on a "general public" approach. Still, the section on the future of the Royal Navy, and their comprehensive FAQ section, covers a lot of ground. For a more detailed view on the future of the Royal Navy (and the UK's defence policy as a whole, try the Statement of the Defence Estimates 1996, available at http://www.the-stationery-office.co.uk/document/ mod/defence/deffc.htm. A summary can be found at http://www.mod.uk/def_wp96/def_wp96.htm.

Without a doubt, the US Navy is the most advanced in terms of available information on the internet. The 1997 Posture Statement Enduring Impact...From the Sea is now posted at http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/policy/from sea/pos97/pos-top.html. You can examine the entirety of the "...From the Sea" strategic outlook since its inception in 1992 through its various updates. The full available list is at http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/.www/subject.html.

On the other side of the world, Australia has released a new Federal Coalition policy paper on Australia's Defence. You can download the document in plain old ASCII text, MS-Word, or Wordperfect from http://www.npa.org.au/npapolcy.htm.

New Zealand is also undergoing a defence review, but don't look for information at the The Royal New Zealand Navy Homepage (http://www.govt.nz/navy/). It has very little on the site right now. The best I could find on New Zealand's defence policy was at the Australian Directorate of Army Research and Analaysis's web site, at http://www.adfa.oz.au/DOD/dara/issue11.htm.

While most states are facing changing strategic issues, few have faced the upheaval of South Africa. There is currently a Draft White Paper on National Defence for the Republic of South Africa at http://www.polity.org.za/govdocs/white_papers/defence.html . Don't look for too much service specific information, though. The words "navy," "army" and "air force" do not even appear in the document. Still, it does give an interesting look into what the National Unity Government sees as the strategic threats to South Africa.

Israel, on the other hand, faces much of the same strategic problems that it did almost 50 years ago, albeit in a changing context of regional peace efforts. The Israeli Defence Forces have only recently developed their own web site. Strategic information on the sight is limited, with only a point form page on "Israel's Security Doctrine" at http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/idf/security.html. Basic information can also be found on the Israeli Ministry of Foriegn Affairs site, at http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/facts/state/fstate11.html.

In the North Pacific, the Japanese Defense Agency has an English/Japanese web site, containing the 1996 White Paper Defense of Japan, at http://www.jda.go.jp/pab/8aramasi/defcont.htm. You can also find detailed information on the role of the Japanese navy at the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force Site, at http://www.jda.go.jp/JMSDF/INDEX_E.HTM.

South Korea's web site, while mostly in Korean, does include the 1996-97 Defence White Paper in English, located at http://www.mnd.go.kr/96whitepaper/index.htm.

For the most part, this is a large group of primary source documents. In the next column, we'll cover some excellent sources for secondary analysis.

Gregory L. Witol is the web site manager for the Naval Officers' Association of Canada and the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies, Dalhousie University. He can be reached at webmaster@naval.ca.