Modern Naval Warfare

The ever-increasing pace of technological development has changed the face of naval warfare since World War Two ended 80 years ago. Big-gun battleships and cruisers have disappeared, replaced by the aircraft carrier, submarine, and missile-laden destroyer. New weapons – aerial drones, robotic warships and autonomous submarines, to name a few – promise to take naval warfare into a new era. Threats and opportunities abound for great powers and struggling nations alike. This new special edition looks at the history of naval operations and weapons development since 1945, the growth of new technologies, and what the future may hold. Readers will see how naval warfare has reached its present state, and where it will go in the coming decades.