Blue Water Force

On the Navy Day, Raksha Mantri has greeted all naval personnel and called itself a formidable blue water force.

Blue Water Navy

• A Blue Water Navy is one that has the capacity to project itself over a much bigger maritime area than its maritime borders.
• Simply put, it is a Navy that can go into the vast, deep oceans of the world.
• However, while most navies have the capacity to send ships into the deep oceans, a Blue Water Force is able to carry out operations far from its borders, without being required to return to its home port to refuel or re-stock.
• While it is evident that Blue Water navies belong to the most powerful nations, there is no one internationally agreed upon definition.
• Owning one or more aircraft carriers is sometimes seen as a marker.

Color classification in Navy

• Navies are classified in terms of colours.
• A navy whose operations are restricted close to the shore, where the water is muddy, is called a Brown Water Force.
• A navy that can go farther out is called a Green Water Force. And then there is a Blue Water Force.

Defining Blue Water Navy

• According to the Indian Maritime Doctrine, 2015 the ability to undertake distant operations distinguish a blue-water navy from a brown-water force.
• It requires strong integral capacity, including logistics, surveillance, networked operations, etc., and enabling capability, including equipment design, training, doctrine and organisation.
• It states distant operations rely upon the attributes of access, mobility, sustenance and reach in order to show presence, project power and/or accomplish other national objectives in the area of interest.
• As the Indian Navy has the capacity to carry distant operations “at or from the sea, up to considerable distance from national shore bases”, it qualifies as a Blue Water Force.