Throughout the past year the maritime forces of multiple nations operated on, under, and above the world’s oceans and coastal zones as instruments of national power. From flexing military muscle to helping with humanitarian crises, from calming nervous allies to gathering sensitive intelligence, today’s fleets were often spread thin, but still managed to have a direct and outsized impact on the global scene.
This review of the world’s navies presents a snapshot of activities and developments during the past year. It is arranged by region, with nations discussed alphabetically under each subheading.
Australia/Asia
The first of Australia ’s new 7,000-ton Aegis-equipped air-warfare destroyers, the Hobart , was launched on 23 May 2015 and is to join the fleet in mid-2017, followed by younger sister Brisbane in late 2018 and the Sydney in early 2020.
