Washington, D.C.–The Heritage Foundation’s Center for National Defense has released the third in a series of essays by noted defense experts in the lead-up to the annual release of Heritage’s “Index of U.S. Military Strength,” Thursday, Oct. 5.

In the third essay in the series, “The Naval Warfare Domain,” Tom Callender, a career submarine officer, former director for capabilities in the Office of the Deputy Undersecretary of the Navy for Policy, and now senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, characterizes the world of water and the challenges and advantages of operating in the maritime domain.

The first two essays addressing the land and air domains were authored by Dr. David E. Johnson and Col. Harry Foster, respectively.

Every year, The Heritage Foundation sponsors a series of essays by noted defense and national security experts as part of its annual “Index of U.S. Military Strength.”

The “2018 Index of U.S. Military Strength”—the fourth edition—will be released Oct. 5, 2017. This year, The Heritage Foundation is releasing one essay per week in advance of its publication. Each essay examines one of the crucial warfighting domains—land, air, sea, space, and cyber—which are essential to understand if one is to assess U.S. national defense requirements.

These essays define the most important and enduring characteristics of their respective domains, explain evolving trends, and apply the effects of these trends to the conduct of war in and through each of the various domains.

These essays will be contained in The Heritage Foundation’s “2018 Index of U.S. Military Strength,” the annual authoritative evaluation of the current state of U.S. military power and its ability to defend national security interests in an increasingly challenging world. Decision-makers across the U.S. political and defense establishments look to the "Index" for its unvarnished assessments based on unassailable facts and a deeply informed understanding of what is needed to protect our country.

2018 Index of Military Strength Naval Domain by The Heritage Foundation on Scribd