ABSTRACT
Soviet postwar naval development contrasts sharply with United States (US) efforts as befits a nation attempting to build up a navy in the face of the successful naval capabilities of the Western Alliance. United States naval emphasis on antiair warfare has been continuous since World War II, and some of the world's most capable fighter aircraft and surface-to-air missile systems have been developed by the US Navy. Ideas for improving the overall effectiveness of the US Navy or for shifting emphasis from power projection to sea control are as numerous as complaints about the Navy's lack of capability and its imbalance. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, executed from aircraft carriers, all but sealed the fate of the battleship in the US Navy. The US Navy is assigned two principal missions—sea control and power projection. The official view is that the US Navy is marginally able to discharge its sea control responsibilities, at least in most areas of vital interest.
