ABSTRACT
In both World War I and World War II, the United States allied with the United Kingdom to form the principal maritime power against the predominant land power on the continent. In both wars, the major task of the US Navy in the Atlantic was to protect the movement of men and material to Europe so that the dominant land power could be defeated. The roles of naval forces in the North Atlantic are being reshaped by the forward maritime strategy. The Soviet priorities for the Northern Fleet and the Kola military complex have attracted a shift in NATO’s maritime strategy in that direction. Control of northern Norway and the Norwegian Sea is essential for Soviet naval operations in the North Atlantic. The marines in northern Norway also have a direct role in protecting the North Atlantic sea lines of communications from Soviet long-range bombers.
