Navy

Since the end of World War II, naval warfare has undergone a technological revolution as sweeping as that of the 19th century. Nuclear propulsion today provides greatly enhanced speed and endurance, particularly for submarines, which are no longer handicapped by the need to surface to recharge their electric batteries. Guided missiles have replaced guns as the warship's primary weapon, and the atomic-powered submarine, fitted with nuclear-tipped missiles that can be fired from beneath the sea, has become a major deterrent to all-out warfare. During World War II, the U.S. Navy replaced the British navy as the world's strongest. Before its dissolution, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) embarked on a massive naval construction program. Although in actual number of ships the USSR navy was greater than that of the United States, many of their ships lacked the range, qualities, and tonnage necessary to participate in a global conflict.

Accurate cruise missiles and torpedoes of increasingly long range and deadly potential have made large ships highly vulnerable. More and more, modern navies can be expected to deploy their striking power under water, with the surface fleet concentrated on small but powerful and highly versatile vessels.

See also Naval Vessels; United States Navy.