How It's Used

“Beijing military strategists worry that, because they lack America’s ‘blue-water’ navy, the country is potentially vulnerable to a U.S. blockade of oil shipments from the Gulf to China.”

—Richard L. Russell, “Oil-for-Missiles,” The Wall Street Journal, January 25, 2006, p. A12.

“Unfortunately, the more luminous and thus more useful such candles are, the rarer they are and the harder it is to find enough examples to calibrate them. So the blue-water sailors of the cosmos have to step outward by a 'distance ladder,' calibrating stars nearby and then using them to calibrate brighter but rarer 'standard candles' in more distant galaxies, stepping ever outward. The standard candles of choice for many astronomers are exploding stars known as Type 1a supernovae, brilliant enough to be seen across the universe.”

—Dennis Overbye, “The Struggle to Measure Cosmic Expansion,” The New York Times, August 19, 2008.

"It's true that America remains the mightiest military power, spending as much on defence (and offence) as the rest of the world combined. But having a blue water navy and the ability to obliterate cities on every continent didn't help the Soviet Union."

—unsigned editorial, "How Springsteen's journey reflects the US," The New Zealand Herald, February 7, 2009.

"China's military expenditures are estimated to be increasing by at least 40 per cent a year, reflecting, among other things, aspirations for a full-fledged blue-water navy. India's and Japan's military expenditures are increasing at a slower yet still substantial pace. Inevitably, the military balance of power in Asia will shift. How the U.S. reacts and whether this trend enhances or decreases stability in the region is certain to be a more pressing foreign-policy issue for the next decade. Australia has moved to conclude a security arrangement with Japan. Japan, in turn, is forging new security links with India. The Shanghai group linking Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan adds a different dimension to the equation."

—Derek Burney, "Canada must outgrow its juvenile relationship with China; Pragmatic calculation of mutual self-interest should be the driver, not the mood swings of any given day," The Globe and Mail, April 11, 2009, p. A13.

"Militarily, India frets over China’s recent efforts to improve infrastructure around its frontiers and force a compromise on the disputed border. It also worries about China’s plans to develop a 'blue water' navy capable of protecting trade routes through distant waters, including the Indian Ocean."

—Jeremy Page, "Tension grows between China and India as Asia slips into cold war," The Times (UK), November 12, 2009.

Links

Related on eAlmanac
Brown-Water Navy
Green-Water Navy

Beyond eAlmanac
Wikipedia article on Blue-Water Navies