Samuel P. Huntington's 1954 article "National Policy and the Transoceanic Navy" provided an analytical frame for defining a military service's strategic concept, arguing its clarity is crucial for resource allocation and effective organization. Huntington identified three U.S. national security phases: continental, oceanic (anchored in Alfred Thayer Mahan's theories linking sea command to national power), and Eurasian, where he advocated a "transoceanic Navy" projecting power onto the Eurasian continent.
The author critiques Huntington's dismissal of Mahan, arguing Mahan's vision was broader, coupling naval power with economic strength and trade protection. Referencing Commander Jeff Vandenengel, the article suggests the Eurasian phase is over, replaced by a "Pacific phase" confronting China for command of the sea. The author contends the U.S. Navy's current narrow strategic concept, focused on military projection ashore, has severed its historical link to economic well-being. The article concludes the Navy's purpose must be reoriented to protect national trade, wealth, and the American way of life, as originally understood by the founders and Mahan.
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