Why is the navy important for the development of an empire? The Naval force is the key to force projection aboard and the protection of commerce routes thereby securing the wealth of the Empire. There are currently two generally accepted versions of naval strategy. The first and most essential form of a naval power is referred to as a brown water navy or littoral navy.Littoral navies are tasked primarily with the defense of the nation in the coastal waters, rivers and estuaries or in other terms from the shore of the nation to a depth of 200’, http://forums.navalwarfare.net/showthread.php?t=1133. Littoral navies defend the coast line of their nation from foreign invasion while securing their commerce from the threat of pirate attack offering a safe environment to conduct business and influencing coastal commerce.
China until recent years operated former soviet design diesel electric submarines specifically designed for costal protection due to their decreased range and reduced noise signatures which make them well suited for shallow water operations. The (3) nuclear submarines operated by the PLN (People’s Liberation Navy) were technology demonstrators that were used to better their submarine building techniques and were symbols of national pride. In addition to the submarines China operates large numbers of costal patrol vessels, in fact the most numerous of all of their ships are of their costal patrol vessels which number in the ball park of 760 ships, and include missile boats, torpedo boats and gun boats.
These ships are all short range vessels of antiquated design and are intended to defend the coast of China and its immediate coastal waters.China has signaled its intent to expand its influence beyond the South China Sea. Since 1985 China has purchased (4) retired aircraft carriers (CV), (1) Austrian and (3) ex-Soviet. China purchased each of the ships under the pretense that it would break them up for scrap or they would be used as hotel or casinos. China is currently refurbishing the Varyag (ex-Soviet) and currently is building (2) indigenous carries with an expected completion date of 2015. The PLN has recently introduced the new Type 52 which apparently mirrors the capabilities of the early USN Aleigh Burke class destroyers (DDG). Coupled with the new aircraft carries and modern air defense destroyers the PLN has committed to a crash program over the next several years to rebuild its submarine force into a nuclear and modern force with the help of former Russian engineers. The PLN is currently deploying new SSN’s armed with cruise missiles and SSBN’s (nuclear power Ballistic Missile equipped submarines) armed with missile capable of striking targets up to 5,000km from their embarkation point.
The benefit of a nuclear submarine (SSN, SSGN or SSBN) is that its range is only limited by the amount of food stores it can carry and the endurance of its crew to life under the sea. The down side to nuclear submarines is that they are very expensive so much so that the current boat being produced by the USN cost $3 billion per copy. Furthermore the cost of aircraft carriers and new destroyers is cost prohibitive as well and currently cost the USN $13.5 and $1.5 Billion per copy respectively. Contrarily these advanced ships all share one major trait other than their extreme cost and incredible power and it is range, unlimited range to project its incredible power onto the shores of nations abroad. 
All of these advancements in naval power have their cost and China recently published their military budget for 2010, which was $77.95 Billion dollars and while it might pale in comparison to the US budget while it being only 8.5% of America’s it is the second largest military budget in the world. Unfortunately the above graphic does not reflect the year of 2009, in that year China increased its military budget by 14.9%. Although, China’s largest increase was in 2008 and was an estimated 20.8% and it has maintained an annual 16.2% increase annually for the past decade, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aVsYPKCY1aNg&refer=asia.The importance of navy can be traced back to the Battle of Thermopylae, were Themistocles used 200 Athenian Triremes’ to inflict serious casualties upon the Persian armada, http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/weaponswar/p/blpwtherm.htm. The Persian navy was the primary source of resupply to their army ashore whose destruction along with the help of the Spartans led to the collapse of the Persian initiative to subjugate the Macedonian peninsula. Furthermore the dominance of the classical Greek Navy helped to secure the Mediterranean which in turn allowed for the many city states of the Greek peninsula to flourish as the exported their domestically produced goods throughout the Mediterranean allowing them to build a strong tradition of naval dominance and a culture of commerce there by allowing them to expand their empire and conquer the know world, http://www.ancient-greece.org/history/classical.html.
Unfortunately the cost of maintaining such an empire coupled with the designs of aspiring nations led to the demise of Hellenistic Greece and led to the emergence of the Romans.
The Romans learned the importance of a navy when they went to war with Carthage an empire whose power was securely anchored in shipping and competence, which funded a large navy to secure their wealth. Upon the outset of the first Punic Wars, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Navy, the Romans had a rather dim view of naval force at the outset of this conflict, but latter they were forced to reconsider this opinion which led to the creation of a substantial force that later allowed them to secure their wealth afloat on the Mediterranean and eventually destroy the Empire of Carthage which secured their core empire for the next two hundred years.
Every major empire of the western world despite its original designs has at some point come to the conclusion, usually through conflict, that a strong navy was essential to the strength of its empire and the protection of its wealth. After the light began to shine through the cracks of the dark ages and the many empires of Europe began to expand across the Atlantic Ocean the lesson learned a millennium ago would have to be relearned by the aspiring states. This lesson was first learned by the by Spanish who upon colonizing the new world for God, Glory and Gold were forced to create navy that would influence international policy. Due to the dangerous waters of the Caribbean a new larger and powerful ship emerged, the Spanish galleon. The galleon would be responsible for securing the transport of untold riches from the new world home to Europe.
Later the British Navy would soon also be forced to learn the same lessons as many generations before. As tempers flared on the continent of Europe long time rivals the Britain and Spanish Empires were destined for conflict. The Spanish armada along with a landing force of approximately 30,000 was determined to land on the shores of southern England in an effort to subjugate the British Empire to Spanish rule. Fortunately for the British they were blessed with Sir Francis Drake and the typical bad weather associated with the British Isles which led ultimately to the defeat of the Armada.
Following the defeat of the Spanish Navy the empire went into decline and allowed many of its holdings to fall to both British and French rule in the New World. As the coffers of the Spanish empire were depleted at the hands of British naval raids the new power on the ocean laid in the hands of the British. The British would soon use their new found naval prowess to develop their assets in the new world and eventually become the most influential naval power in the world.
The incredible cost to maintain and empire can also be expressed with the history of the British Empire dominate force on the world’s oceans allowing them to expand their economic industry, culture and imperialistic influence to every corner of the globe.
The Large French navy was used to transport troops and materiel across the ocean during the American Revolution and would later be a deciding factor in the British surrender to American forces which lead to the conclusion of the hostilities. Bad blood between Americas ally and the British would be one of the catalysts of the war of 1812. During the years prior to the outbreak of war between the British and Americans British naval forces would secure American merchant vessels and press their crews into service for the British crown claiming they were dissident subjects. The impressments of American Sailors along with trade tensions would lead to this war, but one of the factors which could have prevented the conflict would have been a stronger American navy.
Thomas Jefferson and the American Navy finally got the message prior to the Barbary Pirates War and Americas first use of power projection overseas. The Barbary Pirates of Tripoli for years had used force to extract tribute from the countries of Europe and America. Thomas Jefferson decided to use the military force of the new nation to solve a problem that it could no longer afford. The president dispatched a small unit of Marines (Naval Infantry) to Tripoli to secure the shipping lanes for commerce. This action solidified the future of Americas Naval Infantry and set our country on path to conquer the seas and the world. Naval might was used again force Japan in 1853 to open its doors to international influence and commerce setting two nations on an ominous path to war.
Throughout the course of history no empire of any significance has been able to exist without a powerful navy. A navy allows a nation to protect its wealth and secure its borders from foreign invasion. Unfortunately for the once great British Empire and the waning American Empire the cost the navy is becoming unbearable and is forcing them to cut back the sizes respectfully leading to a decreased influence abroad.
