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@SwiftOnSecurity Oh hells yeah. So let's back up to the glorious age of sail. Wind is free. Coal ain't. You gotta get it from somewhere. So nations with strong navies start finding coal. And then when you have it, you've got to have places to resupply your ships. So now it's a land grab
@SwiftOnSecurity Everyone's grabbing islands or making treaties to establish coaling stations. This meant that nation states raced in competition with each other to extend their naval reach: more stations, more reach. Coincided with the rise of the great powers, leading to WWI, natch
@SwiftOnSecurity Transition to oil meant longer operational reach, especially with refueling ships. But means oil is hella important. Like HELLA important. Logistics supply lines become vital, so you need a way to secure them, etc. This was incredibly complex during WWII.
@SwiftOnSecurity Rise in airpower meant more layering of systems. In the Pacific, you couldn't do just battleships anymore. Needed carriers for air support, nearby islands for bomber bases and resupply, support craft, destroyers and cruisers, and land forces to secure islands.
@SwiftOnSecurity This leads to the carrier battle group becoming the key operational concept for the Navy, which we still see today. The interesting question is what the next fuel revolution will be, and the impacts it will have on tactics and operations.
