Watching Hainan, Remembering Murmansk: Cold War Analogies, Maritime Access, and the Future of Warfare; Strategic Insights, v. 10, Special issue (October 2011), 78-91. Topic: Global Trends and Future Warfare ; Part II: Technological and Doctrinal Innovation

Abstract

This article unpacks the Northern Flank analogy and explores its implications for maritime access and denial in future warfare. It first describes the terms of the debate in the United States and, in particular, the "Anti-Access/Area Denial" (A2/AD) label that has been coined to describe the operational problem of maritime access in contemporary conditions. It then examines the Northern Flank analogy in as much detail as space limitations will allow, highlighting key aspects of the Cold War naval arms race that are sometimes overlooked in today's debates. It closes by assessing the validity of the analogy and its potential implications for maritime access and the future of warfare.