Coalition naval engagement develops critical partnerships, enhances interoperability between allies, and lays the groundwork for working with future coalition air, sea and ground forces. Second, we seek to deter aggression and to promote stability and prosperity. Naval forces, working alone or in coalitions, provide civilian leadership another dimension in their international relations. Naval forces reassure allies and provide sustainable, and scalable combat presence across the operational spectrum from humanitarian response to armed conflict. Third, operating from the sea, naval forces are unencumbered and able to provide timely crisis response.
Naval forces possess the endurance to remain on station.
There simply is no substitute for being there. Fourth, naval forces most elemental responsibility either alone or in coalitions is to deter war. But if that fails we can enable the smooth and rapid transition from crisis to conflict. And importantly, following crisis resolution, self- sustaining naval forces possess the endurance to remain on station and manage the transition back to peace and stability. Naval forces are the forward presence force, on station before, during, and after a crisis.