page_title: Command of the sea
section_title: Historic command of the sea during the age of sail
hierarchical_section_title: Command of the sea / Historic command of the sea during the age of sail
caption_attribution_description: English: Decorated plate made in Liverpool circa 1793-1794 On display at the Musée de la Révolution française, accession number MRF 1991-18.
context_page_description: Command of the sea is a naval military concept regarding the strength of a particular navy to a specific naval area it controlled. A navy has command of the sea when it is so strong that its rivals cannot attack it directly. This dominance may apply to its surrounding waters or may extend far into the oceans, meaning the country has a blue-water navy. It is the naval equivalent of air supremacy.
  With command of the sea, a country can ensure that its own military and merchant ships can move around at will, while its rivals are forced either to stay in port or to try to evade it. It also enables free use of amphibious operations that can expand ground-based strategic options. The British Royal Navy held command of the sea for most of the period between the 18th to the early 20th centuries, allowing Britain and its allies to trade and to move troops and supplies easily in wartime, while its enemies could not. In the post-World War II period, the United States Navy has had command of the sea.
caption: Britannia rule the waves: decorated plate made in Liverpool circa 1793-1794 (Musée de la Révolution française).
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