Green - water navy Green - water navy is terminology created to describe a national naval force that is designed primarily to provide coastal defense and may be beginning to acquire the ability to sustain operations on the open ocean . It is a relatively new term , and has been created to better distinguish , and add nuance , between two long - standing descriptors : blue - water navy and brown - water navy . It is a non - doctrinal naval term used in different ways . It originates with the US Navy , who use it to refer to the portion of their fleet that specializes in offensive operations in coastal waters . Nowadays such ships rely on stealth or speed to avoid destruction by shore batteries or land - based aircraft . The US Navy has also used the term to refer to the first phase of the expansion of China ' s navy into a full blue - water navy . Subsequently other authors have applied it to other national navies that can project power locally , but cannot sustain operations at range without the help of other countries . Such navies typically have amphibious ships and sometimes small aircraft carriers , which can be escorted by destroyers and frigates with some logistical support from tankers and other auxiliaries . The term is sometimes applied to navies that focus solely on coastal defence , such as North Korea . Definitions . The elements of maritime geography are loosely defined and their meanings have changed throughout history . The USA ' s 2010 Naval Operations Concept defines blue water as " the open ocean " , green water as " coastal waters , ports and harbors " , and brown water as " navigable rivers and their estuaries " . Robert Rubel of the US Naval War College includes bays in his definition of brown water , and in the past US military commentators have extended brown water out to from shore . During the Cold War , green water denoted those areas of ocean in which naval forces might encounter land - based aircraft . The development of long - range bombers with antiship missiles turned most of the oceans to " green " and the term all but disappeared . After the Cold War , US amphibious taskforces were sometimes referred to as the green - water navy , in contrast to the blue - water carrier battlegroups . This distinction disappeared as increasing threats in coastal waters forced the amphibious ships further offshore , delivering assaults by helicopter and tiltrotor from over the horizon . This prompted the development of ships designed to operate in such waters - the Zumwalt class destroyer and the littoral combat ship s ; modelling has suggested that current NATO frigates are vulnerable to swarms of 4 - 8 small boats in green water . Rubel has proposed redefining green water as those areas of ocean which are too dangerous for high - value units , requiring offensive power to be dispersed into smaller vessels such as submarines that can use stealth and other characteristics to survive . Under his scheme , brown water would be zones in which ocean - going units could not operate at all , including rivers , minefields , straits and other choke points . As the preeminent blue - water navy of the early 21st century , the US Navy is able to define maritime geography in terms of offensive action in the home waters of its enemies , without being constrained by logistics . This is not true for most other navies , whose supply chains and air cover typically limit them to power projection within a few hundred kilometres of home territory . A number of countries are working on overcoming these constraints , most notably China . China is expanding her navy in order to project power first over the South China Sea out to the first island chain ( Japan / Taiwan etc . ) , and subsequently to the second island chain ( Marianas and Carolines ) . The US military refer to the first phase as a green - water navy and the second as China ' s blue - water navy . Other authors have started to apply the term " green - water navy " to any national navy that has ocean - going ships but lacks the logistical support needed for a blue - water navy . It ' s often not clear what they mean , as the term is used without consistency or precision . List of green - water navies . Brazilian Navy . The Brazilian Navy operates one aircraft carrier and two dock landing ships . Brazil is known to have plans for two new CATOBAR aircraft carriers , likely replacing the one in service . Royal Canadian Navy . The Royal Canadian Navy ' s fleet consists of 66 vessels ; 34 of which are commissioned ships ( carry the HMCS designation ) . The RCN ( formerly : MARCOM ) operates 12 Halifax class frigates , 3 Heavy Iroquois class destroyers , 4 Victoria class diesel powered submarines , 2 Protecteur class auxiliary vessels as well as 12 Kingston class coastal defence ships . The Royal Canadian Navy operates all across the globe , most recently actively supporting coalition forces in the gulf of Aden ( Operation Apollo ) , Libya ( Operation Mobile ) and the Persian Gulf during Canada ' s costly ten year commitment to the war in Afghanistan . Canada is currently considering the procurement of several amphibious assault ships and Arctic patrol ships ( similar to those used by the Norwegian and Danish navies to increase its already significant presence in the Arctic under the JSS program ( Joint Support Ship ) . Chilean Navy . The Chilean Navy is developing an amphibious expeditionary capability centered on the ex - French Navy vessel Foudre . Colombian Navy . The Colombian Navy has in order two amphibious capability ships from COTECMAR , a domestic supplier that works closely with the Navy to design and build ships . Italian Navy . The Italian Navy operates aircraft carriers and landing ships . Indian Navy . The Indian Navy operates one aircraft carrier - INS Viraat and the landing ship INS Jalashwa . The Indian Navy has undertaken an extensive rearmament and modernization program . Indonesian Navy . The Indonesian Navy operates Makassar class landing platform dock . There are 4 ships in this class . The first long - range operation conducted by the Indonesian Navy was to rescue 20 Indonesians that were kept hostage by Somali Pirates in the Gulf of Aden on March 2011 . Japan Maritime Self - Defense Force . The Japan Maritime Self - Defense Force deploys four " new eight - eight " flotillas consisted of eight destroyers ( include helicopter carrier ) apart from five frigate squadron served for the coastal defense mission . Naval aviation consists of 179 fixed - wing aircraft and 135 helicopters . People ' s Liberation Army Navy . The People ' s Republic of China Navy is undergoing a modernization program . The PRC Navy has deployed assets in the Mediterranean Sea and conducted counter - piracy operations off the Somali coast . The navy currently comprises one aircraft carrier , 3 transport docks , ~ 80 major surface combatants ( destroyers / frigates ) and up to 70 submarines ( nuclear and conventional ) , along with hundreds of auxiliary / support vessels and landing ships . The People ' s Liberation Army Navy also operates a naval air arm consisting of 500 aircraft and 56 , 000 naval infantry marines . Republic of Korea Navy . The Republic of Korea Navy aims to operate a blue - water navy by 2020 . They are undertaking an ambitious fleet build - up program . These ships could also serve as small aircraft carriers if fitted with a ski jump module . The Korean government is considering to buy surplus harriers as a possible interium for the F - 35 lightning II if they choose to operate VTOL aircraft at all . In addition to these Landing Ships new surface combatants are being built under the KDX ( Korean Destroyer eXperimental ) program . Other smaller patrol boats , tank landing ships and mine warfare ships are being constructed as well . This significant build up is not only because of South Korea ' s blue - water ambitions , but the switch of wartime operational command from the US to South Korea by 2015 . Royal Australian Navy . In December 2007 the Royal Australian Navy ordered two " Canberra " class Helicopter Landing Docks ( LHD ) from a Spanish company based on the design of the Spanish Navy ' s " Juan Carlos I " . It is expected that they will receive the two ships starting in 2014 . Royal Netherlands Navy . The Royal Netherlands Navy is changing its role from national defence to intervention . Royal Netherlands Navy operates Rotterdam class amphibious ships . Lead Ship was HNLMS Rotterdam , the second ship of the class is HNLMS Johan de Witt . Russian Navy . The Cold War era Soviet Navy maintained a full blue water navy . After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 , it was renamed as the Russian Navy and the fleet experienced a rapid deterioration due to lack of financing . However , in recent years , more funds are being spent on the armed forces . The Russian Navy currently operates one aircraft carrier : Admiral Kuznetsov . In addition , it operates the Ivan Rogov class and Ropucha class amphibious ships . Russia is currently undergoing a massive rearmament and modernization program . In 2007 it planned to replace at least 45 % of the equipment of its army and navy by 2015 , although the global financial crisis has reduced their ambitions since then . However there are still ambitious plans for future aircraft carriers . Under this building program the Admiral Kuznetsov will be replaced by two nuclear powered carriers . This new fleet will be at full strength by 2027 . Republic of Singapore Navy . The Republic of Singapore Navy operates Formidable class frigate and the Endurance class landing platform dock ship . This ships have been deployed to places as far as Somalia for counter piracy operation . The Endurance class landing platform dock ship have also been used to travel to regional destinations as part of the midshipman sea training term . Amphibious Capability - centered on the Endurance class landing platform dock ship Spanish Navy . The Spanish Navy is conducting a modernization program .