DOCTRINAL APPROACH TO GAIN SEABED CONTROL ‒ THE CASE OF BLACK SEA SECURITY

Abstract

The paperwork examines the complex seabed environment to emphasize the importance of gaining seabed control as part of the broader maritime security. The article demonstrates the importance of researching what the concept of “seabed warfare” means to suggest some directions for the seabed warfare doctrine alone or as part of a naval doctrine. The research aims at identifying the key directions necessary for achieving seabed control and its potential to integrate seabed warfare concepts into the naval doctrine. Therefore, the first part of the article highlights the geophysical, military, and economic characteristics of the seabed environment relevant to seabed warfare. The second part of the paper aims to provide some directions for obtaining seabed control, and a classification system for seabed warfare operations. The novelty of the article lies in the identification of the seabed control directions and the opportunity to integrate the seabed control concept into the Romanian Naval Forces doctrine.