DO SMALL STATES NEED A BALANCED FLEET?

Abstract

According to Milan Vego, a renowned naval warfare historian and theoretician from Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Failure to build a balanced fleet has in the past created many difficulties in accomplishing strategic objectives in a war at sea.” However, it is worth asking if this statement also applies to small states. It is widely accepted that a balanced fleet would benefit a maritime nation; however, the same may not always apply to small states with little ambitions, limited resources, and some specific problems. The current revolution in military affairs and past budget cuts have made it increasingly harder to maintain a capable fleet. This raises the question of whether small states should try to build a balanced fleet or are there any other, better, options.