Milan Vego, a professor at the Naval War College, wrote a remarkable paper “On Naval Theory.” He’s trying to get naval officers who are preparing for higher command to think about what a naval theory would look like.
Navies that lack a comprehensive theory of war at sea invariably see adverse effects on their performance in combat …
The professor outlines various features of such a theory. I expected his notes on history and technology, but I was surprised by one feature:
Naval theory also should be simple and understandable; otherwise, it would be too difficult to apply to any but the most specific conditions. A naval theory should be written in clear language so that it can be understood easily by all, debated, and accepted. Clarity requires precision, and superfluous wording should be avoided. Additionally, jargon and buzzwords adopted from business or psychology do not have a place in military or naval theory as they often are ephemeral and ambiguous. Optimally, naval theory should be written concisely but clearly. This requires using short words, sentences, and paragraphs. Short sentences are more easily and quickly understood than longer ones, although the danger of being so concise as to be incomplete or unclear must be kept in mind.
Whatever you’re thinking about, it helps to write clearly and briefly.
• Source: Vego, Milan (2023) “On Naval Theory,” Naval War College Review: Vol. 76: No. 3, Article 6. Available at:
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol76/iss3/6
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