The Fall and Rise of Navies in East Asia: Military Organizations, Domestic Politics, and Grand Strategy

Abstract

Eric Heginbotham of the Council on Foreign Relations traces the rise of East Asian navies since 1980 and explains the reasons for this development. Heginbotham holds that the political fortunes of East Asian naval forces have improved in the last two decades because they have allied themselves with regimes that support liberal economic and social policies. Examples include China and Thailand, where in the last twenty years political leaders have sought to promote greater economic transparency and integration into global markets. Armies, on the other hand, generally tie their fortunes to nationalist regimes that seek to centralize control of the economy and society. The explanation for these different allegiances, suggests Heginbotham, is found in the different economic, social, and political preferences of navies and armies.

From the first page:

"On March 20, 1997, the Thai navy took delivery of the Chakri Naruebet, a 10,000-ton Spanish-built aircraft carrier equipped with eight Sea Harrier fighters and six Seahawk helicopters. With this purchase, Thailand became the first East Asian state since the 1950s to own and operate an aircraft carrier. The purchase was one of many events signaling the rise of naval power across the region. Since 1980, aggregate East Asian naval tonnage has increased 69 percent, while the average age of warships has decreased. No comparable growth was recorded in the equipment holdings of armies, air forces, or navies anywhere else in the world. What accounts for this shift in military strategy in East Asia, and what is its significance for international peace and security?"