of the greatest submariners of all time. I also want to thank, for the guided tours of their fine submarines, the officers and men of USS
Similar thanks go to the instructors and students of the New London Submarine School and the Coronado BUD/SEAL training facilities, and to all the people who demonstrated their weapons, equipment, attack vessels, and aircraft at the amphibious warfare bases in Coronado and Norfolk. Appreciation also goes to the men and women of the aircraft carrier USS
The Current Strategy Forum, and publications, of the Naval War College were similarly invaluable. The opportunity to fly out to the amphibious warfare helicopter carrier USS
First among the publishing professionals who deserve acknowledgment is my wife, Sheila Buff, a nonfiction author with more than two dozen titles in health and wellness and nutrition, nature loving, and bird-watching. Then comes my literary agent, John Talbot, who lets me know exactly what he likes or doesn’t like in no uncertain terms. Equally crucial is my editor at William Morrow, Mike Shohl, always enthusiastic, accessible, and inspiring through his keen insights on how to improve my manuscript drafts.
NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR
Recent geopolitical events have served to remind us all of important old lessons: The world is a volatile, dangerous place. Victory in one war can unpredictably heighten global tension and instability, creating power vacuums to be filled by ambitious new terrorists and tyrants, triggering more armed strife. International coalitions ebb and flow, but the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction raises the stakes of diplomacy to a frightening degree. Profound changes are taking place in the threats to America and our allies. These perilous trends require decisive action. Yet solutions are impossible without properly trained personnel, equipment, war-fighting doctrine, and national will.
Since their inception, in every era, submarines rank among the most sophisticated weapons systems, and the most impressive benchmarks of technology and engineering, achieved by the human race. Stunning feats of courage by their crews, of sacrifice and endurance, loom large on the pages of history. Special Forces commandos, dating in concept to the Second World War, tremendously leverage the power of main-line formations. In the strange new world the twenty-first century is turning out to be, joint operations beneath, upon, and launched from the sea will stay crucial to influencing events on land around the globe.
The tools and techniques of modern warfare are constantly advancing. Development will continue, rendered more urgent by the War on Terror and the pent-up spreading of nuclear arms. Breakthrough sonar systems enable a quantum leap in submarine capability to stealthily search for ultraquiet hostile targets. Advanced SEAL Delivery System minisubs, transported by larger host vessels, covertly deploy combat swimmers to the forward coastline area. Remote-controlled Unmanned Undersea Vehicles and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, with mission-configured sensor packages — some of them even armed — turn their parent nuclear subs into veritable undersea aircraft carriers, invisibly lurking beneath the waves.
The world’s oceans are the world’s highways for the transport of goods and the conduct of commerce. The oceans are also barriers to wholesale invasion by enemy troops, yet they provide efficient routes of access to spy on those enemies and aid our friends. Mastery of undersea warfare is therefore vital, for whoever controls the ocean’s depths controls its surface — and thus controls much of the world. Seapower, strongly employed, is key to protecting peaceful societies everywhere.
To some questions about the future of national defense, valid answers will be critical to preserve democracy and freedom: Which gaps in our security posture, or blind spots in our thinking, could be exploited in the years to come by a shrewd, aggressive emerging Evil Empire or Axis of Conspiracy? From what unforeseen quarter might the next bloody surprise attack fall? What sacrifices and feats of courage will America and our allies need to prevail in the almost inevitable, eventual Next Big War? Perhaps the only certainty is that heroic submariners and SEALs will play an indispensable part in deterring that war, or in winning it.
JOE BUFF
About the Author
JOE BUFF is a Life Member of the U.S. Naval Institute, the Naval Submarine League, the Navy League of the United States, the CE/Seabees Historical Foundation, and the Fellows of the Naval War College. Admired for his technical knowledge, he is considered an expert in submarines and national defense. Two of his nonfiction articles about future submarine technology and tactics have won Annual Literary Awards from the Naval Submarine League. He is the author of the highly regarded novels of submarine warfare:
