Fleet Elements

"Space opera the way it ought to be . . . Bujold and Weber, bend the knee; interstellar adventure has a new king, and his name is Walter Jon Williams."—George R. R. Martin Following The Accidental War, the second book of a brand-new series set in the Praxis—an epic mix of space opera and military science fiction, from a grand master of science fiction, Walter Jon Williams. The Praxis, the empire of now extinct Shaa, has again fallen into civil war, with desperate and outnumbered humans battling several alien species for survival. Leading the human forces are star-crossed lovers Gareth Martinez and Caroline Sula, who must find a way to overcome their own thorny personal history to defeat the aliens and assure humanity’s survival. But even if the human fleet is victorious, the divisions fracturing the empire may be too wide to repair, as battles between politicians, the military, and fanatics who want to kill every alien threaten to further tear the empire apart. While Martinez and Sula believe they have the talent and tactics to defeat an overwhelming enemy, what will prevent their fellow humans from destroying themselves?

The revised edition of this indispensable work still covers battle tactics at sea from the age of fighting sail to the present, with emphasis on trends constants, and variables. Fleet Tactics and Naval Operations continues to emphasize combat data, including how hitting and damage rates and maneuvering have been conducted to achieve an advantage over the centuries. The third edition highlights the current swift advances in unmanned vehicles, artificial intelligence, cyber warfare in peace and war, and other effects of information warfare, and how they are changing the ways battles at sea will be fought and won.

Looks at important naval battles of the past, including the Falklands War, analyzes naval strategy, and tells how to plan effective fleet operations.

Two authorities on trends in warfare join forces to create a taut, convincing novel set in the near future in which a besieged America battles for its very existence

A keen focus on operations, cost management, leadership, and customer service is presented in this book for fleets to thrive in today’s competitive business environment. Basic concepts and customer service fundamentals, along with integrated best practices, and business tools are fully described. This model can be applied by service groups of any size to achieve quality performance benefits for both the customer and the fleet-provider. Fleet Services: Redefining Success presents: • A back-to-basics approach that begins by redefining a fleet's customers to fully identify and provide customer-driven services. • A hierarchy for success that includes development of management goals and strategies to exceed customer expectations. • Best practices and associated business tool requirements that assure exceptional service and win-win results. • An innovative business model that maximizes opportunities and positive outcomes for fleet service providers. It is the only single-source book of its kind that brings together the interests of fleet managers and their customers to achieve a higher level of business performance.

The empire of the Shaa had lasted 10 millennia. 10,000 years of terror, infinite violence and oppressive, brutal order, legitimised by The Praxis, the harsh code of ethics that they imposed on the races they conquered. But the Shaa began to commit ritual suicide when it became clear that their near immortality came at a price. For each Shaa there would come a time when their vast minds were no longer capable of absorbing new information: their memories were full. Now the Shaa are no more, but the terror and violence are only beginning. The death of the last of the Shaa leaves the galaxy-wide empire leaderless, and into this power vacuum flow the pretenders to the throne: the Naxids, oldest client race of the Shaa, who believe themselves inheritors of the empire; and a frail alliance of the remaining races, including humanity. And so, the story of a dread empire's fall begins...

This major revision updates Wayne Hughes's 1986 landmark study that is credited with providing decision makers a sound foundation for battle planning and tactical thinking. The book integrates the historical evolution of tactics, analysis, and fleet operations, and today it can serve as a primer for anyone who wants to learn how navies fight and win. This second edition includes much new material on combat in the missile age and reflects the reconfiguration of many tactics for littoral operations after the fall of the Soviet Union. Hughes recreates famous battles to show how tactics have changed through the ages and the ways in which they have remained unchanged. He covers tactical interaction between land and sea, the sensory revolution of WWII, secret weapons and maritime surprise, the role in battle of leadership and morale, and the importance of surface warships in today's U.S. fleet. He suggests that naval tactics, unlike ground combat, are dominated by the offense and concludes that the great tactical maxim must be attack effectively first. A new chapter traces the evolution of missile tactics at sea and includes details of attacks on ships. Many changes emphasize joint operations and coastal combat. The already extensive appraisal of command and control and information warfare is further expanded to cover modern naval operations and the character of modern salvo warfare. In the tradition of Mahan and Clauswitz, this classic text incorporates literature, politics, and a knowledge of human nature. Indispensable reading for all those interested in naval tactics, it is also a valuable reference for wargamers