Why the US Navy won't blast the Iranians and 'open' Strait of Hormuz

Summary

American taxpayers could be forgiven if recent events have left them wondering why the largest and most expensive Navy in the world is sitting well outside the Strait of Hormuz, watching powerlessly as the Iranians decide which ships they will allow to transit the waterway. After all, they must wonder, why can’t the Navy simply blast the Iranians away and re-open the strait, sending life and the global economy back to normal?Alas, the days of omnipotent U.S. sea power as a power projection instrument close to well defended shorelines are coming to an end. This change raises questions about the future of navies and the wisdom of investment in these extremely expensive instruments of national power. A brief review of American naval history shows how this shift came about — and casts doubt on whether Washington is ready for the future of naval war. Past as prologue At the beginning of the 20th century, aspirant powers like Germany and the United States saw navies as essential to achieving “great power status” and as important instruments to exert influence over friends and rivals alike.Drawing upon this logic and the experiences of the once mighty British Royal Navy, the United States built the largest fleet in history drawing upon the era’s virtually unlimited industrial capacities. During World War II, America used its Navy to prosecute and decisively win the war in the Pacific against the Japanese, while also winning the U-boat war in the Atlantic that enabled moving the Army to Europe — and thereby prevented all of Europe from becoming part of the Soviet empire. (Without the U.S. Army's arrival, the Soviets may well have advanced past Germany and brought western Europe under their dominion, as many historians argue.)Both of these victories decisively influenced the direction of the 20th century and the resulting consolidation of America’s global power and hegemony.At the time, navies had the great advantage of being able to deliver land forces to virtually any shor...