FROM THE CROW'S NEST

摘要

This first issue of The NAVY in 2020 begins with an important paper by John Jeremy AM on Corvettes; their historical development, and potential application today with specific regard to the Commonwealth Navies. Picking up, in some regard, from where David Hobbs completed his two-part series on 'Rebuilding the Commonwealth Navies' (The NAVY, Issue 81, No. 3 and 4, Jul-Sep and Oct-Dec 2019). The second paper is by Mark Linden (Second Prize, Essay Competition, Professional Section), regarding the development of Maritime Trade Operations (MTO) as 'a contemporary capability specifically designed [by Navy] to engage with maritime industry, coordinate operations involving maritime commercial interests and protect merchant shipping'. This is an important strategic development by Navy, in which significant interest is being expressed by Allied Navies, including the USN, RN, and JMSDF. In some respects, it is a return to what Navies used to do during the Cold War - and when there was a recognised need to preserve skill sets necessary to sustain maritime trade and retain shared awareness between navies and merchant marines.