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Strategy and Doctrine

Fleet in Being

Early Modern

Fleet in being is a naval strategic doctrine under which a fleet too weak to risk open battle remains intact in port, still exerting a controlling influence simply by existing: a stronger enemy must keep its own forces concentrated and cautious against the chance the sheltering fleet could sortie, rather than being free to disperse and act elsewhere. The term was first used in 1690 by Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington, commanding an outnumbered Royal Navy squadron against the French in the English Channel. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Core Claim
An inferior fleet that stays in port, intact and ready, still forces a stronger enemy to keep its own forces concentrated and cautious rather than free to act elsewhere. 1
Origin Year
1690 1
Classification
Domain (Land, Sea, Air, Cyber)
Maritime 1
Connections

Associated With

Anglo-Dutch Wars, Wars
Royal Navy, Armed Forces and Units
Source Wikipedia: Fleet in Being

Practiced By

Royal Navy, Armed Forces and Units

Derived from entity-description (backfill w-bfill-g2-0924): "commanding an outnumbered Royal Navy squadron"

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Fleet in Being
Wikipedia
  • lead paragraph
    A naval force that extends a controlling influence without ever leaving port.
  • etymology/history section
    The term was first used in 1690 by Lord Torrington (Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington), who commanded Royal Navy forces in the English Channel when facing a stronger French fleet.
  • Domain attribute (fleet-in-being)
    Fleet in being is a naval strategic doctrine under which a fleet too weak to risk open battle remains intact in port, still exerting a controlling influence simply by existing: a stronger enemy must keep its own forces concentrated and cautious against the chance the sheltering fleet could sortie, rather than being free to disperse and act elsewhere.
  • Associated With: Royal Navy, History section: term origin sentence (corrected quote)
    The term was first used in 1690 when Lord Torrington, commander of the Royal Navy forces in the English Channel, found himself facing a stronger French fleet.
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