Winning Without Fighting in the Indo-Pacific

Abstract

In the essay that won the 2021 Trench Gascoigne Essay Prize (Full-Time Education Category), William Parker assesses the naval military instrument and its utility short of combat in the Indo-Pacific. By analysing the conceptual basis for the Royal Navy’s Indo-Pacific tilt, he argues that operational concepts and naval doctrine must work together in areas where, currently, they are not. He concludes that ensuring the conduct of naval diplomacy as a strategic practice, which serves the habit of statecraft, is crucial in reducing the chance of competitive peace leading to violent war.◼