Britain's Naval Future defines limited sea control

James Cable defines sea control through the ability to use maritime communications and deny their use to an opponent. He treats that control as a condition for other naval tasks and sustained joint operations, including the projection of power ashore. Even a clearly superior navy cannot expect control to be complete, permanent, or universal. British dominance during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars still permitted substantial losses to commerce raiders, while U-boats threatened Britain with defeat in the First World War. The time needed to establish American control in the Pacific and a brief failure of British control around Norway illustrate the consequences of delay or interruption. Available resources, the particular conflict, and the importance of each maritime activity determine how control can be exercised.