Peer war makes distributed naval capability unavoidable

Corbett's argument also applies to modern debates that assume naval forces can remain close enough to support one another. The Falklands War was an unusual case in which the main maritime effort could be concentrated in a specific area against a near-peer opponent. A peer conflict involving nuclear-powered submarines would be harder to contain because those vessels are built for global movement and can threaten widely separated routes. Their limited weapons and need to reveal themselves when attacking do not remove the danger unless patrol aircraft, anti-submarine frigates, and other hunters are available across the theater. Distribution is a response to the geography and mobility of maritime war.