Naval need extends beyond combat at sea. Water may be the best route for moving and sustaining ground forces, so a fleet can originate as a transport and supply system. Early royal fleets in Europe and some early Chinese fleets placed logistical and manoeuvre functions ahead of direct war fighting. Their force structures answered problems of geography and army support.
Notable Point · 5:19-6:30
Fleets can begin as logistics systems
Some early fleets existed chiefly to move and supply armies, with war-fighting capacity as a secondary advantage.