The GIUK Gap as a two-way strategic funnel

The GIUK Gap's strategic history includes the Napoleonic Wars and the Second World War. Although its waters are much broader than a conventional strait, states can turn such geography into a controlled passage by occupying and defending the right positions. Similar places elsewhere invite the same questions about who could secure them and why. The Soviet perspective combines a desire for defensible boundaries with access to the sea and warm-water ports. The gap constrains outward and inward movement alike, so its value as a defensive position must be considered alongside its role as an avenue of attack.