How would modern shipping companies react to a major naval war?
Short answerThey would face a severe shock: just-in-time supply chains and present practices are poorly prepared for large-scale convoy control.
NotesModern merchant shipping would face severe disruption if it suddenly had to operate under a serious convoy system. Just-in-time logistics leaves little margin for delay or the advance planning that protected shipping in earlier wars. A later exchange points to the difficulties Britain encountered while escorting flagged and friendly shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as a limited warning of the coordination problem. The issue is therefore as much economic and institutional as it is naval.