Naval power can decide a limited war

Victory conditions depend on a war's political aims. A limited war may seek restored territory, protected trade, sea control, or a negotiated return to the status quo rather than the destruction of an enemy state. Naval power can deliver those outcomes by moving an amphibious force, sustaining it across the sea, and denying the opponent freedom to intervene. In the Falklands War, naval aircraft and shipping supported the land campaign while the sinking of General Belgrano helped drive the Argentine surface fleet back to port. Britain did not need to conquer Argentina for those maritime results to become decisive. The example separates a decisive naval contribution from the total-war expectation of occupying an enemy capital.