Presence supports domestic administration and international relationships by making a navy part of the local political landscape. Repeated contact provides knowledge of who must be brought together before a dispute becomes a war. This is ordinary diplomacy conducted across a spectrum of soft and hard power. The useful messenger may be a warship, ambassador, or merchant, and success depends on matching both the messenger and the degree of coercive power to the problem.
Chapter · 9:38-12:00
Presence turns access into conflict management
A routinely present ship becomes part of the local diplomatic landscape and helps assemble the right people before a crisis becomes a war.