Sea denial

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Sea denial is a military term for preventing an enemy from using the sea. It does not necessarily imply that the denier can itself use the sea. It is a parallel concept to sea control, which implies that that controlling force cannot be successfully attacked.

Vego describes sea denial as "preventing partially or completely the enemy’s use of the sea for military and commercial purposes".^[1]

Corbett states that the object of sea denial is defensive. It is a less ambitious strategy than sea control and is often carried out by a weaker power.^[2] It is possible to pursue sea denial in one area of operation while pursuing sea control in another.

Sea denial can act as a direct complement to sea control. A nation may achieve sea control in its littorals, while enforcing sea denial outside the littorals, as was seen with the Soviet Union during periods of the Cold War. This kind of zoned defence is popularly called Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) in modern terms.^[3][4]