This United States Navy manual, Naval Doctrine Publication NDP 1 Naval Warfare April 2020, provides the doctrinal foundation governing our pursuit of excellence in the art and science of naval warfare. It provides our philosophy of warfighting to guide our activities in the preparation for, and execution of, naval warfare. Based on experience and history, it is designed to be an enduring publication that guides how we organize and employ integrated forces as part of a joint or combined force.
The intent of this publication is to provide for mutual understanding and alignment within the Naval Service, institutionally and individually. Institutionally, it forms the doctrinal foundation for subordinate publications, subject to more frequent revision, that provide specific details regarding various aspects of naval operations. Individually, it informs all naval personnel about the distinctiveness of operations in the maritime domain and the unique roles they fulfill as part of the Naval Service. The intended audience is all naval personnel, those in uniform and the civilians who support them.
This publication is about naval warfare—the ultimate execution of our sworn duty to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. It describes who we are, what we do, and how we fight as an integrated naval force.
