The flag state answers for a ship's registry, surveys, crew papers, and casualties under UNCLOS Article 94. Open registries carry most tonnage, so port state control serves as the backup.
A directory-style guide to the agencies that govern safety, customs, and navigation, and how their duties divide.
From interwar tonnage treaties to modern transparency accords, what naval arms control achieved, and why it faded.
A plain-English guide to navy ranks: what the insignia on a sleeve mean, how rank sets pay and duty, and why every fleet still runs on a ladder of command.
What sails in a US amphibious ready group: the three ship types, the Marines and aircraft aboard, and the missions from disaster relief to major war.