Is 'Art of War relevant to maritime strategy?
'The Art of War' and components of maritime strategy  Resource is the single most important component of maritime strategy and contributory to its development and application. Resources of the state have a limit to spare for its forces. Economy of resources is critically important for sustainable force transformation and providing sustenance to operations. War costs a nation hugely. He who wishes to fight must first count on the cost. In joining the battle, seek quick victory .There has never been a state that has benefitted from an extended war. . If the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain. These philosophies of Sun Tzu indicate interdependent relation among national resource, logistical strength and the balance of power. History also reveals that,  victory went to the power best able to produce and organize materials and manpower for war.  During the WW-II, the US built and operated 67,952 ships (1940-1945). It had 1,099 ships and craft on 30 June 1940. Japan had 451 ships and 332 sank during the course of the war and could not make good the losses. Balance of power  Achieving maritime objective through the employment of military means demands favourable balance of power. Factors in the art of warfare are: First: calculations; second, quantities; thirst, logistics; fourth, the balance of power; and fifth, the possibility of victory. Calculations are based on terrain, estimates of available quantities of goods are based on these calculations, logistical strength is based on the estimates of available quantities of goods, the balance power is based on logistical strength, and the possibility of victory is based on the balance of power.  The Falklands War in 1982 showed how UKs consideration for balance of power impacted its preparation for war. The terrain of the Falklands War is referred to as the fall of the land, the proximate distances, difficulty of passage, the degree of openness, and the viability of the land for deploying troops; was quite unfavourable to UK leading to huge preparations to draw the balance of power in favour. Keeping the balance in favour demanded superior application of combat power. It was both superior concentration and application of combat resources that made the difference in the Falklands War, the Pacific during WW II and Arab-Israel Wars.