THE UK, A MARITIME POWER? • • METHOD 1

Stage 1 - Introduction: presenting the documents
Similarities: Both documents deal with the UK as a global maritime power that is to say ...def..., on a world scale.
Differences: The 1st document is an article by Rob Clark about British foreign policy returning east of Suez, published in UK Defence JournalNews on October 10, 2019 whereas the 2nd document is a map of UK overseas bases posted on Wikipedia.com website.
Give structure: In a 1st part I’ll explain UK geostrategy using the article & in a 2nd part I’ll show its global presence illustrated by the map.

Stage 2 - Analysing the documents

DESCRIBING - What you see (docs)
 INTERPRETING - What you know (facts & notions)
1. UK geostrategy with text (or 1. From securing the Atlantic... with §1 & map)

P1. Atlantic, west of Suez, regional scale :
UK no longer in EU but not alone => reinforced defence co-operation with NATO, US & EU partners
P2 New move east of Suez = more global :
renewed links to old partners in the Gulf, Indian & Pacific oceans

- jaune Brexit (def) + orange hard power (def) + rouge multilateralism (def), against Russia, resurging Euro-Atlantic threat (facts)

- move East of Suez (facts), mauve CW (def) allies
2. UK presence with map (or 2. … to reinforcing its Indo-Pacific presence with §2 & map)

Atlantic & Med bases : bases Ascension & Gibraltar, Cyprus
Eastern bases : Old base BIOT + new bases in Bahrein (naval) and Singapore (support & logistics)

- reinforcing UK assets : its bleu clair OTs (def), allowing bleu moyen projection power (def)
- San Diego (BIOT) operated with the USA
=> UK a true sea power (def) but maybe too ambitious: global commitment could stretch its naval forces (facts)

Stage 3 - Concluding
Assess docs: To conclude, these documents are reliable although we don't have the map full references ; article biased (ambitions, nothing -) whereas map unbiased as it describes the facts.
Sum-up ideas: These docs show UK’s growing naval ambitions from securing the Atlantic and Mediterranean to asserting its presence in the Indo-Pacific, so truly global ambitions, which could stretch naval forces despite Royal Navy’s new equipment.
Open: We may wonder if UK’s maritime economic policy is as ambitious as its naval geostrategy.