This annual has rapidly established a reputation as an authoritative but affordable summary of all that has happened in the naval world in the previous twelve months. It combines the standing features of regional surveys with one-off major articles on noteworthy new ships and other important developments. Besides the latest warship projects, it also looks at wider issues of importance to navies, such as aviation and electronics, and calls on expertise from around the globe to give a balanced picture of worldwide developments. This year features in-depth studies of the navies of Brazil, Australia and Pakistan, plus analyses of three significant new warship classes: the USN's advanced amphibious warfare ship Makin Island (LHD-8): Sweden's futuristic Visby class stealth corvettes; and the BAE Systems offshore patrol vessels. AUTHOR: Conrad Waters, a barrister by training and a banker by profession, has had a lifelong interest in modern navies about which he has written many articles. He also compiled the annual review of navies for the journal Warship. SELLING POINTS: ? The only single-volume annual survey of naval developments ? Includes news, comment and the latest illustrations ? Written by a team of well known experts ? Valuable to enthusiasts and defence professionals alike ILLUSTRATIONS: 200 colour Hb/w illustrations