Defense analysts have agreed for some time that the U.S. Navy would play a major role in any conflict that might take place between the United States and China. Often implicit in this view has been the sense that the Navy would have a diminished role in potential wartime operations in the European and Middle Eastern theaters. This is unlikely to be the case, however. The past two years, and especially the last 12 months, have witnessed significant maritime battles in both the Middle East and the Black Sea.

In the months after the start of the Israeli war with Hamas, Yemeni Houthi rebels have been launching missiles and drones, and in at least one case an unmanned underwater vessel, at both commercial vessels, including American ships, and at American and British warships. Despite confident assertions from Washington that the Navy and Air Force have seriously degraded Houthi capabilities, the Houthis continue drawing upon Iranian supplies and advisors and keep firing their weapons at American warships.

Indeed, the battle with the Houthis has been so intense that last week Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the naval component of Central Command, asserted that the naval fighting is at a historic level: “you’d have to go back to........

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