brown-water navy

plural brown-water navies

1. broadlygovernmentA naval force capable of military operations in riverine and coastal environments.

   Gunboats and other vessels with shallow drafts that could navigate inland waterways were part of the Civil War's brown-water navies.

   2005, Clifford L. Linedecker, Civil War, A to Z: The Complete Handbook of America's Bloodiest Conflict, page 57

2. strictlygovernmentA naval force capable of military operations only in inland waters.
3. governmentThe portion of a naval force that is optimized for riverine operations.