A green-water navy does not mean that the individual ships of the fleet are unable to function away from the coast or in open ocean , instead it suggests that due to logistical reasons they are unable to be deployed for lengthy periods , and must have aid from other countries to sustain long term deployments . Also the term " green-water navy " is subjective as numerous countries that do not have a true green-water navy maintain naval forces that are on par with countries that are recognized as having green-water navies . For example , the German Navy has near the same capability as the Canadian Navy but is not recognized as a true green-water navy . Another example is the Portuguese Navy that , despite being usually classified as a minor navy , has several times conducted sustained operations in faraway regions typical of the green-water navies . However , the differences between blue-water navies and brown or green-water navies is usually quite noticeable , for example the US Navy was able to quickly respond to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and continue operations in the region with relative ease even though the search area covered the Indian Ocean . On the contrary , in 2005 the then green-water navy such the Russian Navy was unable to properly respond when its AS-28 rescue vehicle became tangled in undersea cables unable to surface , relying on the blue-water Royal Navy to respond and carry out the rescue in time
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
Green-water navy