brown-water navy

brown-water navy (plural brown-water navies)

1. (military, nautical, broadly) A naval force capable of military operations in riverine and coastal environments.
   • 2005, Clifford L. Linedecker, Civil War, A to Z: The Complete Handbook of America's Bloodiest Conflict, page 57:

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

2. (military, nautical, strictly) A naval force capable of military operations only in inland waters.
3. (military, nautical) The portion of a naval force that is optimized for riverine operations.

• blue-water navy
• green-water navy