Editing Navy Directory (section)

==Background==
A Navy List fulfills an important function in [[international law]] in that warships are required by article 29 of the [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]] to be commanded by a [[commissioned officer]] whose name appears in the appropriate service list.  Past copies of the Navy List are also important sources of information for historians and genealogists.  When a ship is removed from the navy list of any country, the ship is said to be "[[:wikt:stricken|stricken]]" (from the list).<ref>Edwards. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=OydzBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA37 Small United States and United Nations Warships in the Korean War]''. 37.</ref>

The British [[Royal Navy]] publishes annual lists of active and reserve officers, and biennial lists of retired officers. In 2016 ''The Navy List'', which had been officially published under that name since 1814,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Perrin |title=The Navy List |journal=The Mariner's Mirror |page=263}}</ref> was renamed ''The Navy Directory''.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Navy Directory 2015 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 22 December 2016 |publisher=Royal Navy |id={{ASIN|0117731315|country=uk}} |quote=Previously known as Navy List. Containing lists of ships, establishments and Officers of the Fleet. On cover and title page: Compiled on the 1st January 2016}}</ref>  The equivalent in the [[United States Navy]] is the ''[[Naval Vessel Register]]'', which is updated online on a continuous basis.