What is manoeuvre and why is it important to comprehend its implication on contemporary naval theory? During the initial stages of the study a confusion regarding the use of manoeuvre as a concept was identified. The purpose of this concept analysis is to pinpoint the contents of the concept of manoeuvre for the field of war studies to enable further studies on the subject. The study utilises John Gerring’s meta theory Conceptual Goodness consisting of eight criteria used for concept analysis in social sciences. The study examines the three concepts of manoeuvre by Raoul Castex, maneuver by Milan Vego and maneuver by Wayne P. Hughes. The study confirms that a confusion regarding the understanding of the concept exists in contemporary naval though. It has also shown that manoeuvre acts as an important enabler for other processes on the field of battle. Both as a conceptual idea of how war can be fought and in the physical matter of moving platforms. The concluding discussion argues that well-defined concepts are essential for further empirical studies on theories and phenomena.