Maritime Security: Problems and Prospects for National Security Policymakers

This chapter demonstrates that maritime security is an integral part of national security considerations, not only for coastal states but for all states engaged in international trade. It notes that among maritime security threats, what are considered relevant to national security has changed over time, as has the role and practices of naval forces. The chapter explores this evolution in three parts. The first part provides a historical overview, which situates maritime security in the context of the relationship between the emergence of nation states, control of water areas by states, the monopoly of violence at sea and maritime trade. The second part provides an overview of maritime security issues that are today of concern for national security, with a special focus on the ‘rise’ of non-traditional maritime security threats. The third part then discusses how navies and other government agencies have adapted their operations to face these challenges, considering the special nature of the maritime sphere and the need to address problems in cooperation with other states. In particular, it examines how, and why, new actors such as Private Military and Security Companies are today engaged in addressing maritime security threats and how they work alongside state agencies.