The Caspian Sea Region: A Look at Future U.S. and Allied Military Missions.
Abstract
The Caspian Sea is rapidly becoming a region of increased attention to both U.S. civilian And military policymakers and planners. The region's large amounts of oil and gas reserves will allow the U.S. and its allies to diversify their sources of oil imports, and therefore, reduce the dependence on Middle Eastern oil. However, the Caspian is an inland sea and the export of the resources to markets is of critical concern. The pipelines, required to transport the oil and gas, will need to traverse a region complete with internal and external ethnic animosities, border disputes, and regional powers competing with each other for influence and control over the Caspian and its resources. Given this background, the U.S. and its allies may have to conduct military operations to secure their investments of capital and influence in the region as well as to resolve or prevent disputes among the Caspian nations and the other regional powers as the Caspian oil reaches full production in the next 10 to 15 years. The missions of peace operations, humanitarian assistance, counterterrorism, foreign internal defense, and others possibly await U.S. and NATO forces in the twenty-first century.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 11, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA348951
Entities
People
- Jon E. Chicky
Organizations
- Naval War College