Archipelagic Sea Lanes: Designation Factors and Effects on Operational Art.
Abstract
With the recent approval by the International Maritime Organization of Indonesia's proposal for partial archipelagic sea lane designation, operational planners must now consider what impact designated sea lane routes will have on employment of forces in the region. Furthermore, operational commanders must strive to obtain a firm understanding of the rights and responsibilities of transit regime through archipelagic waters. If Indonesia, or a future archipelago, fails to provide sufficient routes or otherwise impedes the use of all normal routes through archipelagic waters, the operational commander must be able to weigh the relative flexibility of utilizing or bypassing archipelagic sea lanes. Course of action development must take into account the operational impact of factors as diverse as operational protection, security, surprise, deception and logistics, in addition to the restrictions imposed on the scheme of maneuver and synchronization of forces into a crisis region. The United States must continue to be engaged both at the operational and strategic levels concerning maritime and, more specifically, archipelagic transit regimes. Policy makers must include the operational commander's perspective in any future dialogue. If the United States becomes lax or steps back from the process, the consequences may adversely affect the United States capacity to provide global reach through sea power.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 05, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA363064
Entities
People
- Mark F. Myer
Organizations
- Naval War College