The Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Strategy: Achieving U.S. National Security Objectives in a Changing Environment

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. The United States has enduring economic and security interests in the Asia-Pacific region. And because the region--stretching from the Indian Ocean, through the South and East China Seas, and out to the Pacific Ocean--is primarily water, we place a premium on maintaining maritime peace and security. To that end, the Department of Defense has three maritime objectives in the Asia-Pacific region: to safeguard the freedom of the seas; deter conflict and coercion; and promote adherence to international law and standards. Why We Safeguard the Freedom of the Seas. The United States has, throughout its history, advocated for the freedom of the seas for economic and security reasons. Maritime Asia is a vital thruway for global commerce, and it will be a critical part of the region s expected economic growth. The United States wants to ensure the Asia-Pacific region s continued economic progress. The importance of Asia-Pacific sea lanes for global trade cannot be overstated. Eight of the world s 10 busiest container ports are in the Asia-Pacific region, and almost 30 percent of the world s maritime trade transits the South China Sea annually, including approximately $1.2 trillion in ship-borne trade bound for the United States.1 Approximately two-thirds of the world s oil shipments transit through the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, and in 2014, more than 15 million barrels of oil passed through the Malacca Strait per day. Freedom of the seas, however, includes more than the mere freedom of commercial vessels to transit through international waterways. While not a defined term under international law, the Department uses freedom of the seas to mean all of the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea and airspace, including for military ships and aircraft, recognized under international law.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 27, 2015
Accession Number
ADA627122

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Department of Defense

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Autonomy
  • C4I
  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Carriers
  • Aircrafts
  • Amphibious Operations
  • Boats
  • Carrier Based Aircraft
  • Department Of State
  • Maritime Domain Awareness
  • Maritime Security
  • National Security
  • Naval Operations
  • Naval Warfare
  • Navy
  • Tilt Rotor Aircraft
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Asian Economic Studies
  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Maritime Security/Maritime Homeland Security

Technology Areas

  • Space