Page 73: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 2020)

Freedom of Navigation

The guided-missile de- stroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) escorts the merchant vessel Tomahawk through the Strait of Hormuz. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael H. Lehman/Released) owns it, and no state can make laws dictating what others do and power projection of the Alliance’s naval forces backed 10 there. Operations, such as the ones listed above, threaten by credible combat capability deters potential aggression and the freedom of the seas, seek to intimidate neighboring states seeks to limit regional frictions from escalating to greater lev- and coerce weaker nations into violation of international law. els of con? ict. These forces strengthen conditions that enable

On a daily basis, surface naval forces of the NATO Alli- mutual prosperity.

ance’s nations and partners are conducting peaceful opera- The freedoms to use the maritime domain—the oceans, the tions across the globe. These joint forces at sea protect free- littorals, waterways, and sea? oor; the rise of global informa- dom of maneuver, secure the sea-lanes for global trade and tion systems, especially the role of data in decision making economic growth, defend and promote key national interests and the security of data supporting operational decision mak- and prevent competitors and adversaries from leveraging the ing are shared fundamental areas of concern, not only for the world’s oceans against us. The navies of the democratic and individual nations and the Alliance in general, but also for the peaceful countries of the world and the international mari- maritime industry. time community share concern over safeguarding strategic Security in the global maritime commons is not a given. sea lines of communication. Without a comprehensive, shared understanding of what is

Versatile and scalable naval forces ful? ll these crucial roles, occurring in the maritime domain, achieved through a robust which are the necessary preconditions to ensure the free Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA), vital opportunities movement of trade and commerce and to safeguard the inter- to detect and mitigate threats or critical vulnerabilities at the ests of NATO and partner nations all the while maintaining earliest opportunity may be lost. A comprehensive MSA net- a strictly defensive posture. The persistent forward presence work is required to facilitate information sharing and can only www.marinelink.com 73

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