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Opinion: The Final Word be established with the cooperation of military forces, nation- the nature of the risk, and the capabilities, readiness and loca- al law enforcement agencies, and close cooperation with the tion of one’s competitors. So as James Holmes so eloquently international maritime transportation industry. Understand- states, these clashes are not merely about the Strait of Hor- ing Pattern of Life is critical to identifying abnormalities that muz or the South China Sea. may be indicators to hostile or subversive actions. The world’s oceans and seas comprise a single intercon-

The lack of modern and agile global and regional gover- nected body of water. Seagoing nations must stand on the nance structures has generated friction between the global- principle that maritime freedom is likewise indivisible. If ized corporate sector, maritime authorities and military pol- the maritime community in general relinquishes its inherent icy-makers that undermines the maintenance of persistence freedoms in the global commons in one body of water for the relationships necessary to enhance true maritime situational sake of placating a predatory coastal state such as China, the awareness. In an increasingly inter-connected, inter-depen- global maritime community stands the risk some other strong dent and rapidly changing globalized world, there continues coastal state will mount similar challenges in some other stra- to be an absence of persistent relationships between the ever- tegic waterway. increasing number of key stakeholders in the global maritime The maritime community needs better cooperation and community of interest. situational awareness between key stakeholders and regimes

Operating according to disparate mandates, objectives, (merchant shipping community included). As such the Com- areas of responsibility and jurisdiction, there is an obvious bined Joint Operations from the Sea Center of Excellence is need to develop a shared network and develop a collaborative acting with key academic, industry and military partners, to contribution to achieve a comprehensive MSA capability in advance the interests of the maritime community and to pro- which all stakeholders’ requirements are met and enhanced. mote information exchange and networking across all stake-

In the maritime domain, our continued freedom of the global holders through discussion at the Maritime Security Regimes commons requires an understanding of persistent relation- Round Table being held at the Slover Library in Norfolk, VA ships, time, space, risk, oceanography, the global supply 29th to 30th April 2020. For more information, please contact chain, critical infrastructure and the environment, as well as us at [email protected].

The Author

Footnotes 1 Arsalan Shahla and Ladene Nasseri, Iran Rasies Stakes in US Showdown with Threat to

Close Hormuz; Bloomberg Politics 22 April 2019. Available from https://www.bloomberg.

Capt. Bonnar com/news/articles/2019-04-22/iran-will-close-strait-of-hormuz-if-it-can-t-use-it-fars; Inter- net, accessed 14 January 2020

Captain Todd Bonnar, MSC, CD joined 2

Arsalan Shahla and Ladene Nasseri, Iran Raises Stakes in US Showdown with Threat to the Canadian Armed Forces as a

Close Hormuz; Bloomberg Politics 22 April 2019. Available from https://www.bloomberg.

com/news/articles/2019-04-22/iran-will-close-strait-of-hormuz-if-it-can-t-use-it-fars; Inter-

Direct Entry Of? cer in 1997. After net, accessed 14 January 2020 completing Maritime Surface Of? cer 3

Omid Lahabi, Strait of Hormuz: Why does Iran threaten to close it? Euronews 28 June 2019. Available from https://www.euronews.com/2019/06/28/strait-of-hormuz-why- classi? cation training in HMCS VANCOUVER in 1998, does-iran-threaten-to-close-it; Internet, accessed 13 January 2020 he was selected to represent Canada in an exchange 4

James R Holmes, China Swings a Small Stick in the South China Seas. The Hill 28 July with the Royal Australian Navy in HMAS HOBART and 2019. Available from https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/454402-china-swings- a-small-stick-in-the-south-china-sea; Internet, accessed 14 January 2020.

HMAS ANZAC during which time he participated in the 5

Bill Hayton, The South China Sea: The Struggle for Power in Asia (New Haven: Yale Univer-

UN Peace Keeping Mission to East Timor. In 2017 he sity Press, 2014) xvi represented Canada as Chief of Staff and Deputy Com- 6

Zack Cooper and Gregory Poling, America’s Freedom of Navigation Operations are Lost at Sea, Foreign Policy Magazine 1 August 2019. Available from https://foreignpolicy.

mander of NATO’s high readiness maritime Task Group, com/2019/01/08/americas-freedom-of-navigation-operations-are-lost-at-sea/. Internet accessed 15 January 2020

Standing NATO Maritime Group One, participating in 7

James R Holmes, China Swings a Small Stick in the South China Seas. The Hill, 28 July

Operation REASSURANCE in the Baltic Sea and Opera- 2019. Available from https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/454402-china-swings- a-small-stick-in-the-south-china-sea; Internet, accessed 14 January 2020 tion SEA GUARDIAN, NATO’s enduring counter-terrorism 8 and security operation in the Mediterranean, earning the

Zack Cooper and Gregory Poling, America’s Freedom of Navigation Operations are Lost at Sea, Foreign Policy Magazine 1 August 2019. Available from https://foreignpolicy.

Meritorious Service Cross for his leadership of the Task com/2019/01/08/americas-freedom-of-navigation-operations-are-lost-at-sea/. Internet accessed 15 January 2020

Group. He holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree 9

Andrew Higgins, Russia Slowly Throttles a Ukrainian Port, New York Times, 14 December from the University of Ottawa and a Masters of Defence 2018. Available from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/world/europe/moscow- ukraine-azov-mariupol.html; Internet, accessed 14 January 2020

Studies with a focus on Chinese Domestic Policy, from the 10

Andrew Higgins, Russia Slowly Throttles a Ukrainian Port, New York Times, 14 Decem-

Royal Military College of Canada. He is a graduate of CF ber 2018. Available from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/world/europe/moscow- ukraine-azov-mariupol.html; Internet, accessed 14 January 2020

Joint Command and Staff Program 36.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily re? ect the views of the editorial staff.

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