Maritime Security Challenges Research Articles

Lesson Learned Lee Hsien Loong's Strategic Leadership on Maritime Security at Malacca Strait Choke Point

This article explores the lessons learned from Lee Hsien Loong’s strategic leadership in maintaining maritime security in the Straits of Malacca, a vital chokepoint for global traffic. Through an analysis of the strategies implemented, including trilateral collaboration through the Malacca Strait Patrols (MSP), the use of advanced surveillance technology, and strengthening military capacity, the article identifies key measures that contributed to security stability. It also evaluates the relevance of lessons from Singapore’s experience to other maritime regions. The findings suggest that Lee Hsien Loong’s integrated approach can be applied to enhance security in other global chokepoints, offering an effective model for addressing maritime security challenges across contexts.

Analysis of the determinants of success of maritime security and resilience strategies moderated by risk management and resources multiplier in the Indonesia’s Archipelagic Sea Lane II

Indonesia has ratified United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS 1982) through Law No. 17 of 1985 concerning the ratification of the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, thus binding Indonesia to the rights and obligations to implement the provisions of the 1982 convention, including the establishment of the three Northern-Southern Indonesia’s Archipelagic Sea Lane (ALKI). The existence of the three ALKI routes, including ALKI II, has led to various potential threats. These violations not only cause material losses but, if left unchecked and unresolved, can also affect maritime security stability, both nationally and regionally. The maritime security and resilience challenges in ALKI II have increased with the relocation of the capital, which has become the center of gravity, to East Kalimantan. The research in this article aims to identify and analyze the factors influencing the success of maritime security and resilience strategies in ALKI II. The factors used in this research include conceptual components, physical components, moral components, command and control center capabilities, operational effectiveness, command and control effectiveness, and the moderating variables of resource multiplier management and risk management to achieve maritime security and resilience. This study employed a mixed-method research approach. The factors are modeled using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with WarpPLS 8.0 software. Qualitative data analysis used the Soft System Methodology (SSM). The results of the study indicate that the aforementioned factors significantly influence the success of achieving maritime security and resilience in ALKI II.

Enhancing Maritime Security: Challenges and Strategies in Indonesia's Natuna Sea

The Natuna Sea, a strategic region within Indonesia's exclusive economic zone, faces multifaceted maritime security challenges that threaten national sovereignty, economic interests, and regional stability. This abstract explores the key issues and strategic responses to enhance maritime security in this vital area. Indonesia's maritime security challenges in the Natuna Sea are driven by illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, territorial disputes, and transnational crimes such as smuggling and human trafficking. The encroachment of foreign fishing vessels, particularly from neighboring countries, exacerbates the IUU fishing problem, undermining local economies and depleting fish stocks. Additionally, overlapping territorial claims, particularly with China, complicate Indonesia's efforts to assert its sovereignty and maintain peace in the region. To address these challenges, Indonesia has developed a comprehensive maritime security strategy that includes diplomatic, legal, and operational measures. Diplomatic efforts focus on strengthening regional cooperation through ASEAN and other multilateral forums to foster dialogue and build consensus on maritime security issues. Legal measures involve the enforcement of national and international laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to uphold Indonesia's territorial rights and combat IUU fishing. Operationally, Indonesia has enhanced its maritime patrols, surveillance capabilities, and naval presence in the Natuna Sea. The establishment of the Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) and the deployment of advanced technology, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and satellite monitoring, have improved the detection and interdiction of illegal activities. Despite these efforts, challenges persist due to resource constraints, coordination issues among agencies, and the complex geopolitical landscape. This abstract underscores the importance of a holistic and adaptive approach to maritime security, integrating diplomatic, legal, and operational strategies.

Maritime Security in the Caribbean: Causes and Impacts of the Regionalism of Small and Micro-States

ABSTRACT The global maritimization over the past half-century has heightened states vulnerability to maritime risks and threats, a situation particularly acute in the Wider Caribbean Region. This region, characterised by an important number of small and micro-states, faces a multitude of multiscalar maritime security challenges. In response, these states have increasingly adopted cooperative strategies, fostering close relationships to mitigate their shared vulnerabilities. Drawing on 98 interviews conducted between 2018 and 2023 with international, national, and local authorities, alongside extensive field observations, this article contributes to the scholarly discourse on regionalism. It demonstrates how a shared sense of vulnerability among these actors has fostered a ‘community of situation’, promoting intensified interactions that have led to notable advancements in regional integration and the diminishing of border effects. This study highlights the critical role of proximity-based cooperation in overcoming the geopolitical fragmentation that hampers security efforts in this region.

Addressing maritime security challenges through maritime domain awareness: a study of the role of the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region

ABSTRACT In recent years, many non-traditional maritime safety and security threats viz. piracy, armed robberies at sea, maritime terrorism, human trafficking, drugs trafficking, illicit trafficking in wildlife, illegal deals in weapons, IUU fishing, dilapidation of ocean health and illegal exploitation of sea resources, etc. have emerged as real and serious challenges not only to the commercial shipping but also to the national security. A comprehensive response from the worldwide seafaring community is the need of the hour to tackle these maritime threats, both natural and man-made. India’s initiative of establishing the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in the year 2018 can be regarded as a significant step in dealing with the variety of maritime security challenges. Jointly managed and run by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, the IFC-IOR fulfils the purpose of creating Maritime Domain Awareness on the issues pertaining to maritime safety and security. Protecting maritime interests and augmenting security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is indispensable for maintaining free navigation and overflight, unconstrained commerce and a free, open and UNCLOS-based regime in the IOR.

India-Japan Relations @ 70: From Civilisational to Strategic Partnership

The rapidly changing strategic scenarios in Asia have increased Japan’s ties with India over the last few years. Major global and regional geo-political shifts have taken place in the contemporary world, which include the rise of China, the US policy of rebalancing and pivoting to Asia, and the response of regional countries, evolution of a new security architecture in Asia, maritime security challenges in Indian and Pacific Oceans, nuclear tests by North Korea, tensions on account of territorial disputes in South China Sea and East China, the evolution of ASEAN into an ASEAN community. In these contexts, the two Asian democracies have made concerted attempts to intensify their relationship at various levels- economic, strategic and political. Though the two countries had never exhibited much keenness in each other’s priorities, a confluence of various factors such as structural, domestic and individual leadership have given a new push to the bilateral relationship in recent years. The present paper attempts to examine and evaluate the changing dimensions of bilateral relations between the two Asian democracies against the backdrop of the Indo-Pacific region's evolving security and strategic scenarios.

The Usage Of Bakamla Force In Safeguarding The Seas Of Indonesian Jurisdiction

This abstract aims to highlight Indonesia's maritime security challenges, including threats, jurisdictional defense, and Bakamla's role. It also discusses limitations in maritime operational capabilities. This study employs a qualitative research method to describe, explore, and understand the meaning perceived by individuals or groups regarding current social or human phenomena. The research adopts a juridical-normative approach with a focus on the principles of the use of force by Bakamla RI. Data is collected through literature reviews and analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques proposed by Miles, Huberman, and Saldana (2014) which involve data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The result is maritime security is an important aspect for a country. Maritime security refers to threats to the maritime. The Indonesian Sea, which has abundant natural resource potential and as an international trade route, is vulnerable to maritime threats. The Maritime Security Agency or Bakamla exists as an effort to maintain and defend the jurisdiction of Indonesian waters for the sake of national interests. In its role, often the threat is faced with a situation in which the use of force must be carried out. The use of force is a last resort to address existing threats based on the basic principles of the use of force and firearms (BPUFF), codes of law enforcement, human rights and applicable national and international law. The use of force must be carried out based on the scale and level of risk of the existing threat, not necessarily the use of force is allowed under the pretext of self-defense.The conclusion is Indonesia's maritime richness faces increasing threats, necessitating careful use of force by Bakamla, guided by legal and ethical considerations.

Papua New Guinea’s maritime security challenges: building capabilities as an archipelagic state

Papua New Guinea’s maritime security challenges: building capabilities as an archipelagic state

Nigeria’s Role in the Promotion of Peace and Security in the Gulf of Guinea through Multilateral Cooperation 2001-2022

his work examines Nigeria’s role in promoting peace and security in the Gulf of Guinea region. The regional security theory (RST), which highlights the link of interdependent relationships among states within a region, serves as the theoretical framework of the study. The objective of the research is to evaluate Nigeria’s contributions to peace and security through multilateral cooperation in the Gulf of Guinea region.The study utilizessecondary data from credible sources such as official reports, policy documents, books, diplomatic records, magazines, Newspapers, internet sources, and academic literature.Documentary evidence was used to analyze the data obtained. The data collection process follows specific criteria for relevance, reliability, and credibility.The findings reveal that Nigeria to promote peace and security in the Gulf Region, actively engages in multilateral initiatives and collaborations, such as those within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) since its establishment in 1975, the Yaoundé Architecture since 2013, and the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) since 2001. In addition, to promote peace and security Nigeria participates in joint patrols, intelligence sharing, capacity building, and collaborative efforts to address maritime security challenges. The study highlights the importance of international cooperation and partnerships in supporting Nigeria’s efforts. Consequently, the work emphasizes the significance of fostering closer collaboration among the Gulf of Guinea countries to enhance maritime security in the area. Collaboration with shipping companies, naval industry stakeholders, and port authorities is essential for sharing information, implementing best practices, and developing joint initiatives to improve security measures and promote a safe operating environment. While progress has been made, the work underscores challenges related to limited resources, capacity gaps, and memberstates coordination. It emphasizes the need for sustained commitment, cooperation, and investment in capacity building and technology to address peace and security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea. The work suggests further research to explore the effectiveness of multilateral initiatives, Nigeria’s domestic factors, non-traditional security threats, regional dynamics and cooperation, and gender and inclusivity considerations in Nigeria’s promotion of peace and security in the Gulf of Guinea.

India’s Maritime Security Strategy in the Indian Ocean Region: An Analysis

In the Indian Ocean region, India faces a complex and evolving maritime security environment, with threats ranging from piracy, terrorism, illegal fishing, drug trafficking, and environmental degradation, to great power rivalry. Given its extensive maritime borders with the Indian Ocean, it is critical for the country to manage maritime security challenges in this space. To address those challenges India focuses on restructuring its age-old maritime strategies and policies concerning the IOR. Modernizing and expanding the Indian Navy, improving diplomatic connections and interactions with Indian Ocean littoral states, promoting the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace, and adopting a posture of strategic autonomy are among the recently enacted policies and strategies. Despite its best efforts, India's maritime strategy falls short of providing a comprehensive plan to equip the country to confront the unprecedented challenges emanating from the Indian Ocean region.

Pakistan's Strategic Imperatives and Maritime Security Challenges in the Indian Ocean

Sea Lines of Communications, or SLOCs, have become an epicenter of strategic dispositions and partnerships in Southeast Asia. This research focuses on superpower influence in the region and how it ranges from securing islands within the Indian and Pacific Oceans to securitizing nontraditional elements of national power such as semiconductors and political alignments. This research also measures the impact of these measures and how they have indicated a change in basic assumptions in littoral states in the region like Pakistan, India, and China. The research analyses the strategies of these states towards their maritime relevance and interests in the region. Economic posturing and military modernization drive are supplemented by strategies specifically designed to address maritime vulnerabilities and opportunities in SLOCs. India’s Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) strategy, coupled with its naval deployments in the islands of the Indian Ocean, is one example. China-Pakistan-India submarine modernization initiatives and Indo-US Quadrilateral Security Commitments are some of the key elements this research scrutinizes. The research suggests that due to new strategies and the role of extra-regional players, Pakistan’s position in the region requires a deeper and thorough reassessment of its naval strategies beyond the traditional lens. It also recommends seeking a bigger, more pronounced role in SLOC politics of the Indian Ocean and even considering developing contingencies to prevent a spillover of strategic competition from the Pacific Ocean contenders.

Major Concepts of the Turkey Blue Homeland Strategy

The article analyses the key directions of Turkey’s foreign policy under the presidency of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It examines concepts such as “ba-lance” in relations with the Middle East and the West, which Turkey is trying to achieve through the development of its economy and international trade. The article also focuses on the concept of “security in the East”, which reflects Turkey’s focus on security concerns from terrorist groups on its border with Syria and Iraq. Researchers on this topic also note the strategy of the “new Ottoman space”, which reflects Turkey’s intentions to increase its influence on the countries of the Balkans and the Caucasus. The article analyses the concept of “active diplomacy”, which consists in establishing diplomatic ties with new states, as well as developing and deepe-ning relations with countries that already have diplomatic ties with Turkey. In addition, the article focuses on the concept of “neighbourhood policy”, which reflects Turkey’s commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the region. The article also examines Turkey’s role in international organisations, such as NATO and the UN, and its “economic diplomacy” strategy, which reflects Turkey’s intention to attract foreign investment and develop trade relations with other countries. The Blue Homeland Strategy encompasses a number of policies and initiatives, including expanding Turkey’s naval capabilities, improving coordination between the various branches of the military, strengthening relations with allied countries, and promoting economic development in the maritime sector. The strategy emphasises the importance of diplomacy and legal initiatives to protect Turkey’s maritime rights in accordance with international law. “The Blue Homeland is seen as a comprehensive approach to addressing Turkey’s maritime security challenges and protecting its national interests. In addition, the Blue Homeland strategy also plays an important role in achie-ving Turkey’s broader foreign policy goals. The article provides an in-depth analysis of the main directions and concepts of Turkey’s foreign policy strategy, which helps to understand the complexity and importance of this country’s foreign policy activities in the modern world.

INDIA’S MARITIME SECURITY: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES

The concept of maritime security deals with a range of security issues, which include national security, economic development, human security, the marine environment, and so forth. Maritime security is one of the most important aspects of national security and international politics in the present day. Countries that have large coastal areas face serious maritime challenges and threats. Those countries need to invest large amounts of their budget, energy, and time in strengthening maritime security. India is also one of them that has been facing the challenges of maritime security. Multiple terrorist attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008, exposed a lack of strong maritime security resources and infrastructure. The 26/11 terror attack is also considered a paradigm shift in India’s Maritime Security management. Therefore, to resolve the problems and counter maritime challenges and threats, India started giving more attention to maritime security. This paper examines how India’s maritime security discourse evolved, what the fundamental maritime security challenges India is facing presently are, what security policies and programs India has adopted and executed to counter those challenges, and what challenges still need to be addressed.

Classification of Non-Traditional Maritime Security Threats and Challenges with the Indian and International Legal Framework

Classification of Non-Traditional Maritime Security Threats and Challenges with the Indian and International Legal Framework

United States’ Africa Command and Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea, 2007 – 2020

This study examined the impact of US Africa Command on maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, between 2007 and 2020, with specific emphasis on the core maritime security challenges in West Africa. The study was anchored on the World Systems Theory, while data were generated using documentary and survey methods. Data collected were analysed using content analysis. The study found that maritime security challenges in West Africa include piracy, armed robbery, and drug trafficking. It also found that maritime insecurity has remained endemic in the Gulf of Guinea, despite the establishment of US Africa Command. The study locates the limited effectiveness of AFRICOM in mitigating maritime security challenges to its establishment without adequate consultation with West African leaders which triggered suspicion and resistance among countries in the Gulf of Guinea. The study posits that the geostrategic importance of the sub-regional maritime has remained the U.S government’s strategic interest. The study, therefore, recommends, among others, that the U.S. government should strengthen inter-state collaboration through existing security agencies in the sub-region.

Russia’s permanent military presence in the Syrian Tartus port for the coming 49 years: Increasing maritime security challenges in the region

Relations between states are always the result of permanent interests because in international relation there can never be permanent friends. Today, the changing geopolitical dynamics have made all the states engage in a struggle to maintain dominance across the world. Consequently, Russia’s leasing the Tartus port from Syria for the coming 49 years is directional towards the same geopolitical interest of making Russia resurge. Nevertheless, this decision is going to have multiple implications for the maritime security of the region as Russia’s permanent military presence on the Tartus port close to Mediterranean and black sea will make it a geopolitical hotspot for the major power great game. Alongside, the region has become home to numerous non-traditional security threats in the maritime domain including drug trafficking, piracy, illicit trade, marine terrorism, etc. Therefore, this research paper is an attempt to highlight how Russia’s presence in the Tartus port located in Syria is going to shift the regional dynamics. It endeavors to analyze the amassed maritime security challenges in the region by particular reconnoitering the tug of war between the US and Russia and the non-traditional threats that have made it a point of contention between states across the region.

Is maritime security gender-blind?

Contemporary maritime security challenges such as maritime piracy, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and fisheries crimes, significantly affect communities and individuals. Utilising a gender lens and a more holistic approach that highlights the land-sea nexus in contemporary maritime insecurities, this article transcends existing stereotypes and prevailing assumptions surrounding the masculine character of the maritime domain, to examine how both women and men are affected in this context. The article conducts a gender analysis and mapping of women’s and men’s roles as (maritime) security providers, as well as victims and crime perpetrators through two developed case studies, namely of maritime piracy in Somalia and IUU fishing and fisheries crimes in Indonesia. Key findings of the analysis indicate that a clear relationship and established links exist between gender and maritime security studies. Both women and men have a role to play as security providers, victims and crime perpetrators in the context of contemporary maritime security challenges, but geographical spaces and maritime zone delimitations largely define the ways in which they are currently affected. It finally identifies the need to better integrate the land-sea nexus in contemporary maritime security to improve our understanding of existing challenges and inform / change prevailing cultures and stereotypes surrounding the role of gender within this context.

Maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region

Maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region

The Importance of the US-Malaysia Maritime Security Cooperation (2010-2021)

Maritime security cooperation is a strategic approach engaged by the Malaysian government that involves a bilateral agreement with the United States (US), including the various agencies and organizations. The involvement with maritime security is due to the emergence of serious Non-Traditional Security (NTS) threats over the Malaysian waterways (Straits of Malacca, the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea in Eastern Sabah). The bilateral security cooperation aims to overcome the Malaysian government’s gaps and limitations to govern its waterways. A qualitative method was used in this research to explain the implication of the US-Malaysia maritime security cooperation towards Malaysia’s national security, specifically in the maritime domain, from 2010 until 2021. This research has two objectives, namely; 1) to investigate maritime security issues and challenges and 2) to identify the importance of the US Malaysia maritime security cooperation. The national security concept was used in this research to support the maritime security collaboration between the US and Malaysia. This study found that Malaysia faces challenges and constraints from obsolescence, lack of maritime assets, and weaknesses in enforcing maritime laws, mainly dealing with increasing traditional and non-traditional security threats. Second, Malaysia can reduce the gap in the governance of maritime routes through bilateral security cooperation with the US. This study concluded that Malaysia can maintain the peace and security of its maritime routes and improve and strengthen bilateral cooperation with the US through various stages, especially economic recovery in the post-pandemic era of COVID-19. Bilateral maritime security cooperation is a crucial factor that will shape future global maritime governance to ensure national security stability.

The US-Malaysia Maritime Security Cooperation and Implication Towards Malaysia’s National Security

Maritime security cooperation is a strategic approach engaged by the Malaysian government that involves a bilateral agreement with the United States (US), including the various agencies and organizations. The involvement with maritime security is due to the emergence of serious Non-Traditional Security (NTS) threats over the Malaysian waterways (Straits of Malacca, the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea in Eastern Sabah). The bilateral security cooperation aims to overcome the Malaysian government’s gaps and limitations to govern its waterways. A qualitative method was used in this research to explain the implication of the US-Malaysia maritime security cooperation towards Malaysia’s national security, specifically in the maritime domain, from 2010 until 2021. This research has three objectives, namely; 1) to investigate maritime security issues and challenges; 2) to identify the importance of the US Malaysia maritime security cooperation; 3) to analyze the implications of security cooperation towards Malaysia’s national security. The national security concept was used in this research to support the maritime security collaboration between the US and Malaysia. This study found that Malaysia faces challenges and constraints from obsolescence, lack of maritime assets, and weaknesses in enforcing maritime laws, mainly dealing with increasing traditional and non-traditional security threats. Second, Malaysia can reduce the gap in the governance of maritime routes through bilateral security cooperation with the US. Third, Malaysia can maintain the peace and security of its maritime routes and improve and strengthen bilateral cooperation with the US through various stages, especially economic recovery in the post-pandemic era of COVID-19.