Australian Maritime Issues 2005 - Royal Australian Navy

SEAPOWER IN THE 21ST CENTURY
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The second important task navies will have to perform in defending the system is
maritime power projection and the associated role of naval diplomacy. The nature of
navies makes them very appropriate and relatively easy to use as instruments of foreign
policy. There is hardly any dispute about this really, because if you view the ocean as
the world’s greatest manoeuvre space, it is readily apparent that naval forces are able to
freely navigate virtually anywhere they choose. Indeed, the US Marine Corps (USMC)
was the first and loudest to say that most of the world’s problems today are within reach
of the sea.
It is important clearly to understand what naval diplomacy involves. Whilst Figure 3
breaks this function down into manageable components, it should be noted that naval
presence greatly facilitates, but is not necessarily a condition for, picture-building, acts
of coercion and coalition building activities. Moreover, the same maritime force may find
itself engaged in more than one type of activity simultaneously. A naval force intercepting
coastal vessels running illicit arms may be deterring, compelling and coalition building
all at the same time. On the other hand, it is impossible to be present everywhere in
order to defend the system against events occurring at sea or ashore. Naval presence
therefore takes many different forms. It can be routine and continuous, particularly in
important areas where a country wishes to demonstrate a permanent interest. It can, on
the other hand, be periodic and in accordance with some regular deployment rhythm,
once a year, once a month or ‘whenever we can’ (the latter usually reflects a less acute
sense of interest in an area or a shortage of the naval resources needed to protect that
interest). Finally, there is ‘contingency positioning’ - when a government orders a naval
force to an area in a way that diverts ships from existing schedules but without quite
knowing what it wants that force actually to do. The big advantage of a presence, of
course, is that naval forces are not only on the spot before a crisis happens, but may also
be in a position to prevent it from happening in the first place. At the same time it is of
great assistance in building pictures, gathering intelligence and informing officials back
at home of the emerging situation. This is most important, because it enables them to be
proactive rather than reactive, always a huge advantage in political and military terms.
Expeditionary
Operations
Coercion
Deterrence
Naval
Diplomacy
Presence
Picture
Building
Compellence
Humanitarian
Operations
Coalition
Building
Figure 3: Naval diplomacy (source Till 2004)