What are the issues specific to maritime areas?
The seas and oceans have become the lifeblood of the global economy. They are real reservoirs of wealth, taking over from a land exhausted by the intensive exploitation of an exponentially growing human race. Against this backdrop, globalisation is giving increasing strategic importance to maritime areas, what some are calling the "maritimisation" of the world. The energy, food, genetic and biological resources provided by the sea have become indispensable. French and European companies depend on maritime flows linking them to Asia. When they are interrupted, our country is immediately affected. The Covid-19 epidemic and the war in Ukraine are cruel illustrations of this. Maritime issues therefore have a direct impact on our populations. All these resources are the object of covetousness, leading to genuine competition and the territorialisation of the sea. (see box below). As the historian Hervé Coutau-Bégarie put it: " Previously a theatre of conflict, the sea has become an object of conflict. "
In fact, we are witnessing a rapid and lasting deterioration in the strategic context...
To say this is an understatement, given that we are witnessing the return of powers at sea that flout international law and increasingly resort to force to defend their interests. We are faced with increasing threats and a rise in illegal activities in maritime areas, not only from States but also from non-state actors with resources that sometimes exceed those of certain nations.
What does this mean?
The powers' return to the sea was first seen in China's appropriation of the South China Sea over several decades. It is also expressed by Russia through its policy of interdiction in the eastern Mediterranean. Other countries, such as Turkey, are taking advantage of these breaches of international law by the "Big Ones" to advance their pawns in this gigantic game of go. Finally, the seas have become the theatre for all the trafficking that plagues our societies: drugs, human beings, weapons and goods. Not to mention terrorism! This rise in threats at sea is leading to a rearmament of naval forces, particularly in Asia, totally challenging the freedom of action hitherto enjoyed by the Western powers.
What are the threats to France's maritime space?
France has the world's second largest maritime area under its jurisdiction, after the United States, mainly thanks to its overseas territories. In addition to the riches that this maritime space contains, it allows us to be the only power bordering all the oceans, which gives these lands an inestimable strategic value. The sun never sets on our Republic. But where there's wealth, there's greed. This space is subject to increasing predatory pressure from States and criminal organisations alike.
What do you mean by that?
I am thinking in particular of the ravages of illegal fishing committed by the countless Asian fishing fleets. This pressure is also exerted on marine biodiversity, which is under attack from climate change and pollution of all kinds. Protecting this biodiversity is a responsibility conferred on France, like all coastal states, by the United Nations Convention known as the Montego Bay Convention. These threats require France to have the means to monitor and intervene at sea. " What is not monitored is pillaged and what is pillaged is claimed. "Our overseas territories must therefore have the necessary resources. Our overseas territories must therefore have the necessary resources, backed up by naval air forces from mainland France in the event of an extreme situation.
Is the hypothesis of a high-intensity conflict on the seas plausible?
The return of these powers, which no longer respect international law and favour the use of force in a fait accompli approach, is a real challenge. War between states is back, whereas it seemed impossible since the days of the peace dividend following the collapse of the USSR. These powers, and even certain criminal organisations, have considerable military resources at their disposal, which they do not hesitate to use.
In recent decades, we have been more involved in policing operations at sea, which can sometimes be violent, but which require relatively modest weapons systems. If naval air forces equipped with high-tech equipment faced each other at sea, the likelihood of a confrontation was virtually nil. This is no longer the case in the current context of competition and contestation at sea. A high-intensity confrontation can quickly arise from even the slightest misinterpretation of an opponent's behaviour. What's more, our opponents can engage us if they doubt our determination or think they are gaining an advantage. So we have to be ready for a high-intensity engagement and "win the war before the war". To achieve this, the French Navy must have sailors with rustproof morale, trained in combat and with a clear and known determination. This goes hand in hand with the possession of high-tech weapons and equipment and our ability to operate with our allies.
What is the territorialisation of the seas?
The first United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea was held in Geneva in 1958. However, it was not until 1982 that the Montego Bay Convention was ratified, a single international treaty governing all maritime affairs and the jurisdiction of States over maritime areas. This marked the beginning of a genuine territorialisation of the seas, with the creation of exclusive economic zones (EEZs) extending up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) from a country's coastline. In concrete terms, the latter is granted exclusive rights to explore, exploit, preserve and manage the resources found in the zone. With its 10.2 million km², including 97 % overseas, France has the second largest EEZ in the world after the United States.
On the other hand, the high seas, the term used to designate all maritime areas not under the jurisdiction of a State, are not subject to any regulations. To counter the deterioration of its biodiversity, major negotiations, known as "BBNJ", are currently being debated at the UN. In particular, they will lead to the creation of Marine Protected Areas.[1] (MPAs) on the high seas.
[1] Areas where navigation or operation is restricted or prohibited.
Vice-admiral (2s)* Gérard Valin is head of the "Maritime Issues and Strategies" major at the Institut des hautes études de défense nationale (IHEDN). A former admiral commanding the Indian Ocean maritime zone, he deciphers current developments in the maritime domain, which has become an area of confrontation.
*"2s" stands for second section.
It is specific to general officers and indicates that they are no longer active.
What are the issues specific to maritime areas?
The seas and oceans have become the lifeblood of the global economy. They are real reservoirs of wealth, taking over from a land exhausted by the intensive exploitation of an exponentially growing human race. Against this backdrop, globalisation is giving increasing strategic importance to maritime areas, what some are calling the "maritimisation" of the world. The energy, food, genetic and biological resources provided by the sea have become indispensable. French and European companies depend on maritime flows linking them to Asia. When they are interrupted, our country is immediately affected. The Covid-19 epidemic and the war in Ukraine are cruel illustrations of this. Maritime issues therefore have a direct impact on our populations. All these resources are the object of covetousness, leading to genuine competition and the territorialisation of the sea. (see box below). As the historian Hervé Coutau-Bégarie put it: " Previously a theatre of conflict, the sea has become an object of conflict. "
In fact, we are witnessing a rapid and lasting deterioration in the strategic context...
To say this is an understatement, given that we are witnessing the return of powers at sea that flout international law and increasingly resort to force to defend their interests. We are faced with increasing threats and a rise in illegal activities in maritime areas, not only from States but also from non-state actors with resources that sometimes exceed those of certain nations.
What does this mean?
The powers' return to the sea was first seen in China's appropriation of the South China Sea over several decades. It is also expressed by Russia through its policy of interdiction in the eastern Mediterranean. Other countries, such as Turkey, are taking advantage of these breaches of international law by the "Big Ones" to advance their pawns in this gigantic game of go. Finally, the seas have become the theatre for all the trafficking that plagues our societies: drugs, human beings, weapons and goods. Not to mention terrorism! This rise in threats at sea is leading to a rearmament of naval forces, particularly in Asia, totally challenging the freedom of action hitherto enjoyed by the Western powers.
What are the threats to France's maritime space?
France has the world's second largest maritime area under its jurisdiction, after the United States, mainly thanks to its overseas territories. In addition to the riches that this maritime space contains, it allows us to be the only power bordering all the oceans, which gives these lands an inestimable strategic value. The sun never sets on our Republic. But where there's wealth, there's greed. This space is subject to increasing predatory pressure from States and criminal organisations alike.
What do you mean by that?
I am thinking in particular of the ravages of illegal fishing committed by the countless Asian fishing fleets. This pressure is also exerted on marine biodiversity, which is under attack from climate change and pollution of all kinds. Protecting this biodiversity is a responsibility conferred on France, like all coastal states, by the United Nations Convention known as the Montego Bay Convention. These threats require France to have the means to monitor and intervene at sea. " What is not monitored is pillaged and what is pillaged is claimed. "Our overseas territories must therefore have the necessary resources. Our overseas territories must therefore have the necessary resources, backed up by naval air forces from mainland France in the event of an extreme situation.
Is the hypothesis of a high-intensity conflict on the seas plausible?
The return of these powers, which no longer respect international law and favour the use of force in a fait accompli approach, is a real challenge. War between states is back, whereas it seemed impossible since the days of the peace dividend following the collapse of the USSR. These powers, and even certain criminal organisations, have considerable military resources at their disposal, which they do not hesitate to use.
In recent decades, we have been more involved in policing operations at sea, which can sometimes be violent, but which require relatively modest weapons systems. If naval air forces equipped with high-tech equipment faced each other at sea, the likelihood of a confrontation was virtually nil. This is no longer the case in the current context of competition and contestation at sea. A high-intensity confrontation can quickly arise from even the slightest misinterpretation of an opponent's behaviour. What's more, our opponents can engage us if they doubt our determination or think they are gaining an advantage. So we have to be ready for a high-intensity engagement and "win the war before the war". To achieve this, the French Navy must have sailors with rustproof morale, trained in combat and with a clear and known determination. This goes hand in hand with the possession of high-tech weapons and equipment and our ability to operate with our allies.
Vice-admiral (2s)* Gérard Valin is head of the "Maritime Issues and Strategies" major at the Institut des hautes études de défense nationale (IHEDN). A former admiral commanding the Indian Ocean maritime zone, he deciphers current developments in the maritime domain, which has become an area of confrontation.
*"2s" stands for second section.
It is specific to general officers and indicates that they are no longer active.
What are the issues specific to maritime areas?
The seas and oceans have become the lifeblood of the global economy. They are real reservoirs of wealth, taking over from a land exhausted by the intensive exploitation of an exponentially growing human race. Against this backdrop, globalisation is giving increasing strategic importance to maritime areas, what some are calling the "maritimisation" of the world. The energy, food, genetic and biological resources provided by the sea have become indispensable. French and European companies depend on maritime flows linking them to Asia. When they are interrupted, our country is immediately affected. The Covid-19 epidemic and the war in Ukraine are cruel illustrations of this. Maritime issues therefore have a direct impact on our populations. All these resources are the object of covetousness, leading to genuine competition and the territorialisation of the sea. (see box below). As the historian Hervé Coutau-Bégarie put it: " Previously a theatre of conflict, the sea has become an object of conflict. "
In fact, we are witnessing a rapid and lasting deterioration in the strategic context...
To say this is an understatement, given that we are witnessing the return of powers at sea that flout international law and increasingly resort to force to defend their interests. We are faced with increasing threats and a rise in illegal activities in maritime areas, not only from States but also from non-state actors with resources that sometimes exceed those of certain nations.
What does this mean?
The powers' return to the sea was first seen in China's appropriation of the South China Sea over several decades. It is also expressed by Russia through its policy of interdiction in the eastern Mediterranean. Other countries, such as Turkey, are taking advantage of these breaches of international law by the "Big Ones" to advance their pawns in this gigantic game of go. Finally, the seas have become the theatre for all the trafficking that plagues our societies: drugs, human beings, weapons and goods. Not to mention terrorism! This rise in threats at sea is leading to a rearmament of naval forces, particularly in Asia, totally challenging the freedom of action hitherto enjoyed by the Western powers.
What are the threats to France's maritime space?
France has the world's second largest maritime area under its jurisdiction, after the United States, mainly thanks to its overseas territories. In addition to the riches that this maritime space contains, it allows us to be the only power bordering all the oceans, which gives these lands an inestimable strategic value. The sun never sets on our Republic. But where there's wealth, there's greed. This space is subject to increasing predatory pressure from States and criminal organisations alike.
What do you mean by that?
I am thinking in particular of the ravages of illegal fishing committed by the countless Asian fishing fleets. This pressure is also exerted on marine biodiversity, which is under attack from climate change and pollution of all kinds. Protecting this biodiversity is a responsibility conferred on France, like all coastal states, by the United Nations Convention known as the Montego Bay Convention. These threats require France to have the means to monitor and intervene at sea. " What is not monitored is pillaged and what is pillaged is claimed. "Our overseas territories must therefore have the necessary resources. Our overseas territories must therefore have the necessary resources, backed up by naval air forces from mainland France in the event of an extreme situation.
Is the hypothesis of a high-intensity conflict on the seas plausible?
The return of these powers, which no longer respect international law and favour the use of force in a fait accompli approach, is a real challenge. War between states is back, whereas it seemed impossible since the days of the peace dividend following the collapse of the USSR. These powers, and even certain criminal organisations, have considerable military resources at their disposal, which they do not hesitate to use.
In recent decades, we have been more involved in policing operations at sea, which can sometimes be violent, but which require relatively modest weapons systems. If naval air forces equipped with high-tech equipment faced each other at sea, the likelihood of a confrontation was virtually nil. This is no longer the case in the current context of competition and contestation at sea. A high-intensity confrontation can quickly arise from even the slightest misinterpretation of an opponent's behaviour. What's more, our opponents can engage us if they doubt our determination or think they are gaining an advantage. So we have to be ready for a high-intensity engagement and "win the war before the war". To achieve this, the French Navy must have sailors with rustproof morale, trained in combat and with a clear and known determination. This goes hand in hand with the possession of high-tech weapons and equipment and our ability to operate with our allies.
What is the territorialisation of the seas?
The first United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea was held in Geneva in 1958. However, it was not until 1982 that the Montego Bay Convention was ratified, a single international treaty governing all maritime affairs and the jurisdiction of States over maritime areas. This marked the beginning of a genuine territorialisation of the seas, with the creation of exclusive economic zones (EEZs) extending up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) from a country's coastline. In concrete terms, the latter is granted exclusive rights to explore, exploit, preserve and manage the resources found in the zone. With its 10.2 million km², including 97 % overseas, France has the second largest EEZ in the world after the United States.
On the other hand, the high seas, the term used to designate all maritime areas not under the jurisdiction of a State, are not subject to any regulations. To counter the deterioration of its biodiversity, major negotiations, known as "BBNJ", are currently being debated at the UN. In particular, they will lead to the creation of Marine Protected Areas.[1] (MPAs) on the high seas.
[1] Areas where navigation or operation is restricted or prohibited.
