COMPOUND MARITIME (IN)SECURITY
Articles
Sat, 04/06/2024 - 12:33pm
Epilogue ...
Imagine, ... in a tension-gripped year of 2028, the world inches towards a novel kind of warfare—one that sprawls across the arteries of international trade, the maritime chokepoints.
In the Strait of Hormuz, an insidious cyber onslaught disrupts the flow of oil, sending the United States and China into a scramble of military posturing and peace-brokering. A drone strike targeting a vessel in the Suez Canal escalates tensions, with fingers pointing towards Chinese military strategists, compelling the US to strengthen its Mediterranean fleet and Russia to show off its naval capabilities in response.
In the South China Sea, Chinese AI drones aggressively assert dominance, intimidating neighboring nations into a fraught dance of diplomacy and deterrence. The Panama Canal, too, falls prey to cyber interference, triggering delays that highlight the influence of Russian digital operatives and stretching American naval defenses.
Dramatically altering the naval chessboard, Russia and China join forces to pioneer the Northern Sea Route, proposing an alternative to the conventional maritime corridors dominated by Western powers and introducing a bold challenge to the status quo.
Even as the Black Sea burgeons with tension and Brazil's southern ports enter the stage as geopolitical prizes, the consequences of disrupted global commerce are felt worldwide—from soaring costs to shattered economies.
With the international community in tumult, the UN convenes to address the shattering potential of widespread conflict. Secretive diplomatic endeavors aim to forge a semblance of agreement, yet the enduring undercurrent of rivalry casts a long shadow over the future of international maritime law and the collective hope for enduring peace.
https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/compound-maritime-insecurity
