The United States Navy and an International Seabed Regime,

Progress is steadily increasing toward developing the natural resources of the seabed as technological advances create both the ability and demand for their exploitation. Concomitantly, reliance of the United States upon its naval forces for national security is increasing the development and use of sea based weapons systems for the future. These expanding uses of the ocean are creating the need for a new, world wide system of order to avoid the inevitable clash of conflicting interests in the sea, both commercial and military. With the advent of an international regime concerned with the resources of the seabed now becoming discernable, this paper examines the form which such a regime seems to be taking along with its impact upon naval operations. Although this evolving change to the traditional law of the sea will influence naval planning, it is not viewed as an intolerable incumbrance and it is to the Navys advantage to actively participate in the regimes formation and operation. Recommendations are made relative to the policing activities requisite for the regime in order to eliminate the tendency for tasking naval units for such uses. Author