Maritime Security Operations: A New Global View and Whispers of Mahan

The attacks on 911 highlighted critical vulnerabilities in U.S. national security and economic infrastructures that have resulted in increased security measures at the nations airports, seaports, and borders. In spite of the numerous directives and measures to increase Americans safety, no greater vulnerability exists than through the vastness, complexity, and ambiguity of the maritime domain. The intended focus of this paper is to examine current maritime security operations MSO and the specific challenges that U.S. maritime security forces face combating terrorism within the vast and evolving maritime domain. The paper challenges the current approach to maritime domain awareness, suggesting that the reader focus on failed states and their proximity to maritime domains and critical maritime infrastructure, rather than on the maritime domain as a subset of a failed state. This would provide a better focus for effective maritime security operations, and further the development of domain awareness.