Introduction: the changing face of twenty-fi rst-century naval strategy and maritime security

Historically, there are three established uses of the sea for political purposes. The military use of the sea includes power projection and sea control; the diplomatic use includes gunboat diplomacy as well as showing of the fl ag; the constabulary function, fi nally, includes peace-keeping and broader maritime security. 1 In the age of globalization, the use of the sea is also of signifi cant economic value. In fact, to guard the very system that is behind globalization, naval strategy and security play a vital role. The relationship of economic prosperity and naval strategy is hardly something new or unique to the twenty-fi rst century.