New directions: North Africa's navies look ahead

摘要

Stretching from the central Atlantic Ocean across to deep into the Red Sea, the North African states of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt cover more than 9,000 km of coastline and more than one million km2 of territorial waters and exclusive economic zones (EEZs). In recent years, the relative historic calm of those sea areas has been challenged, primarily by the fallout from the 2011 Arab Spring. Across the region internal uprisings have been either suppressed, tolerated, or fought through. Naval forces operating in the Mediterranean Sea have been tasked with addressing maritime security threats including counter-terrorism operations and managing mass migration, as well as the routine task of maritime trade protection.