Elisabeth Braw: The Undersea War
A new book by Elisabeth Braw examines the vulnerability of undersea infrastructure and the legal challenges governments face when merchant vessels cause damage in international waters.
According to Splash 247, a new publication titled The Undersea War by Elisabeth Braw highlights the growing threat posed by merchant ships to global maritime infrastructure. The book focuses on how easily vessels can disrupt essential services, citing an incident where the tanker Eagle S allegedly damaged a power link and four communication cables in the Gulf of Finland. Braw describes the potential for using commercial ships for such damage as "blindingly obvious."
The Eagle S case underscores significant legal hurdles for coastal nations. While a Finnish district court initially claimed it lacked jurisdiction over events outside territorial waters, an appeals court recently reversed that ruling. This conflict between existing maritime law and modern security threats is a central theme of Braw’s research. The author notes that while readiness among European and Baltic states has improved since 2021, legal limitations still restrict how nations can respond to foreign-flagged ships.
Braw’s work also draws parallels to other global incidents, including the 2022 Nord Stream explosions and cable damage near Taiwan involving unidentified cargo vessels. The book utilizes accounts from naval officers and engineers to demonstrate the economic reliance on difficult-to-protect undersea assets. As international maritime order shifts, Braw suggests that determining the lawful extent of intervention against suspicious vessels remains a critical and unresolved issue for the global community.
Helena Marsh — Energy Markets Editor. Helena covers crude, refined products and the trading houses that move them, with a focus on price formation in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
Related coverage
FMCSA’s Elison addresses Motus again, still no date on full repair
Chattanooga–It hasn’t been that long–less than a month–since Jesse Elison spoke to an industry event and addressed the issue of the beleaguered new Motus registration system. The deputy administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) spoke Monday at FreightWaves’ Broker Compliance Symposium, one of two one-day sessions that serve as a prelude to the larger Future of Freight Festival here that begins Tuesday The biggest news in his presentation was really no news: after saying at the National Motor Freight Traffic Association in early October that FMCSA was “weeks away”
Mexican truckers launch national strike over highway security, rising costs
Mexican trucking companies launched an indefinite nationwide strike Monday protesting highway insecurity, cargo theft, extortion and rising operating costs, with demonstrations planned in major freight hubs along the U.S.-Mexico border. The strike, organized by the National Chamber of Freight Transportation (CANACAR) and other trucking organizations, calls for demonstrations across Mexico, including Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, Monterrey, Tijuana and Mexico City. The protests could disrupt freight transportation through some of North America’s busiest commercial corridors, particularly in Nuevo Lare
Trump Administration Unveils Seafood Strategy to Boost U.S. Fishing Fleet and Domestic Production
The Trump administration on Friday unveiled its America First Seafood Strategy, outlining plans to strengthen the U.S. commercial fishing industry through regulatory reform, investment in fishing vessels and shoreside infrastructure,...