Maritime security

‘More Insecurity Than Security’ in Maritime Domains as ‘Sea Blindness’ Reigns, Warns Admiral

The former commander in chief of the German Fleet said that maritime security needs to be viewed with the same complexity and interconnectedness as one would view the world wide web, which “makes it really urgent to really look into these huge domains from a regional perspective.”

“In my experience, the maritime domain has changed a lot, but a lot of people are still looking into the maritime domain with a different, if I may say so, old-fashioned perspective,” retired Vice Adm. Lutz Feldt, onetime commander in chief of Germany’s naval staff, told a Center for International Maritime Security Sea Control podcast posted this week.

“If something is happening in the North Sea, this has influences on other regions immediately. And we have some examples for that. If something is happening in the South China Sea, the impact is eight to ten days later in Europe as well. If we are knowing that, perhaps we can think about it, and perhaps we can create some kind of awareness, and we will not always be surprised with that,” Feldt said. “Therefore, I think that to think globally but act regionally is of utmost importance again.”

The admiral, who served as president of the German Maritime Institute in Bonn, said “sea blindness” is a major challenge with limited understanding among the general public and politicians about maritime issues and implications.