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6th Annual Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference, Stockton Center For International Law

Cushing International Law Conference

The Stockton Center for International Law is pleased to announce its 6th Annual Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference, “Multi-Domain Operations in the Indo-Pacific and International Law," May 14-16, 2024.

Multi-Domain Operations are the combined arms employment of joint capabilities to create and exploit advantages, achieve objectives, and defeat enemy forces. Multi-Domain Operations make use of all available combat power from each Service to accomplish missions at least cost. This expansive approach to all-domain combat operations necessitates a similarly broadened and interdisciplinary approach to the international law governing these operations.

The 6th Annual Cushing Conference will address a broad range …

The 5th Annual Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference: "International Law And Conflict At Sea", Stockton Center For International Law

Cushing International Law Conference

Hosted annually by the Stockton Center for International Law, the 5th Annual Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference brings together judge advocates, scholars, and practitioners from across the world to analyze international law and conflict at sea. This year, the Conference will focus on Law of the Sea & Maritime Security; Marine Environmental Security; Disruptive Technology at Sea; Armed Conflict at Sea; Indo-Pacific Maritime Security; Great Power Competition and International Law; and the Law of Naval Warfare, among other topics.

• Event | 5th Annual Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference: "International Law and Conflict at Sea"
• Event Flyer

The 4th Annual Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference: "International Law: Conflict At Sea", Stockton Center For International Law

Cushing International Law Conference

Hosted annually by the Stockton Center for International Law, the Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference brings together judge advocates, scholars, and practitioners from across the world to develop and shape international maritime law and governance. This year, we will focus on international law and conflict at sea, examining current operations and emerging issues to include disruptive technologies at sea, maritime law enforcement, Russia and regional maritime security, and maritime security challenges in the East China Sea, South China Sea, and greater Indo-Pacific.

• Event | The 4th Annual Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference: "International Law: Conflict at Sea"
• Program …

The 3rd Annual Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference: "Rule Of Law In The Indo-Pacific Region And Beyond", Stockton Center For International Law

Cushing International Law Conference

Hosted annually by the Stockton Center for International Law, the Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference brings together scholars and practitioners from across the world to develop and shape international maritime law and governance. This year, we will focus on the rule of law and great power competition in the Indo-Pacific region and the Arctic Ocean, as well as exploring climate change and illegal fishing.

• Event | 3rd Annual Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference: "Rule of Law in the Indo-Pacific Region and Beyond"
• 3rd Annual Cushing Conference Flyer
• View this event on YouTube

Sunk In Battle, But The War Is Not Over: Who Owns The Moskva?, Caroline Tuckett

International Law Studies

The study of underwater cultural heritage, and that of sunken warships, has typically focused on the legal protections that surround a site in the years, or often centuries, after the sinking. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has given cause to study the topic in a more modern context. Several Russian Naval vessels have been sunk by Ukraine, the most famous being the Black Sea flagship, the Moskva, in April 2022. Following the sinking, Ukraine stated the Moskva was now a heritage site, with a Ukrainian Defence Minister joking that the wreck was simply “one more diving spot.”

This article will examine …

China Maritime Report No. 44: Dirty But Preparing To Fight: Vadm Li Pengcheng's Downfall Amid Increasing Plan Readiness, Christopher H. Sharman, Andrew S. Erickson

CMSI China Maritime Reports

Main Findings

• Although corruption runs deep in the PLA Navy (PLAN) and across China’s armed forces, disciplinary-related removals appear not to have a major impact on naval capabilities or operations.
• The fight against corruption within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has General Secretary Xi Jinping’s attention and appears to be picking up steam for 2025. The Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) issued a report on 25 December 2024 identifying Vice Admiral Li Pengcheng (李鹏程) as one of eight NPC deputies removed for “serious violations of discipline and the law.”
• Li was an officer on the fast …

Safeguarding Submarine Cables And Pipelines In Times Of Peace And War, Raul (Pete) Pedrozo

International Law Studies

Incidents involving damage to undersea infrastructure illustrate the vulnerability of submarine cables and pipelines. While damage can occur accidentally in peacetime, recent incidents suggest cables and pipelines are being systematically targeted and that the resulting damage is not accidental or the result of poor seamanship. Most undersea infrastructure can also be attacked as a military objective in wartime. Peacetime adversaries or opposing belligerents during an armed conflict can easily damage undersea infrastructure to further their political, strategic, or wartime objectives. These incidents also highlight the inadequacy of coastal State authority under international law to take measures against foreign-flagged vessels intentionally …

Cmsi Translations #13: Mission Command Is Not The Antidote, Cui Yiliang

CMSI Translations

“Mission command” (renwushi zhihui) has become a buzzword across all branches of the U.S. military. The concept came into being in the early 19th century, borne from Prussian military experience, and became a treasured concept in Prussian/German military doctrine. Simply put, mission command is the delegation of decision-making power. The reason for delegating or subordinating decision-making is because, when compared with higher echelon command, front line units often have better situational awareness of their given area, and delegation of decision making authority can allow them to fully utilize this cognitive advantage and seize the time critical battle initiative.

Cmsi Translations #12: Strengthen Command Capabilities To Win Future Naval Battles, Wei Gong

CMSI Translations

Chairman Xi Jinping's emphasis on "strengthening command capabilities" has indicated the direction of effort and injected a powerful impetus for all-level commanders to fulfill their main responsibilities, meet challenges from adversaries, and win future naval battles. Observing the emerging patterns of new combat capabilities in new domains and reviewing the year's work to prepare for war, in the case of new combat platforms, commanders’ ability to strengthen their command capabilities is reflected in their dual responsibility for both the platform and the system. This includes the responsibilities to scientifically coordinate maneuver and firepower to address threats from individual ships and …

Sea Dragons: Special Operations And Chinese Military Strategy, John Chen, Joel Wuthnow

CMSI Red Books

As China continues to rise as a global sea power, its maritime strategy continues to evolve. Among these critical evolutions is one of the People’s Liberation Army’s naval special operations forces’ most elite units: the Sea Dragons. A small yet highly specialized unit, the Sea Dragons entered the global spotlight and international consciousness with the 2018 film Operation Red Sea, raising several questions for Chinese naval experts. What does Chinese military strategy and doctrine require of special forces, and specifically naval SOF, to be able to accomplish the mission, particularly along the Taiwan Strait and in the South China …

Cmsi Translations #11: Mid-Life Overhaul And Upgrade Of The Type 052c Guided Missile Destroyer, Ju Lang

CMSI Translations

The construction of the Type 052C guided missile destroyer took a long time, and it was experimental in the sense of "taking small steps for rapid progress" (xiao bu kuai pao). In fact, it was also the engineering prototype of the standard fleet destroyer Type 052D. The first and second Type 052C ships were launched in April and October 2003, respectively. They were the most advanced guided missile destroyers of the PLAN at that time, but the subsequent four ships of the same type were launched in October 2010, July 2011, and January and July 2012, respectively.

Cmsi Note #11: Admiral Miao Hua's Fall: Further Navy Fallout?, Andrew S. Erickson, Christopher Sharman

CMSI Notes

Pending investigation, Xi Jinping’s protégé Admiral Miao Hua (苗华) has been suspended from his duties as a member of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC) and Director of the CMC Political Work Department. This decision was made by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s Central Committee, Defense Spokesperson Senior Colonel Wu Qian announced at the scheduled monthly People’s Liberation Army (PLA) press briefing on 28 November 2024, because Miao is “suspected of serious violation of discipline.” By the time such CCP investigations become public, conviction is a foregone conclusion. Miao’s fall thus raises three principal questions: Why is he being removed, will …

Fundamentals Of The State Policy Of The Russian Federation In The Area Of Nuclear Deterrence, Russia Maritime Studies Institute, Anna Davis, Richard Moss

RMSI Research

On 19 November 2024, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin signed a decree approving the revised "Fundamentals of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Area of Nuclear Deterrence." This version supersedes the one published in 2020 and includes several changes to the State Policy.

Cmsi Translations #10: Transformation, How Significant Is The Role Of An Airfield Station?, Gao Hongwei, Shen Hongquan, Zhang Tong

CMSI Translations

In recent years, with the expansion of mission tasks, multiple services and multiple aircraft types organizing training at the same Southern Theater Command Navy aviation airfield station has gradually become the norm. In the face of increasingly heavy combat training support tasks, they closely monitor powerful enem(ies), accelerate transformation and construction, and have achieved a historic leap from single aircraft-type support to multiple aircraft-types support, from small flying periods of short-term deployed training support to large flying periods of regularized deployed training support, and from daytime simple meteorological conditions support to allweather support, with core support capabilities being comprehensively enhanced.

Study No. 8, Chinese Amphibious Warfare: Prospects For A Cross-Strait Invasion, Andrew S. Erickson, Conor M. Kennedy, Ryan D. Martinson

CMSI Studies in Chinese Maritime Development

Through concerted efforts over the past quarter-century, the People's Republic of China has achieved the most dramatic military buildup since World War II. Previously limited in its ability to conduct its Joint Firepower Strike, Joint Blockade, and Joint Island Landing Campaigns against Taiwan, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is making rapid progress across the board as it prepares to meet the requirements of Xi Jinping’s Taiwan-focused Centennial Military Building Goal of 2027. Drawing on research, writing, and insights from some of the world’s leading experts, CMSI’s latest edited conference volume probes key questions concerning Beijing’s determined pursuit of the Chinese …

Cmsi Translations #9: Mine Countermeasure Operations In A Cross-Strait Island Landing Campaign, Tian Ying

CMSI Translations

Sea mines are a type of cheap, easy to produce naval weapon that can be used both offensively and defensively. They have played a huge tactical role and even a strategic role in many wars from ancient times to the present day. Sea mines have low production costs, and they are powerful, simple to use, easy to emplace, and difficult to remove. They are characterized by the long-term threat they can pose to ports and shipping lanes. Countering sea mines is relatively difficult and requires the expenditure of rather large resources by the side conducting mine countermeasure operations.

Marque And Reprisal: The Spheres Of Public And Private Warfare, Richard Norton, Kenneth B. Moss

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare: From The First World War To The Present Day, Daniel Lynch, Michael E. Glynn

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Generals And Admirals, Criminals And Crooks: Dishonorable Leadership In The U.S. Military, Pauline Shanks Kaurin, Jeffrey J. Matthews

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Tactical Air Power And The Vietnam War: Explaining Effectiveness In Modern Air Warfare, Matt Dietz, Phil Haun

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Apartheid’S Black Soldiers: Un-National Wars And Militaries In Southern Africa, Joseph Hammond, Lennart Bolliger

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Is Remote Warfare Moral? Weighing Issues Of Life + Death From 7,000 Miles, Jonathan Alexander, Joseph O. Chapa

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Understanding Naval Warfare, 3rd Ed., Punsara Amarasinghe, Ian Speller

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

The Study And Utility Of Naval History, Milan Vego

Naval War College Review

The proper study of military history is essential to being an effective officer, especially at the higher levels of command—but its misuse can lead to disaster.

The U.S. Navy And The National Security Establishment: A Critical Assessment, Jonathan W. Greenert, John T. Hanley Jr.

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Fighting To Supply The Fight—Assessing Approaches For Overcoming Contested Logistics, Erik Sand

Naval War College Review

A potential conflict in the western Pacific would entail the most challenging logistics and resupply task the U.S. Navy has faced in decades, possibly ever. Three possible approaches, making innovative use of new data and artificial intelligence tools, can guide investments and doctrine to prepare the joint force for that potential fight.

A Special Operations Approach To Lawfare, Justin Malzac

Naval War College Review

Adapting special operations forces concepts such as “preparation of the environment” and “by, with, and through” approaches to partners to the field of lawfare will help standardize lawfare practices and doctrine across the U.S. government and ensure necessary international legal foundations and norms are in place before a looming conflict begins.

Nato And Emerging Technologies—The Alliance’S Shifting Approach To Military Innovation, Stephen Herzog, Dominika Kunertova

Naval War College Review

In the current era of great-power competition and the diffusion of emerging disruptive technologies on the battlefield, NATO’s approach to coordinating the development, adoption, and standardization of new technologies is changing from its practices during the Cold War, but the nature of these technologies poses additional challenges for the alliance.

China’S Naval Diplomacy In The Baltic Sea At The Beginning Of The Twenty-First Century—A Lost Window Of Opportunity, Tobias Kollakowski

Naval War College Review

The PLA Navy engaged Baltic Sea states heavily in the first and second decades of the twenty-first century, but these cooperative efforts ultimately failed as the contradiction with more-aggressive and concerning Chinese policies overall became untenable.

From The Editors, Jonathan D. Caverley Interim Editor

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.