Maritime Issues and Oceans

CSIS experts spotlight the maritime security environment in the Indo-Pacific, using regional experience and satellite imagery to provide leading analysis.

Risk Beneath the Waves: Safeguarding Subsea Cables for a Secure Global Network

Risk Beneath the Waves: Safeguarding Subsea Cables for a Secure Global Network

The unprecedented dependence on subsea cables in the cyber era significantly raises the stakes of disruption, but they continue to face many old and new risks alike. CSIS examines the regulatory challenges and physical vulnerabilities of the lifelines of the digital age.

Digital Report by Romina Bandura, Erin Murphy, and Thomas Bryja — March 5, 2026

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Gregory B. Poling

Gregory B. Poling

Director and Senior Fellow, Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative
Harrison Prétat

Harrison Prétat

Deputy Director and Fellow, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative
Joel Coito

Joel Coito

Military Fellow, Defense and Security Department

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Risk Beneath the Waves: Safeguarding Subsea Cables for a Secure Global Network

The unprecedented dependence on subsea cables in the cyber era significantly raises the stakes of disruption, but they continue to face many old and new risks alike. CSIS examines the regulatory challenges and physical vulnerabilities of the lifelines of the digital age.

Digital Report by Romina Bandura, Erin Murphy, and Thomas Bryja — March 5, 2026

How Would Iran Respond to a U.S. Attack?

If the United States strikes Iran, how will Tehran respond? History suggests a calibrated mix of cyberattacks, drones, maritime pressure, and limited missile strikes designed to signal resolve while avoiding a wider regional war.

Critical Questions by Benjamin Jensen — February 26, 2026

Status of the Force with VADM Brendan McLane

Join CSIS for a Maritime Security Dialogue event featuring Vice Admiral Brendan McLane, Commander, Naval Surface Forces Commander, Naval Surface Force, Pacific Fleet, for a discussion on the future of the Navy’s surface warfare efforts.

Event — January 16, 2026

Status of the Force with VADM Brendan McLane

The CSIS Defense and Security Department and the U.S. Naval Institute hosted a Maritime Security Dialogue event featuring Vice Admiral Brendan McLane, Naval Surface Forces Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet on the future of the Navy’s surface warfare efforts.

Transcript — January 16, 2026

Why the Golden Fleet Will Sail

Debates over a new battleship miss the larger issue—how to generate affordable naval firepower at scale. Seen as an arsenal ship, a “Golden Fleet” could reinforce distributed maritime operations while helping reform U.S. shipbuilding.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen — January 9, 2026

What the Bella-1 Teaches Us About Targeting Shadow Fleets

After a globe-spanning chase, the United States seized a sanctioned oil tanker tied to Iran and Venezuela. What does the Bella-1 reveal about shadow fleets, AIS manipulation, and how maritime interdiction is reshaping sanctions enforcement?

Critical Questions by Jose M. Macias III — January 8, 2026

What the New National Security Strategy Means for Naval Forces

The 2025 National Security Strategy recasts naval power as an economic and industrial instrument, pushing the Navy toward unmanned systems, hemispheric missions, and more cost-effective approaches to deterring China.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen, Mackenzie Eaglen, and Henry H. Carroll — December 18, 2025