Military Force Deployment in the Maritime Space: Naval Communications in Non-Conflict Situations

by Martin Jarrold

In a previous article I referred to the operational deployment of naval and naval auxiliary forces in "non-conflict" roles and within "non-conflict" environments – across multiple and varied geographic theatres – particularly during times, and against a general backdrop, of "international peace." Specifically, such deployments include fisheries and oil/gas installation protection; human trafficking and narcotics trade interdiction in home waters; international sea lanes security; emergency food aid distribution in drought/famine-struck regions; and, similar types of task for which naval resources are particularly suited. It is in the context of such deployments that, once again, the fundamentally mission critical role of satellite-based communications – as characterized by some of its most crucial features of flexibility, reliability, rapidity of deployment, footprint ubiquity, and cost-effectiveness – becomes evidently clear.