Australia has provided ships to the international search effort for missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 which is taking place in part in Australia’s vast maritime domain. In an email interview, Sam Bateman, professorial research fellow at the Australian National Center for Ocean Resources at the University of Wollongong in Australia and senior fellow in the Maritime Security Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, explained how Australia secures these waters.
WPR: What are the key goals of Australia’s maritime security strategy?
Sam Bateman: The key goals of Australia’s maritime security strategy are to protect Australia’s sovereignty and maritime interests, including seaborne trade and its offshore territories, and to help build a favorable strategic environment around Australia that will prevent the emergence of threats.