'Maritime Gray Zone Operations' Edited By CWP Alum Andrew S Erickson

This book addresses the issues raised by Chinese and North Korean maritime ‘gray zone’activities in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. For years, China has been harassing its neighbors in South China Sea and East China Sea, employing both coast guard and maritime militia forces, in the name of safeguarding Chinese sovereignty. This behavior is frequently characterized as constituting ‘gray zone’activity. As the term suggests, this refers to a state of conflict that falls between peace and war. Interestingly, the Yellow Sea, which is geographically much closer to China than South China Sea or East China Sea, has been comparatively quiet. However, there is a danger that the PRC has the capability to replicate its gray zone activities in this area. Worse, North Korea has also been engaging in carefully-calibrated provocations there. This book addresses pressing questions about these activities and offers:(1) a conceptual framework to understand maritime gray zone operations and Beijing and Pyongyang’s approach, with an unprecedented focus on the Yellow Sea;(2) a comprehensive, fully updated fleet force structure for the PRC’s Coast Guard, together with projections regarding how the Coast Guard is likely to develop in the future;(3) an extensive organizational analysis of the PRC’s Maritime Militia that surveys the many units relevant to Yellow Sea operations, some revealed publicly for the first time; and (4) a detailed assessment of North Korean maritime ‘gray zone’activities. This book will be of great interest to students of naval strategy, maritime security, Asian politics, and international security.

Maritime Gray Zone Operations: Challenges and Countermeasures in the Indo-Pacific - AS Erickson - 2022 - 

Publication date: 2022/10/21

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Dr. Andrew S. Erickson is Professor of Strategy (tenured full professor) and the Research Director in the U.S. Naval War College (NWC)’s China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI). A core founding member, he helped establish CMSI and stand it up officially in 2006, and has played an integral role in its development. CMSI inspired the creation of other research centers, which he has advised and supported; he is a China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) Associate. Erickson is currently a Visiting Professor in full-time residence in Harvard University’s Department of Government. From 2019–22, he was a Visiting Scholar at Harvard’s John King Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, where he has been an Associate in Research since 2008. He is also an Executive Committee member of Israel’s Haifa Maritime Center and a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He serves on the editorial boards of Naval War College Review and Asia Policy.

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