Disruptive Technology and the Law of Naval Warfare by James KRASKA and Raul PEDROZO. New York: Oxford University Press, 2022. x + 314 pp. Hardcover: $99.00/£64.00. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780197630181.001.0001

Abstract

Rapid technological advances are transforming our way of life and causing disruptions to it, drawing extensive research and policy debate into their legal and ethical implications. The maritime domain is not an exception to this phenomenon. Indeed, there is a rich his-tory of technological innovations that have transformed humanity ’ s relationship with the sea. Nonetheless, these legal and ethical considerations have given far less attention to the impact of technological developments on maritime affairs — a gap that James Kraska and Raul (Pete) Pedrozo, two highly qualified experts on the law of the sea and naval warfare, are ready to fill with their masterly expositions, as presented in this latest book. Rich in historical perspective, this book traces how technological innovations have transformed the way in which naval operations are conducted and international law sub-sequently developed to regulate the conduct of hostilities in the maritime domain. This focus is of particular significance to the Asia-Pacific, where major conflicts are, as Kraska and Pedrozo posit, “ more likely to occur from the sea than on land territory ” (p. 12). International law plays a significant role not only to regulate the conduct of maritime hostilities engaged between great powers, but also as the legal regime governing the relationship between neutral third states and belligerent parties. The latter regime deter-mines the rights and obligations of neutral states and their nationals engaged in shipping business, which Kraska and Pedrozo unravel with historical and contemporary examples and explain how these rules apply to merchant ships, including those turned into maritime militia.