The strategic test begins with interests beyond a state's immediate coastline. Britain is used as an example of an economy tied to global trade and communications, which creates security concerns far from home waters. The Suez and Panama canals, the Strait of Gibraltar, the English Channel, the Strait of Malacca, and the Strait of Hormuz are familiar shipping chokepoints. Less visible chokepoints also exist where undersea data cables converge. This broader map of dependence helps explain why a navy might value mobile air power and out-of-area operations.
Notable Point · 6:10-8:21
Map maritime trade and cable chokepoints
A maritime economy may need expeditionary reach to protect shipping lanes and the undersea cables that carry global data.