ABSTRACT
The 1972 Agreement on the Prevention of Incidents at Sea between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union is a virtually forgotten remnant of an era that produced dozens of US-Soviet accords. The Incidents at Sea Agreement provides a useful example of a Confidence-building measure that has been in operation for over a decade during a period of increasing superpower rivalry on the oceans. This chapter reviews the history of the agreement, including the nature, causes, and dangers of the naval incidents that led to its negotiation and signing. The "incident at sea" can be applied to a variety of situations resulting from different maritime activities. There are some differences in the possible US motivations for provoking incidents at sea. Regardless of the potential utility of some forms of harassment, there are clearly inherent dangers in incidents at sea. Historically, naval incidents have often increased tensions and provided the catalyst for the outbreak of war.
