ABSTRACT
The traditional roles of navies reflect Realist conceptions of the international order and the way the relations between states are conducted. Therefore, “modern” navies have a mission set that reflects the propositions of the grandmasters of maritime strategy, Mahan and Corbett, in which maritime security has played only a minor and subordinate role. Since the end of the Cold War and the onset of globalisation, however, very different post-modern perspectives on maritime security have emerged. Navies have generally adopted a mix of the modern and postmodern approaches, a mix dependent on the general state of international relations. With the return of great power competition, a swing back to Realist conceptions of naval roles and of maritime security is evident.
