Just as the sea has shaped Caribbean history, so too maritime affairs and security promise to be central for the future of Caribbean states. Many islands of varying sizes are scattered widely, all are vulnerable and in relative proximity to the United States, and the sea is a source of both order and disorder.

Caribbean coastguard and naval hierarchies are developed in order to facilitate systematic comparisons about maritime issues and key actors. On this basis, the relationship of different groups of states to the long-standing Cold War security agenda as well as the emerging post-Cold War one is assessed. Prominent emerging security issues include boat-people, maritime drug-trafficking and a variety of local maritime security issues.

While Caribbean maritime security is distinctive and important, this book provides the only comprehensive treatment of the subject. There is a growing literature in a number of related areas such as overall Caribbean security, Caribbean international relations, and US strategy in the Caribbean. But while Caribbean security has been a common theme and concern, only erratic attention has been given to its distinctive maritime dimension.