innocent passage
Harmless naval crossing
Innocent passage is a right under international maritime law allowing foreign ships to travel through a nation's territorial waters without permission, provided they pass quickly and peacefully.
The passage must not threaten the coastal state's security or violate its laws: The submarine exercised innocent passage through the strait.
Stopping, fishing, or conducting military exercises would negate innocence.
- archipelagic watersSea inside island chains
- peaceful purposesNon-aggressive intended uses
- territorial seaOcean zone under state sovereignty
- coastal watersSea areas near shores
- law of the seaInternational ocean regulations
baseline · pilotage · sovereignty · high seas · sea lanes · shipping lanes · warship · submarine · nuclear submarines · navigational aids · strait · trade routes · merchant ships · vessel · coastal · lawful · piracy laws · jurisdiction
- maritime rightsfreedom of navigation, territorial waters, continental shelf
- ocean zonesintertidal zone, twilight zone, midnight zone, tidal zone, thermocline
- maritime lawmaritime piracy, admiralty, law of the sea, salvage rights, towage
- maritime zonesterritorial sea, territorial waters, coastal waters, maritime border, high seas
innocent passagemilitary maneuver
Planned troop movement
military exercise · naval operation · gunboat diplomacy · show of force · combat operation