The Cargo Ship as a Weapon
Jérôme Denariez explores how “the merchant marine is diverted for military purposes,” transforming ordinary cargo ships and oil tankers into “vectors for hybrid operations and intelligence.” He highlights specific cases, such as the German police investigation into the cargo ship “Scanlark,” which is suspected of having served as a launch platform for a drone. He also demonstrates how major powers, notably “China, Russia, and Iran,” are integrating civilian fleets into their strategies for influence or their preparations for conflict. Faced with this “tactical reversibility,” in which a civilian vessel can alternate between commercial and military missions, “international maritime law and defense institutions are struggling to adapt” to the pace of these changes. In short, naval power is no longer measured solely by traditional combat vessels, but by a state’s ability to rapidly mobilize its maritime logistical depth.