"Competition at sea is back as a central issue of international security. Today, the US-led maritime order and the freedom to use the ocean as a vast maneuver space to access different markets and theaters stands contested. Nowhere is the urgency to address state-on-state competition at sea more strongly felt than in the Indo-Pacific region, where freedom of navigation stands challenged by regional states' continuous investments in naval power and the renewed political will to use it. The international groups of distinguished contributors to this volume survey and analyze the implications of the return of naval power as a critical consideration of international relations in the Indo-Pacific region. Catherine L. Grant, Alessio Patalano, and James A. Russell develop an original framework in which five factors of influence help explain how and why naval power matters in this pivotal part of the world for cooperation, coercion, and competition. The chapters also provide historical background, outline key issues, and conduct a close examination of key subregions. This book will be read by both academics and policy makers alike seeking to navigate the complexity of maritime security and regional affairs"-- Provided by publisher