The EU’s Naval Presence in the Indo-Pacific

Paper series - Europe in the Indo-Pacific Hub

The EU’s Naval Presence in the Indo-Pacific: What Is It Worth?

Recent years have seen an unprecedent concentration of European interest – and warships – in the Indo-Pacific. This development reflects the growing ambition of Brussels to contribute to the volatile regional maritime security environment, marked by an increasing naval build-up, China’s maritime expansionism and lasting sovereignty disputes. What has been the scope and focus of their presence and to what effect?

This paper looks at the rationales and specificities of the naval deployments of France, Germany and the Netherlands in the Indo-Pacific in the context of Brussels’ recent official tilt towards the region in 2021.