This manual, Navy Warfare Publication NWP 1-14M The Commander's Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations March 2022, sets out fundamental principles of international and domestic law that govern U.S. naval operations at sea. Chapters 1 through 4 provide an overview and general discussion of the law of the sea, including: 1. Definitions and descriptions of the jurisdiction and sovereignty exercised by States over various parts of the world's oceans 2. The international legal status and navigational rights of warships and military aircraft 3. Protection of persons and property at sea, 4. The safeguarding of national interests in the maritime environment. Chapters 5 through 12 set out principles of law of special concern to the naval commander during any period in which U.S. naval forces are engaged in armed conflict. Although the primary emphasis of these chapters is on the conduct of naval warfare, relevant principles and concepts common to the whole of the law of war are discussed.
