A warship cannot simply begin a live-fire exercise after reaching a suitable area at sea. When firing is planned in another State’s territorial waters, the organising navy must first obtain permission from the coastal State, normally through military and diplomatic channels. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, weapons exercises are incompatible with ordinary innocent passage. A coastal State may also temporarily suspend passage within a specified area when this is necessary for its security, including during weapons exercises. United Nations
Protecting maritime and air traffic
Once legal and operational clearance has been secured, the firing area must be coordinated with the competent maritime authorities. The request normally identifies the geographical limits, dates, UTC timings, safety radius, weapons involved and maximum altitude reached by projectiles. A coastal or NAVAREA navigational warning is then issued to alert civilian shipping through the World-Wide Navigational Warning Service. These warnings must provide mariners with timely, clear and relevant information concerning hazards to safe navigation. cdn.imo.org
When shells, missiles, drones or other systems may enter controlled airspace, the military authority must also coordinate a temporary airspace reservation with the relevant air navigation services. Aeronautical information, usually including a NOTAM, is then published to warn aircraft and keep civilian traffic outside the danger area. ICAO procedures expressly provide for temporary airspace reservations covering military exercises, missile firing and unmanned aircraft operations. ICAO
SUBDANGER and underwater deconfliction
A SUBDANGER adds a separate military safety layer. Within NATO-format procedures, it is a Submarine Danger Area Notice used to promulgate an intended operation or action that could endanger submarines. Technically, it is the warning message resulting from the coordination process rather than the legal request authorising the firing. It does not replace the diplomatic clearance, the navigational warning or the NOTAM. GDAAE
Where an underwater volume must be reserved for anti-submarine warfare activity, the force may also submit a WSM REQ, or Water Space Management Request. Once approved, the allocation can be circulated through a WSM ALLOCSTAT to reduce the risk of interference between submarines and anti-submarine forces. The complete process therefore combines coastal-State approval where required, operational authorisation, maritime and air warnings, and military underwater deconfliction.
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