Tensions over disputed territory in the South China Sea, East China Sea and elsewhere have brought to light the importance of addressing military operations at sea in recent years. The hard law related to the use of force at sea has not evolved much since 1949, but new political realities and new technologies such as autonomous weaponry have tested the limits of the law. This issue of the Review addresses not only the IHL considerations related to armed conflict at sea, but also the role of bodies of law such as the law of the sea, the law of neutrality and human rights law, as many maritime operations are related to law enforcement or to humanitarian assistance outside of armed conflict.