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Immediate Release

DoD Releases FY-2016 Freedom of Navigation Report

Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) released its fiscal year 2016 freedom of navigation (FON) report, which provides a summary of excessive maritime claims that were challenged by U.S. forces during the period of Oct. 1, 2015, through Sept. 30, 2016.  The report summarizes challenges to excessive maritime claims asserted by 22 claimants throughout the world.

The DoD FON program is comprehensive in scope and executed in an even-handed manner, challenging excessive maritime claims based on principle rather than identity of the coastal State asserting the claim.  The DoD challenges excessive maritime claims asserted by a wide variety of coastal states including allies, partners, and other nations on a worldwide basis to maintain global mobility of U.S. forces. 

Each year, DoD compiles an unclassified FON report providing summaries of the FON operations and other FON related activities conducted by U.S. forces.  The summarized reports demonstrate the U.S. non-acquiescence in excessive maritime claims, while still protecting the operational security of U.S. military forces.
 
The 2016 DoD FON Report is available at http://policy.defense.gov/OUSDPOffices/FON.aspx.