Navigating the Complexities of Armed Conflict at Sea: Insights from the IMRF Webinar

On 29 September 2025, the IMRF hosted a timely webinar exploring the legal and operational challenges of maritime search and rescue (SAR) in the context of armed conflict at sea. The session highlighted how modern naval warfare increasingly intersects with civilian shipping, SAR operations, and international law. 

Caroline Jupe, IMRF CEO, opened the session by outlining IMRF’s ongoing efforts to strengthen protections for rescuers and maintain effective SAR systems even in conflict scenarios.  This isn’t the first time the IMRF has engaged with the impact of armed conflict on SAR. At our very first International Lifeboat Conference in 1924, just five years after the First World War, Norway proposed that all lifeboats adopt a common form of identification to signify their humanitarian purpose - 'a cross to signify the humane aim,' they suggested, describing the lifeboat as 'the Red Cross of the seas.' In many ways, today’s work continues that legacy, reinforcing the principle that SAR must remain humanitarian, impartial, and protected. 

Abby Zeith of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) examined the evolving legal framework governing naval conflict. Modern maritime warfare is no longer limited to fleet battles but involves drones, hypersonic weapons, cyber operations, and multi-domain attacks on critical infrastructure. Civilian vessels, including merchant ships and auxiliaries, face significant risks, often without any connection to the conflict. Existing legal frameworks, including the Geneva Conventions, UNCLOS, SOLAS, and SAR Convention, provide partial protection but are insufficient to address contemporary challenges. The San Remo Manual, widely accepted as customary law at sea,  is being updated under the leadership of the ICRC and the Norwegian Red Cross, with input from a range of experts, including the IMRF, which is contributing its specialist SAR expertise as an observer, to provide clearer guidance on protecting civilians, SAR personnel, and infrastructure. 

Roly McKie presented practical considerations for SAR operations. Identification remains critical: visual markers, such as Red Cross symbols, help, but electronic identification systems like AIS and GNSS are vulnerable to jamming or spoofing in conflict environments. Civilian vessels assisting in SAR operations must clearly communicate their neutral or humanitarian status to avoid accidental targeting.  

The webinar emphasised that modern SAR operations must navigate legal ambiguity, technological vulnerabilities, and the increasing complexity of naval warfare. Through projects like the San Remo Manual update and the Global Maritime SAR Systems Review, the IMRF aims to provide practical, actionable guidance, ensuring the protection of civilians and rescuers while enhancing global SAR readiness for the challenges of the coming decades. 

Thank you to all the speakers for their invaluable insights and contributions to this important discussion, as well as those who attended!

If you missed the webinar or would like to rewatch it, you can watch it below.