Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPS) are conducted to uphold international law by challenging excessive maritime claims under which norms?

• A. Freedom of Navigation Orders
• B. Freedom Of Neutrality Operations
• C. Freedom of Navigation Operations — US naval/air operations to challenge excessive maritime claims and uphold international law (e.g., UNCLOS norms).
• D. Force Of Navigation Operations

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that FONOPS rest on the principle of freedom of navigation—the right of ships to move freely on the world’s oceans as recognized in international law, especially under UNCLOS. These operations are used to challenge excessive maritime claims that would unjustifiably restrict passage, demonstrating that such claims conflict with the established norms of freedom of navigation codified by UNCLOS (and customary international law). By conducting naval and air patrols to assert that ships can transit international waters and through relevant routes, the United States reinforces the legal expectation that excessive, overbroad claims should not hinder lawful navigation. The other terms don’t reflect the recognized framework or practice of FONOPS, which is specifically about upholding UNCLOS-based navigation rights.