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In the globalised world, nations and the world’s trade rely on transportation of goods and people on the oceans. Recent developments in military theory and warfare in conjunction with the globalised world have changed the maritime domain profoundly. New models for protection of shipping need to be developed and implemented to mitigate this change.

The scope of this study was to see if any conclusions on organisation could be drawn based on theoretical organisational models. Based on the work of Max Weber, Henry Mintzberg and J.D Thompson three countries were studied in a comparative inductive method with hypotheses. These hypotheses were then tested on NATO:s organisation for protection of shipping, NCAGS for validation.

This study shows that the compared nations have different organisations and view of the maritime domain but also what criteria that needs to be met in order to safeguard the nation’s essential shipping. The comparison also shows that the three nations on its own does not have the ability to fully protect its shipping, it shows that a separate stand alone, tailor-made organisation that includes as many different organisations as possible, might be the best option. In that organisation the exchange of both information and intelligence is vital to success but also a short line of command. The parties in that organisation need to be private companies, national authorities and military.