Delegations representing the U.S. and Russian Navies held the annual Prevention of Incidents On and Over the Waters Outside the Limits of the Territorial Sea (INCSEA) consultations on May 25, 2021, in Moscow. This annual event is a professional discussion reviewing the implementation of the agreement and reaffirming our enduring commitment to risk reduction dialogue. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the discussion did not take place in 2020. The U.S. Navy hosted the last meeting in Washington D.C. July 18, 2019.
The consultations address air-to-air intercepts of each other’s aircraft in international airspace, and interactions between our nations’ ships that occurred in international waters over the past year. Established in 1972, the bilateral INCSEA agreement between the U.S. and the Soviet Union codified the mutual interest of both sides in promoting safety of navigation and safety of flight when operating on and over international waters, and specified annual consultations to review compliance with the articles of the agreement.
