Navies are going through a period of radical change, in large part due to new technologies and the effects of globalisation. In this changing strategic context, a collaborative approach to maintaining good order at sea needs to be sustained, by navies acting with, rather than against each other, by the development of specialised fleets, and by the acceptance of shared R&D and production in naval equipment. At the same time, increasing concerns about national energy security and the survival of more traditional national security concerns suggest a continued focus on older conceptions of sea control and much more exclusive views of maritime security. This paper will explore the tensions between these approaches, with particular reference to the naval interactions of the United States, China, Japan and India, especially in the waters around Southeast and Northeast Asia.