What is required for a coastal State to exercise hot pursuit of a foreign flag vessel?

For a coastal State to exercise hot pursuit of a foreign flag vessel, a continuous visual or radar pursuit is essential. This requirement ensures that the state can demonstrate an uninterrupted chase of the vessel in question. Hot pursuit is defined under international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and it allows a coastal State to follow a foreign vessel that has violated its laws, extending its jurisdiction beyond its territorial waters.

The necessity for continuous pursuit serves several purposes. It confirms that the vessel being pursued is indeed the one that committed the breach and that the coastal State is acting in good faith to address the violation. Without this continuous pursuit, the legitimacy of the coastal State's actions could be called into question, since it would not have sufficient evidence to justify enforcement measures.

The other options mentioned do not align with the actual requirements for hot pursuit. For instance, prior knowledge of the vessel's intent, or that the suspect vessel must be military, is irrelevant to the pursuit itself. Similarly, while having evidence of a violation is important, the key factor for hot pursuit is maintaining a continuous chase. Therefore, the requirement for a coastal State to have continuous visual or radar pursuit is fundamental to legally executing hot pursuit and effectively enforcing maritime