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MARCOM Hosts Civilian Defence and Education Leaders

NORTHWOOD, UK – Yesterday, on the eve of the NATO Summit, key civilian defence and education leaders paid a visit to NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) to discuss the Alliance Maritime Strategy (AMS), ongoing maritime security operations, and international cooperation within the maritime domain with MARCOM’s Commander, Vice Admiral Peter Hudson, and staff.

The visitors included defence specialists and educators from Spain, Poland, Germany, Greece, Portugal, the UK, the US, Italy, and the Netherlands.

During the visit, the visitors toured MARCOM’s maritime operations centre (MOC) and participated in several discussions.  These included operationalizing the AMS, the crisis in Ukraine, the status of NATO’s counter-terrorism Article V Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR, NATO’s counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD, and international cooperation on maritime security matters through mechanisms such as Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE), NATO partnership programs, and NATO Shipping Centre efforts in liaising with the merchant shipping industry and other stakeholders.

"It was an excellent opportunity to gain a valuable insight into NATO’s Allied Maritime Command Operations Center.” said Georgios KIOURKTSOGLOU, the lecturer from Greenwich University.  "The ensuring Q and A session helped a great deal towards better understanding of NATO’s interests in maritime security.”

The NATO Summit will take place in Wales from September 4-5.  Heads of state and government and ministers from around 60 countries will attend. In addition to the 28 NATO Allies, representatives from 33 partner countries and from a number of international organizations have been invited.a