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NATO MARCOM Hosts Australian Navy Fleet Commander

NORTHWOOD, UK – Today, NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) welcomed the Commander of the Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Stuart Mayer, for a meeting with the MARCOM Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Giorgio Lazio, and a round-table discussion with the MARCOM staff on opportunities for engagement with the partner nation.

The Royal Australian Navy has previously supported Operation OCEAN SHIELD, with the ship HMAS SUCCESS joining earlier this year, one of only three partner nations to directly contribute forces to the NATO counter-piracy operation.  

Australia is one of NATO’s Partners Across the Globe, which NATO cooperates with on a bilateral basis outside of its formal partnership frameworks.  They choose areas of cooperation with NATO that are of mutual benefit through an Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme established in February 2013.  

"Both NATO navies and the Australian Navy benefit from creating opportunities for operating and training together,” said Rear Admiral Lazio.  "Rear Admiral Mayer and I had a fruitful discussion on improving our cooperation across a range of maritime defence and security issues.”

One of the top non-NATO troop contributors to NATO-led operations in Afghanistan, Australia is one of five "Enhanced Opportunity” partners that the Alliance has identified as making particularly significant contributions to NATO operations. At the Wales Summit last year, NATO leaders agreed to deepen dialogue and practical cooperation with these partners.

Rear Admiral Mayer’s distinguished career spans more than 30 years, with service in the Arabian Gulf during the 1990-1991 Gulf war, support to Australian Defence Force operations in support of East Timorese independence, command of HMAS Canberra, HMAS Anzac, and the International Stabilisation Force in East Timor.  He has held command of the Australian Fleet since June 2014.