NORTHWOOD, UK – As an Alliance formed around a community of values, committed to the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law, NATO serves the interests of every member state. Working together to maintain a common operating picture at sea supports a greater understanding of the environment and provides opportunities to practice the skills of international teamwork.

In an effort to enhance the level of awareness of the littoral spaces in and around Europe, Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) has been working to increase the interconnectivity of Allied and National Maritime Operating Centres (MOCs).

Increased information sharing and connection between Allied and National MOCs has allowed for greater flexibility, adaptation and ultimately increased assurance among Allied nations. National navies are supporting routine NATO tasking to enhance maritime situational awareness for all parties involved.

In a recent example, the Royal Navy and Royal Netherlands Navy worked closely with the MARCOM Operations Centre to support Standing NATO Maritime Group One’s task to monitor a Russian warship as it made a transit through the Baltic and North Seas. Working together under the Alliance construct allowed all nations to have awareness of ships passing through international waters near their respective coastlines. This collective effort helped assure each of the nations involved. While recent Russian naval behaviour has raised the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation, Allied Maritime Command is working closely with members of the alliance to increase transparency and maritime awareness in an effort toward stability.

NATO’s Allied Maritime Command is the central command for all NATO maritime forces and the Commander, MARCOM is the prime maritime advisor to NATO. Located in Northwood, outside London, it is composed of a multinational staff from most NATO countries. Like its land and air counterparts, MARCOM answers directly to NATO’s Allied Command Operations which is located in Mons, Belgium.