NORTHWOOD, UK - Fleet Commanders from across the NATO Alliance met at Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) Headquarters in North London for the fourth annual Maritime Operational Commanders Conference (MOCC) March 26-28, 2019.

 

The conference serves as a platform for operational fleet commanders to openly discuss maritime issues and enhance collaboration across the maritime domain through increased cohesion of effort while providing value back to individual national Navies.

 

Based on the outcomes of the MARCOM-Dartmouth Centre for Sea Power and Strategy (DCSS) Sea Power Symposium and the Maritime Operations Centre Directors Conference hosted by MARCOM earlier this year, the MOCC was the culmination of discussions, information and experience sharing on Deterrence in the Maritime Domain and Delivering Strategic Effects.

 

MARCOM took the opportunity to update naval leadership from across the Alliance on how NATO is using the ships, aircraft, submarines and sailors contributed by the nations to support collective defence. Over the last year and flowing into this year, MARCOM has planned, scheduled and is leading a year of experimentation dubbed "Maritime Express” which is offering enhanced opportunities for ships in the Standing NATO Maritime Groups to advance interoperability amongst each other and with NATO Allied and Partner Navies. As part of Maritime Express, MARCOM is experimenting with new ways to optimize time at sea including a trans-Atlantic group voyage that will test deep-water tactics, techniques and procedures including convoy operations, anti-submarine warfare skills and joint coordination with air assets far from the shore.

 

Fleet Commanders also provided feedback to MARCOM on activities and operations. MARCOM staff officers will use the feedback to help shape the planning for the next year in which the lessons learned from the year of experimentation will be used to build a year of agility further enhancing NATO’s maritime readiness, capability and effectiveness.