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NATO Maritime Command and University of Plymouth Host Sea Power Conference

KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES, United Kingdom  – NATO Maritime Command (MARCOM) and the Dartmouth Centre for Sea Power and Strategy (DCSS) at Plymouth University co-hosted the second annual MARCOM-DCSS Sea Power Conference in Kingston-Upon-Thames in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2019 focusing on the Allied maritime dimension of deterrence.

The conference brought together academics, government officials, media practitioners and military leaders to deliberate over the dynamics of contemporary maritime deterrence in an era of competition and new challenges to security and collective defence. Specifically, the conference focused on deterrence posture and capabilities, managing deterrence and messaging deterrence.  The keynote remarks were provided by Lieutenant General Stuart Skeates CBE, British Army, the Deputy Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum. 

The discussions, held under the Chatham House Rule, were wide ranging and provided an opportunity to explore in depth the challenges to deterrence in the 21st Century, the effective management of maritime posture and the interplay of naval activity and the media. The proceedings of the conference are intended to inform discussions at MARCOM’s Maritime Operations Centre Directors Conference and Maritime Operational Commanders’ Conference later in the year. 

MARCOM, as advocate for maritime NATO, works with Allied navies to enhance Alliance ability to work together. These efforts provide deterrence both in the maritime and across the joint effort to support preservation of peace and stability in the region.

Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) is the central command of all NATO maritime forces and the MARCOM Commander is the primary maritime advisor to the Alliance. Like its land and air counterparts (LANDCOM & AIRCOM), MARCOM answers directly to NATO’s Allied Command Operations which is located in Mons, Belgium.