NORTHWOOD, United Kingdom – NATO’s Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) and the Centre for Seapower and Strategy at University of Plymouth hosted academics, government officials, think-tanks and military leaders for the seventh joint Seapower Conference at its headquarters in Northwood, England, July 16-17.
More than 40 participants gathered over the two-day conference to brainstorm the dynamics of seapower to deterrence and its contemporary application. Held under Chatham House Rules, the conference informs MARCOM’s approach to deterrence and defence in 2024 and beyond.
Dr. Fotios Moustakis, Director, Centre for Sea Power and Strategy at the University of Plymouth opened the day with a tribute to the late Royal Navy Vice Admiral Sir Clive Johnston, former MARCOM commander, whose innovative vision was the catalyst for the inception of the gathering.
His efforts were instrumental in bringing us together, and Clive’s legacy lives on with each year we have these thoughtful conversations,
said Dr Moustakis.
Emerging destructive technologies and new warfighting domains of cyber and space have dominated conversations about defence in 2024. New maritime strategies are converging as allies witness Ukraine’s remarkable drone warfare in the Black Sea. Many military commands are at an inflection point for major decisions on how, when and where a new revolution in military affairs will happen. It is a moment heavy with opportunity. This year’s Sea Power Conference explored this moment and considered warfighting advantage in an all-domain context.
‘The Russian war on Ukraine catalyzed and sharpened Alliance thinking about its collective readiness and the potential for major conflict. As MARCOM deepens into regional plans and emerges as a warfighting headquarters – it is imperative we gain an understanding of the technological, educational, institutional and attitudinal factors required to prevail in a conflict with peer competitors. The experts in this room help myself and my staff crystalize our thinking on these issues,’ said Commander MARCOM, Royal Navy Vice Admiral Mike Utley.
The theme of the conference, “multi-domain warfighting at sea” brought together five panels of international experts from leading academic and civilian organizations. For the two days, along with key MARCOM staff members, participants discussed a wide range of geopolitical issues, such as implications of artificial intelligence, drone warfare, professional military education, protection of critical infrastructure, and for the first time since conference inception, a tabletop exercise on warfighting advantage in an all-domain contestation.
“A resilient and effective NATO remains the bedrock of Allied security as it has for 75 years. This is true whether we are talking about the war on Ukraine, the challenges of the Baltic and Black Seas, wider challenges like China, the Sahel, the Indo-Pacific and advanced technology. The seas have seldom been more important to Alliance security than now. There is much to discuss and to learn from each other,” said Utley.