Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies

30 March 2010

‘Delivering Security at Sea:  Policy, Technology, and Operations’

The Middle East Naval Commanders Conference will bring together chiefs of navies and fleet commanders from across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) alongside their counterparts from around Europe, Asia, and North America at the biggest maritime security conference in the Middle East in 2010. 

Background:

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s strategic importance as a vital source of energy resources, as a conduit for trade between East and West and as a focus of grand strategic interest for regional and global actors alike make the security of its maritime environment and maritime arteries – the Sea Lines of Communication and the strategic choke points - a source of global concern.

The region’s importance has been matched only by its vulnerability to events, experiencing in the last two years a dramatic increase in piracy, the looming prospect of regional conflict, continued proliferation, and the ever present threat of terrorism.

These developments have given rise to expanded multi-national operations, including the arrival in the region of significant naval presence from new outside powers such as China; seen the establishment a French naval base at the centre of the Gulf in Abu Dhabi; and led to increased procurement of capability-enhancing technologies.

Speakers:

Presentations can be downloaded by clicking on icon next to speaker's name, where available:

HE Mr. Khalid Bin Omar Al Marhoun, Deputy Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC)

Admiral Luciano Zappata, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, NATO

Admiral Noman Bashir, Chief of Navy, Pakistan

Vice Admiral William E. Gortney, Commander, United States (US) Navy 5th Fleet and US Naval Forces Central Command: ENG ARB

Rear Admiral Bartolome Bauza, Deputy Commander European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR)

Rear Admiral Bruno Nielly, Force Commander of French Armed Forces for the Indian Ocean Region (ALINDIEN)

Rear Admiral Wang Zhiguo, Deputy Commander, East Sea Fleet, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy

Rear Admıral (Upper Half) Mücahit Sişlioğlu, Commander of the Turkısh Surface Actıon Group

Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent KCB CBE, Former Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Royal Navy, and Strategic Advisor to Shell Shipping on Maritime Security

Admiral Sir Ian Forbes, Associate Fellow, RUSI; Chair, The Naval Review; former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (NATO); and Senior Executive Adviser Booz & Co.

Professor Michael Clarke, Director, Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI)

Michael Codner, Director, Military Sciences Department, RUSI

Why Attend:

The DIMDEX 2010 Middle East Naval Commanders Conference will provide a unique forum for strategic discussion on the challenges of ensuring maritime security in the Middle East and North Africa.  

The conference will explore the policy priorities of the region’s navies; the technologies that can help deliver security at sea; and lessons learned in the conduct of operations.

Our hope is that the event will provide valuable insights into the thinking of policymakers, senior naval officers and partners in industry, and through discussion enhance understanding of the capabilities and cooperative mechanisms that must be developed in the region to meet the critical threats faced.  It will enable individuals to keep abreast of developments whilst networking with fellow officers.   

Programme:

Three plenary sessions will explore the headline topics.

Plenary Session 1 - Policy Priorities for Naval Commanders

The number of navies operating in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is a testament to the importance of the region’s waters for international security and economic prosperity. This session will examine the emerging threat environment and how navies in the region are seeking to deliver maritime security.  It will examine the priorities for naval commanders – looking at a range of issues including developing new systems and capabilities, ensuring maritime security to enable the free flow of energy and other commercial shipping, improving information sharing, capacity building, and building frameworks for improved operational and political co-operation.

Plenary Session 2 – Technology and Naval Capabilities

The challenges faced in the contemporary regional maritime security environment span the conflict spectrum, including: deterring high-end conflict; combating piracy; missile defence; defending against asymmetric warfare and terrorism; and traditional maritime tasks, such as constabulary operations, improving maritime domain awareness and generating strategic presence. In this environment, are ‘hi-tech’ or ‘lo-tech’ solutions the most appropriate means to enhance naval capabilities, and is there a balance which can be struck between the two?  Should navies focus on high-end equipment and network-enabling technologies, or more basic and affordable systems? What organisational and doctrinal changes are required to accommodate the new technology?

Plenary Session 3 – Maritime Security Operations

Maritime Security Operations have become increasingly important in ensuring that insecurity on land in the MENA does not result in insecurity at sea.  Anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia have drawn most attention, but other operations continue from the Gulf to the Mediterranean, and more recently off Yemen.  How are these multi-national operations performing, both within themselves and with each other, in delivering maritime security in the region?  What lessons do operations to tackle piracy off the Horn of Africa hold for irregular warfare at sea?  What is the impact of a strategic presence from non-regional nations and navies in the region today?  How will the entry of emerging global maritime nations into these operations impact the region?  Is the time right for the creation of a regional naval task force?

The 2nd Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition (DIMDEX):

Held under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, The Emir of Qatar and His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Heir Apparent of the State of Qatar, DIMDEX 2010 and DIMDEX MENC are the Middle East and North Africa’s largest exhibition and conference dedicated to the maritime defence industry.  DIMDEX 2010 is supported by the Qatar Armed Forces and is hosted by Qatar Emiri Naval Forces.  The Exhibition will run from 29-31 March 2010, with the conference taking place on 30 March 2010.

To register for the conference, please visit the DIMDEX website at http://www.dimdex.com/conference-introduction.aspx

For more information on the DIMDEX exhibition itself, please visit the DIMDEX website at www.dimdex.com