Il NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center (NMIOTC) of Souda (Greece), a center of innovation and excellence mainly focused on the maritime activities of the Alliance, organizes an annual discussion forum, promoting the sharing of different points of view on the emerging issues that characterize the maritime domain.
In particular, the thirteenth edition of the conference, entitled: "Countering Terrorism Threats in Maritime Domain: How effective Interdiction strengthens Alliance's Deterrence and Defense Objectives", allowed 120 professionals, from 24 nations, in the maritime sector, coming from the Allied military world and from Partner Nations, commercial, public and private industry and academics, to compete in the Maritime Security sector.
The conference has developed through numerous Panel relating to distinct but related thematic areas, specifically relating to the role and history of terrorism in the maritime domain, the role of interdiction operations in maritime counter-terrorism with overview on present and future challenges, the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the role of technology as a winning element in the fight against terrorism, the threat to maritime infrastructures of strategic importance and the contribution of technology in the defense of the latter.
The Italian Navy actively participated in the conference by sending two officers in the role of speakers within two Panel, providing your own expertise in the field of contrasting explosive devices (Counter IED - Improvised Explosive Devices) in the maritime and underwater environment, as well as underlining the Italian point of view in the defense of critical infrastructures residing on the seabed.
Specifically, the frigate captain Giovanni Modugno, COMSUBIN diving officer, illustrated in detail the threat posed by the IEDs and the peculiarities represented by the related safety measures - Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) - on conventional or improvised ordnance (IED) , in the wide spectrum of maritime operations, while the corvette captain Stefano Canarutto, specialist in mines and mine countermeasures employed in the 7th department of MARISTAT, presented the experience acquired by the Navy in the field of underwater critical infrastructure surveillance , envisaging the capacitive developments in itinere in the context of the modernization of the Mine Warfare and related technological and legal challenges.
The two days of conferences offered the opportunity to discuss and share experiences in the field of maritime terrorism, with particular focus on suitable and effective tools to counter this threat, underlining, also in this context, the need for an integrated approach between NATO and non-NATO actors, protagonists in various capacities of the current geostrategic scenario.
