Issue 17 2nd Issue 2018 ISSN: 2242-441X nmiotc Maritime Interdiction Operations Journal 10 Years of Progress, Expertise, Innovation, TRAINING CENTRE TRAINING Sharing with International Community NATO MARITIME INTERDICTION OPERATIONAL NATO MARITIME INTERDICTION 1 NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre 10th Annual Conference Countering Hybrid Threats: An Emerging Maritime Security Challenge 4 - 6 June 2019 2 C O N T E N T S nmiotc MARITIME INTERDICTION Editorial by Stelios Kostalas OPERATIONS Commodore GRC (N) JOURNAL 4 Commadant NMIOTC Director Commodore S. Kostalas GRC (N) Video message by Maj Gen Odd Egil Pedersen Commandant NMIOTC 8 Military Partnerships Directorate (MPD) Video message by Admiral Manfred Nielson Executive Director 12 Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Captain R. Lapira ITA (N) Director of Training Support Speech by Geoffrey R. Pyatt 16 U.S. Ambassador to Greece Editor Commander P. Batsos GRC (N) Head of Transformation Section Speech by Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis 20 Chief of Hellenic National Defense General Staff Layout Production Lieutenant JG I. Giannelis GRC (N) NMIOTC 2008 - 2018: 10 Years of Evolution and Progress 24 Journal Assistant Editor The views expressed in this issue reflect the opinions of the authors, and do not necessarily represent High Visibility Events NMIOTC's or NATO’s official po- 30 sitions. All content is subject to Greek Copyright Legislation. NMIOTC Training Pictures used from the web are not subject to copyright restric- 36 tions. You may send your comments to: [email protected] 3 10 YEARS ANNIVERSARY NMIOTC Commandant’s Editorial It is of undeniable com- the maritime domain, and one of the major chock points, with Souda Bay mon understanding that the Peace very few capacity-building institutions being a safe haven for all naval Units and Prosperity of humankind passes for Maritime Operations worldwide. to or from operations. The Center is through the Seas. And the mainte- Maritime Interdiction Operations have situated in an enchanting natural en- nance of open and secure vital sea proven to be the key enabler and a vironment, and it is surrounded by nu- lanes is a task that NATO, -dedicated solution provider in all aspects of mari- merous supportive and interoperative by default to the preservation of peace time security operations, as acknowl- military facilities such as NSA, NATO and stability- could certainly not omit. edged by NATO. FORACS, NAMFI, Naval Base, etc. The necessity to enhance In the Alliance we like ab- But while all this beauty and our capabilities in Maritime Security breviations and acronyms a lot. In- convenience, the true reason of the Operations emerged in the aftermath terdiction Operations accomplish the Center’s success throughout these of 9/11 and the following turbulence. mission using the three D’s (delay, 10 years, is the pursuit of excellence The Hellenic Republic was keen to disrupt, destroy) and implement the in the education and training provided, undertake this mission and along with three I’s (interoperability, intercon- being focused in efficiently addressing the friend and allied Nations of Tur- nectivity, integration) as required in all to current and upcoming menaces for key, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy and the modern day operations, in the pursuit Maritime Security. To achieve that, we Check Republic established NMIOTC. of Projecting Stability. As for NMIOTC, constantly keep an open eye to the Poland and Germany later joined in well it certainly has the three L’s. Lo- most modern Asymmetric and Hybrid as Sponsoring and US and the UK cation – location - location! This ship- threats, and -equally important- we as Contributing Nations respectively. designed like building, stands in an always seek to establish functioning NMIOTC is the only NATO Educa- outmost strategic point in the Eastern networks of cooperation and knowl- tion and Training Facility dedicated to Mediterranean in equal distances to all edge-exchange with all the major 4 stake-holders in the game. ganizations and institutions to include ity and economic turmoil, we set the Having started modestly 10 several Universities and Research goal and achieved a crucial degree of 10 YEARS ANNIVERSARY years ago with only 5 courses, mainly Institutions promoting expertise and financial sustainability, allowing us to focusing in Maritime Interdiction Op- innovation in differentiated fields of develop without restrictions and with erations basics and Countering Piracy, knowledge. no further burdening our Nation’s bud- we have eagerly expanded in develop- Above all, we seek the col- gets. ing and delivering twenty two Resident laboration of the actual protagonists It is self evident that these Courses and a big series of custom- of the Seas. Naval and Law Enforce- developments and achievements are ized trainings, responding to a wide ment Operators, mariners and the not the work of one man or of a single spectrum of areas/threats, including: people of the shipping industry, they nation. In the face of the NMIOTC For- Cyber Security, C-IED, Countering are in the epicenter of our concerns, mer Commandants, we pay tribute to Proliferation of WMD (+CBRN weap- and what keeps them awake at nights all those people from all participating ons), Counter Illicit Trafficking (both becomes the big Q that leads our ef- nations, who have worked passionate- human and goods), Protection of Criti- forts to always adjust and improve our ly these 10 years and have delivered cal Energy Infrastructure Offshore, services to their benefit, while devel- all these tangible effects. But maybe, Biometrics and Evidence Collection, oping NMIOTC and Souda Bay as a above all, the real success of this Cen- etc. regional hub for Maritime Security and ter is the family bonding and friend- Yet, we live in a rapidly Operations. ship among us, the crew of the ship, changing world and the form of po- The training provided at and the everyday joy we experience tential threats is ever-changing as a NMIOTC is thus always practically ori- at work, doing our job efficiently. The chameleon. While some years ago it ented, following the principal “train as real force multiplier of our efforts are was Piracy in the Indian Ocean, today you fight and fight as you have been the flags flying on the poles outside the we are dealing with even more dif- trained” and simulates real life -day building, the osmosis and cooperation ficult and perplexed challenges. Our and night- situations, using assets and of officers from 10 nations, working contribution here, in NMIOTC, to cope means of actual maritime operations, side by side and bonding to the com- with all such current and emerging but without making any discounts in mon benefit. challenges, consists not only of ca- safety and in security procedures. An iconic figure of the ship- pacity building through the extensive Overall, the training and edu- ping history of the 20th century, Aris- and always updated training of NATO cation provided by NMIOTC has been totle Onassis, used to say: “We must and Partners personnel (Navies, SOF, appreciated by our trainees, more free ourselves of the hope that the Coast Guards, etc), but also through than 7.000 throughout these 10 years, sea will ever rest. We must learn to innovation, experimentation and doc- but also by our Chain of Command in adjust our sails in high winds.” Keep- trine simulation, as well as through NATO. NMIOTC was the first NETF ing this thought as a guide, as we cel- exchange of expertise on all aspects ever to be awarded by the Allied Com- ebrate the NMIOTC 10th Anniversary, of Maritime Operations. mand Transformation with a Quality we promise that we commit ourselves Considering Socrates’ lecture Assurance Unconditional Accredita- in maintaining this thriving momen- that the admission of ignorance is the tion, being a proof and a moral satis- tum, and keep operating NMIOTC as beginning of wisdom, we have ac- faction that “we do the right things, but a quality provider of maritime capac- knowledged our demand for expertise- (also) we do the things right”. ity building, as a Mediterranean hub outsourcing and we have paid great Visions without resources of synergy and cooperation and as a attention in developing synergies with are illusions they say, thus it is worth promoter of knowledge and expertise those who know best in every matter. mentioning at this point, that NMIOTC in maritime security, ever adjusting our To this end we have established a net- is an organization that runs largely on sails for the common effort of Peace work of cooperation with prominent or- its own resources. In times of auster- and Security at Seas. Stelios Kostalas Commodore GRC (N) Commadant NMIOTC 5 10 YEARS ANNIVERSARY The Ambassador of the USA in Greece H.E. Mr Geoffrey Pyatt The Chief of Hellenic Navy General Staff Vice Admiral Nikolaos Tsounis 6 10 YEARS ANNIVERSARY The Minister of Defence of the Hellenic Republic Mr Panos Kammenos with the Chief of Hellenic National Defense General Staff Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis Former Commandants of NMIOTC 7 10 YEARS ANNIVERSARY by Maj Gen Odd Egil Pedersen Military Partnerships Directorate (MPD) Distinguished Guests, Good evening, I am the Deputy Chief of Staff Partnership and responsible for developing Mili- tary Partnership activities together with our 41 partners. I am situated in Mons, Belgium and have the partners’ national representatives in my building. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to say a few words to you during the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre, NMIOTC. The most important activities we do with partners are related to training, exer- cises, education and evaluations. I am very grateful that Greece took the initiative to establish the Training Centre. This was done in order to address emerging need for enhancement or training in maritime interdiction and security.