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From Traditional Roles to Emerging Security Challenges.

How to Adapt our Navies to a Fast Changing World.

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Foreword

Opening remarks of Admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi, Chief of the Italian Navy,

CHENS 2015, Naples 08 May 2015

The sea plays a central role in European societies and it affects directly and

indirectly every aspect of our daily life. Its importance will grow even further

with time considering that the geopolitical and economical center of gravity

continues to shift towards the maritime domain.

This consciousness is at the base of European Union Maritime Security Strategy,

EUMSS, launched in June 2014 that opens with remarkable words:

“Sea matters. The sea is a valuable source of growth and prosperity for the

European Union and its citizens.”

The Europe depends on open, protected and secured seas and oceans for

economic development, free trade, transport, energy security, tourism and good

status of the marine environment. European States are increasingly dependent on

both the ability to exploit the opportunities offered by the maritime common and

the need to protect their strategic interests and to face the wide array of

challenges from terrorism, piracy, illegal migration, illegitimate

“territorialisation” of the high seas, merciless overfishing, intentional and

accidental pollution, maritime degradation and consequences of climate changes.

In the meantime conventional threats have not at all disappeared. On the

contrary, emerging regional powers are expanding their influences on different

areas of the world relying on increasingly capable high-tech fleets to do so. The

luxury to operate in the absence of opposing fleets in the high seas and in littoral

waters is therefore rapidly vanishing.

Our globalized interconnected world where European interests can be influenced

by faraway occurrences and where 80% of population live within 200 miles

from coastline, mandates an ever growing reliance on maritime forces.

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This is also true for the Mediterranean Sea, which links a stable well-being

North area to an unstable overcrowded South. 19% of world maritime traffic and

30% of oil passes through this basin every year: numbers, that together with

65% of energy sources transported to Europe, testifies the significance of this

basin for the European citizens’ security, well-being and prosperity.

In the current multi-polar scenario characterized by widespread uncertainties and

instabilities among different socio, economic and political communities, the

Mediterranean region is no longer experiencing stability and peace. It has

become once more a risk area characterized by security problems, energy supply

concerns and immigration troubles for Europe, which originate also beyond the

boundaries of the region and whose dynamics are strictly linked with flows of

the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Guinea, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean,

the so called “Wider Mediterranean”.

The situation in Libya is a concrete example. It is becoming a failed State where

tensions between the Nationalists and Islamists have led to the collapse of the

central government and thrown the Country into a civil war. This has made

Libya an easy prey for illicit trafficking of all kinds, and for the so called Islamic

State (IS).

One of the main consequences of this situation is the unprecedented flow of

migrants that through the Libyan territory are crossing the Mediterranean sea

and they are trying to join almost on a daily bases Europe and in particular Italy.

Just to provide some figures, during operation Mare Nostrum, from October

2013 to October 2014, the Italian Navy ships have been engaged in almost 450

search and rescue events, with more than 150,000 migrants rescued at sea and

360 smugglers arrested at sea. Experts of the Italian Ministry of Health, Ministry

of Interior and many non-governmental organizations, such as Italian Red Cross,

the Order of Malta Italian Relief Corps and many others took part to the

operation on board of ships.

This approach allowed to carry out advanced police and health screening of the

rescued people before their disembarkation on the continent. Today, even if

Operation Mare Nostrum is over, Italy is still sustaining a massive effort to deal

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with one of the most serious phenomenon of migration, which could involve

more than one million people.

Therefore the situation in the central Mediterranean Sea represents a clear

example of the possibility of overlapping and duplication of efforts among the

different actors involved and such as the Operation Triton, for example which is

a police mission responsible for border control of the EU which is extending

well in the high sea its area of operation, to include the SAR area of Malta.

On the other hand, we have navy operations with ships from several Nations that

are providing or will provide maritime safety and security in the central

Mediterranean. Italy is operating also in front of the Libyan coast with the aim of

disrupting illegal trafficking of human beings by arresting the smugglers and

depriving them of the boats once cleared from the migrants. Up to now, the

Italian Navy checked that out of 66 boats used by the smugglers, 61 sank.

Of course, these ships are operating in a coordinated manner, a natural habit for

the NATO Navies, coordination that are still struggling with in the case of

Triton. In order to share the burden of such an extremely demanding activity, EU

is preparing to launch a Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) operation

in the area that will see several surface ships, as well as aircrafts, Unmanned

Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and submarines involved. Coordination between the two

operations will soon become an issue.

Navies should be on the lead of any maritime operation: they are the sole forces

fully entitled to enforce international maritime law and also have the command,

control, and communication capability to grant the required operational

coordination and the proper mind-set to optimize the use of resources, avoiding

duplications and increasing the overall operational performance as the Italian

Navy did during the operation Mare Nostrum.

Moving North-bound, the Arctic Region is another potential hot spot. The

opening of the Arctic Routes has geostrategic implications and there is risk for

future challenges and tensions since significant national resources - oil, natural

gas and non-fuel minerals - may become increasingly accessible.

Looking at the Baltic Region, the morphology of the area offers the possibility

for an aggressive actor to easily threaten the security of the bordering Countries,

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as well as jeopardize the flow of trade in a basin where local economies are

strongly dependent on maritime transport and the free use of the sea.

Last but not least, the recent crisis and consequent tensions in the Black Sea,

where the main naval base and some warships of a sovereign nation, Ukraine of

course, suddenly reverted to Russia required a NATO intervention in the basin

with a visible assurance activity by deploying a Standing Naval Force in order to

show the flag, and reassure the bordering European Countries.

Threats and risks identified so far are hard to counter timely and effectively.

Naval presence must become permanent to achieve success as Navies obtained

with antipiracy operations in the Indian Ocean or the operation Mare Nostrum.

Today, even more than in the past, Navies are called upon to protect States

sovereignty and citizens’ security, promote global peace, secure economic

interests, prevent crisis, grant the rule of law, the freedom of navigation in the

high seas and reassure citizens living permanently on board.

In this sense, taking also into account the always shrinking budgets, we cannot

afford the luxury of ever-growing coast guards with high sea capability and

overlapping the capacities often of Navies.

The Maritime Security framework is a continuum which stretches from the

coastlines of European Countries to the high seas, until the littorals of third

Countries with a wide spectrum of threats and risks ranging from asymmetric

and unconventional ones, as is the case of maritime terrorism and illegal

trafficking, to the traditional war fighting.

In this scenario, Navies, cost-effective solutions, are ready to cover all these

issues with their credible, effective, well-balanced and adaptive fleets.

“Sea matters”.

The centrality of the sea for our daily lives needs to be fully recognized at all

levels and CHENS represents the right forum to foster awareness across

European governments and societies about the relevance of the maritime domain

and the crucial role of the Navies for the security, well-being and prosperity of

Europe.

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Italian Navy

Index

Aim . . . . . . . . 9

1. Geostrategic Overview . . . . . 11

2. Climate Change . . . . . . 14

3. The Role of European Navies . . . . 16

4. The Interagency and Multinational Approach . . 18

5. Environmental Sustainability and Bio Fuel . . . 21

6. Shaping Future Navies . . . . . 23

7. Conclusions . . . . . . . 25

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AIM

Recent operational experiences, either military or not, have emphasized the

importance of the traditional roles of the Navies, which are again high in the

maritime forces agenda. This goes along with the new roles developed to counter

non-traditional threats as illegal activities at sea. These latter remain anyway a

significant priority and there is still room for improvement not only in the inter-

agency domain – where Navies should play a pivotal role – but also in whatever

contribution maritime forces might provide to maritime security, beyond their

active participation in Maritime Security Operations (MSO).

Furthermore, lessons learned gained on the field should be reflected on future

platforms’ design. 21st maritime century’s challenges and the defense budget

constraints call for a new generation of flexible, scalable, sustainable and

modular warships, capable of responding comprehensively to the increasingly

demanding maritime scenario.

Last but not least, European Navies are called to effectively concur in the

development of low environmental impact alternative fuels and energy

conservation.

The aim of this document is to draw the possible ways to achieve the above

mentioned goals.

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1. GEOSTRATEGIC OVERVIEW

We live in a globalized and interconnected world, where 70% of Earth is

covered in water, the 80% of population lives within 200 miles from coastline,

the 90% of the world’s trade travels by sea and 75% of that trade passes through

few, vulnerable canals and international straits.

The unhindered access to the maritime domain and the uninterrupted flow of

trade is key for European economy and prosperity in a context where

globalization has created a true interdependence between Countries - even

geographically far from each other - moving to a worldwide scale the effects of

local crisis.

The framework of the international situation presents a growing uncertainty and

a general instability, as part of a geopolitical system characterized by increasing

friction among communities culturally, politically and economically dissimilar.

This is clearly evident in many areas surrounding Europe, and gain particular

significance within the so called “Wider Mediterranean” Region, an area centred

on the Mediterranean Sea – which includes its westerly and easterly approaches

– and encompasses the Black Sea, thus extending to east, through Suez, to the

Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf, the Horn of Africa till the Indian Ocean and to west,

through Gibraltar, to the Gulf of Guinea.

The region is a bridge between a developed and stable North and a

overpopulated and conflicting South, also subject to the weakening of national

structures as a result of the failure of the Arab Springs.

The Mediterranean Sea, in particular, is the mean for an evident spill-over of

threats and criticalities which can suddenly arise at any time, such as the mass

migration to the Southern border of Europe. Moreover, as mentioned by Prof.

Sapelli1, “the Mediterranean, the coastal European and Middle Eastern

Countries represent a heritage and also a risk to the whole of Europe if the

conventional military balance is challenged by extra-state armed powers as it

happens today”.

1 Prof. Giulio SAPELLI , Professor of Economic History at the “Università degli Studi”, Milan,

panelist at CHENS 2015 – Naples.

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In fact, the Islamic fundamentalism and the terrorist related phenomena are

spreading in the region. The presence of "Foreign Fighters” (FF) from the

Syrian-Iraqi area could solicit mobilization and extend the armed struggle in

their territories of origin.

Libya is at risk of becoming a failed State: fighting amongst rival militias have

thrown the country into civil war and made it easy prey for the so called Islamic

State, which is growing its footprint in North Africa and could use this anarchic

situation as a springboard to launch attacks in Europe, or could infiltrate the

swelling stream of immigrants coming to Europe from Libya as well as disrupt

energy infrastructure (oil platforms).

In the background, the question of a complete and safe use of Suez Canal

remains a relevant factor for its geo-strategic and economic-social reflections.

On this regard, Prof. Sapelli pointed out that: “a block of the Suez Canal would

affect Europe in a possibly irreversible form, for the change in the configuration

of world trade”.

These criticalities go alongside with the increasing disengagement of the US

Navy from the European waters (above all the Mediterranean) towards the

Pacific area that also matches with an increased contextual presence of Russian

and Chinese Navies.

On the eastern flank, the Ukrainian crisis remains critical as it appears to be a

turning point in Euro-Atlantic security, with the potential to trigger a significant

response by NATO. In parallel, Russia is trying to expand her influence in the

Baltic Sea – also with an increased military presence in the region – thereby

representing another factor of potential tensions with western Countries.

In the Gulf of Guinea, threats emanating from the lack of control over the coastal

waters2 and along the coast itself pose growing security challenges to the States

of the region, which are trans-boundary in nature. The consequences, including

the growth in terrorist activities, put at risk the stability of States, and it is a

rising threat to the European interests in that area3.

2 Threats range from armed robbery, crude oil theft, terrorism, drug trafficking, proliferation of weapons, to illegal fishing and piracy among others.

3 Europe imports about half of its energy needs, of which nearly 10% of its oil and 4% of its natural gas come from the Gulf of Guinea (ref. Council of European Union, EU Strategy on the gulf of Guinea, foreign Affair Council meeting, Brussels 17 march 2014).

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EU and NATO Counter piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of

Africa have been key to fight this phenomenon in a crucial area for Europe4.

However, international efforts are still needed to address such challenge through

a comprehensive approach, tackling both current symptoms and root the causes.

Moving northbound, the Arctic Region is growing in its geopolitical

significance. Rising economic outlooks in energy, mineral and maritime

transport sectors both renewed Arctic states’ interests and increased the attention

of new players eager to exploit its economic potential. To this regards, the

opening of the Arctic routes has geostrategic implications and there is a risk for

future challenges and tensions since significant natural resources, such as oil,

natural gas, and nonfuel minerals may become increasingly accessible for

exploration and exploitation. Also Dr. Zysk5 emphasized this point in her speech

highlighting that: “This is an area that we not often think about. However the

Arctic development affects all of us given the geopolitical interdependence of

security spaces and globalisation”.

Moreover, the legitimate exploitation of marine resources is strongly affected by

the phenomenon of so-called "territorialisation" of large portions of the High

Sea. As an example, in the Mediterranean only 29% of the sea is free from

disputes and exclusive claims for exploitation by the 21 coastal States: this

results in the reduction of the freedom of high seas with the potential

consequence to create conflicts.

In the current complex scenario, Europe could potentially be seen – in

terms of geographical location, culture and history – as natural reference

for the neighbouring Countries, thus acquiring greater international

importance and contributing to strengthen its credibility. This will also

allow the protection of its maritime vital interests, which include both

security and economic development, environmental protection and

sustainable use of energy and food resources of the sea.

4 In January 2011, 736 hostages and 32 ships were being held by pirates. By December 2014 that number has

dropped to 30 hostages and no ships being held. (http://eunavfor.eu/mission/). 5 Dr. Katarzyna ZYSK , Associate Professor at Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, panelist at CHENS

2015 – Naples.

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2. CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is a global threat in itself, tightly interconnected with other 21st

century challenges and has a wide spectrum of impacts with multiple

consequences, ranging from the influence on our daily life to potentially be the

cause for regional tensions, up to affect even global stability.

The link between climate change and security – and the impact upon

biodiversity, water resources, development, food security and human mobility,

together with conflicts that may arise for specific situations – is a fact recognized

by the international community.

Climate change has been defined as a "threat multiplier" since it accelerates and

emphasizes trends, tensions and instability that already exist, the costs of which

are estimated at about 5,500 billion € by 2050. Specifically, it includes:

- conflicts over resources: global changes in the rainfall could cause a 20-30%

reduction in the availability of fresh water in some parts of the world, thus

intensifying the conflicts for primary resources;

- loss of territories and border disputes: rising seas could lead to new disputes

over borders, while the melting of polar ice could cause conflicts for the

control of energy resources in those areas;

- conflicts over energy supply: rising frictions related to new territorial claims

and exploitation of marine resources that climate changes will make

available in the next future should be expected, together with major changes

in sea lines of communications, with clear reference to ice cap melting;

- damage and risks to populations, cities and infrastructures located on the

littorals: 30% of the world population lives in coastal areas, particularly

vulnerable to the change of the sea level, as well as to other natural disasters;

- migration induced by the environment: the United Nations expects a strong

increase in migrations related to environmental causes;

- situations of fragility and radicalization of conflicts: climate change will

exacerbate the institutional instability, especially in weak states, whose

governments fail to meet the needs of populations threatened by these

processes.

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Over the last century the atmosphere has warmed by an average temperature of

0,85 degrees Celsius6 and, if current trends in emissions of greenhouse gases

continue, global temperatures are expected to rise faster over the next decades

than over any time during the last 10,000 years.

Official reports7 state that global sea levels will rise by an average of 3.1 cm

every decade, arctic summer sea-ice is likely to disappear in the second half of

this century, up to 40% of species could face extinction and weather patterns

will become more extreme.

With specific reference to the Mediterranean, studies show a continuous rising

of water level affecting more than 10.000 km of coastline. The future relative sea

level in this basin could increase up to a maximum of 1.50 mt, by 2100, and

could reach up to 2 mt, locally, in presence of volcanism or tectonic activities.

As a consequence, some low-lying coastal areas would be lost through flooding

or erosion, while rivers and coastal aquifers would become more salty. For

instance, some of the most important European ports could be partially or totally

submerged.

Thus the understanding of the rate and the implications of climate change, in

particular for the Maritime Environment, is critical and needs greater attention

from International Organization, national policymakers, Defence and Security

stakeholders and the scientific research community. To understand the Navies’

approach to this problem, It is worth to mention Dr. Titley 8: “ The issue we have

is adapting our forces and our operating procedures really to a changed

environment, to a changed battle space. And that is what we are going to do.”

Navies need to be ready to face all the foreseeable maritime security and

safety aspects potentially linked to climate change, bearing in mind that its

impacts will affect the missions they are tasked to conduct, the

environment in which they are going to operate, the bases from which they

generate their readiness and the future battle space where they will be

called to act.

6 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – Climate change 2013. 7 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – Climate change 2013. 8 Dr. David TITLEY, RADM USN (ret.) , Professor of Practice in the Department of Meteorology at the Pennsylvania State University, panelist at CHENS 2015 – Naples.

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3. THE ROLE OF EUROPEAN NAVIES

In such a challenging scenario where the security framework is becoming

considerably more complex and wide ranging day by day, European Nations are

required to adapt their military instruments and in particular to develop well-

balanced Navies, to effectively perform their tasks that include, but are not

limited to: presence, surveillance, deterrence and intervention, also in terms of

dialogue and military cooperation.

The role of European Navies ranges from the full warfighting role, including

kinetic responses to a broad diplomatic and scalable tool of Government,

capable of projecting power, as well as performing a diverse set of tasks, also

not military that have influence across the globe.

A not exhaustive list of common European Navies’ objectives and strategic

interests includes:

- to ensure the security of Europe, its Member States and their citizens, by

protecting European territories, European flagged vessels and population

from threats coming from state and non-state actors, also operating at a great

distance from European borders;

- to grant freedom of navigation and provide free access to SLOCs (including

choke points), protect vital maritime activities and strategic infrastructures

(including pipelines, off-shore rigs, electrical transmission networks and

communication and information systems);

- to promote peace, human rights protection and democracy, foster prosperity

of all European citizens, prevent conflicts and crisis development, support

stability and, more generally, contribute to global security;

- to protect European economic interest and contribute to European Energy

Security by granting safe, timely and adequate provision of raw materials

and energy resources;

- to grant maritime security against risks and threats, counter illicit actions at

sea, including human trafficking;

- to contribute to international maritime cooperation, in particular by

developing a common and validated Maritime Situational Awareness;

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- to contribute to environmental protection, prevention of underwater pillage

and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing;

- to conduct of maritime capacity building activities with third Countries to

build confidence, enhance mutual trust and develop a common f

understanding in ensuring maritime governance and the rule of law.

Given the roles and responsibilities above, and considering that European

interests stand across a “wide” area where current scenarios are characterized by

a rapid changing and dynamic nature, European maritime forces have to be

prepared for global reach and ready to operate across both military and non-

military missions, such as maritime policing, constabulary, humanitarian

operations, etc, with an evolution of their assigned tasks beyond their purely

traditional military nature. This last sentence is particularly true if we recall

prof . Grove9’s words “In the future, particularly as America moves toward the

Pacific and moves toward the engagement in various ways, there is a great role

for European naval power, including at the highest possible levels”.

Common requirements can be summarized as follows:

- the need to remain practiced across the whole spectrum of traditional tasks,

such as the maritime warfare capabilities (AAW, ASW, ASUW and EW).

This issue has been, in particular, highlighted during the Libyan crisis, with

emphasis on the need to extend fire ranges, ISR, accuracy and targeting;

- Maritime Security, which represents one of the cornerstone of Navies’ both

present and future, and which has its foundations firmly based on three main

pillars: Security Operations, Situational Awareness and Capacity Building.

This approach requires to enhance coordination among Navies within the

framework of Maritime Security;

- the increasing importance of Navies’ dual usability as key enabler for any

kind of activity other than military, such as: Diplomacy, Humanitarian

Assistance, Capacity Building, Disaster Reliefs, Search and Rescue, Civil –

Military Maritime Cooperation, etc.;

9 Prof. Eric GROVE , Naval Historian and International Security Analyst, panelist at CHENS 2015 – Naples.

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- the need to keep focusing on the interagency environment since, in this

field, Navies remain the main providers of Maritime Security. A Navy’s

strength is based, among others, on a solid environmental knowledge, the

availability of flexible and adequate tools and the ability to use them

properly, skills which are not common to the involved agencies and

institutions and must be exploited at best.

Current scenarios confirm the need for European Countries to avail

themselves of well balanced and efficient Navies, ready to tackle the high

end warfighting roles as well as to cover – since peacetime- the whole

spectrum of maritime security and safety tasks, alos performing non –

military activities of high importance in the public opinion perception.

4. INTERAGENCY AND MULTINATIONAL APPROACH

The mentioned wide spectrum of challenges requires a strong commitment of all

Stakeholders, be they military or otherwise, driven by an inclusive approach

toward all the involved actors, to set the basis for a more coordinated and

rational employment of maritime assets.

Navies, main providers of Maritime Security should continue to pursue

interagency cooperation, ranging from military and non-military Agencies and

Organization to the global maritime cluster.

In doing so, a truly comprehensive approach is required with all stakeholders

involved in maritime domain. This requires cohesion among all the different

national actors in particular to build appropriate MSA structures, where full

representation of the involved Agencies shall facilitate the achievement of a

common layer of maritime knowledge, through open collaboration, continuous

coordination and the merging of all available sources.

Navies can cooperate within the interagency framework without infringing other

authorities/organisations competences and responsibilities: on the contrary, they

could provide most of the required hardware – by making available their already

suitable Maritime Surveillance Centres – along with their inherent pro-active

mind set and a sound expertise, which are force multipliers in the common effort

toward Maritime Security.

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Dialogue & Cooperation are key to develop confidence and mutual trust among

different Nations: European Navies again play a crucial role in providing

opportunities to strengthen the capabilities of third countries in appropriately

facing Maritime Security and Safety issues. This entails the conduct of key

leaders engagement, port visits as well as training at sea, providing a great

example of flexibility and efficiency, also to grant a proper answer to present

and foreseeable maritime challenges.

As a matter of fact, the traditional role of naval diplomacy and the inherent

attitude to cooperation have been well exploited by Navies, front-liners of a

significant number of already existing Dialogue and Cooperation initiatives,

some of which already considered as concrete and suitable models for future

opportunities.

This is for instance the case of the Virtual Regional Maritime Traffic Centre (V-

RMTC), a virtual network, launched by the Italian Navy back in 2004,

connecting and providing exchange of information among the Naval Operational

Centers of the 24 Navies adhering the Initiative10. Through this network, based

on internet commercial platform, unclassified information related to merchant

shipping are shared.

Thanks to the flexibility of the model and without additional expenses, it was

expanded into a Trans-regional Maritime Network (T-RMN) with the possibility

to exchange the maritime picture with the MaritimeOperation Centres of Brazil,

Argentina, Peru, South Africa and Singapore.

Another valuable Initiative is the Adriatic-Ionian (ADRION) initiative,

involving the Navies of Albania, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro and

Slovenia and aiming at developing regional cooperation with a view to ensuring

the security, political and economic stability of the area, as well as to improving

maritime cooperation in the region for a better mutual understanding and a

greater interoperability at sea.

10 Albania, Bulgaria Belgium Croatia, Cyprus, France, Georgia Germany Greece, Italy, Israel, Jordan, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands Portugal, Romania, Senegal Spain, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, USA.

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Probably the most significant initiative involving Navies is the “5+5 Initiative”11

whose maritime dimension represents the main driver of Cooperation among

very different Countries in terms of Organizations and capabilities.

Through practical activities and a permanent exchange of ideas and experiences,

the "5+5 Initiative" aims at enhancing mutual understanding and trust and at

developing a multilateral cooperation in order to cope with security-challenging

issues in the region.

The wide complexity and unpredictability of threats determines also the need

for a combined NATO and EU answer, which have shared a similar vision

with reference to the geopolitical and economic importance of the maritime

domain and have recently produced respective maritime strategies.

In details, the Alliance Maritime Strategy (AMS)12 has highlighted the

importance of the maritime domain for the security interests of Allied,

identifying four roles for NATO’s maritime forces13 and the need to adapt the

NATO maritime organization along with developing capabilities to perform

missions envisaged in the strategy.

Moreover, the strategy has emphasized the value and the necessity to foster a

Comprehensive Approach, maintaining enduring relationships with relevant

actors to reach commons goals.

Linked to this point, Ambassador Evans14 underlined the three ways in which

European Navies (as Allied Navies or as Partner Navies) could support NATO’s

efforts: engagement with MARCOM, fully resource the Standing Naval Forces

and deliver a better contribution to NATO Situational Awareness from ships

engaged in national tasking.

The EU Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS), launched in June 2014, aims at

protecting the maritime security interests of EU and Member States against the

challenges and risks present in the maritime domain. The strategy looks at

11 Launched in 2004, it sees the participation of ten Western Mediterranean nations: Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia.

12 Alliance Maritime Strategy, 16 March 2011 (C-M (2011) 0023). 13Deterrence ad collective defence; crisis management; cooperative security-outreach through

partnership, dialogue and cooperation; maritime security. 14Ambassador Stephen EVANS, Assistant Secretary General Operations, International Staff,

panelist at CHENS 2015 – Naples.

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strengthening the regional responses to maritime security and is based on four

guiding principles: cross-sectoral approach, functional integrity, respect for rules

and principles and Maritime multilateralism.

It is in this sense worth quoting the Maritime Security definition in the EUMSS:

“Maritime security is understood as a state of affairs of the global maritime

domain, in which international law and national law are enforced, freedom of

navigation is guaranteed and citizens, infrastructure, transport, the environment

and marine resources are protected”.

On this regard, Mr. Gambs15 highlighted that “EUMSS is an opportunity to

deepen improve the cooperation between European Navies without changing

any structures and competences, as well as avoiding duplications”.

To put into practice both strategies, the “operationalising” of AMS and the

EUMSS Action Plan have been developed. Thus is needed to establish effective

synergies, cooperation, harmonization of mutual capabilities and use of

complementary skills of the two Organizations to avoid unnecessary duplication

and redundancy thus rationalizing the scarce available resources.

The wide complexity and unpredictability of threats and challenges

requires a comprehensive approach with the involvement of all maritime

Stakeholders. Interagency framework, Dialogue and Cooperation and

synergy between NATO and EU are enabling factors for Maritime Security

and Navies have the proper tools and mindset to perform a leading role in

developing all the concerned initiatives.

5. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND BIO FUEL

The growth of global energy demand offers increasing challenges in terms of

security of supplies, competition for resources and containment of

environmental impact in a complex and multifaceted international context.

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Mr. Hubert GAMBS , Director responsible for the Mediterranean and Black Sea, European Union, Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG-MARE), panelist at CHENS 2015 – Naples.

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In particular, the European Union established that maritime transport must

progressively shift from petroleum derived fuels to LNG as “urgent” measures

due to break the over-dependence of European transport on oil. Transport in

Europe is 94% dependent on oil, 84% of it being imported - of which the most

by sea with a bill up to 1 billion € per day - and increasing costs to the

environment.

Moreover, in October 2014 EU leaders agreed the domestic 2030 greenhouse

gas reduction target of at least 40% compared to 1990, together with the other

main building blocks of the 2030 policy framework for climate and energy. This

2030 policy framework aims at making the EU's economy and energy systems

more competitive, secure and sustainable and also sets a target of at least 27%

for renewable energy and energy savings by 2030.

The influence of climate changes on the stability and security of the global

maritime domain is also recognized in the EUMSS and its Action Plan, that

promote and elicit Member States’ initiatives in the maritime domain aimed to

improve energy efficiency, in line with the 2030 Targets.

The International Community is clearly moving toward a greater awareness and

is searching for collaborative solutions, to face not only environmental issues,

but rather security matters, which include, more than ever, growing maritime

aspects.

This also influences our Navies’ future shape, in order to be ready to tackle

problems and manage effects in a responsive, flexible and scalable way.

This is exactly in line with the point raised by Rear Admira Natale16, who said:

“What can be the role of our Navy to be consistent with this climate and energy

challenge? Beside a few nuclear powerships and submarines, European fleets

and their naval aviators rely upon petroleum-derived fuel and therefore we are

all in the same boat. However together we retain the capacity to be precursor of

new technologies and cleaner fuel”.

In this perspective, the use of alternative fuels could bring important paybacks,

reducing dependence on petroleum and foster the reduction of oil prices with

16Rear Admiral Antonio NATALE , Italian Navy General Staff, Head of Surface Ship Department,

panelist at CHENS 2015 – Naples.

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strategic and economic benefits. Navies can have significant influence in the

development, qualification and certification process of these new products.

Those Navies that are able to use energy in a more efficient way and with more

options, not only are more apt to achieve assigned tasks with more flexibility

and less fuel consumption, but also can help to improve the level of global

Energy Security

6. SHAPING FUTURE NAVIES

Most European Countries, based on the severe financial landscape are

undergoing a radical change of their Navies’ organizational model, while trying

to maintain and further enhance current capabilities, to operate as effectively as

in the past and even better.

The output is intended to be, in most cases, a reduced but balanced, modern and

efficient naval instrument which should feature a number of specific

characteristics herein listed:

full range of capabilities: traditional naval roles and related capabilities are to be

preserved and improved with more flexibility and adaptability, considering the

competing needs for global reach, Homeland Defence, Maritime Surveillance &

Security, and support to National interests, where and when needed. Military

risks, as well as smuggling, illegal activities, pollution, environmental threats are

to be considered as a whole in the maritime dimension;

modern and balanced maritime instrument: European Navies shall keep pursuing

the significant process of modernization and review in order to respond

effectively to the current challenges, while maintaining the high operational

output, which only a truly balanced maritime instrument can ensure. In this field,

more can be done besides industrial cooperation, where applicable. In fact

European Navies shall achieve an improved exchange of information concerning

the development of the respective operational capabilities, in order to promote

interoperability, commonality of solutions and possible economies of scale;

power projection: European Navies should consider on improving their ability to

project their capabilities out of area, for long periods of time in order to

influence events at sea and from the sea. In this light any synergy should be

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pursued to combine efforts in supporting forces often committed far from our

borders, also in areas characterized by harsh climatic conditions – exactly where

the problem stands. For these reasons flexibility and interoperability should stay

at the foundation of strategies and visions;

transformation and optimization of resources: to remain successful, Navies must

be innovative and adaptive, in terms of organization, structure, doctrines and

assets, in order to accommodate new requirements and needs: this

transformation is however hampered by the global financial crisis which is

imposing heavy budget constraints on new projects, that shall be taken into

consideration when shaping the future of European Navies. Optimization of

resources is a must, as well as the development of new capabilities and the

improvement of cooperation to reach an effective operational output;

credibility: there is the need to create sustainable and credible capabilities to be

employed at the right moment. In this field, many European Navies are already

working together within different multinational forces and initiatives. Most of

them have progressed from the initial declarations of intents, nevertheless there

is still room for improvement, by combining efforts;

fleets requirements: these must be tailored so that ships retain outstanding

qualities of logistic autonomy, seaworthiness, operational flexibility with high

cruise speed, Command and Control capabilities, while meeting the

requirements of efficiency and scalability. These characteristics will be

necessary to achieve greater operational readiness of the naval instrument,

capable to deploy, fast and far, to rapidly reach areas of international crisis - or

to ensure the full range of activities related to the accomplishment of State action

at the sea - reducing transit times and staying longer on the scene even under

adverse weather conditions, also enabling Command and Control of an

interagency force, if required;

dual use: future Navies will also have to emphasize their inherent dual-usability:

ships to be promptly used – since peacetime - even in non-military tasks, such as

supporting populations affected by natural disasters, in particular where the

ground infrastructure is compromised, ensuring the transport of materials and

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humanitarian necessities, acting as a command and control, logistics and

healthcare hub.

The recent past offers many examples of maritime operations focused on the

support and assistance to people affected by natural disasters or fleeing war

zones: examples such as Operation White Crane – where the aircraft carrier

Cavour was deployed to Haiti with a joint and combined task force on board to

help the stricken population in the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake in

January 2010 – and Operation Mare Nostrum (2013-14) are both tangible

evidences of how military vessels can also be effectively used for humanitarian

purposes.

Dual use features include also other activities which Navies can perform, such as

hydro-oceanographic data collection, protection of marine archaeological sites

and protection of bio-diversity of marine fisheries resources.

Lastly, European Navies can have a leading role in effectively contributing to

the marine environmental protection, thus supporting, in a broader perspective,

the global wellbeing and security.

7. CONCLUSIONS

The sea plays a key role for Europe and its importance will grow even further in

time. European Countries have strategic interests across the global maritime

domain and are increasingly dependent on both the ability to exploit the

opportunities offered by the maritime domain and the need to protect their

strategic interests.

In a world becoming less predictable and secure, seas surrounding Europe are no

longer experiencing stability and peace. Threats and challenges span from

terrorism to mass migration, as well as unilateral “territorialisation” of the high

seas, merciless overfishing, and intentional and accidental pollution.

At the same time, the presence of conventional threats - related to emerging

regional powers which are expanding their influence on different areas of the

world - makes the luxury to operate in the absence of opposing fleets in the high

seas rapidly diminishing.

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In particular, the Mediterranean region - a bridge between a stable, well-being

north and an unstable south, is clearly an area of the world where traditional

roles and emerging security tasks coexist.

Challenges encompassing the unsolved Arab-Israeli disputes, the Islamic

fundamentalism, the terrorist related phenomena and the unstable political

situation in Libya are making the Mediterranean Sea a risk area, where conflicts,

crisis and emergencies can suddenly arise, at any time, further exacerbating

security, energy supply and immigration concerns.

Recent operations have in fact confirmed the need for our Navies to continue to

effectively perform - and in fact revamp - the whole spectrum of warfighting

capabilities and to fulfil, since peacetime, the full range of maritime security and

safety tasks in support of the action of the State at sea.

On this regard, conventional warfare areas should be maintained as much as

possible, since it is commonly agreed that, when lost, their recovery could be

extremely expensive and thus neither cost effective nor time coherent. At the

same time all the experiences gained in the recent past with regard to non

traditional operational activities (Disaster Relief, Humanitarian Assistance,

Maritime Security, etc...) must be capitalized when thinking of future Navies.

Flexibility, modularity, dual-usability, multipurpose and extended operational

availability can be considered driving factors for the ongoing innovation

processes. The unpredictability of the future requires Navies to be ready to

intervene and cover multiple duties, from constabulary to traditional military

roles with well-prepared crews, ready to operate in a joint and coalition

environment. As summarized by VAdm (ret.) Sanfelice di Monteforte17

“Navies have to avoid power vacuums. Without knowledge, prevention, control,

containment and enforcement there is a power vacuum and everybody exploits

it”.

To do that, European future fleets must be shaped in the best interest of each

nation and flexible thinking shall be boosted to adapt the limited availability of

maritime forces to any exigency, be it through national frameworks, EU or

17

Vice Admiral (ret.) Ferdinando SANFELICE DI MONTEFO RTE, Professor of Strategic Studies – University of Trieste, panelist at CHENS 2015 – Naples.

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NATO structure, by using the same single set of capabilities, with neither

duplication, nor competition.

On top of that, it is necessary to adjust foreign and security policies from

“continentally inward” strategies towards “maritime-oriented and outward-

looking” lines of development and challenging, at the same time, the sea-

blindness at all levels.

On this respect, the numbers of personnel across all European Armies in total

adds up to 150% of the equivalent USA manpower and the numbers of European

military aircraft represents 50% more than US Air Force, yet the combined

European Navies amount to only 30% of the total US Navy in terms of tonnage,

not to mention capabilities implications. Therefore, it is needed to rethink the

way how money in Defence is spent and rebalance the military Services, taking

into account the increasing relevance of the maritime scenario.

CHENS represents the right forum to foster awareness across European

governments and international bodies about the relevance and strategic

importance of the maritime domain for the well-being and prosperity of Europe

and beyond, and as stated by Minister of Defence, Sen. Roberta PINOTTI,

“meetings like CHENS are extremely important to build a shared culture of

defense and security to face daily threats and to exchange views for operating

together in order to meet the requirement of collective security at European

level”.