Rear Admiral Philip Wilcocks CB DSC

Chief Of Staff CapabilityCommander-in-Chief, Fleet

Royal Navy

“How inappropriate to call this plant Earth when it is quite clearly ocean”

Arthur C. Clarke

Sea 70.8%Land 29.2%

Coastline Global 535,000 mEU 40,700 m UK 7,750 m

Strategic Shock

Previous• Black Death impact on 14th C Europe• Rapid demise of the Warsaw Pact 1989• The attack on the USA in Sep 2001Future• Climate change• Globalization• Global Inequality

Global trade routes & Choke points

RN vs Illegal use of Sea

• CD operations

– Caribbean

– Mediterranean

– Atlantic

– Arabian Sea

Royal Navy in cocaine drug bust

The Royal Navy ship carried out a

dawn raidThe Royal Navy has carried out its fifth drugs bust in three months. RFA Wave Ruler seized 2.9 tonnes of cocaine in a raid on the rogue Venezuelan-registered boat Oliana 1, some 620 nautical miles from Barbados. The Royal Navy said the seizure made RFA Wave Ruler the "most successful" British drug ship of recent years. Defence Secretary Des Browne said "dedication and skill" prevented a "staggering 11 tonnes of cocaine" from reaching the UK and Europe.

BBC 29 Nov 06

Total RN drug seizure 2002 – 2006Value $3 Bn

Illegal use of Sea• People Trafficking

/Economic Migrants– Arabian sea

– Med

– Atlantic

RN vs Illegal use of Sea

Counter Piracy

– Horn of Africa

– Gulf of Aden

• Royal Navy search for 'hijacked ship'

• The ship is said to have been seized off Bossasso• The Royal Navy has launched a search for a British ship

reportedly hijacked off the north-east coast of Somalia.

“Energy policy …. could be as crucial to our country’s future as defence”

Tony Blair 23 May 2007

The enemies are climate change and the precariousness of future supplies

Current Challenges

• Prevent further environmental degradation of the sea

• Encourage sustainable economic activity in a secure environment

• Ensure political commitment to maritime issues

• Restore a sense of maritime identity

Illegal use of Sea

• How is it policed?• Impact of TW/EEZ• High Seas• Constraints of International Law• Rules of Engagement

The World’s Navies are the only High Seas “Policemen” today – not a core task though

Natural disaster response

• Personnel trained• Ships carry relief stores• Naval contribution

– Equipment – Logistic Lift – Willing and trained personnel– Command & Control

Situational Awareness

• Underpins all efforts• Allows the authorities to see

what is happening• Fused all source information• Real time and analysis• Must be interagency

The Issues

• Political acceptance & Commitment• Legal coherence & Rules of Engagement• Information flow• Interagency - ability & intent to act• Agreed outcomes• Adequate Resources

Situational Awareness

• Fundamental to operations• All source product is key • Question “unusual

activity”• Interaction with other

maritime users is essential to gain “ground truth”

Illegal commodity routes

PEOPLE

Scientific Support

• Post 2004 Tsunami Analysis– HMS SCOTT available in area– Support to civilian scientists– Fast forwarding of data and

products to agencies

Tsunami in Europe?

• La Palma– Cumbre Vieja

volcano

• EU North Atlantic seaboard at risk

• Contingency response?