Event Invitation: NATO's Allied Maritime Power at 75 Conference

Niklas Granholm

Deputy Director of Studies, FOI

Deputy Director of studies at the Swedish Defence Research Agency, FOI, at the agency’s department for security policy. Secondments to the Swedish Foreign- and Defence Ministries, focusing on European defence and security related issues. Fields of analysis and studies relate to geostrategic change in the Arctic, naval and maritime strategy, Nordic, transatlantic, European security and defence policy, space policy, nuclear strategic development and peace support/crisis management operations.

Niklas is a fellow and board member of the Royal Swedish Society for Naval Sciences (KÖMS), fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (KkrVA), board member of the Swedish Commission on Military History (CSHM) and an Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London. A Graduate from Stockholm University, he also holds a commission in the Amphibious Corps reserve, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Rear Admiral Tim Henry

Deputy Commander, Allied Joint Force Command, Norfolk, Royal Navy

Rear Admiral Henry was educated at the French Lycée in South Kensington, London, before joining the Royal Navy in 1989. He has held UK staff appointments in the Permanent Joint Headquarters, the Royal Navy’s Headquarter and the Ministry of Defence. Most recently he was the Assistant Chief of Staff (Plans) at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium. 

He has commanded at five ranks, notably as a Captain, the Amphibious Assault Carrier and Fleet Flagship HMS OCEAN, during her refit, regeneration, certification and return to UK, NATO and CJEF operational readiness and, as a Commodore, British Forces Gibraltar. 

Tim Henry is a Frigate Navigator and Principal Warfare Officer (Underwater) as well as an alumnus of Joint Services Advanced Command and Staff Course where he was awarded a King’s College London Masters’ Degree in Defence Studies. A Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management as well as the Chartered Management Institute, he is an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute and has attended the one-year strategic studies course at the Royal College of Defence Studies in London. He assumed the role of Deputy Commander of NATO’s Joint Force Command Norfolk in October 2021.

Professor Peter Roberts

RUSI Senior Associate

Professor Peter Roberts is an author, researcher, occasional podcaster and veteran. His next book, The Western Way of War, will be released in the summer 2024 following the 2023 publication of War’s Changed Landscape?, which he co-authored with Dr Paddy Walker. Peter has hosted various podcasts for nearly 5 years and now has more than 1 million downloads across various shows. Formerly a veteran and after nearly a decade at RUSI as Director, Military Sciences, Peter now provides specialist advice to various military and national security bodies worldwide. He spends much of his time listening to smart people. 

Rear Admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum

Chief of Navy, Royal Swedish Navy

Rear Admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum is a surface warfare officer and since January 2020 serving as the Chief of the Royal Swedish Navy. Between 2017 and 2020 she served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the Swedish Defence University.

RADM Skoog Haslum started her career as a conscript in 1987. She was com[1]missioned as an officer in 1990. Before assuming the position in the Swedish Defence University, she completed a command tour as Commander 4th Naval Warfare Flotilla in Stockholm. She has also held staff positions at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters as well as at the Naval flotilla level.

2006–2008, RADM Skoog Haslum commanded the Swedish corvette HSwMS Sundsvall, including deployment to the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon, UNIFIL (2007). The tour as commanding officer was the capstone of her operational career afloat.

Besides her regular duties at the Swedish Armed Forces, RADM Skoog Haslum has served as the ADC to Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Victoria.

 

Vice Admiral Rune Andersen

Chief of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters

Rune Andersen was born in Horten, Norway, 14 January 1969. He started his Navy career in 1988 and graduated from the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy in 1992. On 27 October 2020, he earned the rank of Rear Admiral and was appointed as Chief of the Royal Norwegian Navy.

In his early career, Rune Andersen served on board various missile torpedo boats and hoisted his first command in 1995. His last tour as commanding officer was on the prototype of the Skjold Class corvette, as she did a cross Atlantic deployment in 2001-2002.

From 2003 to 2005, Rune Andersen served as Military Assistant to the Chief of the Royal Norwegian Navy. He has served as Staff Officer Maritime Policy at the Allied Maritime Command in Northwood and as Liaison Officer to NATO and USN 5^th Fleet at the Combined Maritime Forces in Bahrain. In 2014, he earned the rank of Captain and was appointed as head of the long-term plan team at the Ministry of Defense, Department of Defense Policy and Long Term Planning.

Rune Andersen has completed a program in Leadership and International Relations at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, Joint Staff Defense Course from the Danish Defense Academy and Senior Executive Course from the Norwegian Defense University College.

Vice Admiral Mihai Panait

Chief of Navy, Romanian Naval Forces

Vice Admiral Mihai Panait began his naval career in 1991, serving as Department Head of a minesweepers and later he was appointed Executive Officer. The following years, he acted as Operations Officer at squadron and brigade levels. After graduating from the National Defence University, he commanded the minelayer “IOAN MURGESCU” (271) and was Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of the MCM squadron. 

From 2009 to 2013, as Commanding Officer of the “REGELE FERDINAND” (221) frigate, he participated in NATO and EU operations, including Active Endeavour (2010), Unified Protector (2011), and Atalanta (2012). Promoted to Rear Admiral in 2017, he became Chief of Staff of the Fleet Command, Fleet Commander in 2019, and Acting Deputy Chief of the Romanian Naval Forces for Operations and Training in 2018. He was appointed Chief of the Romanian Naval Forces in 2020. 

Vice Admiral PANAIT graduated from the “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy in 1991 and completed various international post-graduate courses. He has received several awards, including the “Emblem of Honour,” “Maritime Virtue” Order, and “National Order of Merit.”

Professor Geoffrey Till

Emeritus Professor of Maritime Studies, King's College London

Geoffrey Till is Emeritus Professor of Maritime Studies at King’s College London and Chairman of the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies. Once Dean of Academic Studies at the UK Joint Services Command and Staff College, he is author of nearly 300 books, chapters and articles. Since 2009 he has been a Visiting Professor, Senior Research Fellow and Advisor at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore. He held the Dudley W. Knox Chair for Naval History and Strategy at the US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island and is now a Non-Resident Research Fellow at its Hattendorf Historical Center.

His Understanding Victory: Naval Operations from Trafalgar to the Falklands was published by ABC-Clio in 2014 and he completed a fourth edition of his Seapower: A Guide for the 21st Century (2018) and an edited version of Bo Hu's Chinese Maritime Power in the 21st Century (2019). His How to Grow a Navy: The Development of Maritime Power was published by Routledge in 2022. With John Hattendorf, he edited Recovering Naval Power; Henry Maydman and the Revival of the Royal Navy (Routledge, 2023). He is now working on a 5th edition of his Seapower book.

Dr Andrew Monaghan

Director of the Russia Research Network

Dr Andrew Monaghan specialises in Russian grand strategy, particularly Moscow’s thinking about the future and maritime power. He is the co-editor of The Sea in Russian Strategy (MUP, 2023). 

He is a Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London. He is also the founding Director of the Russia Research Network. Additionally, he is a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute in Washington DC, and a Non-Resident Associate Fellow of the NATO Defence College in Rome.  

Previously, he has directed research on Russia at Oxford University’s Changing Character of War Centre, and at the NATO Defence College. Prior to that, he worked at Chatham House and the UK's Defence Academy, and he has been both an Academic Visitor at St Antony's College, Oxford and a George F. Kennan Fellow at the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute. 

Dr Monaghan is widely published, and his books include Power in Modern Russia - Strategy and Mobilisation (2017), Dealing with the Russians (2019), and Russian Grand Strategy in the Era of Global Power Competition (2022). His latest, a revised and updated edition of The New Politics of Russia: Interpreting Change, was published in spring 2024.

Melanie Marlowe

Senior Associate, CSIS

Melanie M. Marlowe is Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, owner of M3 Consulting, a defense consulting firm, and co-host of the War on the Rocks Net Assessment podcast. She is the co-editor of The Obama Presidency in the Constitutional Order and writes on congressional-executive relations in the national security context.

Melanie previously served as a fellow on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and as a Visiting Scholar at the Georgetown University Law Center. She taught constitutional law at Miami University (Ohio), and has led national security courses at other universities in the Washington, DC area.

Professor James Bergeron

Political Advisor to Commander Allied Maritime Command

James H. Bergeron assumed duties as Political Advisor to Commander, Allied Maritime Command in Northwood, United Kingdom on 1 September 2013. 

Previously the POLAD to Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO from July 2005 as a member of the US Government Service, he is considered to be one of NATO’s most experienced foreign policy advisors in the fields of maritime and joint expeditionary operations. He has served as POLAD in eighteen US and NATO exercises; as POLAD to the NATO Response Force exercise Steadfast Jaguar in Cape Verde and NATO Riga Summit mission in 2006; in a national capacity as POLAD to EUCOM Commander Joint Task Force Lebanon during the 2006 Israel Hezbollah Conflict; to Commander US Naval Forces Europe during the August 2008 Russia-Georgia Conflict and as POLAD to STRIKFORNATO for four Baltic Host and two BALTOPs exercises to reassure Allies of NATO solidarity. From March until July 2011 he served as the Political Advisor to NATO’s CJTF Operation Unified Protector in support of UNSCR 1973 operations in Libya. 

He is regularly consulted on NATO maritime strategy, transformational issues and NATO-EU relations, and was one of the drafters of the Alliance Maritime Strategy. Prior to his appointment in Naples, Mr. Bergeron served as EUINATO Policy Advisor on the Staff of Commander, US Naval Forces Europe, London.

Professor Bergeron entered the US government service following a career in academia. He holds a BA in History and English Literature from the University of the State of New York, MA in Political Science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, Juris Doctor Magna Cum Laude from the College of Law at Syracuse University and Master of Laws in European Union Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, as a British Foreign and Commonwealth Scholar. Following completion of the LL.M. 

In 1991, Mr. Bergeron joined the Faculty of Law at University College Dublin, Ireland, where he specialized in European Union law, European affairs, comparative antitrust, international law and jurisprudence. From 1991-2000 he held visiting appointments at the Nicolas Copernicus University, Torun, Jageillonian University, Krakow, Riga Graduate School of Law; Onati International Institute for the Sociology of Law, Spain and S1. John’s University College of Law, New York. In 1993 he developed the draft Estonian Code of Military Justice under the US European Command’s military-to military contacts program. Under the auspices of the European Commission he assisted in the revision of the Latvian Constitution from 1998-9 and training of Hungarian public prosecutors in EU law from 1999-2000. He served briefly on the Forward Studies Unit of the President of the European Commission.

His connections to the naval life are of long standing. Mr. Bergeron entered the United States Navy in 1976. After two years of nuclear propulsion training, he served as a reactor operator on board USS ULYSSES S. GRANT (SSBN 631) and USS HOUSTON (SSN 713) in Newport News, Virginia. In July 1982 he reported to Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. Upon commissioning as an officer and completion of submarine and Poseidon missile schools, he served on USS GEORGE C. MARSHALL (SSBN 654) as Assistant Weapons Officer. This was followed by twenty-one years in the US Navy Reserve, supporting US Naval Forces Europe, US Embassy Dublin and Allied Forces Southern Command in the areas of politico-military analysis and advice, partnership engagement and security cooperation. Commander Bergeron retired from the Navy Reserve in October 2007.

Jim Bergeron has published several articles and book chapters on legal, political and international security topics, and is the editor, with Peter Fitzpatrick, of Europe’s Other: European Law from Modernity to Post-Modernity (Ashgate 1998). 

He has spoken at numerous institutions, universities and think tanks including the Center for Naval Analysis, Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, Chatham House, NATO Defense College, Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, RUSI, Institute for International Affairs (IA!) Rome, National Defense University, Wilton Park and the Maritime Warfare School Halifax. He has had a long involvement with the American Bar Association, and currently serves as the ABA liaison to NATO, the International Maritime Organisation and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Personal decorations include the Meritorious and Superior Civilian Service Medals, Navy Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, NATO Libya Medal and the Golden Badge of the Estonian Ministry of Defence. Interests include naval history, art, early music, political theory, and military strategy.

Vice Admiral Aurelio De Carolis

Italian Navy, Commander in Chief Naval Fleet.

Graduated from the Italian Naval Academy in 1986, he served for 15 years as Surface Warfare Officer on board cruisers and frigates, conducting activities within NATO, European and Coalition contexts, in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. 

His command tours include the offshore patrol vessel SPICA, the frigate ESPERO, the aircraft carrier CAVOUR, the Italian Carrier Strike Group, the Maritime Component Command for NATO Response Forces 2019 and the Italian Navy’s Amphibious Force. From 11 October 2019 till 15 December 2021 he was Deputy Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy and on the 16th of December 2021 he was appointed to his current position of Commander in Chief of the Italian Fleet. Since 26 September 2023 he has also assumed the position of Commander of the European Maritime Force (EUROMARFOR). 

Promoted Vice Admiral on 1 January 2020, he holds a Masters degree in Physics, from the University of Rome, a BS in Maritime and Naval Sciences from the University of Pisa, an MBA from the London Business School (class of 2000) and was exchange student at MIT, Harvard Business School and JFK School of Government.

Commodore James Blackmore

Royal Navy Commander Carrier Strike Group

Commodore Blackmore joined the Royal Navy in 1996 and spent his early career flying Sea Harrier FA2 and Harrier GR9 aircraft with 800NAS, 899NAS, 1(F), and IV(AC) Squadrons embarking in HMS ARK ROYAL, INVINCIBLE and ILLUSTROUS. James qualified as an Air Warfare Instructor and flew 50 combat sorties in support of Operation HERRICK. 
 
Promoted to Commander in 2013, James flew the F/A-18E on exchange with the United States Navy, deploying in USS RONALD REAGAN in the Pacific. In 2015 he served at RNAS CULDROSE commanding the Royal Navy Fixed Wing Force before joining HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH in 2018 as Commander Air delivering Rotary and F-35B integration.  
 
Promoted to Captain in 2019 James, assumed Command of the Carrier Air Wing (CAG) to the UK Carrier Strike Group delivering F-35B Operational Test and the inaugural CSG deployment to the INDO-PACIFC, Op FORTIS. An appointment to the MOD Ops Directorate, and Higher Command and Staff Course followed.  
 
Promoted to Commodore in 2023 James, assumed Command of the UK Carrier Strike Group deploying in HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and HMS PRINCE OF WALES. As a maritime strike fighter pilot James has over 2500 hours across three frontline maritime combat aircraft, serving in eight aircraft carriers. 

Captain Sébastien Martinot

Former Commanding Officer Charles De Gaulle, French Navy

Captain Sébastien Martinot is currently attending the 73rd session of the French Strategic Studies Institute. He assumed command of FS Charles De Gaulle from 2021 to 2023. As a naval aviator he spent most of his carrier as a fighter pilot on board FS Charles De Gaulle then converted to commanding positions at the head of the 12F Rafale Squadron and FS La Fayette before assuming command of the French carrier.

He was deployed several times in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf to participate to OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM and more recently in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in support to OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE. He also took part to the French NATO rapid response Force certification.

As a commanding officer of the French carrier, he was deployed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in February 2022 in contact with Russian units at the beginnings of the Ukrainian crisis and rapidly switched to De-fense and Deterrence Activities in the aftermath of the war.

Most of his studies have been devoted to commissioning the nuclear de-terrence capabilities, as well as developing advanced training programs to maintain the skills of air and naval crews and build up partnership.

Rear Admiral Craig Wood CBE

Deputy Commander STRIKFORNATO

In April 2024, Rear Admiral Craig Wood assumed the duties of Deputy Commander, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), headquartered in Portugal. Under SACEUR’s Operational Command, STRIKFORNATO integrates the 
most powerful combat credible maritime strike forces on Earth into NATO operations, providing strategic effects across the Alliance's Theatre of Operations. Craig was educated in the Highlands of Scotland and joined the Royal Navy in 1989. 

Junior warfare officer appointments included the mine countermeasures vessel HMS QUORN as Navigating Officer, the Destroyer HMS GLASGOW and as the first Navigating Officer of the frigate HMS GRAFTON. Second-in-Command of the fishery protection vessel HMS LINDISFARNE was followed by Command of the Gibraltar Squadron patrol vessel HMS TRUMPETER. He undertook Principal Warfare Officer training in 2001-2 and was appointed to the frigate HMS MARLBOROUGH as the Operations Officer for the Naval Task Group 2003 deployment, which included, literally, the opening salvoes of the liberation of Iraq.

A short staff tour in Navy Command Headquarters preceded a return to sea as Second in-Command of the frigate HMS RICHMOND in 2006. Shortly after joining, he was selected for promotion to Commander and further Sea Command. Taking Command of the destroyer HMS LIVERPOOL in 2007, he enjoyed regeneration from refit and a 7-month austral winter deployment to the South Atlantic. He completed Advanced Command and Staff Course in 2010 and was appointed to the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) responsible for operational planning within the Broader Middle East. In 2012, he moved to the Ministry of Defence Central Staff to work within the Finance and Military Capability Directorate before returning to PJHQ on promotion in 2013. This time, he was charged with running operations in the Broader Middle East including the UK’s contribution to the coalition counter-ISIL effort.

Craig graduated from the Higher Command and Staff Course in April 2016. Command of HMS DRAGON and the position of Captain Destroyers followed. He promoted to Commodore and took Command of the Portsmouth Flotilla in 2017 and, after leading the transformation work in the Surface Fleet, subsequently assumed Command of the newly created Surface Flotilla in Apr 2020. He Commanded Coalition Task Force Sentinel (Nov 20 – Apr 21), responsible for ensuring the maintenance of freedom of navigation, international law and free flow of commerce to support regional stability and security of the maritime commons in the Arabian Gulf region. He was appointed CBE in the 2021 New Year Honours List. From June 2021 to March 2024, Rear Admiral Wood served as the UK Deputy Military Representative to NATO.

Commander René Balletta

First Sea Lords Visiting Fellow, RUSI

Commissioned into the Royal Navy as a Warfare Officer in 1992, René has served much of his career at sea in a variety of surface platforms that include frigates, destroyers, amphibious assault ships, aircraft carriers and the Royal Yacht. He has been involved in maritime operations across the globe from the NATO-led naval blockade off the Former-Yugoslavia in 1993, through to anti-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa in 1996; from support operations to land forces in Afghanistan in 2003, through to sitting on the gunline off Libya in 2011. More recently, he has been using his linguistic skills in France as the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) lead-planning officer for the French Maritime Component Commander during the delivery of the CJEF concept.

He graduated from the Ecole de Guerre (the French Advanced Command & Staff Course) in 2017 gaining a French Masters in Management, Command & Strategy and went on to complete his second French Masters in International Relations at the Sorbonne in 2019 whilst working at the French Ministry of Defence. Following a year as the Royal Navy’s Hudson Fellow at St Antony’s College, Oxford, where his research interests focused on the development of the Royal Navy’s transformation programme for Forward Presence its role in delivering Global Britain, he was assigned to the Head of the French Navy’s Cabinet, working in Strategy and Policy.

He now takes up the inaugural role as the First Sea Lord’s Visiting Fellow to RUSI, where he hopes to link the Naval Staff in with greater academic thinking and access across the wide scope of international relations, defence, and security issues. He is therefore interested in being approached for involvement in studies of mutual interest and is happy to assist anywhere that a maritime security practitioner with IR knowledge maybe of use.

Brigadier Christopher Haw

Director, Future Commando Force Programme

Chris Haw is the SRO of the Commando Force Programme, a holistic transformation of the way 3 Cdo Bde’s warfighting Commandos are structured, trained and equipped to conduct contemporary and future operations, alongside allies and partners. He is responsible for a Defence Major Programme for equipment delivery as part of Navy Acquisition but spans across all pillars of the RN and alongside Army and UKStratCom.

He joined the Royal Marines in 1996 and has been privileged to spend much of his career in command serving in 3 Cdo Bde, on operations and on many global amphibious deployments. These include the Brigade Reconnaissance Force in Iraq and Afghanistan and CO 47 Commando, responsible for the RM specialist small boat capability.

Most recently he was Deputy Commander of 3 Cdo Bde and was Commander Land Forces for the NATO Exercise COLD RESPONSE 22. He has been privileged to develop the future of the RM Corps at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines as CO of Command Wing, developing ethical education for commanders and most recently as Commandant, responsible for all Phase 1–3 training in the RM, perpetuating the Commando ethos and delivering operational capability to 3 Cdo Bde and the wider Royal Navy.

Brigadier General Ivo Moerman

Commandant Netherlands Marine Corps

After completing his bachelor in mechanical engineering in 1992, Ivo Moerman (1969, The Hague) served as a conscript in the Royal Netherlands Army. In August 1994, he joined the Netherlands Marine Corps (NLMC) and upon completion of his officer training he served as an infantry platoon commander on Curaçao in the Caribbean. Upon his return to the Netherlands in 1996, he served in several operational positions including forward observation officer, forward air controller, company commander and battalion operations officer (S3). During this time, he also attended several courses, including the Allied Officer Winter Warfare Course in Norway, the Combined Arms Tactics Course and the Joint Operations Planning Course in the UK and Intermediate Defence Studies in the Netherlands.

His postings with operational units took Brigadier General Ivo Moerman all around the world, including training exercises above the arctic circle, in the mountains of Scotland and in the desert of Twentynine Palms. In 1995, he participated in the disaster relief operation on the islands of St. Eustatius and St. Maarten during and after the passage of hurricane Luis. In 2000, he deployed to Kosovo (KFOR), followed by a deployment for the UN to Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2001 (United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea). In 2009-2010, he deployed to Afghanistan as the Deputy G3 for Task Force Uruzgan (ISAF).

During his career, brigadier general Ivo Moerman also served at the Marine Training Centre in Rotterdam, first as the head of the Specialist Training Wing and from 2010 until 2012 he was in charge of the Marine Infantry Officer Course.

From 2004 until 2006, Ivo Moerman served as an exchange officer with the 2nd Marine Division in Camp Lejeune (United States). His postings included Assistant Operations Officer with 8th and 6th Marine Regiment. During this time, he also completed Expeditionary Warfare School and was afterwards awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

In 2013, he completed Command and Staff College at the Marine Corps University in Quantico, followed by a two-year tour as NLMC liaison officer with Marine Corps Combat Development Command.

Upon his return to the Netherlands in 2015, Ivo Moerman was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and assumed command of 1st Marine Combat Group. In September 2017, he handed over command to his successor followed by a three-year tour as a senior staff officer at the Directorate of

Operational Readiness at the Defence Staff in The Hague. In April 2020 he was promoted to colonel and served for three years as the head for Strategy & Advice at the Navy staff in Den Helder. Ivo was promoted to Brigadier General in September 2023 and on 11 October he assumed command as the 60^th Commandant of the Netherlands Marine Corps. Ivo Moerman holds a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters of Military Studies.

Colonel Steve Eastin

Head of Expeditionary Warfare Strategic Coordination Group, USN

Colonel Eastin was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in April 2000 and began his career as an infantry officer—serving as a platoon commander through battalion command and regimental executive officer.  He has deployed as part of a Unit Deployment Program (UDP) to Okinawa; in support of combat operations for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM I; to Fallujah, Iraq in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM 06-08; with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in the Indo Pacific; to the Helmand Province, Afghanistan to participate in combat operations in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM 13.2; to Spain with the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Africa 15.1; with the Black Sea Rotational Force 15.1, headquartered in Romania; and to the Indo-Pacific Region to conduct amphibious operations, again.

Colonel Eastin’s staff tours consist of Battalion Legal Officer and Adjutant; Assistant Operations Officer, G-3, Training and Education Command; Faculty Advisor at the Expeditionary Warfare School; Assistant Current Operations Officer, Special Activities Division, USCENTCOM; Deputy Division Chief, Current Operations, the Joint Staff; Assistant Chief of Staff, G-7, Government and External Affairs Officer, Marine Corps Installations Pacific; and where he is currently assigned as the Branch Head, Expeditionary Warfare Integration, N95 on the Operational Navy Staff.

Captain Kevin Rowlands

Head of the Royal Navy’s Strategic Studies Centre

Dr Kevin Rowlands is the Head of the Royal Navy’s Strategic Studies Centre, an internal Ministry of Defence think tank which aims to inform senior policy and strategy decision makers. He enjoyed a thirty-year naval career, of which twenty were at sea, and left in the rank of Captain. He has been the Secretary to the Chiefs of Staff Committee and other senior Ministry of Defence boards and committees, and was the Course Director for the United Kingdom’s Advanced Command and Staff Course.

He was the commander of the Op LITTEN, the UK’s contribution to the EU efforts to counter cross-Mediterranean illegal migration, and he has served in several amphibious-related posts, including Executive Officer of the LPD HMS Bulwark, and as both Operations Officer and Chief of Staff of the UK’s Amphibious Task Group. Kevin holds a PhD in War Studies from King’s College, London, and master’s degrees in defence studies and in education.

Andrew Young

Fellowships Officer, Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre

Andrew (Andy) Young was formerly the Military Sciences Community Manager at the Royal United Services Institute before leaving in August 2022 to take up the position of Fellowships Officer at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. 

Prior to joining RUSI, Andrew was a Royal Navy Training Management Officer specialising in Professional Military Education. He has taught on courses at BRNC Dartmouth, Royal Marines Commando Training Centre, and JCSC Shrivenham. A regular contributor to the Naval Review whilst in-Service, Andrew also authored elements of the Royal Navy’s Maritime Doctrine Primer.

Andrew holds an MPhil in International Relations and Politics, a PGDip in Training Management and Consultancy, a BA in War Studies, and is an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Professional Development. He is the most junior officer to have completed the Mountbatten Fellowship. His research interests include the development of Amphibious doctrine and British strategic history.

David Hook CBE

Capita

David has enjoyed a successful and decorated military and now commercial career. His military career began when he joined the Royal Marines in 1981.

The last decade of his service career was characterised by operational deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2006 he deployed to Baghdad where he was embedded into a US Headquarters. In 2008/09, to Kandahar into HQ Regional Command (South) where he was responsible for all operational and Special Operations Forces missions, for which he was awarded an operational CBE. He returned to Afghanistan in 2012 as a Major Genera, for 15 months and working with the Afghan government led a team that was responsible for persuading 5,000 Insurgent fighters to peacefully return to society, for which he was awarded a QCVS. Between deployments, he was appointed Head of Navy Resources and Programmes at the Ministry of Defence and was at the heart of the 2010 SDSR.

Retiring from the Royal Marines in 2014, he has since held numerous senior roles in the commercial environment and developed a diverse portfolio career. This included working for a US Multi-National, as a NED on the UK Board of an International Defence company, a Senior Mentor within the MoD and as an independent advisor at Sellafield Limited.

He is currently Managing Director and Client Partner running Capita’s Defence, Learning, Fire and Security sector and additionally, leading Team Fisher in the delivery of Project Selborne in collaboration with, and as a strategic partner to, the Royal Navy.

Matthew Savill

Director of Military Sciences, RUSI

Matthew Savill is the Director of Military Sciences at RUSI, focussing on developments and trends in modern conflict, and the use of force in the 21st Century.

Before joining RUSI he spent over 20 years as a civil servant working on defence and security, predominantly in the Ministry of Defence. He joined the MOD in 2003, starting his career in Defence Intelligence as an Iraq analyst before moving to intelligence coordination and support to operations, and later roles in private office, approvals and scrutiny of major procurement projects, before a return to analysis and a secondment to the Cabinet Office. 

He has also specialised in strategy and policy, with roles in: Defence Strategy and Priorities, working on the Integrated Review; the MOD’s Operations Directorate, where he was responsible for operational policy for the Middle East and overseas counter-terrorism; the Cabinet Office National Security Secretariat, to cover intelligence oversight and then Middle East policy; the MOD team responsible for the deployment of the UK Carrier Strike Group in 2021; and operations and crisis team responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. His final role in the MOD was responsibility for Special Operations policy, covering oversight of UK Special Forces and intelligence operations.

He attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Defence Academy Shrivenham in 2010-11, and the Higher Command and Staff Course in 2020, and has a Masters in Defence Studies from King’s College London. He has had articles published in Defence Studies and on The Wavell Room website.

He has deployed on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and across the Middle East for the military campaign against Daesh.

Matthew was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2008. 

Admiral Sir Ben Key

First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, Royal Navy

Admiral Sir Ben Key KCB CBE ADC assumed his current role in November 2021. He previously served as Fleet Commander and Chief of Joint Operations, prior to his appointment as First Sea Lord.