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The First International Seminar and Workshop organized by the Underwater COE
LA SPEZIA – The first International Seminar and Workshop dedicated to operations in the underwater dimension and the challenges related to the protection of critical underwater infrastructure concluded a few days ago.
The event, which took place from June 30th to July 3rd, 2026, represents the first official activity within the work program of the nascent Underwater Centre of Excellence. The center aims to become the thirty-first officially recognized center by the Atlantic Alliance under the name NATO Underwater Centre of Excellence, and the first to be led by the Italian Navy.
The initiative saw strong participation from NATO country delegates, allied Armed Forces, universities, and industrial leaders in the sector, who gathered at the Italian Navy Officers' Club and the San Bartolomeo compound. Representatives from France, Germany (CSW COE), Greece (Sponsoring Nation of the UW COE), the Netherlands (NMW COE), Poland, Türkiye (MARSEC COE), and the USA attended the event. Opening the proceedings was the Director of the UW COE, Captain Giuseppe Ruta, who defined the underwater dimension as one of the most critical and challenging frontiers from both a strategic and technological standpoint. Mirroring his view, guest speakers Rear Admiral Giulio Marino Cappelletti (Director of the Italy’s Operative Structure of the National Hub for Underwater Dimension) and Dr. Eric Pouliquen (Director of the CMRE) highlighted the complexity of the undersea world and the growing trend toward using uncrewed systems in an increasingly contested underwater environment.
The dense conference program touched upon the crucial focal points of seabed security. Specialists from the Italian Navy – including COMSUBIN (GOI and GOS), COMFLOTSOM, COMDINAV 5, and the Hydrographic Institute (MARIDROGRAFICO) – led the technical panels, emphasizing how human intervention remains essential and complementary to the use of drones today when it comes to protecting critical underwater infrastructure. Central themes also included data collection, management, and dissemination in challenging environments, as well as legal aspects curated by LUISS University, whose Research Center for International and Strategic Studies developed a study in cooperation with the Center's staff titled "The Underwater Dimension – New Threat and Reaction Scenarios for the Country."
The workshop also benefited from the collaboration of the industrial sector, with representatives from Fincantieri, SAIPEM, and WSense participating in the debate, demonstrating that a strong synergy among all actors operating in this field is fundamental to maximizing the Alliance's efforts. In addition to the theoretical sessions, participants attended live-sea demonstrations conducted by WSense and CMRE researchers, who showcased methods and equipment currently under development for countering underwater threats and for the automated identification of drifting mines.
Through this seminar, the Underwater COE intended to send a signal of serious and determined commitment to the development of issues related to the underwater dimension to the new community it is preparing to join, plotting the first "fix" of a promising course for its future and for that of the Navy.
Underwater COE International Seminar
