News

From 19 to 21 November 2024, the Italian Navy hosted the Underwater Center of Excellence Concept Revision Workshop at the ​“Caio Duilio” Officers’ Club in Rome.

This international event brought together key players in the NATO maritime community, including representatives from the Italian Navy and Defence General Staff. The meeting, opened by Rear Admiral Vito Lacerenza, Head of the Submarine and Underwater Dimension Division of the Italian Navy General Staff, was held as part of the initiatives aimed at establishing an Italian-led NATO Centre of Excellence dedicated to the underwater dimension.

The workshop provided a valuable opportunity for dialogue between key NATO actors and representatives of the Centres of Excellence, fostering collaboration on crucial issues for the development of underwater capabilities within the Atlantic Alliance. During the event, the conceptual, organizational, and operational aspects of the future Centre of Excellence were examined and discussed. The aim was to refine the project, define its reference document, and outline a clear roadmap for its implementation, laying a solid foundation for its full accreditation and operation.

Participants addressed fundamental questions related to the mission of the future Centre of Excellence, with a particular focus on promoting innovation and the development of doctrine and operational capabilities for underwater operations, themes of great importance for NATO.

At the conclusion of the workshop, delegates agreed on a series of recommendations to further refine the Centre's project, emphasising the fundamental role it will play in strengthening NATO's capabilities in the underwater dimension. The event therefore highlighted the Italian Navy's contribution to international cooperation and its leading role in the strategic underwater dimension.