U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs: NAVCENT Begins Maritime Symposium

MANAMA, Bahrain – The three-day Maritime Infrastructure Protection Symposium (MIPS), sponsored by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) began Feb. 3, and brought together many industry professionals, security consultants and naval partners from the region and beyond.

MIPS is designed to be a forum that improves maritime infrastructure protection, strengthens partnerships and enhances coalition naval operations in the Arabian Gulf and Arabian Sea.

“MIPS serves as an occasion to bring many important people together from the region and beyond to discuss strategic challenges, maritime security and infrastructure protection, defense in depth and prospects for cooperation in the Middle East,” said Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. “Through the open exchange of ideas during the symposium, we can collectively improve maritime infrastructure protection,” he said during the symposium’s opening.

Over the next three days, speakers from various international navies, the U.S. government and private maritime security sectors will address challenges in the maritime environment including threats, operations, security and consequence management.

“The challenge to protect maritime infrastructure is great and requires regional, and even global cooperation to provide security, which underwrites considerable investment throughout the Middle East, said Gortney. “While historically, maritime defense has focused on protecting ships from attack at sea, maritime infrastructure protection expands far beyond defending ships alone.”

Coalition naval forces conduct Maritime Security Operations in the region to help set the conditions for security in the maritime environment. From security arises stability that results in global economic prosperity. MSO complements the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations and seek to disrupt violent extremists’ use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.