MICA Center

IFC Mid year report. maritime security overview in IFC's area of interest.

MARITIME SECURITY AND COOPERATION FORUM In addition to a dense exercise Bell Buoy 24, MICA Center teams have been deeply involved in the organisation, preparation, and execution of the first ever Maritime Security and Cooperation Forum (MSCF), co-organised by the French Navy and Armateurs de France and supported by PORT2PORT LPC. What a challenge for us, but how grateful we are now that so many of our partners have validated the relevance of this model of meeting where industry & navies from the world have been able to engage in trust and with a lot of sincerity about these crucial topics: freedom of navigation, maritime cooperation & information sharing and most importantly the protection of seafarers. By their presence in the audience, sailors and masters were at the heart of our preoccupation as they are permanently in our daily 24/7 watch in MICA Center . Also, what a better place to organise this event than ‘les Capucins’ (a former naval shipyard) and to engage under the comforting silhouette of ‘Le Canot de l’Empereur’ and inside the marvellous showcase of the maritime museum 70.8 Bell Buoy 24 and the MSCF both represented milestones in MICA Center’s young life. Let us see now what tomorrow brings to this strong relationship with shipping. Pierre-Antoine Rochas

BELL BUOY 24 and final clap ! A great success for BELL BUOY 24 exercise ! From 17 to 28 Jun 24, Pacific and Indian Ocean Shipping Working Group (PACIOS WG) nations gathered together in Brest🇨🇵 to refresh their practice of Naval Cooperation & Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) skills, enhance interoperability in doctrine and procedures, improve command and control procedures, and strengthen linkages between participating Navies, shipping communities and relevant partners. Many participants In addition to the 14 nations (45 people of 🇦🇺🇧🇷🇨🇱🇨🇵🇪🇨🇬🇧🇮🇳🇸🇬🇰🇷🇵🇪🇳🇿🇺🇲🇵🇭🇯🇵) of the PACIOS WG member nations, who have integrated multinational staff within a combined NCAGS/MTO Headquarter and Outstations, many other participants were engaged during this exercise. In fact, 4 remote centres 🇨🇱🇬🇧🇧🇷🇳🇿and 4 IFCs 🇸🇬🇮🇳🇲🇬🇵🇪, 16 shipping companies (CSO, Masters), more than 20 merchant vessels, harbour masters & 1 warship played with the NCAGS teams. A complete scenario Throughout the exercise, a scenario tailored to stick to real life and shipping expectation has been developed to trigger the deliverance of NCAGS effects: Sailing instructions, Briefings to Ships and Companies, Port Assessment, Vessel reporting Ships. This scenario tackled a fictitious crisis in Indian Ocean, in which a grain corridor in Djibouti was in place, spill over and harassement in SoH happened and a Human Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) operation was established in Kenya. Many lessons learned and improvements During those 10 days players have : • practiced the development of tactical, operational and strategic level advice on civilian shipping and maritime trade protection matters; • exercised the engagement of, and relationship with, the maritime industry at various levels • Managed Multi-National NCAGS/MTO teams ; This exercise prepared and conducted alongside with the shipping industry, helped to shape protection of seaborn trade, and support building Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) of civilian maritime activity in the operational area, contributing to maritime security, and safe and open sea lines of communications (SLOCs). Many thanks to • Players local & remote • The Royal Australian 🇭🇲Navy fot their support during preparation • Mentors Rod Drake John Cowan John Saussez • CRIMARIO II rep.Bjorn Beirens • CECLANT & NAVAL BASE • FS Garonne & M/V Sapeur Seaowl Group • MICA Center team & augmentees • Industry representatives: • CSOs & companies • Masters & crew • Harbour masters (port de lorient, BrestPort , port de St malo) • Armateurs de France Pierre-Antoine Rochas After a successful edition full of exchanges and rich of highlights, France has now handed over the BELL BUOY Flame to the Korean🇰🇷 team who will be organising the next edition in June 25 in Korea. Eric ROELLINGER Martin Cauchi Inglott

Look back at the second week of the exercise. During the exercise, in the frame of an Indian Ocean type based scenario, participants went to different ports of Brittany such as Lorient, St Malo and of course, Brest in order to brief ships and assess the capacity of these harbours to potentially welcome diverted merchant shipping traffic. Simultaneously staff officers of NCAGS Cells in Brest and worldwide have conducted a tight monitoring of the situation providing support to the decision making process of their Maritime Component Commander. In the meantime, re-creating a situation comparable to the Bab el Mandeb straight, French warship Garonne simulated an accompaniment of Merchant Vessel Sapeur under drone threat in the bay of Brest. Connection between the warship and the M/Vessel was established through a limited access channel (IORIS by CRIMARIO II) as it is nowadays conducted in the Gulf of Aden by EU operational forces. Yesterday, BELL BUOY 24 participants attended the first MSCF of the Marine Nationale that will take place in the Les Ateliers des Capucins auditorium (Brest) and maritime museum 70.8.   The topics of the forum around maritime security expended those tackled during Bell Buoy Exercise. It was a unique opportunity to present the exercise and the conclusions of this 2024 edition to a multinational audience of 200 professionals from the maritime industry.

The MICA Center is hosting the PACIOS WG for the planning conference of BELL BUOY 25 which will take place in South Korea. 🇰🇷

Participants of the BELL BUOY exercise had this morning the opportunity to attend the commemoration ceremony given for the appeal of 18 June at the Maritime Prefecture. A day to remember and see why cooperation and allied forces are necessary.

First day of BELL BUOY 24 Exercise, gathering in BREST around 45 representatives from 15 member nations of the PACIOS WG (Pacific and Indian Ocean Shipping Working Group). 🇦🇺🇦🇷🇧🇷🇨🇦🇨🇱🇪🇨🇨🇵🇬🇧🇮🇳🇯🇵🇳🇿🇵🇪🇵🇭🇰🇷🇿🇦🇸🇬🇺🇸 Organised by MICA Center and CECLANT, the exercise will last two weeks and follow a scenario in order to respond to all nations’ expectations in terms of naval cooperation and #maritimesecurity. Seven centres or remote cells will also be associated worldwide. In addition, 15 shipping companies and some of their merchant vessels will be partnering during those 10 days.

COMING SOON : BELL BUOY 24 From June 17 to June 28, nations of the Pacific and Indian Ocean Shipping Working Group will gather in Brest, France🇨🇵, for the Bell Buoy 24 Exercise. The primary goal is to enhance their interoperability in Naval Cooperation And Guidance for Shipping also called Maritime Trade Operations. Through this exercise, participants will improve their individual and collective competencies in protecting maritime trade, for the good of Maritime Domain Awareness. By managing Multi-National teams, and connecting remote centres and cells, the exercise seeks to strengthen relationships between participating Navies, shipping communities, and relevant partners. Ultimately, Bell Buoy 24 aims to train on ensuring safe and open sea lines of communications and thus contributes to maritime security in the operational area.   Today as a PACIOSWG nation, hosting BELL BUOY 24, France is happy to release this teaser bringing together the great work of our friends from the 🇪🇨Ecuadorian Navy and some contributions from the other participating navies. 🇦🇺🇦🇷🇧🇷🇨🇦🇨🇱🇪🇨🇨🇵🇬���🇮🇳🇯🇵🇳🇿🇵🇪🇵🇭🇰🇷🇿🇦🇸🇬🇺🇸   Please stay tuned for more sharing to come in the following days. #strongertogether Alex Soukhanov Martin Cauchi Inglott Bjorn BeirensPierre-Antoine Rochas

Canadian VIP visit to MICA Center. Tuesday 29 May, the MICA Center was honoured to host Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy and Chief of the Naval Staff. Great opportunity to promote French Navy strategy of maritime cooperation as well as to present multinational #maritimesecurity mechanisms embedded in MICA Center’s premises. Canadian🇨🇦 and French🇨🇵 Navy⚓️ are both part of the Pacific and Indian Ocean Working Group and share the same will to develop interoperability around maritime cooperation and to secure shipping 🚢 lines of communication. Eventually, operations ongoing in Bab El Mandeb Strait and Indian Ocean in support of #seafarers were at the heart of the discussions. Janet McDougall

Since the MICA Center inherited NCAGS France, IORIS has been identified as a very convenient tool for info sharing in Maritime Security domain. CRIMARIO II team is now a long lasting supporter of MICA Center exercises and BELL BUOY 24 will be no exception with some new steps to cross by connecting remote centres worlwide🌐 with Brest located staff. Thanks 🙏 CRIMARIO team for your relentless support. Bjorn Beirens Martin Cauchi Inglott