What is MARCOM?

Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) is the central command of all NATO maritime forces and the Commander MARCOM is the prime maritime advisor to the Alliance.

Like its land and air counterparts (LANDCOM & AIRCOM), MARCOM answers directly to NATO’s Allied Command Operations (ACO) which is located in Mons, Belgium.

Located in Northwood, outside London, United Kingdom, is composed of a multinational headquarter manned by 300 officers, petty officers and civilians from all NATO countries. MARCOM is commanded by a British three-star admiral, currently Vice Admiral Peter Hudson, CBE (biography).

MARCOM was officially launched on 1 December 2012 to reflect the NATO Heads of State’s decision to create a leaner and more effective command structure. This decision, taken at the NATO Lisbon Summit in November 2010, led to the largest reform in the Alliance since the end of the Cold War and reduced the number of major headquarters from 11 to 6. As a result, the two previous Maritime Commands located in Naples and Northwood have been merged into MARCOM in Northwood. In March 2013, Maritime Command Naples will be officially de-activated.

Delivering MARCOM’s Mission

MARCOM is responsible for planning and conducting all NATO maritime operations. Currently, this includes the Alliance’s Counter Piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD, as well as its Counter-Terrorism Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR in the Mediterranean.

MARCOM also has to ensure it is capable at all times of contributing to potential maritime operations. This requires the highest level of readiness, of awareness of the maritime environment and it also requires the HQ to maintain a constant dialogue with key maritime stakeholders.

MARCOM has several tools at its disposal to achieve its mission.

In Northwood, within the headquarters, a Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) is manned 24/7 to provide permanent command and control for NATO maritime operations. Around the MOC, MARCOM’s staff members are planning these operations and sharing their expertise with all forces involved. The NATO Shipping Centre is maintaining a constant dialogue with the shipping industry to warn merchant vessels of potential or actual threats to their passage in NATO Areas of Operations.

At sea, MARCOM is commanding all four Standing Maritime Groups. These groups are composed of warships placed under NATO command and control for periods of six months by NATO navies and make up the maritime component of the NATO response Force (NRF). To ensure that these forces comply with the highest standard of readiness, MARCOM is also the leading headquarters for the organisation and conduct of naval exercises within NATO. These exercises, whether maritime or joint (i.e. involving land and air components) focus on the operational certification of the units participating in the NRF, but also of the different headquarters commanding them.

Maintaining an ongoing dialogue with NATO’s Partners is also a strategic priority for MARCOM. As outlined in the NATO strategic concept, partnerships contribute to the spirit of cooperative security which is at the foundation of the Alliance. In the maritime domain, this means that NATO and its Partners are sharing their views on key maritime security issues and emerging challenges. It also means that Partners willing to participate in NATO maritime operations are benefitting from NATO’s procedures and certification processes, thus ensuring maximum interoperability.