Senior Course 116 continued their Summer Field Study with a visit to Bergen. They were welcomed to the Haakonsvern Naval Base by Cdr Lars Johan Fleisje, Chief of Staff of the Royal Norwegian Navy, who gave a brief presentation on the Royal Norwegian Navy and explained some of the main aspects of Norwegian Defence organization, such as deployments and operations and the role of the Coast Guard.
After a short discussion, the Course visited a frigate, a Coast Guard vessel and the submarine training centre, where they were introduced to the simulator equipment.
In the afternoon the Senior Course went to the Norwegian Naval Academy for a series of lectures on the Norwegian view on security, following an introduction by Capt Thomas Wedervang, Commandant of the Academy.
The first lecture was delivered by Mr Espen Barth Eide, Deputy Minister of Defence (State Secretary), who spoke of the security challenges that Norway faces, with the emphasis on the High North. He elaborated on the Norwegian view on security in general, network-centric operations and the new NATO Strategic Concept. He examined the situation in the Arctic intensively, focusing on the possibilities of transport and exploitation of energy resources, related environmental challenges, Norwegian-Russian relations and the potential consequences of climate change. During the Question & Answer period, the spotlight was once again on the High North and NATO’s role in the region. Military cooperation among the Scandinavian countries, transformation and cyber threats were also discussed.
The next speaker was Ms Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, who explored Norwegian Security and Defence Policy from the High North to Afghanistan. After describing the framework of policy, she addressed a number of issues, including the requirement for multinational cooperation, NATO and the transatlantic link, and contributions to EU operations. She outlined the importance of Afghanistan and the need for comprehensive use of the various actors. She also looked at NATO and the new Strategic Concept, Norwegian-Russian relations and the High North. During the discussion period, popular support for Norwegian contributions to operations was addressed, in addition to NATO reform and strategic communication.
The last speaker was Mr Peter Gullestad, a specialist from the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries. His lecture, “Some Experiences from Norwegian Fisheries Management”, focused on the Norwegian government’s efforts so far to manage fish stocks in a multinational environment. Issues such as overfishing, the effects of subsidization, the different efficiency and policy measures and their effects were considered, together with the international implications of establishing and maintaining a policy in this specific field.
More about SC116 Summer Field Study:
First day – Italy
Second stop – London
Third step – The Hague
Forth leg of the trip – Moscow
Fifth visited city – Berlin
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Collège de Défense de l'OTAN