Naval mines have been a part of warfare for centuries. Recently, the spotlight has turned to Russia’s use of these weapons in the Black Sea during its war in Ukraine. However, naval mines were used also during many others regional conflicts, e.g. during Yemenis Civil War causing considerable threat to navigation in and around the Red Sea. Therefore, reintroducing and strengthening of NATO Mine Laying capabilities seems to be of utmost importance.

After the successful online 2024 NATO Naval Mine Warfare Conference, it is clear that there is a need to share information on developments and experiences in this area among both military and civilian communities.

This year’s edition will be in a hybrid setup. In the morning, there will be an in person meeting for invitees at classified level. The afternoon will be filled with online public events, which will allow for contributions and participation from military as well as industry and research entities.

Director Of the NATO Naval Mine Warfare Centre of Excellence, 

CDR Filip CLAUWAERT (BEL N)  will chair the conference.

Any suggestion of topics, falling in the scope of this year’s theme and which would be interesting to address during conference, are very much welcome. Additionally, attendees wishing to make a presentation are kindly requested to propose the title, content, and estimated duration of the briefing to  nmw-coe@mil.be .