In such a context, naval combat appears as a plausible hypothesis that can arise in the context of a high-intensity conflict. The return to this strategy is also reflected in massive rearmament on a global scale, with each country wishing to retain a comparative advantage or at least limit its capacity gap. The increase in the format of the navies has also been accompanied by a qualitative evolution, with the production of heavier and more versatile high-spectrum capabilities, whether for warships, coastal defences, naval aviation, or submarines.

This conference, with high-end speakers from France, the US, and the UK, aims at reflecting on these evolutions and proposing solutions for the navies.

Video teaser

Program

 

2:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.: Welcome Remarks by Dr. Thomas Gomart, Director, Ifri, and Admiral Pierre Vandier, Chief of Staff of the French Navy

2.15 p.m. – 3.30 p.m.: SESSION 1 - Challenges, Key Priorities and Prospects of Western Navies

• Chair: Dr. Thomas Gomart, Director, Ifri
• Speakers:
  • Admiral Pierre Vandier, Chief of Staff of the French Navy
  • Admiral Michael M. Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations of the U.S. Navy
  • Admiral Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy

3:30 p.m. – 4:45 pm: SESSION 2 - The Evolution of Naval Strategy in Today’s Geopolitical Context 

• Chair: Héloïse Fayet, Research Fellow, Security Studies Center, Ifri
• Speakers:
  • Kristen Gunness, Senior Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation
  • Dr. Elie Tenenbaum, Director of the Security Studies Center, Ifri
  • Prof. Geoffrey Till, Emeritus Professor of Maritime Studies, King's College London

4:45 p.m. - 5:00p.m.: Coffee Break

5:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.:  SESSION 3 - The Impact of New Technologies on Maritime Forces

• Chair: Dr. Nicolas Mazzucchi, Research Director at the Center for Strategic Studies of the French Navy (CESM)
• Speakers:
  • Dr. Alison Russell, Associate Professor of Political Science, Merrimack College
  • Philippe Gros, Researcher, Fondation for Strategic Research (FRS)
  • Nick Childs, Senior Fellow for Naval Forces and Maritime Security, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) London

6:15 – 6:30 p.m.: Concluding Remarks by Alice Rufo, General Director for International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS), French Ministry of Armed Forces

See the replay of the conference on YouTube.

The conference will be held in English and French with simultaneous translation.