The commander of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM), Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone, welcomed the NATO International Military Staff (IMS) Director of Operations, Major General Josef Blotz, to the headquarters for a briefing on NATO maritime operations, February 3.
During the visit, Major General Blotz toured the Maritime Operations Centre (MOC), MARCOM’s nerve centre for establishing relevant fused maritime information and knowledge throughout the NATO area of responsibility. The information is obtained from both the assets it controls and the networks it manages, and, based on that situational awareness, for conducting operations such as counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD, counter-terrorism Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR, and the various activities carried out by the four Standing Naval Forces.
He attended the daily operations brief and met with MARCOM’s Deputy Commander, Vice Admiral Bruno Paulmier, before sitting down for a roundtable briefing and discussion with MARCOM’s five deputy chiefs of staffs. He concluded his visit to MARCOM with a visit to the NATO Shipping Centre, which is MARCOM’s link to the merchant shipping industry.
Vice Admiral Johnstone said: “I warmly welcome Major General Blotz’s visit to MARCOM today. As the principle maritime advisor to the Alliance, we embrace the opportunity to discuss maritime elements of the Readiness Action Plan and the operationalization of the Alliance Maritime Strategy with our distinguished NATO Headquarters colleague.”
Major General Blotz has served in the German Army since 1975, including operations in the Balkans and Afghanistan. As IMS Director of Operations, Major General Blotz is responsible for supporting the Military Committee with regard to NATO operations, and reports to the Director General of IMS.