Jon R. Huggins

Associate Professor International Programs

Biography

Jon Huggins is an associate professor for International Programs at the Naval War College. He has worked across four continents as a maritime security consultant for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Maritime Organization, the G7++ Presidency and the commercial shipping industry. As director of the Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) program, his organization’s research was featured by the BBC, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Al Jazeera. OBP was also a key contributor to the release of 44 piracy hostages held in Somalia for up to four years. A career Navy P-3 NFO, he also served at NATO and EU HQs in Brussels, 7th Fleet HQ, as a FEF Fellow, and the CNO Executive Panel staff.

Contact Information

(401) 856-5194

Reveal Email

@Huggins_net

Areas of Expertise

Africa
Asia-Pacific
Foreign Policy
Geopolitics
GWOT
NATO
Piracy
Security Cooperation
United Nations

Professional Highlights

2022

Associate Professor, Maritime Security and Governance Staff Course

Instruct international students to address maritime security challenges focusing on efficient use of scarce resources and multi-stakeholder cooperation to achieve a legal finish for transnational crime at sea.

2017

Independent Maritime Security Consultant

Clients included the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the G7++ Presidency for the Friends of the Gulf of Guinea, and the Baltic and International Maritime Council.

2010

Director, Oceans Beyond Piracy Project

Non-governmental organization focused on promoting maritime security cooperation between government, industry and civil society groups. Produced objective analysis on the economic and human cost of maritime piracy and chaired multi-stakeholder meetings hosted by the US, UK and Norway.

2009

NATO Permanent Liaison Team to the EU Military Staff

Operational liaison between NATO and EU Military HQs in Brussels, Belgium.

2006

NATO Operations Planner, International Military Staff

Conducted operational planning for Afghanistan, the Balkans, and maritime piracy.

2004

OPNAV Quadrennial Defense Review Staff

Team Leader for Irregular Warfare Pillar.

Education

M.A., George Mason University, International Transactions

B.S., Iowa State University, Economics

Research Contributions and Publications

Contracted Maritime Security – Are Current Models Accountable, Safe and Sustainable?
DCAF - Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, 2022

Pirates of the Gulf of Guinea: A Cost Analysis for Coastal States
Contributing Author with Curtis Bell, Jay Benson, Lydelle Joubert, Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood and Tarila Marclint Ebiede
Stable Seas Project, 2021

The State of Maritime Piracy (Annual Reports from 2010 – 2016)
Managed the Project, Authored by a Team of Direct Reports
The Oceans Beyond Piracy Project, One Earth Future Foundation

The CGPCS: the evolution of multilateralism to multi-stakeholder collaboration
Authored with Jens Vestergaard Madsen
ISS Reports: Fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia, pp 18-27, 2014

Publications by this Professor

External Memberships and Associations

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
Expert and Network Member

Material and external links contained herein are made available for the purpose of peer review and discussion and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Naval War College, Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.