Stockton Center for International Law Hosts International Naval Warfare Workshop in Portugal

The U.S. Naval War College's Stockton Center for International Law (SCIL) partnered with the NATO Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters (COE CSW) and the Maritime Geospatial, Meteorological and Oceanographic Centre of Excellence (MGEOMETOC COE) to conduct the second Law of Naval Warfare Academy in Lisbon, Portugal, May 13-15.

The academy formed part of the broader "Turning the Tide" workshop, which examined the legal and operational challenges associated with hybrid maritime warfare.

This year's program focused on the legal dimensions of hybrid maritime operations, including threats to submarine cables and other critical infrastructure, challenges associated with strategic maritime chokepoints, and the increasingly complex legal issues posed by state competition in the maritime domain.

U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Elizabeth Hutton, Coast Guard judge advocate and military professor at SCIL, was the lead planner and helped run the program in conjunction with COE CSW and MGEOMETOC COE.

"[The Law of Naval Warfare Academy] combines classroom instruction with practical exercises," Hutton said. "Students break into small groups to work through tabletop scenarios and apply the legal principles they've learned regarding naval warfare. We use the Newport Manual on the Law of Naval Warfare as one of our principal references because it provides a comprehensive restatement of international law applicable to naval operations."

Dr. James Kraska, chairman and Charles H. Stockton Professor of International Law in SCIL oversaw Hutton and worked as an instructor during the Law of Naval Warfare Academy.

“The goal is to synchronize our understanding of the law of naval warfare with our friends and our allies so that we can operate more effectively together to deter threats, and if necessary, fight and win,” Kraska said.

Hutton looked back at her biggest takeaways from the three-day event.

“I think there is a desire and need in the international community to learn or sharpen our knowledge of the law of naval warfare,” Hutton said. “We haven’t had a prominent maritime domain war in quite some time, and people want to refine those skills, and there’s an opportunity here to fill that need.”

Kraska expanded upon Hutton’s sentiments.

“There is a lack of knowledge on the law of naval warfare,” Kraska said. “It underpins everything we do in peacetime and in conflict, and it provides legitimacy for our operations. We want to ensure that we have a shared understanding of the rules as they apply to the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard, to peace and war, so that we can better inform leaders and give them decision space.”

The academy brought together approximately 140 military officers, government officials, academics, and legal advisers from across NATO and partner nations, including representatives from the United States, Portugal, Brazil, Japan, and numerous other allied and partner countries.

“There are no better ambassadors for the U.S. Naval War College than the international law experts at the Stockton Center,” said Rear Adm. Darryl Walker, president of the U.S. Naval War College. “Prof. Kraska and his team are leading the worldwide conversation in this critical subject matter, and their event in Lisbon is just the latest example of how they’re able to assemble some of the top legal analysts from around the globe and so capably articulate how international law applies to different operations and conflicts playing out today.”

SCIL is an internationally recognized research institute for the study of international law and military operations that produces original analysis for national decision-makers, senior military leaders, scholars, and legal practitioners throughout the world in order to better grasp the role of international law in naval, joint and combined operations.

Established in 1884, NWC informs today’s decision-makers and educates tomorrow’s leaders by providing educational experiences and learning opportunities that develop their ability to hedge aggressively, innovate continuously, fight distributively, delegate confidently, and command with clarity within complex battlespaces.