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DATE: 09/06/2025 Estonian Navy Invitation to Attend Seabed Security Summit 2025 30th September – 1st October | Troia Design Hotel, Troia, Portugal 1. I am writing to bring your attention to our upcoming Seabed Security Summit 2025, a premier international forum dedicated to addressing the growing strategic importance of the seabed in global security. Held in association with REPMUS 2025, this event will convene senior stakeholders from defence, government, industry, and academia to explore the evolving threat landscape, share insights from cutting-edge experimentation, and foster cross-sector collaboration to safeguard critical undersea infrastructure. 2. As Senior Military & Government Liaison for Defence iQ, it is my great pleasure to formally invite you to contribute to these discussions by attending the conference in person as a conference guest. Additionally, we would like to extend this invitation (to attend as our guests on a non- payment basis) to up to five (5) personnel accompanying you in your delegation. Ideally, your delegation would be made up of operational leaders across Naval commands, procurement professionals, and personnel working on relevant S&T and R&D programs. 3. As the exploration of the seabed increases from stakeholders aiming to benefit from mineral exploitation, oil and gas extraction, and commercial submarine use, nations are seeking to define their strategy for seabed and underwater operations. The conference will provide a unique opportunity to establish a productive dialogue with allies that will inform senior leaders on emerging issues relating to seabed activity, as well as offering ample opportunities to engage with other military leaders and industry experts throughout the event. 4. 2025 Speaker Highlights ➢ Commodore Sam Shattock – Head, Royal Fleet Auxiliary ➢ Captain António Mourinha – Innovation Advisor to the Chief of Navy, Portuguese Navy ➢ Captain Nuno Palmeiro Ribeiro – Director, CEOM, Portuguese Navy ➢ Konstantin Bellini – Director, Security and Defence, Hybrid CoE 5. As my distinguished guests, there is no registration fee associated with your attendance at this conference, either for you or your accompanying delegation of up to five (5) officers or senior staff. Please note that travel and accommodation expenses remain the responsibility of the participating organisation. For our planning purposes, it would be much appreciated if your staff could indicate your early intent to participate by Thursday, 31st July. I will remain your direct point of contact and can be reached via email at [email protected] or by telephone on +44 (0) 20 7368 9825. Sincerely, Jamal Busari Military & Government Liaison – Defence iQ Tel: +44 20 7368 9825 The only event dedicated to seabed defence which debriefs the lessons from NATO’s largest exercise for Unmanned Maritime Systems In association with REPMUS 2025 PROTECTING CRITICAL UNDERWATER INFRASTRUCTURE AMID INCREASING SEABED ACTIVITY 30 September – 1 October 2025 Tróia, Portugal LEADING PERSPECTIVES ON THE UNDERWATER BATTLEFIELD INCLUDE: Commodore Dr Tine Larsen, Carine van Bentum, Elizabeth Heathfield, Sam Shattock, Senior Seismologist, Director, Chief Corporate Head, Royal Fleet Geological Survey SeaSEC Affairs and Auxiliary, of Denmark and Communications Officer, Royal Navy Greenland Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center “LIKE OTHER ASPECTS OF MARITIME SECURITY, SECURING CRITICAL UNDERSEA INFRASTRUCTURE GOES BEYOND POSTURING TO DETER FUTURE AGGRESSION; IT INCLUDES ROBUST COORDINATION, TO ACTIVELY MONITOR AND COUNTER MALIGN OR HYBRID THREATS.” Vice Admiral Mike Utley, Commander, NATO MARCOM  +44 (0) 113 521 0042  [email protected] Website Register WELCOME Dear Colleague, Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Eric Lavault, I am delighted to announce the launch of Defence iQ’s Seabed Security Former Head of Seabed Control, conference, in association with REPMUS 25. The importance of Critical French Navy Infrastructure Protection (CIP) for economic stability, public safety, national security and its global impact, is far reaching. As activity on the seabed continues to rise, it is increasingly important for stakeholders to come together to foster cooperation and develop new strategies to protect critical CONFERENCE CHAIRMAN undersea infrastructure. Recent interference with undersea cables has highlighted the need for both advanced capabilities to enhance operations in this contested environment, Entered the Naval Academy in 1990, and the need for open discussions between military and civilian organisations. and specializing in mine clearance diving, Rear Admiral Eric Lavault served The first day at Seabed Security will discuss the current challenges faced 34 years in the French Navy. by stakeholders from across several industries to examine the global threat context faced by those operating in the underwater space, and will encourage He commanded 4 operational units: the Mine Clearance Diving Group in Toulon cross-sector collaboration. Discussions will span uncrewed vehicles, (2003-2005), the mine-clearing diver advanced sensors, and data systems, addressing the latest developments base ship “Pluton” (2003 - 2005), the and initiatives that can support operations. tanker “La Somme” (2010 - 2011) and finally the amphibious helicopter carrier During the second day, the focus is on the strategies and technologies “Dixmude” (2015 - 2017). that can be utilised to monitor and protect seabed infrastructure, including cutting-edge research into new capabilities to assist with operations. As new He served as aide-de-camp to the technologies emerge, stakeholders must be prepared to take advantage of French President from 2012 to 2015. them in order to face the challenges of an increasingly contested seabed. He was Director of Navy Communications and spokesman for the Chief of Naval Staff from 2019 to 2022. Collaboration will drive innovation, and this conference presents multiple opportunities for attendees to discuss, question, and overcome the challenges From 2022 to 2024, before leaving faced by navies, government, security agencies, maritime organisations, active service, Rear Admiral Eric Lavault academia, and industry as they look to secure critical undersea infrastructure. headed the French Navy’s Seabed Control Department. Seabed Security 2025 provides a unique platform to engage with experts He was in charge of the three groups working within the underwater battlespace, allowing the audience to take of mine clearance divers based in part in conversations, create new partnerships, and share knowledge that Cherbourg, Brest and Toulon, and the 4 base ships for mine clearance divers will drive progress and protect essential infrastructure. (Pluton, Styx, Vulcain and Achéron). I look forward to welcoming you to Tróia in September. He supervised the ramp-up of the Mine Countermeasures Flotilla, equipped with Kind regards, mine warfare drones (USV and UUV) identical to those used by the Royal Navy. Finally, he accompanied and guided the equipping of the Navy with deep-sea Anisa Cousin UAVs and ROVs, aimed at giving the Divisional Director Navy a capability to intervene at a depth of 6,000m, within the Diving and Deep Defence iQ Sea Intervention Department named CEPHISMER (Centre expert plongée humaine et intervention sous la mer).  +44 (0) 113 521 0042  [email protected] Website Register 2025 SPEAKERS INCLUDE Commodore Captain Captain Konstantin Bellini, Elizabeth Heathfield, Sam Shattock, António Mourinha, Nuno Palmeiro Ribeiro, Director, Security and Chief Corporate Head, Royal Fleet Innovation Adviser to the Director, CEOM, Defence, Affairs and Auxiliary, Chief of Navy, Portuguese Navy European Centre Communications Officer, Royal Navy Portuguese Navy of Excellence for Financial Services Countering Hybrid Information Sharing and Threats Analysis Center Dr Camino Kavanagh, Dr Tine Larsen, Carine van Bentum, Henri van Soest, Senior Representative, Visiting Senior Fellow, Senior Seismologist, Director, Senior Analyst, Maritime Security Centre King’s College London Geological Survey of SeaSEC RAND Europe of Excellence, Denmark and Greenland NATO ATTEND SEABED SECURITY 2025 TO: Discover the observations and outputs from Forge connections with stakeholders from across REPMUS 2025 as participants from the exercise the underwater environment and gain knowledge provide data-driven examples, and join a site tour of from multiple sectors, including defence, Portugal’s Naval Operational Experimentation Center telecommunications, banking, and finance (CEOM) to explore its facilities and capabilities Meet innovative solution providers working on Understand the current threat picture for underwater seabed and uncrewed capabilities to learn about activities through case-studies and programme the latest developments for the protection of key updates that extend to strategies, technology, and infrastructure operational perspectives  +44 (0) 113 521 0042  [email protected] Website Register CONFERENCE DAY ONE, 30 SEPTEMBER NAVIGATING UNDERSEA CHALLENGES The first day of the conference will address the current challenges faced by stakeholders involved in the protection of critical undersea infrastructure from across several industries. Briefs will examine existing threats in the underwater space and on the seabed, including deep-sea mining and incidents of sabotage against undersea cables. Day one of the conference aims to boost international collaboration across several sectors, and encourage private-public partnerships, enabling a multi-faceted approach to how stakeholders can balance the need for resilience, deterrence, and security. 0800 REGISTRATION AND REFRESHMENTS 0850 DEFENCE iQ WELCOME Anisa Cousin, Divisional Director, Defence iQ 0855 CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Eric Lavault, Former Head of Seabed Control, French Navy STRATEGIC OVERVIEW OF UNDERSEA OPERATIONS The opening session will cover the strategic importance and operational considerations for undersea operations, highlighting advancements in doctrine and strategy. With the increasing size of infrastructure networks on the seafloor and the dependence on the networks for society, there is growing concern for the protection of critical undersea infrastructure. Methods to detect, anticipate, and respond to potential threats before they occur must evolve, along with new strategies involved in protecting and surveying the seabed. 0900 KEYNOTE ADDRESS: GLOBAL CONTEXT FOR UNDERWATER OPERATIONS • Key regions of high seabed activity, and their potential for threats and the use of MUS capabilities for operations • Progress in the integration of new technologies into seabed operations as observed through experimentation during REPMUS • Capability gaps highlighted during REPMUS, and their impact on the current threat picture for seabed infrastructure and emerging requirements for future underwater operations Captain Nuno Ribeiro, Director, CEOM, Portuguese Navy 0930 PANEL DISCUSSION: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE LARGEST ROBOTIC EXPERIMENTAION AND PROTOTYPING NAVAL EXCERCISE USING MARITIME UNCREWED SYSTEMS AND OTHER RECENT EXERCISES • What are the existing capability gaps and upcoming requirements for underwater systems? • How can we utilise multi-domain capabilities to improve data sharing and decision making? • Do we need to redevelop new doctrine and strategies, based on outputs from recent observations? Panellists include: Henri van Soest, Senior Analyst, RAND Europe 1015 MORNING COFFEE AND NETWORKING WIDER CONTEXT FOR SEABED SECURITY Stakeholders must consider the broader implications of seabed security, including its impact on each sector and civilian activity, so this session will explore its critical role across various areas. By assessing the vulnerabilities of infrastructure and fully understanding the challenges faced by those operating cables, pipelines, and underwater power grids, the collective knowledge from multiple sectors can be used to discuss innovative solutions for the protection of this critical undersea infrastructure. 1100 CURRENT CONTEXT FOR CRITICAL UNDERSEA INFRASTRUCTURE • Addressing seabed security issues across multiple industries and sectors to provide a cohesive approach • Challenges faced by those operating and protecting critical undersea infrastructure • Building resilience for undersea infrastructure through collaboration with stakeholders Dr Camino Kavanagh, Visiting Senior Fellow, King’s College London 1130 SECURING THE SEABED THROUGH INTER-AGENCY COLLABORATION • Latest observations from the CoE’s exercises and research on critical undersea infrastructure • The CoE’s role in bringing together stakeholders from military, industry, and academia to deliver a coherent maritime security strategy • Strategic approaches to protecting critical infrastructure as interest rises Senior Representative, NATO Maritime Security Centre of Excellence  +44 (0) 113 521 0042  [email protected] Website Register CONFERENCE DAY ONE, 30 SEPTEMBER NAVIGATING UNDERSEA CHALLENGES 1200 NETWORKING LUNCH LEVERAGING INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FOR INCREASED SECURITY The task of protecting undersea infrastructure is made more complex due to the expansive network of cables and pipelines in vast and remote oceans, making it difficult to monitor and even harder to defend. No individual organisation can monitor and protect all seabed infrastructure, so collaboration with European and NATO allies will be essential to bolstering strategies to combat interference. Through the sharing of intelligence and capability development, stakeholders will increase their ability to detect threats and produce technology that can provide deterrence. 1330 OVERVIEW: REPMUS 2025 • Key data and outputs from the testing of underwater uncrewed vehicles • Informing NATO doctrine and policy with REPMUS observations • Enhancing interoperability between allies and new systems through international exercises Senior Representative, Portuguese Navy 1400 HYBRID THREAT IN THE CONTEXT OF SEABED SECURITY • Crafting a common understanding of hybrid threats and the strategies employed to counter them • Combining knowledge from research into technology, doctrine, and cyber power to address hybrid threats • The Centre’s latest work in supporting nations as they define doctrine to combat hybrid threats Konstantin Bellini, Director, Security and Defence, European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats 1430 AFTERNOON TEA AND NETWORKING 1515 TRAVEL TO SITE VISIT (TRANSPORT PROVIDED) 1530 SITE VISIT TO THE PORTUGUESE NAVY’S NAVAL OPERATIONAL EXPERIMENTATION CENTER (CEOM) All conference attendees are invited to visit the Portuguese Navy’s Naval Operational Experimentation Center for a tour of the site, including the hangar, runway, and other experimentation facilities used during REPMUS 2025. Hear a brief from the Director of CEOM to discuss the work carried out by the centre and the opportunities to get involved with new research. Understand the current priorities for the Portuguese Navy’s development and testing of innovative maritime capabilities. 1630 RETURN TRANSPORT TO CONFERENCE VENUE AND END OF DAY ONE “HIGH LEVEL PRESENTATIONS TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW ABOUT WHERE TO GO AND WHERE ARE NAVIES GOING” Naval Platforms, INDRA (Surface, Air, & Seabed Warfare 2024 attendee)  +44 (0) 113 521 0042  [email protected] Website Register CONFERENCE DAY TWO, 1 OCTOBER LEVERAGING INNOVATION FOR SEABED OPERATIONS Day two of the conference will focus on the strategies and technologies that can be used for improving knowledge of the seabed through underwater exploration, better monitoring of the underwater domain, and enhanced protection of seabed infrastructure by securing the ability to act underwater. This includes cutting-edge research into new capabilities to assist with operations. As new technologies emerge, stakeholders must be prepared to take advantage of them in order to face the challenges of an increasingly contested and vulnerable seabed. 0830 REGISTRATION AND REFRESHMENTS 0925 CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Eric Lavault, Former Head of Seabed Control, French Navy INTEGRATING NEW CAPABILITIES INTO UNDERSEA OPERATIONS As new and improved deep-water capabilities emerge, security partners, the subsea cable industry, international bodies, government, and NATO’s navies must also develop the necessary cohesive strategy for the adoption and integration of such technologies into their operations. Autonomous and uncrewed systems, sensing equipment, and surface vessels must cooperate fully in order to carry out effective and efficient operations. 0930 RFA PROTEUS IN ROYAL NAVY OPERATIONS • RFA Proteus’ role in the fleet and operations of the Royal Navy • Expanding uncrewed capabilities for enhanced surveillance and survey operations • Trialling new technologies to plan for increased seabed activity Commodore Sam Shattock, Head, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Royal Navy 1000 MODERNISING THE PORTUGUESE NAVY • Current priorities for the Navy as uncrewed systems become increasingly vital to the maritime domain • Advancements in underwater communications and uncrewed systems to improve maritime operations • Working with allies to assess requirements and integrate new developments into operations at pace Captain Antonio Mourinha, Innovation Advisor to the Chief of the Navy, Portuguese Navy 1030 MORNING COFFEE AND NETWORKING ENHANCING SENSING AND MONITORING SYSTEMS As underwater activity increases, nations are looking to expand their capabilities to detect activity around critical infrastructure, with smarter and more scalable solutions that can augment military patrols. New technologies, including progress from areas beyond the defence industry, must be integrated into systems to ensure that all activity is identified and attributed efficiently, to detect risks early and prevent damage before it happens. 1115 LARGE SCALE SEISMOLOGICAL MONITORING OF SUBSEA ACTIVITIES USING EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE • Seismology’s role in the monitoring and classification of seabed activity • Applying innovations in sensing to undersea cables to monitor damage and activity • Working with military stakeholders to ensure protection of infrastructure and identification of incidents Dr Tine Larsen, Senior Seismologist, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland 1145 EXPLOITING DATA AND UNCREWED SYSTEMS FOR MARITIME OPERATIONS • Research and development of uncrewed naval systems for data collection and infrastructure protection • Utilising sonar data from underwater capabilities in maritime operations, including MCM and seabed warfare • Advancing technologies to support the integration of new systems into operations Norwegian Navy (invited) 1215 NETWORKING LUNCH DEVELOPING UNCREWED SYSTEMS FOR UNDERSEA OPERATIONS Uncrewed systems offer much potential to support seabed operations, including the protection, surveillance, and repair of critical infrastructure, however challenges remain with the number and capabilities of UUVs and creating greater autonomy of USVs. Their unique capabilities can reduce risks and improve operational efficiency, however stakeholders must also work to fully integrate them with existing capabilities to ensure success in underwater environments.  +44 (0) 113 521 0042  [email protected] Website Register CONFERENCE DAY TWO, 1 OCTOBER LEVERAGING INNOVATION FOR SEABED OPERATIONS 1330 TESTING UNDERWATER SYSTEMS FOR INCREASED INNOVATION AND SECURITY • Recent projects from SeaSEC on testing capabilities for underwater operations • Applications of new innovations for multiple sectors to ensure full coverage of vulnerabilities • Providing a realistic testing ground for the validation of maritime capabilities Carine van Bentum, Director, SeaSEC 1400 AUTONOMY WITHIN THE ROMANIAN NAVY • The future of Romania’s naval operations as innovation is prioritised • Experimentation and testing of naval capabilities for the security of critical undersea infrastructure • Integrating autonomy into naval operations as new capabilities emerge Romanian Navy (invited) 1430 AFTERNOON TEA AND NETWORKING APPLYING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES ACROSS MULTIPLE SECTORS Progress from all industries must be shared to ensure that all stakeholders can effectively protect their undersea infrastructure from threats. Many sectors are currently advancing their capabilities for the protection of undersea infrastructure, and the sharing of knowledge and advancements between sectors will allow greater efforts to be made to combat threats as intelligence can be shared to provide better responses. 1515 INTELLIGENCE SHARING TO PROTECT FINANCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE • FS-ISAC’s role in supporting the protection of undersea financial infrastructure through collaboration with members • Assessing long-term threats and current incidents to provide a global intelligence picture • Sharing intelligence across the globe to devise actionable procedures and keep services running when facing threats Elizabeth Heathfield, Chief Corporate Affairs and Communications Officer, Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC) 1545 CROSS-SECTOR INNOVATIONS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION • Working with colleagues in academia and industry to improve resilience of infrastructure • Securing oil and gas infrastructure with other stakeholders to ensure continued supplies • Discussing the applications of AI and robotics within the sector 1615 CHAIRMAN’S CLOSING REMARKS Rear Admiral (Ret’d) Eric Lavault, Former Head of Seabed Control, French Navy 1630 END OF CONFERENCE “THE EVENT PROVIDED AN INSIGHT INTO FUTURE STRATEGY AND CURRENT CHALLENGES FACED ACROSS NAVIES. THE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SPEAKERS AND ATTENDEES HAS HELPED TO FURTHER INTRODUCE OUR CAPABILITY WITHIN THE MARITIME SECTOR.” Business Development Manager, Kx (Surface, Air, and Seabed Warfare 2024 attendee)  +44 (0) 113 521 0042  [email protected] Website Register SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Maximise Your Involvement: Sponsorship and Exhibition Opportunities Invest in making an impact with the people that matter to your business Sponsorship is the most effective solution to share your company’s ideas to senior military and professionals from across the underwater community, who are searching for actionable solutions to their current operational challenges. Seabed Security will be attended by senior officials and decision-makers from across the maritime industry, bringing together buyers and suppliers in one location. With tailored networking, sponsors can achieve the face-to-face contact that overcrowded trade shows cannot deliver. Exhibiting and Sponsorship options are extensive, and packages can be tailor-made to suit your individual company’s needs. Features of Sponsorship include: • Prominent exhibition space in the main conference networking area For more information and to discuss the • Thought leadership speaking opportunities right opportunity, contact us on +44 (0)207 • Participation in comprehensive pre-event marketing campaigns 368 9300 or [email protected] • Tailored networking solutions WHO TYPICALLY ATTENDS: MEDIA PARTNERS ABOUT DEFENCE IQ Established in 2001, Defence iQ has grown to become one of the world’s largest defence events and media organisations. 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TEAM DISCOUNTS ARE NOT APPLICABLE IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANOTHER DISCOUNT. “THOUGHT PROVOKING AND EDUCATIONAL” Royal Navy (Surface, Air, & Seabed Warfare 2024)