LONG-TERM VISION

摘要

Be adaptable to change. This was the strong message sent out by First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope GCB at the 11th bi-annual International Naval Engineering Conference (INEC 2012) organised by the IMarEST at the Sheraton hotel in Edinburgh in May. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event, which saw attendance from over 250 high profile representatives from the international defence sector — including 17 countries and 10 navies, Admiral Stanhope spoke about the collective threat of illegal activities taking place in ungoverned 'global commons' areas. Given the fact that shipping is responsible for over one third of global trade, he stated that it is vital to deploy navies to protect national waters from such threats making their way to shore, which would impact access and control. Emphasising that 'collective defence requires collaboration', the First Sea Lord set the tone for a rather successful conference and exhibition, which saw presentations by some of the brightest minds that naval technology has to offer.