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Rear Admiral Robert Tarrant CB
Former Commander Operations, Royal Navy

Vice Admiral Clive Charles Carruthers Johnstone CB CBE RN
Commander, NATO Allied Maritime Command

Rear Admiral William Wheeler III
Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, US Navy

A career Naval Flight Officer, Wheeler’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance tours have included an initial tour with the War Eagles of Patrol Squadron (VP) 16, instructor tour with the Pro’s Nest of VP-30, department head tour with the Pelicans of VP-45, Officer-in- Charge of the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Weapons Tactics Unit, Commanding Officer of the Red Lancers of VP-10, and Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing ELEVEN.

Wheeler also served as Commander, Provincial Reconstruction Team PAKTIKA, Forward Operating Base Sharana, Afghanistan and subsequently Deputy Brigade Commander for Interagency/Joint Operations, Task Force YUKON, 4 th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25 Infantry Division, Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan.

In addition, Wheeler served as the Communications Officer and Assistant Chief of Staff for Administration/Flag Secretary for Commander, Carrier Group ONE, San Diego, CA and as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations/Fleet Operations Officer (N3) for Commander, SEVENTH Fleet, Yokosuka, Japan.

Wheeler served as the Special Assistant for General / Flag Officer Matters and Executive Assistant to the Director, Joint Staff, Washington D.C. and as Executive Assistant to Commander, Allied Joint Force Command, Naples / Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe / Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa, Naples, Italy.

Prior to reporting for his current assignment, Wheeler served as the Deputy Commander, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa in Djibouti, Africa.

Wheeler’s military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, and other personal, service, and unit awards.

Rear Admiral John Weale OBE
Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Submarines) and Rear Admiral Submarines, Royal Navy

A career submariner but also with broad experience in coalition and Joint Task Force operations, he completed the Cranfield MBA accredited Masters in Defence Administration in 2006 and was awarded an OBE in 2008 having been the Chief of Staff of a Coalition Task Force in Iraq. During his time in the Submarine Service he has served on SSNs and SSKs and commanded HMS TRAFALGAR before being appointed Director SM Training North, for Sea and Shore training. Responsible for training and assessing HMS ASTUTE’s exit from build, the first nuclear submarine to be built in the UK for 17 years, his experiences from ASTUTE saw Weale reappointed to DE&S to work with industry to define training competencies required for new training capabilities.

Promoted to Commodore in 2013 and appointed as the Fleet Assistant Chief of Staff (Training), he was responsible for leading the definition of new training capabilities for the Queen Elizabeth Carrier, Successor and the future of synthetic training capabilities in the RN. Appointed as the First Sea Lord’s representative for the Royal Navy in Scotland and Northern Ireland, Rear Admiral Weale was appointed Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland and Assistant Chief Naval Staff Submarines in July 2015, located in the Clyde Submarine Operating Base to bring a focus for the development and delivery of the UK’s future Submarine Service.

Bestowed the role of Rear Admiral Submarines in October 2015, he is responsible for the delivery of in-service submarine war-fighting capabilities and the Moral Component of Operational Capability of the Submarine Service. Responsible for the in-service budget of the Submarine Service, he completed the Oxford Said University Major Projects Leadership Academy in 2017.

Rear Admiral Thomas Ishee
Commander Submarine Group 8, US Navy

Commander Gwenegan Le Bourhis
Expeditionary Operations Section Head, NATO Combined Joint Operations from the Sea

Commander Martin Byrne
Director Undersea Warfare Requirements, Canadian Navy

Commander Cezary Gnoza
Staff Officer Naval Weapons Management & Development Branch, Armament Division of the Polish Navy Inspectorate

Commander Eric van Pabst
Head of Underwater Technology Office, Netherlands Defence Material Organisation

Commander Martin Byrne
Director Undersea Warfare Requirements, Canadian Navy

Giovanni Romani
Head of Land and Maritime Capabilities Section, Defence Investment Division, NATO HQ

Alex du Pré
Team Leader Mine countermeasures and Hydrographic Capability, UK MoD DE&S

Alain Maguer
Director Programme, NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation

H I Sutton
OSINT Consultant and Author, Covert Shores

Commodore (Retd) Ian McGhie
Former Captain Faslane Flotilla, Royal Navy

Commander René Levien
Commander UW Warfare Department, German Navy

Commander Rene Levien joined the Navy in 1986 and he has been serving as Staff Officer responsible for underwater warfare operations in the Plans & Policy Branch in the German Navy Headquarters in Rostock since October 2015.

His earlier appointments include tours on 206 class submarines -as XO and Commanding Officer,
-Duty and Senior Staff Officer submarines at the Naval HQs in Gluecksburg and
-Staff Officer Training and Analysis in the DEU submarine flotilla staff in Eckernforde.

Before he joined the Centre of Excellence for Operations in Confined and Shallow Waters (COE CSW) in Kiel in 2011 (to 2015) CDR Levien was deployed to the NATO HQ allied command Transformation in Norfolk from 2008 to 2011 where he served as Staff Officer for Education and Training.

In his current position he is also in charge of the DEU-NOR Submarine-Cooperation as the DEU Navy representative in the DEU-NOR project team for joint procurement of the future submarine capability U212 Common Design).

Commander Fredrik Lindén
Underwater Systems – Advisor Submarines, FMV

Cdr Fredrik Linden was born and raised in the south of Sweden – Malmö. He joined the Royal Swedish Navy as a conscript in 1991, graduated from the Swedish Officers Academy in 1994 and then went on to serve on various submarines, with few interuptions, until 2004. In 2005 Fredrik graduated from Linné University with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Nautical Science and was then awarded his first command HSwMS Gotland , at the time stationed in San Diego, California. After his first command two more followed in succession – the HSwMS Uppland and HSwMS Halland.

The following period became a period of academics during which Fredrik graduated from Swedish Defence College with a Masters degree in War Studies, a Diploma in National Security, Strategy & Policy Making from US Naval War College (NSC) and finally a Masters degree in International Relations – Political Science from Salve Regina University Newport Rhode Island USA.

His shore assignemnts after this includes Royal Swedish Navy Staff Plans and ISAF J2X (NIC). Fredrik then went back to serve as Submarine Squadron Leader and as of summer 2016 he is stationed at the Swedish Defence Material Administration.

Lieutenant Commander Erwin Maas
Underwater Warfare Technology Office – Submarines, Netherlands Defence Material Organisation

I joined the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) as a midshipman at the RNLN College where I received my theoretical and practical training for becoming an Engineering Officer. In addition to theoretical aspects, this training also required excellence in the fields of sports, social behaviour, discipline and leadership. During the last year of my study I specialised in Systems and Control at the Mechanical Engineering faculty at the Delft University of Technology.

After my study I chose one of the most challenging and demanding career paths in the RNLN by joining the Royal Netherlands Submarine Service. The level of professionalism, dedication, skill and technical knowledge required of an Engineering Officer onboard a submarine has to be of a very high standard. This ensures the safety of the crew and platform while working submerged in stressful conditions for long periods. As an Engineering Officer in the Submarine Service one is constantly required to expand one’s skills and knowledge. Each position is marked by an increase in responsibility and leadership. The Mechanical Engineering Officer bears full responsibility for the damage control and platform availability.

After my operational experiences I worked as Department Head Technical Training of the Submarine Service, where my focus is on training and educating of both individuals and command teams. After three years I was asked to join the project-team for the replacement of Walrus-class submarines. In that team I am responsible in gaining knowledge on sensor and weapon-systems. Part of this job is to coordinate long term study programs at TNO. Also international cooperation with a wide variety of countries and industry is part of my responsibility.

Blaine Duffley
Director Maritime Equipment Program Management (Submarines), Canadian Navy

Dr Fredrik Hellstrom
A26/NGU Project Manager, FMV

Matteo Perrone
Project Manager R&D Unmanned Underwater Systems, FMV

Matteo Perrone is the Project Manager of the Underwater Warfare Technology Research and Development for the Swedish Defence Materiel Organization (FMV). The objective of the project is to explore new and emerging technologies in the underwater field with the goal to increase the capabilities to the Swedish Navy with reduced overall costs.

Matteo, previously involved at FMV in the Life Time Extension project of the Swedish Submarine Rescue Vehicle (URF), moved to the weapon systems department where capitalizing on his underwater system expertise (accumulated in nearly 20 years of academic and industrial R&D) became responsible for the technical development of the autonomous underwater vehicles of the Swedish Navy.

Holding a MSc degree in Robotics and Bioengineering from the University of Genova Italy (currently Italian Institute of Technology), Matteo is even involved at FMV, in the development of the Swedish next generation Light Weight Torpedo and in the integration of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles in the Project A26, Swedish Next Generation Submarine.

H I Sutton
OSINT Consultant and Author, Covert Shores

Guillaume Dandrieux
Naval Business Development Manager, ixBlue

Guillaume Dandrieux graduated from the French Ecole Navale (Naval Academy) in 1994 and Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Techniques Avancées (ENSTA Paris) in 2000. He served in the French Navy first on board various French combat vessels as XO, OOW and Warfare Officer, then within French and International Military Staffs, and contributed as a combat system expert to some major naval programs. After quitting the Navy in 2008 with the rank of Commander, he joined the French naval shipyard CMN initially as combat system manager, then project manager and sales director. In 2012, he took over as Project Manager of the Saudi Sawari I Life Extension Programme within French Military Export Agency ODAS. He joined iXblue as Business Development manager for the Naval Market in 2016.

Commodore (Retd) David Burton
Strategy Director, NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE)

Captain Chris O’Flaherty
Hudson Research Fellow at Oxford University and Former Captain UK MCM, Royal Navy

Captain Chris O’Flaherty was born in Dunfermline and educated at Plymouth College, joining the Royal Navy in 1987.

After initial training in the frigate HMS AMBUSCADE he gained his Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate in the Minehunter HMS HURWORTH, he navigated the Minesweeper HMS SOBERTON and, after qualifying as a Minewarfare and Clearance Diving Officer in 1992, he served initially as Operations Officer then as Executive Officer of the Minehunter HMS SANDOWN. This was followed by three years on the Scotland-based staff of Flag Officer Sea Training where he delivered operationally-focussed Minewarfare and Diving training to the Royal Navy’s small ships and nuclear submarines. Continuing the undersea theme of his career, in 1999 he qualified as a Principal Warfare Officer (Underwater), receiving the Boniwell Trophy as the top student on his course.

Service in the frigate HMS NORTHUMBERLAND saw him conduct multiple anti-submarine patrols as well as a very successful 6- month counter-drugs patrol in the Caribbean (seizing 4.4 tonnes of cocaine) before joining the Aircraft Carrier HMS ILLUSTRIOUS as her Group Warfare Officer, including her deployment on Operation Oracle (Afghanistan).

Thereafter appointed to the UK Maritime Battlestaff as an anti-Submarine and Minewarfare planner, he saw service on Operation Telic (Iraq) as part of the UK Amphibious Task Force and on Operation Enduring Freedom directing coalition anti-terrorist patrols off the Horn of Africa, receiving the Chief of Joint Operations’ Commendation for his service. He returned to HMS NORTHUMBERLAND as Executive Officer and Senior Naval Officer before graduating from the Advanced Command and Staff Course in 2007. After serving as Career Manager for the Royal Navy’s Clearance Diving Officers and Specialist Navigators he was promoted to Commander in December 2008, serving in the Ministry of Defence as Capability desk officer for antisubmarine sensors in support of the UK’s Strategic Deterrent and expeditionary forces.

Following two years as Commanding Officer of the Fleet Diving Squadron, directing UK and expeditionary inshore Mine Counter-Measures, underwater engineering and bomb disposal operations, he was promoted to Captain in September 2015.

Thereafter serving in the Middle East for two years, his roles included both Captain UK Mine Countermeasures and Deputy Commander Task Force 52 delivering Mine Warfare support in the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea and Red Sea in order to maintain the free flow of regional maritime commerce during the 2017 Huthi naval mining campaign off western Yemen.

Commander Stefan Rings
SME Naval Mine Warfare, German Navy

Commander Pascale Van Leeuwen
Commander MCM and Operational Commander North Sea Unmanned MCM Trials, Belgian Navy

Commander Yvo Jaenen
Deputy Commander MCM and Operational Commander North Sea Unmanned Communications Trials, Belgian Navy

Commander Mark Wiersum RNLN
Branch Head of Concept Development, NATO MCM Centre of Excellence

Giovanni Romani
Head of Land and Maritime Capabilities Section, Defence Investment Division, NATO HQ

Tilly Driesenaar
Senior Scientist Underwater Warfare Technology, Netherlands Defence Material Organisation

Rear Admiral Robert Tarrant CB
Former Commander Operations, Royal Navy

Rear Admiral William Wheeler III
Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, US Navy

A career Naval Flight Officer, Wheeler’s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance tours have included an initial tour with the War Eagles of Patrol Squadron (VP) 16, instructor tour with the Pro’s Nest of VP-30, department head tour with the Pelicans of VP-45, Officer-in- Charge of the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Weapons Tactics Unit, Commanding Officer of the Red Lancers of VP-10, and Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing ELEVEN.

Wheeler also served as Commander, Provincial Reconstruction Team PAKTIKA, Forward Operating Base Sharana, Afghanistan and subsequently Deputy Brigade Commander for Interagency/Joint Operations, Task Force YUKON, 4 th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25 Infantry Division, Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan.

In addition, Wheeler served as the Communications Officer and Assistant Chief of Staff for Administration/Flag Secretary for Commander, Carrier Group ONE, San Diego, CA and as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations/Fleet Operations Officer (N3) for Commander, SEVENTH Fleet, Yokosuka, Japan.

Wheeler served as the Special Assistant for General / Flag Officer Matters and Executive Assistant to the Director, Joint Staff, Washington D.C. and as Executive Assistant to Commander, Allied Joint Force Command, Naples / Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe / Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa, Naples, Italy.

Prior to reporting for his current assignment, Wheeler served as the Deputy Commander, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa in Djibouti, Africa.

Wheeler’s military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, and other personal, service, and unit awards.

Captain Fredrik Palmquist
Commander 4th Naval Warfare Flotilla, Swedish Navy

Fredrik Palmquist is a Surface Warfare officer and has worked in several positions in the Missile boat - and the Corvette squadrons in Stockholm. He graduated from the Swedish Naval Academy in 1988 and took positions as PWO AAW and ASW and was the Commanding Officer of HMS Starkodder 1998-2000 and the Commanding Officer of the 41th Corvette squadron 2008-2010. He has also been deployed in UNIFIL MAROFS in Lebanon in 2006-2007 as Head of N5 in the German CTF staff during one year.

Commander Richard ‘Bungy’ Williams RN (Rtd)
Regional Manager Europe, Hydroid Inc

Lieutenant Commander Giuseppe Oliva
Underwater Systems – Mines and Mine Countermeasures, Italian Naval Armament Directorate

Lieutenant Marina Ricci
Underwater Systems – Sensors and Vehicles, Italian Naval Armament Directorate

Joan Wahrén
Underwater Warfare and Combat Systems Project Manager, FMV