Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) hosted leaders from Commander, Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN) Maritime Warfare Center (MWC), at the second biannual Tactical Working Group (TWG) here Feb. 5 – 7.

The SMWDC-RNoN MWC TWG was established among the NATO partners in 2018 to enhance the understanding of the capabilities and tactics used by both navies to improve interoperability in an era of great power competition.

“Communicating with our maritime NATO partners to understand our mutual capabilities, tactics, and to develop professional opportunities to improve warfighting proficiencies is now more important than ever in this era of great power competition,” said Capt. Joseph F. Cahill, SMWDC Sea Combat Division Director. “Discussing the tactics, techniques and procedures developed by our [RNoN] MWC partners and those of SMWDC’s WTIs [Warfare Tactics Instructors], improves our partnership and interoperability.”

Ongoing engagements between top tacticians from U.S. and Norwegian navies will ensure that the relationship between the NATO partners remains strong.

“The maritime domain is more dynamic, and is becoming more contested, and so we must work together to retain our maritime advantage over the competition,” said Capt. Egil Vasstrand, RNoN MWC Commander. “Tactical proficiency is one of the keys to maintaining free navigation on international waters.”

SMWDC is a subordinate command of Commander, Naval Surface Forces, and is headquartered at Naval Base San Diego with four divisions in Virginia and California focused on AMW, IAMD, ASW/SUW, and MIW.

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