US Marine cancels traditional event

The US Navy cancels its International Seapower Symposium (ISS), which has been a tradition for 56 years.

The Pentagon confirmed this to the United States Naval Institute (USNI), allegedly due to a lack of funding. Every two years since 1969, the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO, the equivalent of the inspector of the German Navy) has welcomed the inspectors and commanders of more than one hundred navies to the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., for the three-day symposium. Following the conference, the Naval War College publishes the proceedings.

"The purpose of the International Seapower Symposium is to provide a forum for senior international naval leaders to discuss common maritime challenges and opportunities to enhance international maritime security cooperation," reads a description of the ISS on the Naval War College website. According to the Navy, the service lacked the $1.8 million to host the conference. Literally, "Due to a lack of funding, the Navy is cancelling the 26th International Seapower Symposium scheduled for October 2025." The naval conference has already been postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, with the last ISS taking place in 2023 and costing around $1.5 million, according to the service. The cancellation of the ISS comes after the Office of the Secretary of Defense withdrew conferences and symposiums as part of a general directive to cancel non-essential travel.

Russian and Chinese violations of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea were an important topic on the margins of the 2023 event. A number of controversial topics relating to maritime security could also have been expected this year. It is open to speculation why this important and traditional event has been cancelled under the new US administration. We know that many meetings take place and agreements are reached on the fringes of the conference. This is not just the cancellation of a "class reunion" or a luxurious high-level conference: this is probably the most important maritime conference you can find. Here, freedom of the seas is guaranteed at working level. Admirals whose heads of state do not want to meet officially also meet here. That would have been important in these times. And 1.5 million dollars is less than an SM-2. Let's see what awaits us in 2027 - or not.