How the Merchant Navy Takes the Royal Navy to War: UK Strategic Shipping and Transition to War

About the Presenter: Lieutenant Commander David Carter MNN RNR was thirty four years Merchant Navy Cadet to Master with sixteen years in command. He sailed with a global energy major and with an independent in tankers of all sizes in both oil and gas and the delivery into service of flagship Master of the largest in the world. Finally, with experience in ice class Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carriers having trained for Northern Sea Route transits over Russia. He has been a Royal Navy reservist since 1997 in the Amphibious Warfare specialisation, latterly sailing in merchant vessels on Ministry of Defence charter in support of amphibious exercises. Since 2014 he has been the Royal Navy's Merchant Navy Liaison Officer on Full Time Reserve Service ashore and extended to 2028. On completion he will have completed forty eight years in uniform. He is a member of the UK Shipping Defence Advisory Committee (SDAC) and is currently chair of the Strategic Shipping Working Group.

About the Talk: Transition To War (TTW) is the current hot phrase with planning for 2029 across the military in hand. The Royal Navy needs the Merchant Navy to support this transition and critically so. Many will be well aware of the acronym STUFT (Ships Taken Up From Trade) - 1982 in the Falklands and latterly in 2003 for Operation TELIC in Iraq. Today we are in different times, not unpredictable ones, but we are having to a manage a new reality. The talk will discuss where we are and where we are going with pragmatic solutions for a nation now in the "Sea Blindness" of modern times and the need of MN support for the RN. We can expand on many strategic initiatives to deliver growth but in cash flow and political will short times. The end game being ready for a strong adversary crossing NATO borders and triggering a NATO Article 5 response from the UK. This may not be far ahead so readiness is the theme.

Registration: We will be running this as an in-person only event: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/engineering-on-tap-how-the-merchant-navy-takes-the-royal-navy-to-war-tickets-1995947745436