On 7 March Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation General Mieczyslaw Bieniek visited the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Centre (NMIOTC) in Chania, Greece to discuss curriculum, current activities and way ahead.

Bieniek and the centre's commandant, Adrianos Poulos, discussed NMIOTC's programme of work and Bieniek expressed his appreciation of the high value of the training for the overall transformational efforts of the Alliance. He assured Commodore Poulos of continuous ACT's support for the mission of NMIOTC.

Bieniek discussed the centre's role to facilitate NATO Member nations' training in Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) with the faculty. Special attention was given to possible ways of expanding the curriculum and attract an even greater training audience from both NATO member and partner nations, including participants in the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) programs.

General Bieniek was also briefed on the challenges facing NMIOTC in 2012, including development of a Maritime Intelligence Course, conduct of a Maritime Counter Explosive Device (C-IED) course and participation in ACT's CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) experimentation.

Photo: Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation General Mieczyslaw Bieniek
listening to staff at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Centre in Chania, Greece.