Dynamic Master 25: NATO simulates threats to undersea infrastructure

NATO is conducting extensive command and staff exercises aimed at improving control over civilian maritime traffic and strengthening coordination with the commercial shipping sector, including simulated scenarios on navigation assistance and responses to threats against critical underwater infrastructure.

As Caliber.Az reports, the exercises — titled Dynamic Master 25 — are taking place at NATO Maritime Command (MARCOM) headquarters in Northwood, United Kingdom, from November 3 to 14, 2025.

According to NATO Maritime Command, the exercise is designed to deepen civil–military cooperation and ensure the safety and efficiency of maritime operations during crises or NATO-led missions. The event is being led by the NATO Shipping Centre (NSC), which plays a central role as the Alliance’s liaison between commercial shipping and military forces.

“NATO is reinforcing its partnership with the civilian shipping community, boosting civil–military maritime coordination through Exercise Dynamic Master 25,” the announcement said. “Led by the NATO Shipping Centre, the exercise equips staff with the skills to support, reassure, and guide merchant vessels during crises or NATO operations, ensuring safe and efficient maritime operations.”

Dynamic Master 25 is structured to improve NATO’s maritime readiness and security through realistic, multi-domain training. Participants practised key operational procedures in naval cooperation and guidance for shipping (NCAGS), safe navigation coordination, and interoperability among Allied naval forces.

Personnel from multiple NATO member states engaged in simulated operational scenarios, including real-world merchant shipping traffic, cyberattacks, and threats targeting critical underwater infrastructure such as pipelines and communication cables.

As part of the exercise, NATO teams were deployed to several key European ports — Mallorca in Spain, Piraeus in Greece, Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, and Toulon in France. There, they held briefings for ship operators, local businesses, and port authorities about the role of the NATO Shipping Centre, as well as NATO’s ongoing maritime vigilance operations — Baltic Sentry in the Baltic Sea and Operation Sea Guardian in the Mediterranean.

The teams also discussed key NATO doctrines, including the Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) and the Allied Worldwide Navigational Information System (AWNIS), both of which serve as vital frameworks for military–civil coordination during crises or conflicts.

A total of 16 Allied nations are participating in Dynamic Master 25: Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom.

By Tamilla Hasanova