Source: United States Navy
WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro’s Chief of Staff Mr. Christopher Diaz delivered remarks at the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) Maritime Economic Deterrence Executive Council (MEDEC) to discuss the importance of the initiative at Arlington, Virginia, Sept. 17, 2024.
MEDEC is the Navy’s acknowledgement of maritime economic risks and represents the department’s commitment to helping researchers identify and address problems early for the safety of Navy personnel, as well as the security of U.S. allies and partners.
The council brought together industry leaders to form breakout groups and discussions throughout the day. The findings and recommendations generated today will directly inform Secretary Del Toro to develop MEDEC’s approach to working with Navy partners throughout the government, in industry, and in the investment community.
For over 80 years, the Department of the Navy has challenged the analysts of CNA with tackling the hardest problems facing our Navy-Marine Corps team, informing national decisionmakers as they chart our nation’s course.
“MEDEC serves as the coordinating body for the organizations throughout the Department of the Navy that are focused on addressing adversarial economic activities that threaten the technologies and capabilities our Sailors and Marines rely on for their competitive advantages in the maritime domain,” said Diaz.
Secretary Del Toro announced the creation of MEDEC in New York City during a panel discussion hosted by the Aspen Institute and the Bloomberg Foundation Feb. 22, 2024.
“We have brought together experts from a wide range of disciplines from across our department, including supply chain management, technology protection and security, foreign investment review, intelligence and law enforcement, among others,” said Diaz.
MEDEC is co-chaired by Principal Military Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition), Vice Adm. Scott Pappano.
“Our adversaries are pushing the boundaries and pursuing courses of actions that go beyond leveraging their military might, to include exploitation of the investment, industry, and innovation ecosystems that serve as the engine of the economies of the United States, our allies, and our international partners,” said Pappano.
“It is critical that we get this right, for every compromise of a capability, every loss of intellectual property that is critical to the technologies we rely on, represents a material loss to investors, firms, and their employees,” said Diaz. “More importantly, loss or compromise creates serious risk for our personnel operating around the globe, and that is a risk we are unwilling to accept.”
CNA is an independent, nonprofit research and analysis organization dedicated to the safety and security of the nation. For 80 years, CNA’s scientific rigor and real-world approach to data has been indispensable to leaders facing complex problems.
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