In conjunction with the 2024 Maritime Symposium: Exploring Our Maritime Strategies II, guests Royal Navy Commodore Adrian Fryer (Ret.) and Mr. Evan Curt join host Col. Dave Brown and co-host Jon R. Huggins to discuss security threats to shipping, particularly energy exports sailing through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. Listen to this episode to gain an overview of the security threats within this critical maritime strait, and to global maritime commerce.

Articles:

• DIA Report on Houthi Attacks and Pressure on International Trade, USNI News, 13 June 2024
• 65 countries affected by Houthi attacks in Red Sea, including Iran, A. Helou, Breaking Defense, 13 Jun 2024
• Maritime Terrorism Is on The Rise Whether We Notice It or Not, The Diplomatic Courier, 23 May 2024
• Ending the Houthi Threat to Red Sea, N. Al-Dawsari, Casey Cooms, et al, American Enterprise Institute, 26 Mar 2024
• IntelBrief: Iran and the Houthis Issue New Threats to Commercial Shipping, The Soufan Center, 26 Mar 2024
• Escalating Houthi attacks could affect 90% of world trade, ABC News, 21 Feb 2024

Co-Host:

Jon Huggins Associate Professor for International Programs at the U.S. Naval War College. As the founding Director of the Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) program during the height of the Somali piracy crisis, his organization’s research was featured by the BBC, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Al Jazeera. OBP was also a key contributor to the release of 44 piracy hostages held in Somalia for up to four years. He later worked across four continents as a maritime security consultant for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Maritime Organization, the G7++ Presidency and the commercial shipping industry. A career Navy P-3 Naval Flight Officer, he directed multi-squadron flight operations for Operation Enduring Freedom, and also served on the NATO and EU Military Staffs in Brussels, 7th Fleet HQ, and was a Federal Executive Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and a member of the CNO Executive Panel staff.

Guests:

Evan Curt

Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs, Republic of the Marshall Islands. In 2012, Mr. Curt joined International Registries, Inc.’s Maritime Services Group as Maritime Security & Investigations Coordinator and in 2015 was promoted to Ship Security Manager. In 2021, Mr. Curt was promoted to Vice President, Maritime Security. In this role, Mr. Curt is responsible for issues relating to the ISPS Code and related maritime security issues and initiatives including piracy and armed robbery against ships, maritime terrorism, stowaways, contraband smuggling, and maritime cyber risk management. He serves as a delegate to many maritime security working groups coordinated and supported by shipping industry...