Admiral Cavo Dragone chairs his first NATO Defense College Academic Advisory Board

Rome, 4-5 December 2025 – The Chair of NATO Military Committee (CMC), Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, presided over his first NATO Defense College (NDC) Academic Advisory Board (AAB) meeting. While at the NDC, he also interacted with the students of the 147th Senior Course, on the theme: Alliance’s State of the Art, NATO Military Priorities, and Partnerships.

During the AAB, CMC conveyed that these meeting opportunities “are particularly enriching, reflecting the breadth and expertise that make the NDC such a vital institution.” He also emphasised that initiatives undertaken by the NDC “strengthen the institutional foundations that support our Alliance’s strategic depth.”

The AAB advises the Commandant on ways to enhance the NDC, and as its Chair, Admiral Cavo Dragone headed this iteration’s agenda: the Commandant’s assessment, course and curriculum updates, research updates and priorities, as well as engagement priorities and new activities for the NDC.

Later, during his lecture, and staying in the spirit of the NDC’s participants and faculty, Admiral Cavo Dragone expressed how “the osmosis among cultures, experiences, and ideas represented in this Senior Course truly echoes the spirit of the Alliance.” He added, “above all, its underlying principle of collective defence, intrinsic to NATO since its foundation, and reflected in the Allies’ daily commitment to unbreakable unity.”

CMC’s lecture placed emphasis on three major topics, the first being the Alliance’s state of the art. He highlighted that “the Alliance is riding the tide by transforming challenges into opportunities. This is why we are working not only with public and private sector partners, but also academia and civil society to develop and adopt new technologies.” The next topic was NATO’s military priorities, and CMC used the opportunity to outline the Alliance’s approach to Deterrence and Defence, NATO’s unwavering support for Ukraine, as well as NATO’s cooperation with its Partners.

CMC concluded with the following message: “While research gives military leaders sharper thinking and the ability to adapt effectively, military leadership gives researchers real-world insight and experience on the ground. This strengthens military capability, scholarly understanding, and ultimately our shared goals.”