At the summit, Nato and the EU issued their first joint declaration on security cooperation, pledging to work together particularly in the fields of hybrid warfare and cyberwarfare, as well as joint maritime operations to prevent illegal migration.
At a hush-hush "joint maritime operations center" onshore, analysts pour over digital images captured by the unmanned sub and, according to a Pentagon report, recognize the welding robot "as one recently stolen and acquired by rebel antigovernment forces".
At the joint maritime operations center, signals intelligence analysts detect the mother ship launching a Russian Tipchak -- a medium-altitude, long-endurance, unmanned aircraft with "U.S.-derived systems and avionics" and outfitted with air-to-air as well as air-to-surface missiles.
The two countries also decided to hold high-level official exchanges, conduct joint maritime search-and-rescue exercises and strengthen antipiracy operations off the coast of Somalia, where pirate attacks pose a threat to shipping.
During the talks the two sides also agreed to "hold high-level official exchanges, conduct joint maritime search-and-rescue exercises and strengthen anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia," the report noted.
Meanwhile, South Korean Joong Ang Daily claims that in July China's navy commander in chief asked his South Korean counterpart to stop South Korea-U.S. joint maritime exercises in the Yellow Sea - effectively moving US operation further east.
Thailand has torn up a joint maritime oil-exploration treaty.
Under the new agreement, that coordination would expand to include joint maritime surveillance, intelligence sharing and military exercises.
India now hosts regional joint maritime exercises every two years in the Indian Ocean; in February navies from 17 countries took part.
On June 5, Japanese and Philippine media disclosed that from June 22 through the 26th Japan and the Philippines planned to hold a joint maritime drill in the South China Sea.
In a separate exercise called BALTOPS 2015, 17 NATO and partner nations are participating in joint maritime maneuvers this month in Poland, Sweden, Germany and throughout the Baltic Sea.
