The US Navy is canceling its biennial International Seapower Symposium due to “unavailable funding,” the service confirmed to USNI News Thursday. The chief of naval operations has hosted the heads of more than a hundred navies every other year at the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, for the three-day long symposium since 1969. Following the conference, the Naval War College publishes the proceedings.
“The purpose of the International Seapower Symposium is to provide a forum for senior international naval leaders to discuss common maritime challenges and opportunities to enhance international maritime security cooperation,” reads a description of ISS on the Naval War College’s website. According to the Navy, the service did not have the $1.8 million to host the conference.
“Due to unavailable funding the Navy is canceling the 26th International Seapower Symposium scheduled for October 2025,” reads a statement from Navy spokesperson Commander Tim Hawkins to USNI News.
“We remain fully committed to strengthening maritime alliances and partnerships in defending freedom, preserving economic prosperity and keeping the seas free and open.”
The naval conference was delayed in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic with the symposium in 2021. The last ISS was in 2023 and cost about $1.5 million, according to the service. Russian and Chinese violations of the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention was a major topic on the sidelines of the 2023 event, which USNI News attended.
Canceling ISS comes as the Office of the Secretary of Defense has pulled back from conferences and symposia as part of an overall DoD guidance to stop non-essential travel.
Source: USNI
