With a worldwide scope, the MICA Centre is the French center of expertise dedicated to maritime security.Launched in June 2016, it promotes information exchange and cooperation in response to the threats affecting the maritime industry.

Based at Brest, the center is operated by about thirty men and women belonging to the French Navy and navies of partner countries (Spain, Belgium, Portugal).

It fulfills two missions:

• to be on duty 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, to identify and analyze situations and incidents affecting maritime navigation throughout the world’s oceans;
• to provide ships and their owners with tailor-made security information, about risk maritime areas, alerts in case of an incident, security assessments, bi-annual meetings, specific briefings, exercises, etc. It also provides direct support to the crews and shipowners in the event of a piracy alert by maintaining a direct link with the assaulted vessel, warning of ships in the vicinity, informing the relevant centers of the alert so as to coordinate an intervention and post alert feedback.