Maritime security company MAST has chosen its side ten days before the British referendum and said the UK has to stay within the European Union (EU).
Putting the referendum into a security perspective, MAST’s chief operating officer Gerry Northwood said a Brexit would make both the UK and Europe more vulnerable to terrorist and criminal activity.
“Britain’s security is inextricably bound with Europe and where national security is concerned has never acted alone. It is important to recognise that the EU, despite its obvious weaknesses, plays a significant role in underpinning the security of its member states,” Northwood said.
MAST highlighted the role of the UK in counteracting piracy in the Indian Ocean as the most successful mission for the EU to date.
Northwood added: “It also exposed the level to which the EU needed to leverage individual member state expertise.
“In this case, it was mainly UK expertise and influence which made the operational and legal framework possible.”
EU member states are collaborating in operations which involve piracy threats or – more recently – the migrant flow from the east.
