Adjunct Professor of Maritime Security and Strategy
A former surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy, attaining the rank of Captain with primary assignments aboard frigates and destroyers, in the areas of weapons systems and shipboard operations. He has extensive knowledge and experience serving on combined, joint, and fleet level staffs, and with coalition partners in Africa, Indo-Pacific, and Europe. In addition to servicing on six commands as a commanding officer, he was assigned as the Maritime and Military Advisor to the African Union while posted to the U.S. Mission to the African Union.
Recently retiring as an associate professor from the U.S. Naval War College’s (NWC) International Programs (IP) Department, he supported the development and execution of the Maritime Security and Governance Staff Course and led the Africa Maritime Security Elective. Prior to joining IP, he was assigned to NWC’s College of Naval War Studies (CNWS) as a war game director for a variety of naval, joint, and multi-national games. Over the course of his career, he has guest-lectured and authored a number of reports on coalition building; multinational cooperation; and war-game design, development, execution and final analysis. Presently, he serves on the Board of Advisors to the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Security Institute and as Adjunct Professor of Maritime Security and Strategy at National Defense University’s – Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS).
Captain Landsman holds a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College (2008), a Master of Business Administration from Providence College (1992), and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Miami University (Ohio) (1983).