21 Jan 21. DSEI VIP Cyber panel – Submit a question. The Clarion Defence and Security team is kicking off 2021 with a Defence Leaders panel on Cyber Defence in a Fully Networked Force. DSEI Defence Leaders draws from both national and international leading firms and government or multinational organisations to bring defence and security figureheads together and discuss key industry issues with the aim to offer exclusive high-quality content to our community.
Theme & guests:
The panel will discuss the technological advances required to achieve fully networked Multi Domain Integration, and the external challenges those developments will need to counter, taking into consideration the evolving threat landscape. Chaired by DSEI Senior Defence Advisor Air Vice-Marshal (ret’d) Gary Waterfall, the panel will include:
- Air Marshal (ret’d) Phil Osborn, Director of UDSS
- Christine Maxwell, Director Cyber Defence & Risk, Defence Digital, UK MoD
- Paddy McGuinness, Former Deputy National Security Adviser
If you wish to submit a question please email: by 12pm BST on Wednesday 27/01/2021. All questions will be considered for selection, but we cannot guarantee it will be included.
21 Jan 21. Registration Opens for Future Armoured Vehicles Central & Eastern Europe 2021.
SMi Group are delighted to announce that the Future Armoured Vehicles Central & Eastern Europe conference will return to take place as a virtual conference on 17th – 18th May 2021.
As Central and Eastern Europe’s most focused armoured vehicles meeting, attendees will hear presentations from senior military representatives from the CEE region, including the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Croatia and Slovenia, as they outline their current armoured vehicle capability requirements, moderniaion and procurement programmes.
Not only this, but delegates will also have the opportunity to hear strategies on harnessing interoperability amongst CEE nations, hear insights on the latest products and technologies from OEMs and technical experts, and network virtually with leading representatives from military and industry.
Key highlights will include:
- Hear invaluable keynote briefings from senior military officers in national modernisation programmes
- Learn about the regional focuses for adopting and integrating new capabilities
- Listen and engage with high level panel discussions from senior officers
- Network virtually with those shaping and influencing armoured vehicle programmes
Key speakers will include:
- Lieutenant General Gabor Borondi, Deputy Chief of Defence, Hungarian Defence Forces Command
- Brigadier General László Sticz, Head of Forces Planning Directorate, Hungarian Defence Forces Command
- Major General Norbert Huber, Director Armament and Procurement, Austrian Ministry of Defence
- Major General Ivo Strecha, Director Force Development Division, Czech Ministry of Defence
- Brigadier General Frank Pieper, Chief Digital Officer for Land Forces, German Army
- Colonel Mindaugas Petkevicius, Commander Mechanized Infantry Brigade “Iron Wolf”, Lithuanian Army
Learn more about Future Armoured Vehicles Central & Eastern Europe at: http://www.futurearmouredvehicles.com/armadapr1. (Source: Armada)
21 Jan 21. Bunker Labs to Host Virtual Event for Military-Connected Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners. On Thursday February 25, 2021, Bunker Labs will host its annual Muster conference, which is open to the public and will be held virtually for the first time ever.
The annual Muster is Bunker’s largest, most exciting event of the year, featuring a lineup of keynote speakers, topic-driven discussions led by entrepreneurship and business experts, a showcase of veteran and military spouse-owned businesses, and a high-energy pitch competition.
Retired United States Army four-star general John W. Nicholson and former NFL wide receiver Vincent Jackson are scheduled to deliver this year’s keynote addresses.
The virtual doors open at 11 am EST. Scheduled programming kicks off at 12 pm EST, and the event concludes with networking from 5 pm to 6 pm EST. An immersive, 3D exhibit hall featuring Veterans in Residence companies from the Bunker Labs 21A cohort program will be open throughout the event for attendees to explore and make connections.
The Virtual Muster is presented by Intuit. Entrepreneurs, business owners, investors, and anyone else interested in supporting the military-connected entrepreneurial and small business community is invited to attend. To view the full agenda and register for the 2021 Virtual Muster, visit the event page here.
About Bunker Labs:
Bunker Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a national network of veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs dedicated to helping the military-connected community start their own business. Bunker Labs is committed to seeing that every entrepreneur, including small business owners, in the military-connected community has the network, tools, and resources they need to start their own business. Learn more about Bunker Labs: www.bunkerlabs.org
(Source: PR Newswire)
21 Jan 21. Conference on Disarmament 2021 Session: UK statement. Aidan Liddle, UK Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament, statement at the Conference on Disarmament 2021 Session
Having already congratulated you on assuming the Presidency, and assured you of my delegation’s support, when I took the floor at our meeting on Tuesday morning, let me begin by thanking everyone who has been involved in putting the arrangements in place to allow us to get this 2021 session of the Conference on Disarmament underway. The limitations of this virtual format are clear, and we eagerly look forward to being to resume in-person meetings as soon as the situation allows; but it is very important that we have been able to begin our work on schedule, even in the current exceptionally trying circumstances.
Let me also add my welcome to those new colleagues joining us for the first time today; I look forward to working with them.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express my delegation’s deepest sympathies to those who have lost loved ones and suffered hardships during the Covid-19 pandemic, and our solidarity with all countries that have been affected. The pandemic only serves to underline the importance of the international community working together to resolve global challenges; that goes for this Conference too. Mr President, I would like to take this opportunity briefly to set out the priorities for my delegation for the coming year.
Our focus is clearly on the delayed Tenth Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which we hope can go ahead in August. For fifty years, the NPT has provided the framework for the extension of the benefits of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, for the minimisation of the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and for significant nuclear disarmament. At the Review Conference, we will celebrate this achievement and reaffirm our commitment to the Treaty in all its aspects.
While the NPT is the indispensable and irreplaceable framework for plotting a course to a world without nuclear weapons, it is this Conference that is charged with negotiating the instruments that will turn that aspiration into reality. Given its membership and its mandate, there is no alternative body that can do that. As such, perhaps the greatest contribution this Conference can make to the success of the Review Conference is to show that it is ready to fulfil that responsibility, notably by commencing negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty. My delegation continues to believe that there is no outstanding issue that cannot be resolved during the course of negotiations.
This Conference also has a crucial role to play in preventing an arms race in outer space. The United Kingdom was proud to be the original sponsor of UN General Assembly resolution 75/36, entitled ‘Reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours’, and we were gratified and encouraged by the very broad support for it shown by Member States. That resolution mandates the UN Secretary-General to produce a substantive report on the question as a basis for further discussions, and we encourage all members and observers of this Conference to contribute to it. The resolution also invites members and observers of this Conference to inform it of their national space security policies, strategies or doctrines, on a voluntary basis, in accordance with and in support of its mandate. We look forward to having the opportunity to do so during this session.
More broadly, Mr President, my Government will soon publish the results of its Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, which will define the long-term aims for our national security and foreign policy. We undertake to brief the Conference on the aspects of the Integrated Review that pertain to the UK’s nuclear weapons policy and to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control more generally once it is published.
Mr President, We warmly welcome the proposal you circulated already in December on behalf of the six Presidencies of this session for a package pertaining to a Programme of Work for 2021. My delegation has consistently supported the creation of Subsidiary Bodies to work towards negotiating mandates on the core issues, and consultations on issues related to the improved and effective functioning of the Conference. We also continue to support the proposal of the delegation of Australia to render the language of the Rules of Procedure gender-neutral. This is a specific, technical measure which has no bearing on wider questions of the improved and effective functioning of the Conference, and which should therefore face no impediment to swift adoption.
The events of Tuesday morning leave us under no illusions, however, that it will be easy to reach consensus even on issues which should be technical and procedural. I made my delegation’s position on the blocking of applications for observer status by Iran and Turkey clear then, and do not intend to repeat it now. I would simply express the hope that our actions for the rest of this session, beginning with the swift adoption of a Programme of Work on the basis of your proposed package, can serve to rebuild the credibility of this crucial body, recognising the importance of the problems before us and the vital interest of all states in our success.
As we mark the 75th anniversary of the first meetings of the United Nations in London this month, I would like to finish by remembering the words of a man who was present at the creation, and went on to become a legendary UN official – Sir Brian Urquhart, who sadly passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 101. He once said of the UN, “three-fourths of the time, you achieve nothing, but every once in a while, it works just enough to make it worthwhile. From day to day, one thinks it hopeless, but cumulatively, it does work”. Let us use our time this year wisely, work tirelessly, respectfully and creatively to bridge the differences that persist among us, and make our Conference work just enough to be worthwhile. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
21 Jan 21. VIRTUAL CONFERENCE. Sea Power 2021: Transforming Maritime Forces For an Age of Persistent Competition.
Thursday 25 February 2021
Time: 1230-1800
REGISTER: https://rusi.org/event/sea-power-virtual-conference-2021-transforming-maritime-forces-age-persistent-competition?utm_source=RUSI+Newsletter&utm_campaign=5ead8450b2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_09_17_04_47_COPY_05&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0c9bbb5ef0-5ead8450b2-46328213
This conference will seek to examine the ways in which naval force structures, postures and concepts of operations will need to adjust to a strategic context in which the husbanding forces for high-intensity clashes will no longer suffice.
It now verges on a truism to note that the future operating environment will be characterized by persistent competition. The distinction between peacetime and war is increasingly blurred, as nations’ strategic and operational concepts come to encompass the full spectrum of competitive measures.
This conference, taking place virtually, will draw on subject-matter experts from across the military and other uniformed services, industry, and academia to shed light on the priorities for maritime forces as they adapt to this shifting strategic and operational environment. It will attempt to shed light on how maritime forces can simultaneously deliver persistent effects in the context of limited competition, whilst still retaining the capacity to engage in limited warfighting at higher levels of intensity.
19 Jan 21. Turkey’s SAHA Expo draws attention. Turkey’s largest defense fair, organized by the Istanbul Defence and Aerospace Cluster Association, SAHA, has drawn greater attention from both domestic and foreign investors.
Launched in November last year, the world’s first-ever 3D virtual defense fair is being held through the XperEXPO application developed by Turkish technology firm BITES, an affiliate of Turkish defense giant Aselsan.
The number of firms participating in the five-month event, which will end this year on April 9, has increased to 304, with the number of visitors reaching 65,757.
The event exhibits several defense products including Akinci and TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicles and the ATAK helicopter.
The fair received the most foreign visitors from countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Malaysia, Ukraine, India, the UK, Nigeria, France and Italy.
The participants can exhibit all their products in 3D and can send unlimited and free invitations to potential customers all over the world.
It can enable the people they invite to see their three-dimensional products in their booths, examine their catalogs, watch product promotion videos and hold online meetings with them.
The SAHA Istanbul Defence and Aerospace Cluster Association plans to organize the exhibition physically at the Istanbul Expo Center from Nov. 10-13 this year. (Source: Google/https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/)
07 Jan 21. International Armoured Vehicles Conference.
January 26-February 11, 2021, Online Event, Your Computer
The World’s Premier Platform for the Armoured Vehicles Community – Now Online
The largest dedicated conference of its type, it annually brings together defence and industry leaders, with a military cohort comprising force and operational commanders, acquisition officials, requirement-setters, capability development experts and S&T architects. For the first time in 2021, the conference will be hosted online, with new dedicated sessions on amphibious vehicle capability and C4i that speak to critical priorities for the UK, US and its partners across NATO.
More information
IAVs has endured as the essential annual event for the armour community by consistently delivering world-class speakers from both the end-user community and industry partner communities, and by staying ahead of the curve with the technologies and concepts discussed over the duration of the event.
Why you should attend IAVs online
International Armoured Vehicles conference has a track record for bringing together an exceptional faculty of military and industry speakers, and for 2021 we have every confidence that the online version of the event will continue to deliver an outstanding level of content.
- It is the largest, online and international gathering of armoured mobility experts to develop and share your organisation’s capability, knowledge and project management expertise within the largest group of targeted prospective partners, anywhere in the world
- Engage with your customers and supply chains online , in order to solve common challenges and to bring forward modernisation and development agendas
- Explore the future threat environment with the community’s thought leaders, policy makers and innovators and support the community’s ability to defeat the enemy by demonstrating your armoured capability
More information
Conference Moderators
- General Sir Adrian Bradshaw, KCB, OBE, DSACEUR (Mar 2014 – Mar 2017), Conference Chairman
- Lieutenant General (Retd.) Ben Hodges, Commanding General, US Army Europe (2014-2017) & Pershing Chair CEPA, Moderator – Mobility Day
2021 Speakers and Panelists
- General Tim Radford CB DSO OBE, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO SHAPE
- Lieutenant General Chris L Tickell CBE, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, British Army
- Lieutenant General Martin H. Wijnen, Commander, Royal Netherlands Army
- Lieutenant General Sir Edward Smyth-Osbourne KCVO CBE, Commander, Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps
- Lieutenant General Eric M. Smith, Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command; Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration, United States Marine Corps
- Lieutenant General John Kolasheski, Commanding General, V Corps, US Army Forces Command
- Lieutenant General Ivan Jones CB, Commander Field Army, British Army
- Major General Karl Engelbrektson, Commander, Swedish Army
- Major General Patrick J. Donahoe, Commanding General, U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence
- Major General Pierre Gérard, Commander, Belgian Land Component
- Major General Attila Takacs, Commander, Hungarian Ground Forces
- Major General Erik Peterson, Director, Force Development, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8, US Army
- Major General Jez Bennett, Director Capability, British Army
- Major General Peter A Gallagher, Director, Network Cross-Functional Team, US Army Futures Command
- Brigadier General Richard Coffman, Director, Next Generation Combat Vehicle, U.S. Army Futures Command
- Brigadier Jon Swift, Head Ground Manoeuvre Capability, Army Headquarters
- Brigadier Anna-Lee Reilly, Head Vehicle Support Team, Defence Equipment & Support, UK MoD
- Brigadier General Dorin Toma, Acting Commander of the Operational Component and Deputy Chief of Staff, Romanian Land Forces
- Colonel Rainer Peltoniemi, Inspector of Infantry, Finnish Army
- Colonel Valentin Skroza, G-3 Armored Mechanized Brigade, Republic of Croatia Ministry of Defence
- Colonel Syd Hills, Director, Stryker Warfighter’s Forum, I Corps, U.S. Army
- Colonel Masuko, Programme Officer, ATLA, Japanese Ministry of Defence
- Colonel Klaus Nebe, Deputy Chief of Staff Support, NATO Joint Support and Enabling Command
- Colonel Antonio Llorens Perez, Logistics Command (MALE)/Acquisitions Directorate (DIAD), Spanish Armed Forces
- Colonel Simon Ridgeway, Assistant Head Plans, Ground Manoeuvre Capability, Army HQ
- Mr Michael Sprang, Project Manager, Joint Program Office Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, PEO Combat Support and Combat Service Support, US Army
- Ted Maciuba, Deputy Director of Robotics Requirements, Maneuver Capability Development Integration Directorate, U.S. Army Futures Command
- Lieutenant Colonel Chris Orlowski, Product Manager, Robotic Combat Vehicles, PEO Ground Combat Systems, US Army
- Lieutenant Colonel Francois Laroche, Director Land Requirements, Armoured Vehicle Programmes, Canadian Army
- Lieutenant Colonel (GS) Armin Dirks, Planning Division II, Land Systems Roadmap Group, German Ministry of Defence
- Major Cory Wallace, Robotic Combat Vehicle Lead, NGCV CFT, U.S. Army Futures Command
- Major Tom Scott, SO2 RM (Land), Future Capability Group, DE&S, UK MoD
- Dr William Suttie, Land Platforms Group, DSTL
- Tom Newbery, Platform Survivability Group, DSTL
- Dr. Yazid Ahmad, Director Mechanical & Aerospace Technology Division (STRIDE), Malaysian MoD
- Andrew Davis, Global Technology Advisor, US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command
- Nanda Van Der Stap, Scientist Innovator, Intelligent Imaging, TNO (Source: ASD Network)
06 Jan 21. ExCeL has announced the start of a public consultation on proposals to expand the venue with new continuous event space added to the east of the site, where the current eastern car park is off Eastern Gateway Road. The Phase 3 expansion will increase the venue’s total event space by 25%, helping ExCeL to continue to compete globally by attracting larger international events.
In addition to new event space, the proposals will offer an improved customer experience, with modern meeting rooms, a breakout space where people can relax with friends and colleagues, along with enhanced catering services.
ExCeL is encouraging local communities to have their say on the proposals, which include:
- An increase in event space to help ExCeL secure its long-term future in the area.
- Contributing to London’s and Newham’s economy by creating an additional 170 new jobs with an aim for 50% of these opportunities to be for local people. 130 new full-time jobs will be created during the construction phase of the project, including apprenticeships and training opportunities for young people, to maintain ExCeL’s commitment to create a high level of local employment. ExCeL already employs over 160 people, 34% of whom live in East London.
- Delivering a highly sustainable development, which will aim to achieve a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) rating of ‘Excellent’, creating a biodiversity net gain across the site, with additional investment in enhanced landscaping and planting.
- Creating a better local environment, improving the public realm around the site and the pedestrian and cycle routes around ExCeL and the dock-edge. The dock will have a more open and welcoming active frontage, which could include new seating, landscaping, and spaces for people to relax and socialise.
Speaking on behalf of ExCeL London, Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Rees, said, “We are delighted to be launching our first phase of consultation. A project to expand the footprint of the venue further to the east of our site has always been in our thinking. Prior to the pandemic we were attracting 4 million visitors each year, including 25% of London’s total inbound business tourists, and generating an economic impact of around £4.5bn for the London and UK economies. Whilst the demand to host world-leading events at ExCeL is increasing, the proposal to add more modern and flexible event space will create a significant advantage for London when competing against other cities around the world. This is a unique opportunity to deliver an entirely privately funded project that will create a significant impact not just for the local community and the visitor economy, but for London as a whole. We are committed to the long-term future of ExCeL, supporting the economic recovery and the continued growth of the Royal Docks and London. Our plans would support even more investment and growth locally, as well as an additional 130 new jobs during construction and 170 more once open. Our vision for the project is being shared in an online exhibition www.visionforexcel.co.uk We look forward to hearing feedback from local residents and businesses and working with the Royal Docks community over the coming months as we progress our designs.”
11 Jan 21. International participants at IDEX and NAVDEX 2021 exempt from quarantine on arrival in UAE. The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), the organiser of the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX 2021) and the Naval Defence Exhibition (NAVDEX 2021), held under the patronage of the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, from 21-25 February, has received approval from the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre for all badge holders to be exempted from the 10-day quarantine procedure on their arrival into Abu Dhabi.
This step has been taken to facilitate the arrival of international delegations from all over the world. International visitors to the UAE must present their event badge, printed on A4 paper, at any border, to be exempted from the quarantine, and they will not be required to wear tracking wristbands. Detailed protocols to facilitate the entry of delegations and support their participation, are being finalised in collaboration with relevant authorities in the UAE, and an update will be published on a later stage.
Matar Saeed Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, part of Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said: “Through our decision to exempt participants of the IDEX and NAVDEX 2021 exhibitions from the quarantine period, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi is keen to promote business activity in the emirate. We worked closely with ADNEC as a strategic partner throughout the pandemic on a number of initiatives that ensured the health of the community. Accordingly, we are confident of their ability to implement rigorous precautionary measures including the necessary PCR tests that ensure the health and safety of visitors and exhibitors attending this event.
“Participants exempt from quarantine procedures still must observe the strict guidelines in place before entering the emirate of Abu Dhabi. In doing so, they will ensure the implementation of preventative measures, safeguarding the highest standards of health and safety for all residents.”
“We will co-ordinate extensively with authorities to facilitate the entry of participants to the conference, supporting their attendance by preserving the health of those around them,” Al Nuaimi concluded.
Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company, commented: “This exemption demonstrates how IDEX and NAVDEX are leading the recovery of business activity following the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it will showcase how Abu Dhabi continues to lead as a regional capital for the business tourism sector. We maintain our support to welcome the world, once again, in spite of the ongoing global conditions caused by the pandemic.”
Al Dhaheri added: “This stride demonstrates the UAE’s and ADNEC’s robust range of flexible infrastructure and operational capabilities, capable of safely organising a global mega-event. Since the beginning of the pandemic, stringent precautionary and safety measures have been our foremost priority.
“This exemption has been enabled by the continued cooperation and support from our strategic partners and stakeholders. Such support has allowed us to continue to strengthen the position of this event, building on its success and continuing to attract a wider range of visitors and exhibitors. In attracting such a high calibre of international companies, IDEX and NAVDEX will continue to showcase the latest developments in the defence sector.”
Through the IDEX, NAVDEX, and the International Defence Conference, ADNEC aims to attract global expertise in the land, sea, and air defence industries, localising knowledge in the UAE. The 15th edition of the IDEX and NAVDEX exhibitions is a distinguished global platform which highlights the national defence sector and its infrastructure. Further, the exhibitions will showcase the latest in cutting-edge technology in these sectors, following the global innovation trends of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
A wide raft of health and safety measures have been designed and implemented across IDEX 2021, NAVDEX 2021 and the International Defence Conference, ensuring the safety of all participants. All those attending will be required to follow the social distancing measures and the wearing of face masks is being mandated across exhibition facilities, ensuring the safety of all attending the events.
18 Jan 21. 3-5 February 2021, AERO INDIA 2021, Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru. As part of the COVID-19 guidelines published by the organisers, there is the following statement: “A conscientious approach has already been put in place whilst drawing up the floor plans for the event and two Halls have been omitted and Open area display has beende-cluttered to provide adequate free-flow for participants.” (Source: Armada)
18 Jan 21. 21-25 February 2021, IDEX 2021, NAVDEX 2021, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The organiser has stated: “Registered international participants, exhibitors, media, contractors and visitors will be exempted from the current quarantine period by presenting their printed event badge on arrival to the UAE. Precautionary and preventive measures have been developed to ensure the health, wellbeing, and security of visitors and participants. Detailed protocols are being finalised in collaboration with the relevant authorities, and an update will be published soon.” (Source: Armada)