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22 Jan 24. Close Combat Symposium.
2-4 July 2024.
Call for Papers
Aim
The aim is to bring together the military, academia, and industry to discuss current and future developments in close combat and dismounted technologies and procedures. It will also consider current and future equipment pipelines.
D Futures Mil Cap Plans
This year’s theme
Recce Strike Capability
The Land Operating Concept (LOpC) will see the Army fight differently – the find/fires revolution and significant SDE chain shortening mean we can’t continue as-is. Fighting by recce-strike, at all levels, will seek to win at stand-off wherever possible while enabling close combat at high tempo in and from complex terrain. Data-driven, machine-powered target acquisition and decision-making support are key to that tempo with the bulk of the data analysis being done to the rear.
Format
The event is planned to be held over three days.
- Day 1 is at the Defence Academy of the UK in Shrivenham and provides insight from Army HQ and other customers on their intent for the future. This is supplemented by presentations from academia and industry.
- Day 2 takes place at Cranfield University’s COTEC range facility on Salisbury Plain. This involves live-firing demonstrations from industry as well as an opportunity for delegates to fire small arms from different manufacturers and with different optics and technologies. There is also the opportunity to showcase and demonstrate autonomous and remote technologies.
- Day 3 is back at Shrivenham and provides more technology briefs from
industry and academia.
COTEC
COTEC performs independent Test & Evaluation on munitions, weapon systems, pyrotechnic and explosive stores, and conducts disposals and demilitarisation, although its extensive range facilities are suitable for testing other materials and equipment.
Situated on the edge of Salisbury Plain at Gore Cross near to West Lavington in Wiltshire and is a centre within the Cranfield School of Defence and Security at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. Cranfield Defence and Security is the Academic Provider to the UK MoD for a wide range of Defence Engineering and Scientific courses. COTEC itself is situated in Area 9 of Salisbury Plain Training Area and has the ability to fire munitions into the impact area (Areas 15 and 16). COTEC Staff are also well equipped to support research activities conducted by colleagues and students located at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.
Sponsorship
Thank you to our Range Day Sponsor 2024 FN Herstal
There are other unique opportunities for sponsoring at various levels during this event: individual activities such as the barbeque on the range, or collectively for the whole event with generous concessions.
Call for Papers
We invite you to submit papers around this years theme Recce Strike Capability, If you wish to present a paper please submit an abstract of around 200 words or by e-mail to Leanne no later than Monday 25 March 2024. Papers should be planned to take no more than 20 minutes followed by 10 minutes for questions either individually or in plenary.
More Details
For more details on the event, including registration, please check our website or contact Leanne.
Leanne Parsons (Lawson)
Event Organiser
Cranfield Defence and Security
Shrivenham WH30, Cranfield University, Shrivenham, Swindon. SN6 8LA
E:
T: +44 (0) 1234 862625
W: www.cranfield.ac.uk
23 Jan 24. Moscow conference “exposed” South Africa to practical security strategies. South African Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise’s attendance of the recent Moscow Conference on International Security allowed her to “engage her counterparts on security issues in the context of ongoing global security challenges”.
Additionally, she told Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) public representative Russel Cebekhulu, the conference last August exposed South Africa to practical and innovative strategies used by other countries.
This was in response to him asking what “new ideas and solutions the Republic [of South Africa] has adopted” following her attendance at the Moscow conference.
The written ministerial reply reads, in part: “The Conference’s objectives were to share practical ideas and explore solutions on matters of global security. As South Africa is one of the key players on peace and security on the African continent, the conference was also an opportunity for Minister Modise to engage with her counterparts on security issues in the context of ongoing global security challenges and expose South Africa to practical and innovative strategies that are used by other countries, which include using technological advancements as force multipliers and how ongoing bilateral relations, both in the trade and the defence co-operation to address defence and security challenges that confront South Africa, the continent of Africa and the World at large”.
“During the conference South Africa reiterate (sic) and articulated its position on the need for maintenance of international peace and security as per the provisions of the United Nations (UN) Charter and per AU‘s (African Union’s) Agenda 2063 on ‘Silencing the Guns’, by condemning any violation of sovereignty and encourage through constant dialogue, mediation and diplomacy between conflicting parties as the only path to end the conflict and to work with all peace-loving nations of the world, through relevant multilateral bodies, to contribute meaningfully towards lasting peace in the world.”
Modise attended the August 2023 conference via video link. She attended the 2022 edition in Moscow in person at the invitation of Russian Minister of Defence, General Sergei Shoigu.
South Africa and Russia have enjoyed longstanding military ties, for example in 1995 signing agreements on military technical co-operation and co-operation between their respective defence ministries. South Africa has taken part in Russia’s annual Army Games from 2016 and has sent military personnel to train in Russia, including members of the SA Air Force.
In a strong signal of its willingness to engage with South Africa, the Russian Air Force in October 2019 sent two Tu-160 strategic bombers to Air Force Base Waterkloof in the type’s first visit to the continent, coinciding with the first Russia-Africa Summit, hosted in Russia.
The SANDF is getting caught up in diplomatic rows over its involvement with Russia ever since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with its decision to proceed with naval Exercise Mosi II in February 2023 between Russia, China and South Africa attracting criticism, especially as the exercise coincided with the one year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who visited Russia and Ukraine in June 2023 as part of an unsuccessful peace mission, has said that South Africa would not be drawn “into a contest between global powers” over Ukraine despite having faced “extraordinary pressure” to pick sides. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
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