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02 May 24. African Maritime Forces Summit, Naval Infantry Leaders Symposium-Africa underway in Ghana. Governmental and military leaders from more than 40 countries on four continents have kicked off the second annual African Maritime Forces Summit (AMFS) and third Naval Infantry Leaders Symposium-Africa (NILS-A) in Accra, Ghana.
The three-day AMFS and NILS-A, combined this year for the first time, began on 30 April under the theme “Cooperation at Sea: Safeguarding African Maritime Security”.
The summit brings together over 100 delegates as well as international partners and experts.
Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his keynote address said Ghana is committed to playing a leading role in promoting maritime security in the region. He urged delegates to take decisive actions to combat piracy and transnational crimes and enhance regional cooperation with international partners to share intelligence and best practices.
Akufo-Addo said the blue economy holds enormous potential for coastal economies, but it faces threats in all forms which undermine economic gains and threaten human lives. “This potential is, however, constantly threatened by various maritime security challenges, including piracy, illegal fishing, smuggling, and maritime terrorism. These transnational crimes do not only threaten national and regional peace and security, but they also come at a great cost to the economies of both coastal and non-coastal states.”
Akufo-Addo said it is well known that the global maritime space, particularly the Gulf of Guinea, is a key route for international trade and connects all of the major continents. The current crisis in the Red Sea, and the re-routing of maritime traffic, he said, attest to the strategic importance of the western coast of Africa.
In the face of these challenges, he said it is imperative “we foster greater cooperation and collaboration amongst Africa maritime forces. By working together and sharing intelligence, and coordinating our efforts, we can address effectively maritime security threats and safeguard our maritime domain”.
Panel discussions during the conference include Strategies for Cooperation and Models for Combined Operations, The Spectrum of Maritime Action: At Sea and In the Littorals, Assessing Maritime Security Interventions, and Countering and Prosecuting Illicit Maritime Activity (From Piracy to IUUF).
In her opening remarks, US Ambassador Virginia Palmer said that, “here in West Africa, peacebuilding and security are never far from our minds. Ghana has been fortunate, so far, in avoiding violent extremist attacks. As you know, some of Ghana’s neighbours have not been so lucky. As His Excellency the President noted at the very beginning of his State of the Nation address earlier this year, ‘West Africa is under threat of terrorism and violent extremism,’ and that countries in this region can no longer take our territorial integrity for granted.’ These are indeed times in which the work and collaboration of everyone in this room is critical.”
She lauded Ghana for its role in regional peacekeeping and its contribution to United Nations peace operations – there are some 2 600 Ghanaian military and police personnel deployed to UN peacekeeping operations in Africa and the Middle East.
“The United States works closely with Ghana and many regional partners to build the capacity of security forces on and offshore,” the Ambassador said. “That includes technical trainings at the GAF [Ghana Armed Forces] Engineering School, maritime maintenance training at Naval Base Sekondi, and naval infrastructure projects at NAVTRAC [Naval Training Command]. It also includes equipment to build the capacity of the Ghana Navy, like the two 87 foot coastal security ships bolstering maritime security capacity in the Gulf of Guinea. We also provided $6m in additional equipment to the Special Boat Squadron and projects at NAVTRAC, part of the $28m in US security assistance to Ghana last year.”
In September last year, Ghana commissioned two 27 metre long Marine Protector class patrol vessels GNS Half Assini (P44) and GNS Aflao (P45) as well as two 12 metre Defender class Safe Boats 38 patrol boats provided by the United States.
“Our security cooperation, however, goes far beyond equipment,” Palmer continued. “It’s about building a long-term partnership, learning from each other, sharing best practices, and training together. Next month, Ghana will host and participate in multiple international military training exercises: Obangame Express, African Lion, and Flintlock.”
Palmer said this week is dedicated to African maritime security and cooperation, which are key elements of regional security. The summit comes at a critical time, she told delegates, as “our seas – especially the Gulf of Guinea – are bridges that connect us, and serve as channels for trade and shared prosperity. These waters, however, are also frontlines in our joint efforts to combat piracy, illegal fishing, and illicit trafficking — challenges that no single nation can effectively face alone. Our discussions and subsequent actions must lead to effective countering and prosecution of these activities.
“Our collaboration here in Accra is an opportunity to strengthen the ties that bind us across oceans and to reinforce our collective resolve to face maritime threats head-on,” she concluded.
US Naval Forces Africa hosted the inaugural AMFS in Cabo Verde in March 2023, while this is the third iteration of US Marine Corps Forces Africa (MARFORAF)’s NILS-A event.
“As host nation and a frequent participant in regional exercises and operations, Ghana’s Navy appreciates the importance of maritime collaboration. Through exercises like Obangame Express and Sea Lion, facilitating port visits from partner and ally nations, and bilateral and multilateral patrols in the Gulf of Guinea, the Ghana Navy has intimate knowledge of the exact subject material that AMFS/NILS-A covers,” the US Navy said.
“AMFS/NILS-A demonstrates how much solidarity the international community has in ensuring security and stability in our region. We are honored to host this critical initiative in 2024 as we take a leading role in ensuring freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce throughout the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa,” said Rear Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu, Chief of the Naval Staff of the Ghana Navy.
The African Maritime Forces Summit and Naval Infantry Leaders Symposium-Africa comes about one week prior to the kickoff of Exercise Obangame Express 2024. The multinational maritime coordination centre in Accra and various facilities in and around Takoradi will serve as hubs for Obangame Express exercise serials. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
02 May 24. Call for Industry Support to DSF Collaborative Working Groups.
TD-Info Industry Members. Under the Defence Suppliers’ Forum (DSF) Capability Management, International & Innovation (CMII) – Innovation workstream, co-chaired by Anita Friend and myself, we have identified an opportunity to collaborate (MoD-Industry) on the direction of un-crewed systems technology development in the UK, which is about putting good ideas into practice for military advantage i.e. not just demonstrating good ideas.
The collaboration begins at the Problem Setting & Curation stage i.e. before requirements are set. At this stage, the commercialisation of potential solutions to problems must be considered, and there are 2 DSF Objectives (copied below) that the Innovation workstream will be addressing through the collaborative effort: one objective relates to Exportability, and the other relates to Intellectual Property Rights.
We will address these objectives through 2 pilot projects, one tackling Idea to Impact, and the other tackling Innovation in the Supply Chain, and both are linked. There are links to other MoD programmes (such as Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme, Integration Design Authority, Defence Design, UxS Strategy etc) so we are aiming to ensure those dots are connected.
To start the collaboration a joint working group needs to be established. In addition to addressing the DSF objectives the working groups will be shaping the downstream programme. As that shaping is to be done collaboratively, the level of effort is not exactly defined now but might involve 5-6 working groups over a 3-4 month period, as a first estimation.
The MoD points of contact for each project are Glenn Richardson (Idea to Impact) and Mark Darvill (Supply Chain Innovation). We are seeking industry representatives to join the working groups. For the Idea to Impact working group, industry representatives should have experience or knowledge of one or more of: un-crewed systems, supporting technologies, exports or intellectual property rights. Candidates should also have the support of their company to support the working group activities, which are otherwise unfunded. The working groups are collaborative and not a sales opportunity.
An exploratory working group will take place on Thursday 2nd May at 1300 over MS Teams. If you would like to be involved in either of the working groups, please send an email to
DSF CMII – Innovation objectives
- By 2025, use the Collaborative Capability Development approach to embed consideration of exportability during problem setting and capability analysis, and use to assess solutions throughout approvals, acquisition and through-life support life-cycles
- By 2025, use the Collaborative Capability Development approach to embed consideration of contribution to UK S&T Superpower status during problem setting and capability analysis, and use to assess generation and protection of IPR in solutions throughout approvals, acquisition and through-life support life-cycles
Neil Skelland
01 May 24. Finalists Brief Ideas to DoD Senior Leaders for Talent Management Innovation Challenge.
Launched in August 2023, the Department of Defense (DoD) 2040 Task Force (D2T) innovation challenge solicited ideas that elevate talent management with special consideration to recruiting, retaining, and promoting a diverse workforce. The challenge allows the DoD an opportunity to hear directly from Service members and civilians closest to the pain points and gain insights from their ingenuity, promising ideas, or innovative solutions to talent management challenges.
Over 200 innovative ideas poured in from each of the Services at all levels and globally. A team of subject matter experts reviewed and ranked the ideas to determine which should move on to the semi-final round.
Thirty-three ideas got the bid to move to the semi-final round, where their teams gave elevator-pitch-style presentations to a panel of Office of the Secretary of Defense subject matter experts and senior leaders.
Nine ideas were selected as finalists and winners. Ideas ran the gamut of the talent management space from equitable talent management using Artificial Intelligence, spousal support programs, upscaling workforce needs through 3rd party vendors, and competency development through gaming. On April 24th, finalist teams presented their innovative ideas in front of the Honorable Ashish Vazirani, performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and Ronald Keohane, assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs and other DoD Senior Executives.
“The Innovation Challenge contestants’ creativity, passion, and dedication to the Department and our nation are an important part of our combined efforts to carry out the National Defense Strategy and Secretary Austin’s priorities for the Department – defending our nation, taking care of our people, and succeeding through teamwork,” said Ashish S. Vazirani, performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. “The Department’s greatest strength is our people, and efforts like this challenge will help us develop cultures where staff feel comfortable bringing forward solutions to the Department’s talent management pain points.”
Presenting in the final round is a “win” in itself, but the finalists and their ideas have also been matched with policy offices to further explore, support, and develop their ideas.
“These creative ideas don’t end today, the challenge ends, but the pathway continues,” said Ronald Keohane, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. “The longevity of the programs is what is really going to make the difference. The Department has various pathways for these ideas to become successful, and I’m excited to see what that will look like.”
Although only a handful of ideas made it to the end of the challenge, each idea submitted helped leadership understand talent management challenges and pain points, and each idea is the result of the energy and creativity of the dynamic people of the Department. DoD plans to use all the ideas submitted to better focus future talent management work across the Department in some capacity.
With this challenge and future ones, DoD is focused on driving real change in its approaches to talent management practices. The ideas shared by our talented total force are the first step to making a ripple across DoD and the Defense community. (Source: U.S. DoD)
26 Apr 24. Introduction to Defence Procurement
Wednesday 8th May – Book your ticket now.
With the Prime Minister committing to a substantial increase in the UK’s defence spending over the coming years, this is the ideal time to consider the MOD as a potential customer for your organisation. The MOD buys virtually every product and service imaginable, but how do you navigate the procurement processes to become one of its suppliers?
Our PASS online course, Introduction to Defence Procurement, is designed to help businesses achieve a successful win rate and guide you through the defence procurement process.
This one-day online course will cover:
- Overview of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011
- Review of when and where this legislation applies
- The proposed changes to the Regulations and what this means for defence suppliers
- How the MOD procurement process works
- What MOD buyers look for in their supply chain
- Insights to increase your win rate
Led by an expert PASS consultant with experience in the defence sector, this course will ensure you are fit to supply to defence.
Book your ticket now: https://www.passprocurement.co.uk/event/introduction-to-defence-procurement/
We look forward to seeing you.
The PASS Procurement Team
30 Apr 24. SAE Media Group is delighted to announce the 2nd annual Counter UAS Homeland Security Europe Conference taking place on 9-10 September 2024, in London, UK.
With the prevalent threat of UAS activity over critical infrastructure (CI) and locations, their use in urban warfare scenarios and the need for adaption of C-UAS technology to remain relevant over time, it is important to bring together the C-UAS and Homeland Security communities to discuss how best to adapt to protect the European homeland from UAS threats and threat actors.
Drawing on knowledge gained from leading Homeland Security experts from key UK, European and International security organisations, governments, military, police and industry, this conference will showcase the very latest technology in the market to ensure that civilians, domestic infrastructure, borders and all aspects of homeland security are protected from the criminal use of drones.
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Aaron Bassett
Stable Operations Lead, Gatwick Airport
Andy Harding
Strategic Manager for Less Lethal Weapons and Counter Drones, NPCC
Brooke Tapsall
CEO, DroneAlert
Chief Constable Simon Chesterman OBE QPMChief Constable of Civil Nuclear Constabulary, and NPCC National Armed Policing Portfolio Lead,
Chief Inspector Simon Bachelor
Counter Drones, Legislation and Policy Lead, Home Office Counter Drones Unit, NPCC
Christopher Church
Senior Forensics Specialist, INTERPOL
G.B. Jones
Chief Safety and Security Officer, FIFA
Group Captain Gary Darby
Head UK Joint C-UAS Office, UK Ministry of Defence
Major Arnaud Gerard
Head Air Transport Gendarmerie for the Aeronautical Office, French Gendarmerie
Paul Hansen
Project Manager, Unit E4 Transport and Border Security, JRC, European Commission
Rene Thaens
Head of the Electronic Warfare and Surveillance Branch within JISR Centre, NCI NATO
Sean Bittick
C-UAS and Capability Development Officer, NATO
Shaun Hipgrave
Director, Prepare and Protect, CBRNE & Science Directorate, Home Office
Counter UAS Homeland Security Europe 2024 will facilitate fruitful discussions on C-UAS priorities, challenges and solutions in its entirety, offering a truly holistic agenda with presentations seeking to assist in countering the UAS threat to strengthen national security.
This conference will be a catalyst to furthering these internationally important topics, promoting dedicated discussions, networking and passing knowledge to enhance the approach, analysis, and solutions to address nefarious UAS activity in the European Homeland.
Benefits of attending
- Hear the latest C-UAS updates from UK, European and International Senior Leadership and Programme Managers
- Engage and network with senior programme leaders and solution providers developing and integrating cutting-edge C-UAS technologies
- A varied and specific range of topics including a unique emphasis on C-UAS strategies to protect critical infrastructure and strengthen national security
- Meet industry solution providers to discover how to leverage their C-UAS platforms
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DSEI 2025 – POWERING PROGRESS, DEFINING YOUR FUTURE
DSEI connects governments, national armed forces, industry thought leaders and the entire defence & security supply chain on a global scale. With a range of valuable opportunities for networking, a platform for business, access to relevant content & live-action demonstrations, the DSEI community can strengthen relationships, share knowledge and engage in the latest capabilities across the exhibition’s Aerospace, Land, Naval, Security & Joint Zones.
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