BATTLESPACE Updates

   +44 (0)77689 54766
   

EXHIBITIONS AND CONFERENCES

by

 

Sponsored by Clarion Events

 

https://www.dsei.co.uk

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

10 May 24. New Space for All projects to inspire young people.

The UK Space Agency will fund 15 projects across the UK designed to engage and inspire the next generation into STEM careers.

The UK Space Agency has awarded funding to 15 projects across the UK designed to engage young people from all backgrounds and inspire the next generation into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers.

The Agency’s Space for All fund aims to inspire young people to pursue STEM education and attract talent to the UK space sector.

Just over a £1m will go to programmes in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Space for All is part of the UK Space Agency’s £12 million Inspiration programme which delivers multiple long-lasting interventions and opportunities across the UK, engaging with parents, teachers, club leaders, and role models, as well as young people themselves.

Professor Anu Ojha, Director of Championing Space at the UK Space Agency, said:

As part of the UK Space Agency’s long-term investment in space education and skills, our Space for All funding is backing projects that will engage young people from all backgrounds across the UK. Through long lasting interventions we aim to demonstrate the value of space to everyday life and the broad range of exciting future careers available, through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) pathways and wider.

Space for All Fund for 2023–2025

Northern Ireland

Armagh Observatory and Planetarium

  • Location: Co. Armagh
  • Cosmic Explorers: Igniting STEM and Astronomy in schools
  • This schools outreach initiative aims to inspire the young minds of 11–16-year-olds in space science using innovative technology and audio-visual delivery in a portable planetarium dome, hands-on workshops, STEM careers advice and teacher training provision. The programme will be co-created with teachers and aligned with the curriculum.
  • Funding: £66,000

Scotland

Glasgow Science Centre

  • Location: Glasgow
  • Space Learning Pathway
  • This project is a journey of inspiring, sustained STEM learning experiences, developed with the space industry and aligned with the curriculum.  They’ll raise awareness, across Scotland, of the benefits of space to society, equip students with skills for STEM careers and support teachers to deliver quality space education.
  • Funding: £95,000

England

Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI)

  • Location: Based in Trowbridge, Wiltshire
  • The Big Earth Data Project
  • This project is a suite of hands-on activities designed to introduce young people to the many applications of satellite data and develop skills in exploring large Earth observation datasets by becoming data scientists. Activities will focus on the engaging contexts of climate change, the effects of humans on the Earth, and emergency disaster response. Designed for Key Stage 3-4 and Key Stage 4-5 students, the activities will be free to access by anyone.
  • Funding: £75,000

Institute of Physics

  • Location: London
  • Mimi’s Space Adventure
  • Mimi’s Space Adventure is a storybook (about Mimi and her Granny on an out-of-this-world adventure), an exhibition and events programme that explores the exciting science behind going to space. Aimed at children aged 5-9, together with their families and schools, the programme will take them on an imaginative and colourful journey to meet diverse role models, learn about fascinating careers and build a new relationship with science, engineering and technology.
  • Funding: £100,000

East London Advanced Technology Training (ELATT)

  • Location: London
  • Space in the Community
  • Partners: Rich Mix cultural centre and Odd Eyes Theatre
  •  This project aims to increase awareness and interest in space, and future space careers, in underserved young people in Hackney, Tower Hamlets and East London. Using the innovative idea of a free monthly sci-fi film club at Rich Mix cultural centre, the project will use popular sci-fi films to engage young people.  It will include community projects and activities co-designed with and led by expert partners from Odd Eyes Theatre, scientists and employers in the space industry.
  • Funding: £75,000

Life Science Centre

  • Location: Newcastle-upon-Tyne
  • Space Explorers
  • Space Explorers will give 9-11- year-olds from underserved or rural schools across North East England, prolonged engagement with Life Science Centre. The project combines visits to schools with a new cutting-edge mobile planetarium, live online chats with scientists and science centre trips, including a hands-on workshop. This inspiring curriculum-linked programme aims to provide an in-depth exploration of space and the skills required to succeed in the expanding sector.
  • Funding: £97,000

University College London, Northumbria University, University of Leicester

  • Location: London, Northumbria and Leicester.
  • Orbyts: Transformational Research-with-School Partnerships
  • Orbyts creates inspirational, long-term partnerships between scientists and schools, providing students with relatable science role models while empowering them through their own original space research projects. The programme profoundly impacts science inclusivity, directly increasing post-16 space uptake by students from historically excluded groups. A previous SFA grant enabled Oybyts to launch a thriving North-East hub, this grant will expand Orbyts into a self-sustained, UK-wide initiative.
  • Funding: £99,000

Royal Observatory Greenwich (part of Royal Museums Greenwich)

  • Location: London
  • Expanding Cosmic Horizons: a new outreach programme for young people
  • This programme aims to build science capital and champion the importance of space. Royal Museums Greenwich will engage with local schools and community hubs via workshops and CPD teacher training, whilst university students will be coached in presentation skills. Participants will co-produce Cosmic Toolkits for a future UK-wide loan scheme.
  • Funding: £88,000

University of Central Lancashire

  • Location: Preston
  • Space in Schools: Careering into Space
  • The aim of this project is to respond to the space industry’s growing need for more professionals. Using dance as an educational tool, the project seeks to motivate even initially disinterested students to consider space professions. It will emphasise teacher training to enhance science education and train STEM ambassadors from the space industry to engage with pupils. This approach aims to inspire and increase awareness of space-related careers.
  • Funding: £48,000
  • Link to book for expressions of interest session to get involved https://www.uclan.ac.uk/events/listing/space-in-schools-careering-into-space

RAF Air Cadets

  • Location: Inskip, Lancashire
  • Air Cadet National Air & Space Hub – Inskip
  • This project aims to develop the National Activity Centre at Inskip into a centre of excellence for exploring Air and Space topics through STEM activities.  The project team hopes to turn their existing BTEC L2 in Space Studies into an interactive and exciting programme, to capture the imagination of the next generation of air and space-minded individuals, from all walks of life. The project team will create the learning space, ‘train the trainer’, ‘train the assessor’, and make the experiential learning element open to all Air Cadet Squadrons, nationally.
  • Funding: £44,000

The Geological Society of London

  • Location: London
  • Using planetary science & space exploration to inspire future planetary geoscientists
  • The Society is developing a sustainable strategy to better integrate planetary geoscience into their initiatives, aligning with the national curriculum and sector needs. Their approach aims to foster curiosity in planetary geoscience, promote STEM interest and aid educators. Focused on accessibility and environmental awareness, the project’s success will be measured by heightened career-path awareness, student engagement, and the creation of educational materials, such as tactile handling boxes available for loan to schools and public groups, facilitating diverse participation in space and planetary science.
  • Funding: £93,000

Launch Access Ltd

  • Location: Wymondham, Norfolk
  • ‘Launch-Me’ – educational rocketry for all
  • This project opens the exciting world of rockets and student satellites to a wider UK educational audience. It will empower educators and students alike by delivering centralised access to online expertise, advice and training as well as physical facilities and equipment. The project will give thousands of new students the chance to engage with hands-on space projects that inspire a sense of enfranchisement in their future in the space sector.
  • Funding: £55,000

SpaceCareers.uk Ltd

  • Location: Nationwide, based in London
  • SpaceCareers.uk Interactive ‘UK Space 101’ Resource
  • In response to the growing needs of the UK space sector and the diverse aspirations of individuals pursuing space-related careers, SpaceCareers.uk aims to enhance the existing website for multiple target groups. This project will take onboard the needs of users and learn from other sectors to initially create an interactive ‘UK Space 101’ resource. Serving as an introduction to the sector for young people and the general public, the resource will explore the breadth of applications within the sector, the benefits they provide and the variety of careers that accompany them to inspire and attract talent for the UK space sector.
  • Funding: £58,000

Wales

Techniquest

  • Location: Cardiff
  • Space in the Community
  • Techniquest’s mission is to embed science in Welsh culture through interactive engagement. Through immersive experiences on-site, and through their community outreach, they aim to play a pivotal role in encouraging young people in Wales to enter science and technology careers. This new project will take the wonders of space to families, children and young people across South Wales, targeting areas of high deprivation and playing a key role in developing science capital.
  • Funding: £66,000

Aerospace Wales Forum Ltd

  • Location: Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan
  • Gofod am Cymru (Space in Wales): Promoting Wales’ Space Industry
  • Partners: Space Wales, Science Made Simple, Thompson STEM Engagement, 4wardFutures and Cardiff University.
  • Gofod am Cymru is an educational project aimed at fostering space awareness and promoting the space sector within Wales. The project will develop educational and careers resources aligned with the new Curriculum for Wales. These resources will be available in both English and Welsh, emphasising not only that Wales has a thriving space sector but also raising awareness of the diverse career opportunities available to enthuse and inspire the next generation.
  • Funding: £92,000

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

 

09 May 24. Senior Leaders Discuss Future of Special Warfare at Annual Convention. U.S. and allied country senior leaders discussed the roles that technology, relationships and additional topics play in developing special warfare teams for the future during a panel discussion Wednesday at the Special Operations Forces 2024 convention in Tampa, Florida.

The first half of the hourlong panel focused primarily on how special operations forces, or SOF, will not only adapt to modern military technology becoming more powerful, less expensive, and more globally available to both allies and adversaries around the world, but also how SOF will be able to best incorporate some of those technologies into future battle spaces.

“We have to think about how we evolve … and think about our legacy systems and platforms that served us very well in a certain operating environment that may or may not have utility going forward,” said Rear Adm. Keith Davids, commander of U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command.

Explaining how examples from Ukraine, the Black Sea and the Middle East demonstrate how small, technologically agile teams can challenge larger conventional forces, Davids said that technologies such as human-machine teaming enable SOF to mass effects without massing forces, creating asymmetric advantages.

On the topic of artificial intelligence, Davids said he believes it can enhance the ‘OODA loop’ (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act), particularly in the “decide” phase, thus enabling SOF to operate faster than our adversaries.

“I think decision advantage could be decisive going forward,” he said.

Another speaker on the panel explained that, while technology is no doubt going to continue developing in the future, the focus should be more on the people who are using it.

“Humans are more important than hardware, and that’s not something that’s going to change in the future,” said Command Sgt. Maj. JoAnn Naumann, senior enlisted leader for U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

Naumann added that, beginning with the small scale and then working to the large, it’s important to look at what availabilities are needed on a team.

“Because, while I don’t believe that technology itself will win or lose, I do believe that the people who best apply technology will win or lose.”

Along those lines, guest speaker Maj. Gen. Claudiu Dobocan, commander of Romania’s special operations forces command, said that despite his organization’s SOF technical innovation being in its infancy — the command was only recently established in 2018 — his personnel are still able to contribute to their country’s other combat forces by testing out new equipment such as night vision goggles, radios and new types of body armor.

“We’re kind of the test bed that permeates into the force; so, we’re proud of that,” he said.

Topics during the second half of the panel focused on the power of relationships and partnerships in the SOF community, as well as risk management.

Regarding the importance of maintaining good partnerships, Davids said that, in the era of strategic competition, the significance of partnerships has never been greater; especially during Phase Zero (an era of relative peace) when the military’s goal is deterrence.

” we think about the traditional partnerships we’ve had in the context of counterterrorism, they’ve been terrific,” he added.

Responding to the question about risk-taking, Naumann brought up the topic of sharing information.

“We can’t have our own silos of excellence. We have got to be able to partner seamlessly,” she said, adding that such sharing should be both internal with the joint force as well as with our foreign partners.

“That partnership has to be seamless. We have to be able to communicate … and we have to share until it hurts, because it is the only way we will win.”

Jointly sponsored by Socom and the Global SOF Foundation, SOF Week — which runs through May 10 — is an annual conference for the international SOF community to learn, connect and honor its members, according to the event’s official website.

The highlights of this year’s event include several keynote speakers, professional development seminars, industry engagements and a live capabilities demonstration. (Source: U.S. DoD)

 

09 May 24. Pioneers of Tomorrow invited to explore the world of aerospace at Farnborough International Airshow. The next generation of leaders are invited to experience the world of aerospace, engineering and STEM at Farnborough International Airshow’s Pioneers of Tomorrow, a dedicated day to inspire, engage and recruit the industry’s future workforce.

Organised in collaboration between Farnborough International and ADS, and as part of the world-famous Farnborough International Airshow, the event will take place on Friday 26 July 2024 and will provide industry exhibitors an unrivalled opportunity to engage with and inspire future aerospace recruits.

With a global skills shortage across the industry, the UK aerospace industry is focused on positioning itself as an attractive and viable career opportunity for the future workforce. Aimed at school children aged 11+ to school leavers, graduates and career movers, Pioneers of Tomorrow will introduce the next generation of leaders, innovators, and pioneers to employers, providing valuable insight into the wealth of career opportunities available throughout the global industries the airshow represents.

Free for under 21s, students and apprentices, attendees will be able to immerse themselves in a vast range of on-site Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) focused activities, as well as watch the full flying display, explore the comprehensive static aircraft display and speak to leading industry organisations directly.

Developed with young adults, parents and guardians, and lovers of all things aerospace in mind, Pioneers of Tomorrow will offer a meaningful understanding of what careers across the aerospace industry promise; the skills required, and the value that studying STEM subjects delivers. A dedicated Careers Hub will feature within the airshow exhibition, providing a platform for students, graduates and young professionals to access one-on-one specialist advice, topical seminars, and a live jobs board.

Pioneers of Tomorrow is supported by ADS Group, Rushmoor Borough Council, The Future Business Ltd, National Career Service and Royal Aeronautical Society.

Tickets:

Under 21s, full-time students and apprentices go free. General adult tickets are £36 per person.

For more information on the opportunities available for aspiring aerospace professionals, how to register for passes and how to get involved, please visit https://www.farnboroughairshow.com/pioneers-of-tomorrow/

 

08 May 24. ILA’s unique stage program features information and entertainment with a focus on innovation, new technology and sustainability.

  • A packed program of events on four stages
  • Leading figures from politics, business and research in interviews
  • Zero-emissions flight, efficient air defence, New Space – a wide range of topics at ILA

Among the many aerospace exhibitions ILA is unique – not least because of its comprehensive and well-informed program of stage events. No other trade fair features so many topics, leading minds and such a wide range of content. From 5 to 9 June daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. four parallel stages will have all the latest on innovation, new technology and sustainability, with each stage providing a special focus.

On the ILA Aviation Future Lab stage one of the key topics will be how to achieve zero-emissions flight by 2050. The Future Lab is co-organized by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI). This is where to experience the green future of aviation, with topics including SAFs, alternative power sources such as hydrogen and batteries, optimized manufacturing using lightweight designs, and new materials and aerodynamics for minimizing CO2 emissions.

In the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) segment the focus will be on mobility in the third dimension. Transportation of urgent medical supplies, drone-assisted wind turbine maintenance and the use of drones for human rescue operations – UAF and eVTOL applications are opening up new possibilities in aviation. On the AAM STAGE experts representing companies, startups, science and research will be showing what Advanced Air Mobility has to offer.

On the ILA Defence Stage Forum Air representatives of politics, science, industry and the armed forces will discuss current military aviation topics. Taking as their slogan ‘Air power worldwide – Global Perspective / Regional Focus’, the German Bundeswehr and industry will be highlighting the necessity of an air force that defends peace, freedom and security not only at home but around the world and – considering the growing importance of outer space – even beyond. The ILA Defence Stage Forum Air features three separate topics on each day of the show: Central Europe, the Indo-Pacific and Global Perspective. The wide range of topics will cover air defence, drones, electronic warfare, logistics, exercises in the Indo-Pacific, future technologies, AI, space and sustainability.

The focus will also be on international cooperation, for example on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), the European industry’s flagship defence policy project. In addition to developing a next-generation combat aircraft, the FCAS project also includes UAFs and an Air Combat Cloud. At the same time the stage program will look beyond European horizons, with high-ranking military members from the Asian-Pacific region expected to attend. Inspector of the Air Force Ingo Gerhartz, Deputy Inspector of the Air Force Lutz Kohlhaus, Deputy Inspector of Cyber and Information Space of the German Army Jürgen Setzer, BDLI President and CEO Airbus Defence and Space Dr. Michael Schöllhorn, and Deputy Director General of the European Defence Agency Andre Denk have also announced their attendance at the event.

One of the highlights at ILA is the Space Pavilion, which jointly features the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), the European Space Agency (ESA), the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the German aerospace companies in the BDLI, and where the focus will be on how space missions benefit humanity. Data from space ensures comprehensive observation of climate activity and the weather conditions on our planet. Satellites enable the rapid exchange of large data volumes, supporting the digital transformation in the industry. Space missions also contribute decisively to crisis prevention and disaster management. The growing importance of New Space, the emergent commercialization of space flight, will also be a topic of the stage events. Not least, real-life astronauts will be on hand and talking to the public about their fascinating work. Among the speakers will be ESA Director General Dr. Josef Aschbacher, Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy Dr. Anna Christmann, ESA Director of Earth Observation Simonetta Cheli, and DLR CEO Prof. Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla.

On the weekend of ILA the stage program will focus on the general public. Be it the Science Slam on the Future Lab stage, the DLR space quiz or a workshop with the spaceship simulator – at ILA 2024 visitors can get a first-hand experience of the fascination of aerospace.

ILA Berlin is open to trade visitors from 5 to 7 June and to the general public on the weekend of 8 and 9 June from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are available online only at: https://www.ila-berlin.de/de/tickets

 

07 May 24. Space sustainability conference kicks off with £1.8m for tech innovation. £1.8m from the UK Space Agency will boost British organisations with promising technologies to support space capabilities. New funding from the UK Space Agency is backing technologies to help satellites measure our changing shorelines, estimate levels of biomass, predict weather forecasting, and manufacture medicines in space.

The £1.8 m injection, divided across nine individual projects, rounds off the final phase of the Agency’s Enabling Technologies Programme (ETP), designed to give a boost to British organisations with promising technologies to support the delivery of new space capabilities.

The funding is being announced on the opening day of the UK’s first In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (IOSM) conference on the Harwell Science Campus.

IOSM is a crucial emerging technology that supports space sustainability by enabling spacecraft to be repaired and adjusted during flight. It also opens new possibilities for building products that we need on Earth, such as semiconductors, much more efficiently in the microgravity environment.

Andrew Griffith MP, Minister for Space at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, said: “From more accurate weather forecasts to manufacturing medicines on a bigger scale, ambitious UK space teams from Strathclyde to Surrey are developing pioneering solutions in space to enhance our life on earth. This £1.8m government fund will grow our economy through new innovation while helping to keep space sustainable and deliver more key discoveries for many years to come.”

The IOSM conference is an opportunity for the UK sector to showcase initiatives that are making space activity more sustainable. The UK Space Agency will launch a new package of IOSM initiatives, including a funding call for the next phase of the UK’s national Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission, to derisk technologies developed in two mission studies led by Astroscale and ClearSpace.

The UK Space Agency is also backing new research studies on the size and health of the IOSM market and the UK’s current capabilities, and has awarded the University of Southampton a project to assess the potential impact of satellites burning up in Earth’s atmosphere, known as ablation. This follows the recent announcement of a £2 m upgrade to the Satellite Applications Catapult’s IOSM facility in Westcott, to support British companies with testing and demonstration of new innovations.

Enabling Technologies Programme (ETP)

The ETP projects announced today include work by the University of Derby to develop a material bonding method for use in the space environment, which could help assemble large space structures in orbit, and one by Messium to enhance algorithms and imagery required to estimate quantities of above ground organic matter, with a particular focus on wheat.

Another by the University of Northumbria in Newcastle will develop a personalised tourniquet system for astronaut blood flow exercises, while Frontier Space Technologies will take the next step in creating its SpaceLab, a miniature “lab in a box” capable of manufacturing high-value pharmaceuticals and science materials.

Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “From using satellite observations to gain a clearer picture of the way our planet is changing, to using the in-orbit environment itself to develop vital tech products more efficiently, space is central to how we can plan for a safer and more sustainable future on Earth.  For almost two years, our Enabling Technologies Programme has been empowering scientists and engineers in universities, companies and research institutes to advance the technologies of tomorrow, demonstrating the UK Space Agency’s commitment to harnessing the power of space to improve life for everybody.”

Launched in September 2022 in partnership with the UKRI Science and Technology Facilities Council, the £8.6 m programme has already supported 41 emerging and disruptive technologies that will drive growth in the UK space sector.

The Enabling Technologies Programme has now been incorporated into the National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP) and will be delivered as NSIP Kick Starter.

The projects

ARGANS (£250,000) – Global shorelines capability

An Earth observation satellite applications project, aiming to map global coastline trends, especially for regions of the world with limited geospatial information, enabling generation of accurate shorelines. Potential uses include climate change monitoring and coastal management planning.

University of Derby (£150,000) – ASTRIA computational study for manufacturing, assembly and materials

Application and development of a material bonding method (transient liquid phase diffusion bonding) in a space environment, which can be applied to concepts such as assembly of large space structures or vehicle re-entry.

Messium (£120,000) – Wheat biomass estimator

An Earth observation satellite applications project using research driven algorithms and hyperspectral imagery to estimate above ground biomass in a remote, cost-effective and scalable way.

Ultima Forma Ltd (£120,000) – Electroformed modular Q-band waveguide assemblies

In collaboration with Airbus Defence and Space, developing modular waveguides in Q&V-band by electroforming. Waveguides are key technologies in communications, directing energy in a particular direction. Electroforming involves “growing” metal via electrolytic transfer of ions, potentially delivering a cost-effective manufacture and development technique.

ICL (£250,000) – Space applications of nitrogen vacancy-in-diamond magnetometer

In partnership with University of Warwick, development of magnetometers using nitrogen vacancy centre in diamond, potentially offering a competitive alternative to traditional fluxgate sensors. Magnetometers are devices used to measure the magnetic field, with applications ranging from planetary science missions to weather forecasting here on Earth.

Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey (£250,000) – Enabling ultra-low orbits: air breathing electric propulsion spacecraft

Development of a spacecraft platform capable of flying in extremely low altitude orbits, advancing the air breathing electric propulsion concept through propulsion testing, orbital mechanics simulation and aerodynamic analysis for use in Earth observation, telecommunications, and climate monitoring.

University of Northumbria at Newcastle (£140,000) – Personalised tourniquet system for spaceflight technology

Development of a personalised tourniquet system for spaceflight, a critical enabling technology for human spaceflight in low Earth orbit and beyond to perform a blood flow restriction exercise countermeasure in space.

University of Strathclyde (£250,000) – Tuneable radiation-resilient (AlGa)2O3 UVC photodetectors

Development and demonstration of suitability for space of a new type of semiconductor, providing an alternative to current Silicon-based UVC photodetectors.

Frontier Space Technologies Ltd (£250,000) – Fluidic, electrical connectivity, and biocompatibility upgrade studies for the SpaceLab microgravity laboratory

Development of the fluid transfer and biological material property testing of SpaceLab, a miniaturised, autonomous lab-in-a-box designed for in-orbit manufacturing of high-value products. Applications include pharmaceuticals, biosciences and material science.

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

 

07 May 24. ‘Power of Partnerships’ Is Focus of Special Operations Forces Convention. Senior leadership from U.S Special Operations Command today emphasized the significant role that partnership plays in accomplishing the mission of special operations forces during keynote remarks at the start of Special Operations Forces Week 2024 in Tampa, Florida.

While delivering a joint speech to roughly 3,000 convention attendees, Army Gen. Bryan P. Fenton and Army Command Sgt. Maj. Shane W. Shorter — Socom’s commander and senior enlisted leader, respectively — spoke about how global challenges require international SOF solutions.

“We often speak about the power of partnerships, and we want to double down on that today because this conference is the manifestation of the power of partnerships,” Fenton said.

Framing SOF Week as “a collision of differing perspectives crucial to solving intractable problems that our nations depend on special operations to solve,” Fenton and Shorter spent the early part of their remarks recapping Socom’s three priorities: people, win, and transform.

“People are our number one enterprise priority, and they are our comparative and competitive advantage,” Fenton said.

“And that team includes our partners — whether in our many courses in Joint Special Operations University or the 28 nations right in our headquarters, as well as the numerous SOF relationships we have around the globe.”

This year’s convention has 20,000 registrants attending from 75 countries.

As to the priority to win, Fenton said the global SOF team wins “today and tomorrow, through our people providing options for decision-makers and dilemmas to our adversaries.”

He added that the SOF community’s three missions of strategic competition, crisis response and counterterrorism are accomplished through the power of partnership.

Regarding the priority of transformation, Shorter credited Socom’s partnerships with academia, industry and the entire international SOF team with keeping Socom “at the cutting edge.”

“And, of course, there is tech,” he added. “Seabed to space, cyber to fiber, your Socom team — fueled by the power of partnerships — is all about people.”

While providing an overview of the current geopolitical landscape as viewed through the eyes of Socom, Fenton credited the international SOF community with helping form such an assessment.

“We see and sense more because of our partners,” he said. “And what I outline is a shared-sight picture.”

In laying out that picture, the two leaders made mention of global adversaries working to degrade the very partnerships that Fenton and Shorter spent much of their keynote remarks lauding.

“Our adversaries seek to divide and weaken the power of these partnerships, and to challenge us even more with their hardware and tactics,” Fenton said.

Additionally, Shorter said, the U.S. and its allies are seeing the character of war rapidly changing — with uncrewed robotics, ubiquitous surveillance tools, and artificial intelligence all working in concert to create a set of “wicked problems” that “defy simple solutions, require ongoing management, and have far-reaching global consequences.”

Spotlight: Artificial Intelligence

Despite such challenges, Fenton said Socom is rising to the occasion by “delivering asymmetric and asynchronous advantage and opportunities for our nation, across the globe, alongside our allies and our partners providing dilemmas and challenges for our adversaries.”

Prior to segueing into a question-and-answer session, the two senior leaders rounded out their prepared remarks by reemphasizing Socom’s commitment to robust partnerships.

“The foundation for Socom’s missions is our partnerships — forged by generational relationships and grounded in trust,” Fenton said.

Jointly sponsored by Socom and the Global SOF Foundation, SOF Week — which runs through May 10 — is “an annual conference for the international SOF community to learn, connect and honor its members,” according to the event’s official website.

The highlights of this year’s event include several multiple keynote speakers, professional development seminars, industry engagements and a live capabilities demonstration. (Source: U.S. DoD)

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

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.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————