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15 May 14. DVD2014 – ENABLING ARMY 2020. Next month, DVD2014 will once again bring together industry and defence in the land equipment sector at Millbrook. DE&S’ Director Land Equipment, Major General Paul Jaques, urges industry and the Forces in the land environment to use the event to understand and meet the challenges of the next decade. The end of combat operations in Afghanistan this year sees the British Army moving from delivering an enduring operation to being poised for contingent operations worldwide. This change sees a return to training to deliver high readiness forces drawn from the Army 2020 structure. Within Land Equipment in DE&S, this change is already being met head on while we continue to support operations in Afghanistan; DVD2014 is an ideal opportunity for the commands and ourselves to explain the direction we are taking. The show will demonstrate how we will be adapting to the challenges of contingency, what it means for the Army and Joint Forces’ equipment and the way that DE&S will operate as we move forward. It is about the future – out to the end of this decade and beyond. DVD is a unique event. It brings together the users of equipment, those who make decisions on acquisition, and industry in a productive and focused environment that combines normal show stands with hands-on demonstration. Our goal is for industry to have the time to demonstrate their products to their key customers and for the event to facilitate an open and focused dialogue on current issues and future choices. We are well on our way to reaching our target of 240 exhibitors including large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises alike. My hope is that these contractors get to engage with their senior customers and hands-on users while networking with one another. For my team, DVD allows us to compress several months of routine dialogue into a couple of days. There is clear pressure on the public purse and we are striving to deliver value in all that we do, in new acquisition and support. This business has a value in my area of approximately £1.6 billion per annum. We need to spend this money wisely and deliver the best equipment and support we can to the user. We are looking at plans for new acquisitions across the wheeled and protected mobility vehicle fleets, camp ‘infrastructure’ and for the soldier as a system. We are driving hard to deliver efficiencies into the in-service support arena by looking at how we can best contract through the supply chain; the sale of the Defence Support Group is at the heart of this initiative. A successful DVD for me is one that sees the user, DE&S and industry engaged in open dialogue on current performance and plans and how we can work together to improve delivery to the front line. My desired end state is that all parties depart the show with a shared awareness of what we need to do to deliver the objectives of Army 2020 and value for defence.
13 May 14. On Tuesday 24th June, employees working within the defence sector will take part in Millbrook’s third Millbrook Alpine DVD (MAD) challenge, a gruelling 5k Alpine and off-road race, to raise funds for Help for Heroes. Home of the UK MOD’s Battlefield Mission and set in 700 acres of tricky terrain, Millbrook’s world renowned Alpine Route and Off-Road course will again play host to the MAD challenge on the eve of DVD2014, a two day event that brings together those involved in the equipment and support for the UK’s Land Forces. The race will take competitors through a variety of terrains, from sinking in sand and gravel to scrambling up steep hills, with gradients of up to 33%. The finish line will be strategically placed at Millbrook’s Wading Pond, with runners splashing their way to the end of the course.
“MAD is definitely the right word to describe Millbrook’s 5