As Director of the Technical Center for Information Systems (2004-2007) he was in charge of the reorganization of the technical and human resources dedicated to the information infrastructure (local and global networks, associated services, workstations, information systems) of the DGA. 2008-2009, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Division in charge of the procurement of C4ISR systems. Since April 2009 he is Director for Land Systems acquisition. Besides, he defended in 2001 his Professor thesis, has directed a dozen of PhD students in robotics and computer science, and has published over seventy articles in conferences and international journals. He teaches robotics, theoretical computer science, system engineering, at graduate level in various universities and engineering schools.
Mark currenty the Program Manager for the Marina Expeditionary Riffle e Squad Program. Retired from the Marine Corps
he continues to work on the integration and modernization of the Marine Riffle e Squad focusing on the squad as the system and the Marine as the war fighter. The Marine Corps continues to rapidly equip the squad with new capabilities in the current conflict but must integrate these capabilities for the future.
COL (R) Richard Hansen, recently retired as Project Manager Soldioer Warrior from PEO SOldier offers a candid assessment and perspective of the ""Big A"" Acquisition process (Requirements, Resourcing, Technology, and Materiel Development) through the eyes (...and Helmet Mounted Display) of Land Warrior and other similar Military Soldier Systems that support the Air, Ground, and Mounted Warfighter. His presentation will glance at 60 years of Soldier systems with the intent to forecast furture requirements and the evolutionary acquisition/procurements of capabilites to meet the Warfighters' needs.
Born in 1968 and educated at Bedford Modern School, Marcus Bruton joined the Ministry of Defence as a graduate engineer in 1990 after completing a four year Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Brighton Polytechnic. Initially working for the Directorate of Air Armament in the Procurement Executive where he spent six years in various HPTO and SPTO posts before being accepted by Imperial College to study for a postgraduate Master of Business Administration degree. Returning, in 1998, to the now renamed Defence Procurement Agency as an SPTO in the Special Projects CISR IPT, he worked on various surveillance projects for Special Users before being promoted to Assistant Team Leader (Surveillance) in August 2001. In July 2003 he moved to the Future Offensive Air System IPT as the Chief Systems Engineer and Programme Manager and in 2005 became the Deputy Team Leader of the newly formed Strategic Unmanned Air Vehicle (Experiment) IPT. In this team he was responsible for developing the UK’s UCAV strategy and working closely with BAES to scope project Taranis, promoting the need within the MOD to understand that developed technologies needed to be integrated into a system in order to de-risk procurement decisions. Following a brief spell on temporary promotion to the B1 SUAV(E) Team Leader post, he took up the Air Systems post in BDSUS in Washington DC in January 2006 working on air acquisition projects and S&T collaboration. As part of the REAPER UOR project he was instrumental in achieving congressional approval for the export of REAPER to the UK. Returning to the DE&S in June 2009, he was successfully promoted to the Integrated Soldier System Executive Team Leader post where he is responsible for reducing the burden on the dismounted soldier and creating the ISSE into the ‘platform’ IPT for the Soldier System.
Dr. James Thagard is the Global Marketing Manager – Helmets within Honeywell’s Advanced Fibers and Composites group. Dr. Thagard obtained his Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Houston and a Master’s degree in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering from the Florida State University. He earned his Ph.D. degree in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering from the Florida State University in 2003. Dr. Thagard also earned an M.B.A. degree from Clemson University in 2010. Dr. Thagard has held several engineering, program management and business development positions at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), the Boeing Company, General Dynamics and the South Carolina Research Authority. Dr. Thagard served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Florida State University with a focus on composites and thermoplastic based ballistic materials. In recent years Dr. Thagard was the technical lead for body armor and helmets at DSM Dyneema, USA.
Upon graduation, Mark joined the MOD working on Physical Protection within the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency, focusing on Body Armour and Combat Helmets. Following the studying of an MSc in Systems Engineering for Defence, Mark joined Dstl, providing analytical and scientific advice to UK Armed Forces on exercises and on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2007, Mark returned to research into body armour and is now a Principal Scientist supporting the various body armour programmes within Dstl. Within this role Mark supports several body armour standards committees and the continuing development of test protocols for in-house armour testing.
As a former military officer.Master degree in weapon technology and ballistics from the Swedish military academy.
Worked with small arms systems at FMV – which is the technical and procuring agency for the Swedish armed forces for 30 years.Has been the product manager for small arms systems since 1994.Has been active in various NATO groups since 1998.Has been the chairman for the NATO weapons & sensors working group since 2008.
Dr. Adam Best is a Research Scientist at CSIRO's Division of Energy Technology (www.csiro.au). I am the Project Leader for the development of the FIED. His main research interest is in the development of electrolytes for all types of lithium batteries; particularly ionic liquids. Additionally, Adam is also working on other issues associated with the commercialisation of lithium batteries. His other research interests include fuel cells particular electrolyte membranes, hydrogen storage and other novel applications of ionic liquids.
Major Magnus Hallberg has been working on the MARKUS programme since 2004. Currently he is the test and trial leader for MARKUS, working in the development department of the Land Warfare Centre to ensure that equipment and systems are put through their paces to generate accurate feedback on the Swedish future soldier systems.
Major Matti Honkela graduated from Finnish Military Academy 1987. He has been working on different development programs and procurement projects since 1996, when he started as a test officer in FDF Armoured Brigade Trials and Development Division. He was transferred to FDFHQ 1999. The programs he has been involved in are:Medium Range AT Programme XA-203 development Programme, CV9030 Programme ,MBT modernization Programme (LEO2A4), Image Intensifier 2000 Programme,Short Range AT Programme.Now he is working in Army Command Armaments Division and he’s main programs are Soldier modernization program and NH90 helicopter.
Lt Colonel Staffan Lundmark is since 1st Jan 2011 CO Soldier Section at the Land Warfare Centre. He started his military carrier at Boden Engineer Regiment. After studies at the Swedish National Defence Collage he served in the Armed Forces Headquarters – Operations Directorate.
1st Reconnaissance Team Member, United States Marine Corps - 5/95-5/98.United States Naval Academy - 6/99-5/03
Marine Infantry Platoon Commander - 7/04-7/06.Officer in Charge, 3d Marine Regiment Schools - 7/06-6/07.
Advanced Infantry Training, Officer in Charge, 3d Marine Regiment Schools - 6/07-5/08.Deputy Program Manager and Marine Corps Analyst, Enhanced Company Operations (ECO) / Distributed Operations (D.O.) (Contractor at the Columbia Group) - 5/08 -7/09
Mr McCarthy has over thirty two years experience in support of the Department of Defense in a wide variety of duties and assignments. Currently serving as the Director of Operations at the Brigade Modernization Command, Mission Command Complex (MCC), Mr McCarthy has extensive experience in planning, preparing and executing live, virtual and constructive training exercises and events. He has served as the primary exercise planner and controller for more than 900 simulation supported training exercises and events. Mr. McCarthy has also served as the principle exercise designer and planner for more than 50 major Homeland Security and Consequence Management Exercises.In his current position, Mr McCarthy has the responsibility for integration of new and emerging technologies in the live, virtual, and constructive training domains. Additionally in November of 2009 Mr. McCarthy was assigned additional duties as co-lead for the U.S. Army’s “Connecting Soldiers to Digital Applications” project. This project is responsible for assessing the military utility of providing SmartPhone technologies to soldiers throughout the Army
Military Academy, Frederiksberg Castle, Copenhagen.Weapon Course, Danish Army Combat Centre, Tank Leopard I
Junior Command and Staff Course, Danish Defence College.Command and General Staff Course, Danish Defence College
1978 Private/Royal Jutland Foot Regiment, Fredericia.1979-1980 Sergeant/Royal Jutland Foot Regiment, Fredericia
1985 2IC/HQ Coy/2 Jutland Brigade, Skive.1986 2IC/HQ Coy/Prince Life Regiment, Viborg
1987 2IC/Armoured Infantry Coy/Prince Life Regiment, Viborg.1988 CO/Motorized Infantry Coy/Prince Life Regiment, Viborg.1990 Tactics Instructor at Military Academy, Copenhagen.1992-1995 SO and Deputy Chief at Organization Branch/Planning Division/Defence Command Denmark, Vedbæk.1995-1998 Chief Organization Branch/Plans & Policy Division/Army Operational Command Denmark, Karup.1998-1999 CO/UN Observer Group Golan, Damascus, Syria.1999-2001 CO/Tank Battalion/Guard Hussar Regiment, Næstved.2001 Chief Liaison Officer at French Brigade HQ in Mitrovica, Kosovo.2002-2004 Chief Exercise Branch/Exercise and Training Divison/Army Operational Command Denmark, Karup
2004 Chief J3 Multinational Division South East, Basrah, Iraq.2004-2005 Chief Executive Coordination Office/Army Operational Command Denmark, Karup.2005-2010 ACOS/Operations Division/Army Operational Command Denmark, Karup.2010- Commander Danish Army Combat School
Brigadier Mark Gaunt was commissioned into the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in 1985. Formative training and regimental duty posts focused on aeronautical engineering, latter posts focused on providing equipment support to armoured brigades. Operational experience includes Northern Ireland, the Balkans (under both UN and NATO), Iraq and Afghanistan. Staff experience includes equipment acquisition and capability management within the Ministry of Defence (in both London and Bristol), most recently in the Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) element of the MoD focusing on Through Life Capability Management within all of Head of Capability Ground Manoeuvre’s programmes. Additionally, he also fulfilled staff appointments as the Military Assistant to a British 4 Star Admiral in Norfolk.Virginia and a Directing Staff position at the Staff College. From 2005-07 he commanded 1 Battalion REME in Germany, Canada and Iraq and from Sep 10 to Jun 11 he was Commander Equipment Capability in Afghanistan, responsible for the identification of requirements, and the integration and sustainment of solutions, for UK equipment capabilities across the theatre. He assumed the role of Head of the Individual Capability Group in the DE&S in Sep 11 . He is married to Katey and they have two daughters. He enjoys, but is very average at, most sports and any spare time (and money) is dominated by the renovation of a period cottage in the Cotswolds
Duncan studied geosciences at Birmingham University following which he embarked on a Ph.D. at the University of Bristol. In parallel with his research Duncan completed Commando training with the Royal Marine Reserves in 2002. Since then Duncan trained as a Heavy Weapons specialist and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Following service in Helmand on Operation Herrick 9, Duncan joined the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory as an operational analyst in the Close Combat Systems Group. Duncan’s work at Dstl is primarily focused on the dismounted soldier under both support to operations and longer term procurement programmes concerned with soldier performance, small arms lethality, and autonomous assisted carriage for example
Colonel Gavin Thompson was born and educated in Durham. He gained his First Degree in History and Politics at the University of Keele and commissioned from RMAS in 1993. His early service was spent with the 1RTR on both Chieftain and Challenger 1 in the UK and Germany. In 1997 he was appointed Adjutant of the First Royal Tank Regiment.After finishing his first spell at RD he was posted into the Directorate of Military Operations. From there he completed ACSC and gained MAs from Cranfield and Kings College, returning to the Directorate of Military Operations in 2002 and assisting in the preparation for Op TELIC in 2003. Later that year he moved to the Directorate of Strategic Plans, serving on the staff of General Petraeus in Baghdad.
In 2004 he returned to Regimental Duty, commanding both a CR2 and Medium Armour Squadron in 2RTR. Colonel Gavin was subsequently posted to the Joint CBRN Regt as Second-in-Command before returning to the MOD on promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in 2007 as SO1 Army Equipment Plans. He assumed command of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and Joint CBRN Regiment in January 2009 and commanded the BG on the final Operation TELIC. He left command on promotion in 2011 to take up the post of Deputy Head (Equipment Programme) In Cap Ground Manoeuvre.
Bachelor Degree of Mech Engineer From Tech Academy.(Achmad Yani).Graduate Degree in Mech Engineer From Indonesia Naval Institute (Sttal).Maintenance Depot, Centre of Army Workshop in bandung.army Ordnance, Area Service in Kodam v/brw East Java .Army Ordnance, Area Service in Kodam Ii/ Srw palembang.army Ordnance, Area Service in Kodam Iskandar Muda Aceh
Army Head Quarter, Logistic Staff in jakarta.chief of Ordnance in Army Strategic Command in jakarta.chief of Centre Workshop of Army Ordnance in Bandung
An infantry officer for 25 years, Colonel Charlie Sykes has served in Norway, Canada, Germany; on operations in Northern Ireland and Bosnia; and as Commanding Officer 1 PWRR in Iraq and Afghanistan. Recent staff appointments have included SO1 Joint Warfare in the MOD and SO1 Herrick Campaign Plan in the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ).
In his current post he is the Army’s proponent for Dismounted Close Combat capability; responsible for the coherent implementation of new DCC equipment into service, for the analysis and identification of capability gaps in the future and also the Army’s proponent for combat marksmanship.His interests include Central Asian travel, shooting, mountaineering, skiing and offshore sailing. He is the Commandant of the Small Arms School Corps (SASC).