C4ISTAR and Tactical ISTAR

08:00 Registration and Coffee Registration and Coffee

08:45 Chairman’s Welcome Address Chairman’s Welcome Address

09:00 Commanding Officer’s View on ISTAR Saving Lives in Afghanistan Lt Colonel Matt Jackson, Commanding Officer, 40 Commando, UK Royal Marines Learn from Lt Colonel Jackson, recently returned from his command in Afghanistan, about the realities of operating in this austere environment against an intelligent enemy. During this briefing you will find out why tactical ISTAR is crucial when defeating the Taliban, what has worked and what needs to be deployed that currently isn’t. You’ll walk away with: Recent operational lessons learned to clarify the nature of the threat, requirements for effective leadership and the tools that most benefit a Commander Case studies for when ISTAR has benefited the Commander in operations and what needs to be done to improve this capability Insight into how ISTAR can be deployed in the future to best effect and the role industry and allied nations should play to make this a reality Lt Colonel Matt Jackson Commanding Officer, 40 Commando, UK Royal Marines Information to come, keep visiting for updates.

09:25 Pakistan Army Counter Insurgency (COIN) Operations and Contributions as Key Ally ISAF in GWOT During this exclusive presentation from a key ally in the fight against terror along the Pakistan-Afghan border regions you will receive a detailed history of the area of operation, the prevalent circumstances and threat spectrum and magnitude to help you understand which capabilities are best suited to such an environment. You will also receive insight into the conceptual contours for conduct of counter insurgency operation and lessons learnt that will benefit you and your organisation. Don’t miss this briefing to understand: The history and area of operations along the Pakistan-Afghan border and how these relate to current and future decisions in the region The extent of the threat spectrum and conduct of operation so you are able to fully appreciate drivers for deployment of technology and force Lessons learned during operations that feed decisions about policy, technology and tactics

09:50 R&D Programmes in Support of Dismounted Capability Ross Jones, Programme Leader (Land) - Tactical ISTAR/ Lethality/ Mobility, DSTL Join Mr Jones as he explains how his role incorporates C4, Lethality, ISTAR, Mobility, Sustainability to deliver dismounted capability to the UK soldier. Through multiple projects funded through R&D grants from the UK MoD Mr Jones is able to channel and deliver new and enhanced capability for the dismounted soldier, join this briefing to find out exactly how. You’ll learn: More information than ever about the structure of the dismounted soldier R&D network in the UK and where DSTL fits in, including funding and spending priorities New insight into the major focus areas for UK R&D for the soldier and how industry and allies can contribute to the targets How UK approaches to R&D for the soldier align with those of allies, what this means for future partners and how it will benefit the soldier Ross Jones Programme Leader (Land) - Tactical ISTAR/ Lethality/ Mobility, DSTL As the lead for dismounted soldier programmes at the UK's defence research and development agency Ross Jones is highly qualified to give you insight into current priorities in ISTAR, mobility and C4i to help you understand where capability gaps lie and what the UK soldier needs from industry and allied nations. Mr Jones' remit covers more than 63 programmes so make sure you allocate enough time to [read more]

10:15 Panel Discussion – Breakthroughs in ISTAR to Benefit Dismounted Soldiers Lt Colonel Matt Jackson, Commanding Officer, 40 Commando, UK Royal Marines Ross Jones, Programme Leader (Land) - Tactical ISTAR/ Lethality/ Mobility, DSTL Join this distinguished panel of operators, strategists, scientists and acquisition experts to receive multiple perspectives on new solutions to deliver ISTAR to the tactical operator. Nowhere else in the world today will you access such a senior and experienced group ready to discuss this crucial topic area with you and importantly hear your views too! Don’t miss it! Lt Colonel Matt Jackson Commanding Officer, 40 Commando, UK Royal Marines Information to come, keep visiting for updates. Ross Jones Programme Leader (Land) - Tactical ISTAR/ Lethality/ Mobility, DSTL As the lead for dismounted soldier programmes at the UK's defence research and development agency Ross Jones is highly qualified to give you insight into current priorities in ISTAR, mobility and C4i to help you understand where capability gaps lie and what the UK soldier needs from industry and allied nations. Mr Jones' remit covers more than 63 programmes so make sure you allocate enough time to [read more]

10:45 Morning Coffee Break and Networking Morning Coffee Break and Networking

11:30 Airborne ISR to Benefit the Soldier Hear a new perspective on ISTAR for the soldier during this briefing from one of the Royal Air Force’s most senior experts on force protection for dismounted soldiers. During this presentation you will learn more about the role of Airborne ISR to deliver force protection and gain a better understanding of: How Air Force and Dismounted Soldier interface in operations to clarify the extent of the relationship and where capability gaps exist to be filled Case studies where collaboration between Air and Ground units has led to overall mission success and how this can be repeated by you How practical challenges of combining Air and Ground capability can be overcome to deliver greater combined situational awareness for your tactical operators The equipment requirements that deliver the joint capability of Air/Ground effect and what can be done to improve access to equipment in allied operations

11:55 C4ISTAR and Situational Awareness for the Battlefield Airman Major Timothy Forbes, Deputy Branch Chief, Battlefield Airmen, US Air Force Take your seat for this update from Major Tim Forbes, team leader for the US Air Force Battlefield Airman project, a multi-million dollar funded programme that ensures the airborne operator is fully equipped with the latest affordable technologies. During this briefing you will receive: News and updates on the latest contracts open to industry to improve ISTAR capabilities for the battlefield airman and where these might apply to you Lessons learned from recent integration projects aimed at delivering greater situational awareness to the battlefield airman and how these can be applied in your projects to your advantage R&D focus areas, funding and collaboration criteria for interested industry and government parties to deliver better capabilities to the airborne operator Major Timothy Forbes Deputy Branch Chief, Battlefield Airmen, US Air Force Major Tim Forbes is one of the most senior leaders in the US Air Force team dedicated to modernising the airborne operator. His programmes often fall into the category of 'special operations' so there are topics he will share and some he won't. Nevertheless, Major Forbes has been an active member of the Soldier Technology speaker faculty now for 2 years and is keen to meet with innovators for tact [read more]

12:20 TNO Research and Development Projects to Increase Situational Awareness for the Soldier Let Dr Beijl explain how his recent research into new approaches to situational awareness for the dismounted operator will bring new benefits to the soldier. Learn about exciting advances being made in the fields of tactical ISTAR that are both immediately applicable in your own projects and indicators of enhanced capability on the horizon in terms of: Better decision support for the commander including improved soldier-soldier communication to enhance situational awareness What next generation situational awareness will look and feel like and the technology roadmap to take you there so you understand the future before it happens Obstacles in technology, governance, allied information and target sharing that need to be overcome in order to advance soldier situational awareness

12:45 Lunch and Networking Lunch and Networking

13:45 Delivering Target Acquisition Capabilities Down to the Soldier Attend this session to drill down to the core capability that delivers target execution to the soldier: the weapon system. Allow Major Gilchrist, one of the world’s most leading small arms experts, to connect discussions today from operational overview through R&D to procurement of tools to support lethality for the soldier. During this briefing you will benefit from: New information about Canada’s small arms modernisation project including timelines, budgets and milestones so you understand when and how Canada will open opportunities for collaboration and procurement A vision of the future soldier weapon system and how it will deliver enhanced target acquisition and execution and the role it will play in overall ISTAR capabilities for the future ground force Updates on interoperability, standardisation and overall benefits of weapon modernisation for allied operations in the future allowing you to draw accurate conclusions about how spend will be allocated to weapons and accessories in the future

14:25 ISTAR Capabilities Available to France’s Dismounted Soldiers ISTAR Capabilities Available to France’s Dismounted Soldiers

14:50 Delivering ISR Capabilities to the Soldier Colonel Joukl, Chief, RECCE and Electronic Warfare Department, Ministry of Defence Czech Republic Major Petr Snajdarek, Program Manager ISR, Czech Armed Forces Attend this exclusive presentation from two of the most senior managers within the Czech Army responsible for soldier ISR and electronic warfare product groups. You will learn how the Czech Army is prioritising data sharing at the soldier level by buying new technologies and platforms to facilitate and deliver the capability. For the first time at Soldier Technology find out Czech MoD priorities for: Spending on ISR for the soldier and how this will translate into new business opportunities for industry and partnerships with allied nations Capability development for soldier-to-soldier information sharing as well as the security aspects of exchanging data and what this means for coalition ISR Integration of the soldier into the national C4i backbone and the technical and human requirements involved so you can understand where help is most required and when Colonel Joukl Chief, RECCE and Electronic Warfare Department, Ministry of Defence Czech Republic Information to come, keep visiting for updates. Major Petr Snajdarek Program Manager ISR, Czech Armed Forces Major Petr Snajdarek, Program Manager, 53rd Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare Brigade, Czech Army has held several specialized and staff posts in electronic warfare units and contributed to the formation of the Czech Army Brigade Task Force dedicated for NATO joint operations. During two deployments to Afghanistan he gained invaluable operational experience in practical application of ISR capa [read more]

15:15 Afternoon Coffee and Networking Afternoon Coffee and Networking

15:45 Roundtables Use these carefully crafted working groups to sit with one of the government speakers to drill down on topics you want to discuss and receive information that is most useful to you and your projects. These are very popular sessions so you are urged to sign up early in the day and take your seats early – often oversubscribed! ISR Innovation for Soldiers - Dr Piet Biejl, Netherlands Lethality and C4ISTAR – French Army HQ ISTAR for the Soldier – Ross Jones, UK ISR at the Soldier Level - Major Petr Snajdrarek, Czech Republic ISR for Battlefield Airmen – Major Tim Forbes, US Airborne ISR for the Soldier – Group Captain Jamie Kendall, UK RAF

16:45 End of Conference Sessions End of Conference Sessions