The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) Chief of the Air Staff’s Air Power Conference 2018 (APC 2018) will take place on 11-12 July at the Institute of Engineering and Technology, Savoy Place, London, UK. The conference theme, ‘Building the Next Generation Air Force’, will address the latest threats to the RAF and its allies and chart the skills, capability and technology they need to ensure a decisive war-fighting edge. Up to 60 air force chiefs from around the world will join senior government, joint force and security heads, business and technology leaders to plot the future of air and space power.
London, UK, 11April 2018: The UK Royal Air Force Chief of Staff’s Air Power Conference 2018, the leading global air power forum, will take place on 11-12 July in London and convene under the theme, ‘Building the Next Generation Air Force’.
Drawing together an unrivalled gathering of air force chiefs, senior UK Government officials, highranking officials from other armed and security services and the defence scientific, technology and industrial community, this year’s conference will address the future of the RAF’s combat capability and how best to maximize the military use of technologies in the air, space and cyber environments. The conference will be the cornerstone of a week-long series of events marking the RAF’s Centenary.
UK Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, will deliver a keynote address and plot his vision for the RAF’s next generation capability against a backdrop of new highly capable and technologically adept military powers and an increased use of ‘hybrid’ warfare – or the blend of physical, virtual and cognitive threats. APC 2018 will examine how the RAF and its allies can best exploit air, space and cyber capabilities to interoperate and ensure a decisive war-fighting edge.
Other keynote speakers include The Rt. Hon. Mark Lancaster, Minister of State for the Armed Forces, and a Cabinet Office minister.
The two-day conference will be split into four sessions that will frame the high-level debate. One session, ‘Modernising for the future’, addresses artificial intelligence and autonomous air vehicles, disruptive technologies, the future of space support to military operations and the UK Government’s new Combat Air Strategy capability. Another session focused on emerging technologies and their applications, entitled ‘The novel application of non-military capabilities for greater air power effect’ will include: the UK’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte, and Air Vice-Marshal Bruce Hedley, Director Joint Warfare, among the speakers. The high-profile line-up of speakers also includes: Commissioner Cressida Dick, Metropolitan Police Commissioner; Air Marshal Stuart Atha, Deputy Commander Operations, Air Command; and a senior international operations commander, who will address the issue of ‘Command leadership and decision superiority’ in joint force and in
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The Air Power Association Ltd, Registered in England No. 9518670 Registered Office Cobham House, 9 Warwick Court, Gray’s Inn, London, WC1R 5DJ Directors: Air Marshal Sir Dusty Miller KBE, Air Commodore Mark Roberts CBE, R.A.Pick FCA
complex multi-agency operations. A fourth session will focus on recruiting and developing personnel and how to employ dynamic skills development around new and emerging technologies. Other speakers include: Major General Dawn Dunlop, Commander NATO AEW & Control Force; Air ViceMarshal Mike Wigston, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff; Air Vice-Marshal Simon Rochelle, Chief of Staff Capability; Air Vice-Marshal Christine Elliot, Chief of Staff Personnel; and business leaders from BAE Systems, Google UK, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Surrey Satellite Technologies among others.
Air Commodore (Ret’d) Mark Roberts, Air Power Association Chairman, said: ‘APC 2018 is the lead platform for strategic debate around how the UK can best harness innovation and disruptive technologies to drive its airpower capability and effective interoperability with global allies and partners. I am delighted with our new partnership with the RAF Centre for Air Power Studies which has conceived a conference programme designed to interrogate current thinking about air power and drive a thought-provoking and trailblazing discussion about how to transform air and space power. I have no doubt that APC2018 will inspire debate which will, in its centenary year, cement the RAF’s role and reputation as an innovator in air power thinking and capability for years to come.’
About the Air Power Association
The Air Power Association is an authoritative voice and platform for discussion and debate on how air power influences today’s world and its relevance to the future.
Through conferences, debates and forums, we stimulate discussion of the air power environment. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in air power debate; our reputation, close relationships with the UK Ministry of Defence, the defence industrial base, the practitioners of air power and those with a keen interest in the subject gives us unique access to the heart of the subject.
The Air Power Conference is the leading global air power forum aimed at promoting understanding and debate about the role and future of air power. The conference was launched 25 years ago as an opportunity to convene global air force allies to discuss operational issues and future capabilities ahead of the Royal International Air Tattoo, the world’s largest military air show.
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