London, UK, 16 June 2022: More than 50 international air and space force chiefs and military commanders will be among 500 high-ranking delegates at the largest ever gathering for the Chief of the Air Staff’s Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference in London on 13-14 July.
The global forum, which is hosted by Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, UK Chief of the Air Staff, will bring together global leaders in Air and Space Power with captains of industry and technology and experts from international academia. The Conference will examine how the Royal Air Force, together with a spectrum of partners across UK Defence, HM Government and global allies can maintain their leading edge over adversaries – and their military advantage in air and space power.
The gathering will take place against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine and highlights how responsible nations must work together to defend their values and protect collective security in the face of sustained aggression.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston said: “The Royal Air Force must evolve and innovate relentlessly at the cutting edge of technology, ready to face the threats of the future. Looking to the future, we must continue to deliver decisive Air and Space Power in an ever more complex, competed and contested joint operating environment. It will be our credibility and ability to fight that will underpin our ability to operate across all Domains, so we must be prepared and able to defend against sophisticated threats in the electro-magnetic spectrum, and in cyber, air and space. This is our journey to the Next Generation Royal Air Force and it has already begun.”
In addition to Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, confirmed keynote speakers include The Rt. Hon. Ben Wallace MP, Secretary of State for Defence; General C Q Brown Jr., Chief of Staff, US Air Force; and General Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, US Space Force.
Air Marshal (Retd) Greg Bagwell, Air & Space Power Association (ASPA) President, said: “As we approach the Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference, the Russian illegal invasion of Ukraine continues its brutal and bloody path into six months of fighting. Russian tactics and capability have, not for the first time, been shown to be far short of our expectations. Allies of Ukraine, and especially NATO, now find themselves in a proxy war with a belligerent Russia increasingly painting itself into a strategic corner. Despite the pleas for more air power, the West has been reluctant to meet these demands for fear of escalation.
Meanwhile, the air (and space) war in Ukraine has taken on a character that we do not fully recognise or yet understand; the airspace over Ukraine has not been controlled, nor has it been exploited to the full. So what does Ukraine teach us about what we believed, what we need to reinforce and what we need to change? After decades of wars of choice, we must now ask ourselves are we prepared for the one on our borders that is incontrovertible? As we constantly chase elusive transformation, we may now be entering a period of consolidation, preparation and readiness. These are not necessarily mutually exclusive choices but they may change our emphasis and the balance of investment. At this year’s Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference, we must continue to challenge ourselves more than ever.”
The Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference is delivered by the Air & Space Power Association (ASPA) on behalf of the RAF. The Programme is conceived by the RAF’s Centre for Air & Space Power Studies (CASPS). Strategic partners this year are BAE SYSTEMS and Leonardo UK. Other partners include Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Airbus, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, General Atomics, MBDA Missile Systems, Aquila ATMS, Thales, Ascent, Elbit Systems UK, Bluescape and Draken.
- Notes to Editors:
- The Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference is taking place 13-14 July 2022 at The IET, Savoy Place, London. The conference will also be livestreamed enabling RAF and UK Whole Force personnel located across the UK and overseas as well as air and space professionals from around the world engage with the discussions.
- Topics to be addressed as part of the central ‘Maintaining Our Leading Edge’ theme include: Operational Integration: The challenge of evolving capabilities in air, space and cyber at the pace of relevance, and of integrating effectively across domains, with allies and partners; Technological Adaptation: How to transform organisations and capabilities ‘in flight’ to gain and maintain technological advantages across all domains; Digital, Data and Information: Maximising the utility of digital and data connectivity to guarantee information assurance and availability to key decision-makers at all levels; Ethics and Morals: The importance of safeguarding moral and ethical standards and values during operations across all domains; and Sustainability and Skills: The strategic importance of creating skilled forces, fit for a more sustainable future, and of adopting increasingly sustainable approaches to delivering operations.
- For further information about the Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference 2022 please visit the website: https://airspacepower.com/global-air-chiefs-conference-2022/
About the Air and Space Power Association
The Air and Space Power Association (ASPA) is an independent authoritative voice and platform for discussion and debate on the influence and relevance of air and space power both now and in the future. www.airpower.org.uk
About RAF CASPS
RAF CASPS is an RAF think tank which focuses on the strategic and conceptual study of air and space power. It seeks to: generate evidence-based academic research; provide strategic influence through coordinated engagement with think tanks, allies and other professional bodies in the defence and policy space; leverage the intellectual horsepower of external institutions and RAF personnel; and help inculcate a philosophy of learning and critical thinking within the RAF.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Carol Reed (ASPA) carol@airspacepower.com