London’s Radisson Blu Portman Hotel is set to host Future Artillery 2016 on 23-25 May, to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Royal Artillery’s founding in 1716.
Delegates and experts will gather to confront the most pressing issues in the joint fires realm. The event is designed to bring military users and suppliers together to share knowledge and exchange views, in order to ensure that artillery capabilities are maintained and developed for future operations.
Future Artillery 2016 aims to show how artillery is fast re-establishing itself as an indispensable tactical instrument, and how businesses can help defence buyers meet their requirements. Delegates will benefit from a series of case studies examining the use of Medium Weight Artillery, while the event will also showcase various solutions currently available on the market.
Perhaps the main draw will be the opportunity to engage with the diverse international community of artillery commanders present in order to learn how they intend to satisfy their operational requirements in the short and medium term. The event will also feature networking with foreign artillery counterparts and industry thought leaders, with the aim to contribute to and harness a global pool of knowledge and experience.
Looking at the presentations list, one of the standout sessions is the keynote address ‘The Royal Artillery beyond 2035’, to be delivered by Brigadier Simon Humphrey, Director of Capability Combat Support, UK MOD. This session will focus on setting out the timelines for the British Army’s indirect fire capability development and outlining the strategic priorities for this development, in terms of equipment and doctrine. It will also look at how the announcement of the Rapid Response ‘Strike’ Brigades in the recent Strategic Defence and Security Review impacts those priorities, and ask what plans there are to phase out current artillery systems by 2035.
Another session that catches the eye is on ‘Enabling a rapid response capability’, which will be delivered Lieutenant Colonel Eamonn Welch, SO1 Offensive Support Plans, Capability Directorate Combat Support, UK MOD. This presentation will look at how current systems such as the Multi-Launch Rocket System (MLRS) will be maintained at an operational level in order to prevent capability gaps. It will also look at the changes that will require to be made to ensure a more flexible artillery capability is able to take part in expeditionary campaigns; outline the requirement for Medium Weight Artillery in future operational environments; and ask how future systems can be integrated into the overall battlespace.
Also worth consideration is the presentation by Ken Musculus, Vice President, Tactical Missiles at Lockheed Martin, on ‘Long range precision fires; evolutionary capability providing tomorrow’s solutions today’; while Brigadier General Fabio Giambartolomei, Artillery Commander, Italian Army will give an overview of the recent and future employment of current systems in the Italian Army. A spokesperson for the event said:
“Celebrating the 300th anniversary of the Royal Artillery Regiment, the 13th Annual Future Artillery Conference is proving to be the biggest one yet with attendees from 6 of the 7 continents already confirmed. Highlights include the Danish Army discussing their procurement plans for the replacement of the 155mm M109A3 and for the first time, the Israeli Defence Forces will be speaking at the event about C4i in the Field Artillery and the IDF’s future requirements. Come and join your peers at the only gathering for the international artillery community.”
For more information, visit: www.future-artillery.com