The specialist conference accompanying UMEX and the co-located Simulation and Training Exhibition 2016 took place today at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) with delegates hearing how new unmanned technologies and accompanying simulation packages are dramatically changing the front-line. The conference focused on the theme ‘defining the future of innovation’, with the participation of senior members of various Armed Forces, the industry’s leading lights and the sector’s thought leaders from around the world, discussing how to leverage unmanned systems to serve defence, security and civil purposes in efficient, accurate and flexible ways. The conference also attempted to address the many issues, challenges, opportunities and unanswered questions, such as safety, regulations and personnel understanding, which are emerging around these technologies, as with any new sector, to ensure they can be successfully implemented in the field.

Major General Pilot Ibrahim Nasser Al Alawi, commander of UAE Air Force and UAE Air Defense Force, gave the conference’s opening speech covering off the purposes of the conference at a critical juncture for these rapidly emerging sectors, which represents a major area of defence spending and are enabling militaries to respond in new, agile and flexible ways to fast changing regional security challenges. In these remarks, he discussed the need to deliver a ‘full spectrum’ of operations covering a diverse range of technologies, actors and partners for the most effective responses. Simulation, modelling and training will also play a crucial role in ensuring these technologies, as well as other important emerging areas, can be utilised to their maximum effect, he went on to say.

Unmanned systems – a huge range of potential capabilities in terms of efficiency, accuracy and flexibility

This was followed by the first session of the conference, “Taking a Deliberate and Integrated Approach to Unmanned Systems Acquisition and Technology Development,” and was moderated by Gary North from Lockheed Martin, one of the largest international manufacturers of security and defence systems, who discussed how we best utilise the next generation of technologies to maximum effect to meet our real-world ever changing defence requirements and get militaries and industry working closely together on equipment acquisition and development for these challenges. He also touched on the potential role of these new technological systems in driving humanitarian disaster response and going into areas which have previously been harder for conventional response teams.

The first discussion panel built on these issues to discuss “Transforming the Modern Force: Targeting Operational Capabilities to Better Focus Technology Investment.” Speakers on this panel included:

• Colonel Muhammad Al Naqabi from the UAE Presidential Guard discussed the role of the UAE Air Force in leveraging and upgrading unmanned systems into conventional forces and how greater flexibility, deployment time, efficiency and performance enhancement can be realised if they are integrated in the right way. He also looked ahead to future capabilities for these systems including their potential for wider satellite communications and all-weather operations and how training is going to be crucial in bringing all of this to reality.
• Colonel Jeffery Paton from the US Air Force Warfare Center showcased the cutting-edge work of the US Air Force Warfare Center, demonstrating the role of unmanned systems in operations and their ability to perform tasks including aerial scanning, scouting, preparation for land operations, protecting borders and covering land forces.
• Colonel Christophe Fontaine from the French Air Force explored the importance of unmanned systems’ in supporting air operations and how their huge information capability can inform command and control centres’ real-time decision making while ensuring the highest standards, in terms of safety and casualty minimalisation, crucial areas in modern warfare. He also touched on how developing levels of artificial intelligence in all areas will require new international ‘rules of engagement’.
• Sergeant Guy Adams, from the Australian Forces, discussed the latest technological developments undertaken by international unmanned systems manufacturers and how they support modern air forces in their operational activities, especially through automation of key, mission-critical processes. He also called for continual upgrading of the secure and fast communications networks which make the very functioning of these systems possible.
• Colonel Sergio Cavote, Italian Air Force, demonstrated how to leverage these technologies and improve their informational and operational performance, as well exploring how to link them to air force command centres and enhancing informational sharing operations of these systems with relevant parties. He said it was essential that industry and technology advances were more closely linked to the real need on the ground in the battlefield.

  Unmanned systems – reducing the operational risks to maximise the benefit of unmanned systems

  The second discussion panel covered “Addressing the Sense and Avoid Challenges: Integrated Unmanned Systems into the Battlespace.” The panel will be moderated by Chris Dusseault from General Atomic who addressed the very real challenges of how to practically deploy these systems in a safe and effective way, and use them to their maximum capability, especially in the year that the Predator enters service with the UAE for the first time in the Middle East to meet fast changing requirements in the field in the face of many unanswered questions. The panel included contributions from:

• Jumaa’ Al Kaa’bi, head of Programmes and Strategic Systems at Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments, spoke about his company’s role in improving UAE capabilities through integrating and delivering unmanned systems, especially in the areas of surveillance and reconnaissance which are crucial for the country’s defence capability. He also explored how the key challenge is to get conventional and unmanned systems to work together to create truly integrated capability and also how new technologies can help improve the abilities of conventional equipment, such as the Appache helicopter.
• Mark Russell, head of Business Development in Beoing’s Insitu Inc., talked about how in crowded airspaces, we need to have the right policies and regulations in place to prevent significant disasters as it is an area where military, commercial and leisure aircraft converge like never before, especially in smaller countries like the UAE and UK. He also demonstrated the role of unmanned systems in civil life and their ability to contribute to enhancing civil security and protection, how to leverage the enormous capabilities of these systems and how to collect and analyse information to maximise their benefits.
• Roland Dangerfield, Managing Director at Sentinel Aviation, with his thoughts and suggestions on how the technological approaches and unmanned systems development can be best tailored to meet future challenges. He also talked about how this is not just a question of technology but also a matter of people and aerospace management if these systems are actually going to have maximum impact and current operational limitations are to be understood– a responsibility for civil and military authorities alike.
• Paul Casey, Director of International Business Development at Northrup Grumman Group, from the UK, spoke about the challenges that face command and operations centres and how unmanned systems can support these centres in dealing with emergencies and making sound decisions, through the best use of the large amounts of data these systems can collect. He also stated that next centricity through high speed networks is the name of the game and developed and responsive networks are a key way forward.

  Simulation and Modeling Technologies to ensure truly integrated military responses that can adapt to rapidly changing defence and security threats

  The second session of the conference covered “Exploiting Simulation and Modeling Technologies,” moderated by Tim Allen of QinetiQ from the UK who touched on the crucial role that this area plays in creating a smart, flexible, modern Armed Forces who can best utilise new technologies entering service, especially at a time when we are all looking to do more with less. The panel discussion heard from:

• Abdullah Abdulqader of Emirates Training Technology, demonstrating how international simulation and safety technologies have been adopted and developed in the UAE by the company and the crucial role these technologies have in raising the efficiency and training capabilities of armed forces. He also discussed the company’s impressive knowledge transfer work and Emiratisation programme which acting as a catalyst for the wider development of the sector in the UAE.
• Peter Eadie, Strategy and Business Development Manager at CEA, from the UK, presenting the importance of effective integration of training systems and how by building effective organisational and training abilities that are tailored to specialist and particular operational needs, maximum benefit can be gained from new systems coming on stream. As part of this, he showcased some of the training options available, from mini in the field supercomputers to prototype models.
• Sanjay Khtia of QinetiQ on how we need to have much more joined-up systems, effective structures and mutual standards, using the latest technologies, especially to support joint service efforts that reflect modern and changing warfare experience
• James Price from MPDA demonstrated the potential for developing joint land and air forces, especially in a crowded operating environment such as in the UAE and Gulf, and how to leverage co-located simulations systems in developing these mutual forces so they have maximum effect and are as realistic as possible.