Delivering advanced close combat capabilities for dismounted forces

Current engagements are leading dismounted forces into close combat on a daily basis. Mission scenarios can be broad with target engagement ranges of fifty yards or 300 yards. Delivering an infantry weapon suite capable of meeting the needs of dismounted forces is a major challenge.

Defence IQ's 3rd annual Infantry Weapons conference, taking place at the Maritim Nürnberg on the 27th-28th October 2008, is the major international conference providing insight into the future of small arms and support weapons, Lessons Learned from current operations and the latest discussions into calibres and NATO standardisation.

Key briefings planned for 2008 include:

• The Future of Small Arms: How are militaries identifying required capabilities for lethality, target acquisition, modularity and power supply and developing strategies to meet these needs?
• The US Army’s future strategy for small arms, identifying near-, mid and long-term objectives and requirements
• The Finnish Defence Forces’ Soldier Modernisation study “Finnish Warrior 2020” and plans to upgrade the 7.62mm assault rifle
• Insight into plans to develop a future small arms family as part of the Royal Netherlands Army’s Improved Operational Soldier System (VOSS) Developments in Support Weapons
• US Marine Corps efforts to increase accuracy and service life of crew-served weapons through the development of advanced lightweight materials and an examination of the future of the “Small Machine Gun” Operational feedback
• An examination of the application of force and suitable tools in current engagements, based on the experience of US Army’s 1st Battalion in Afghanistan Developing TTP for Dismounted Close Combat
• Critical insight into the Swedish Land Warfare Centre’s “Squad 2010” study and TTP for small units

Confirmed Speakers Include:

• Colonel Robert Radcliffe, Director of Combat Developments, Infantry Centre, US Army
• Colonel Ilkka Pitkanen, Inspector of Infantry, Finnish Defence Forces
• Colonel Erich Weissenböck, Head of Precision Engagement, European Defence Agency
• Lieutenant Colonel Chris Cavoli, Deputy Director, Programme in Security Stability, Transition and Reconstruction, College of International and Security Studies, George C. Marshall European Centre for Security Studies
• Lieutenant Colonel Alan Middleton, British Exchange Officer, German Infantry School, Bundeswehr
• Patrick Cantwell, Small Arms, Crew-Served and Anti-Armour Weapons Capabilities Integration, Fires and Manouevre Integration Division, US Marine Corps Combat Development Command
• Major Tom Henthorn, Chief Small Arms Division, Infantry Centre, US Army
• Lennart Ljungfelt, President, Aimpoint
• Major Frans van Weenen, Project Manager Weapons & Sensors, Soldier Modernisation Office, Netherlands MoD
• James Kessen, OJT Systems Officer, HQ Department of the Army
• Pascal Paulissen, Project Lead Small Arms Research, TNO Defence Security and Safety
• Rune Neslaund, Project Manager Soldier Systems, Norwegian Defence Procurement Agency
• Major Stefan Andersson, Project Lead, Land Warfare Centre, Swedish Armed Forces
• Scott Bradley, LFIT Lead, System Design Evaluation
• Jarl Eirik Straume, Director Marketing and Sales, Nammo
• David Schiller, Editor-In-Chief, Visier International Weapons Magazine
• B. "Bert" Roethlisberger, Director – International Sales Defense & Law Enforcement, RUAG Ammotec AG
• Werner Knubel, Product manager, RUAG Ammotec AG
• Ignasi Perez, European Business & New Product, Development Manager, Peli

Last year delegations came from a wide rang of military organisations, including:

German Infantry School Danish Army Combat Centre Netherlands MoD European Defence Agency Canadian Forces Italian Army US Marine Corps US Special Operations Command Norwegian Armed Forces Belgian Army German MoD

Irish Defence Forces Estonian Defence Forces US Military Academy British Army Polish MoD Royal Netherlands Army Latvian Armed Forces Austrian MoD FMV Swedish Defence Materiel Administration UK MoD US Army

If you are not yet ready to register, feel free to request a reminder nearer the time.

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[ Register Now] · [ Next: Conference Day One: 27th October 2008 ]