THE WORLD'S LEADING CONFERENCE BRINGING TOGETHER
THE GREATEST MINDS ACROSS COMBAT AVIATION
4-6 nOVEMBER 2025| Italy
Day One | 5 November
7:15 am - 8:15 am
REGISTRATION AND REFRESHMENTS
7:55 am - 8:00 am
DEFENCE iQ WELCOME
8:00 am - 8:05 am
CHAIRMENS' OPENING REMARK
General (Ret.) Frank Gorenc -
Former Commander,
USAFE/AFAFRICA
Lieutenant General (Ret'd) Klaus-Peter Stieglitz - Former Commander, German Air Force
8:25 am - 8:30 am
AIRBUS & EUROFIGHTER WELCOME REMARKS
8:30 am - 9:00 am
HOST NATION ADDRESS: THE FUTURE OF THE GERMAN AIR FORCE
Lieutenant General Günter Katz -
Commanding General Air Force Forces Command,
German Air Force
- Integrating advanced technology such as unmanned systems and artificial intelligence into operations to ensure air combat capabilities are ready for the challenges of the future fight
- Meeting the challenges of the evolving threat landscape as adversaries continue to develop their capabilities
- Maintaining the tactical advantage and readiness of the Air Force through continued improvements and further training
9:00 am - 9:30 am
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS BY AIRBUS
STRATEGIC OVERVIEW OF AIR POWER
9:30 am - 10:00 am
THE US THIRD AIR FORCE PRIORITIES IN AN ERA OF STRATEGIC COMPETITION
Major General Paul Moga -
Commander, Third Air Force,
U.S. Air Force
- Coordinating operations across challenging regions and a large area of responsibility
- Unique operational requirements
- Update on 52nd Fighter Wing support plan
10:00 am - 10:30 am
EXAMINING CURRENT NATO AIR CAPABILITIES AGAINST CURRENT THREATS
Justin Bronk -
Senior Research Fellow for Airpower,
RUSI
- Key observations from the conflict in Ukraine as allies offer air support
- Continued development of NATO air combat capabilities to ensure effective deterrence of aggression
- Essential areas for improvement to sustain air superiority in the face of emerging threats
10:30 am - 11:00 am
IMPLICATIONS OF AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL DEFENCE STRATEGY
Air Commodore Pete Robinson -
Commander, Air Combat Group,
Royal Australian Air Force
- Changes for Australia’s current and future Air Combat capability
- Increasing Air Combat mass, lethality and survivability
- Lessons from Pitch Black 24
11:00 am - 11:30 am
MORNING COFFEE AND NETWORKING
OBSERVATIONS FROM CURRENT CONFLICTS
11:30 am - 12:00 pm
NEW REALITIES: COMBAT OPERATIONS AGAINST CURRENT UAS THREATS
Lieutenant General Derek C. France -
Commander, 9th Air Force, USAF Central,
U.S. Air Force
- How to counter an adversary employing mass & simplicity with speed, precision and economy of force
- The importance of operation art, effective C2, and innovation in conducting modern combat operations
- Observations from recent conflicts and their impact on future operations
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS BY EUROFIGHTER
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm
HUNGARY’S ROLE IN THE DEFENCE OF EASTERN EUROPEAN AIRSPACE
Brigadier General Csaba Ugrik -
Flight Director,
Hungarian Defence Forces
- Key points to learn from the Ukraine conflict and their impact on future strategies
- Securing Eastern European skies through presence and deterrence
- Expanding the Gripen fleet to support more advanced air operations
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
LUNCH AND NETWORKING
FUTURE AIR DOMINANCE
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm
GCAP & FCAS UPDATE FROM THE UK
- Updates on Tempest development to improve air combat capabilities and address evolving threats
- Progress on GCAP negotiations
- Importance of collaboration for future fighter aircraft capabilities
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS BY BOEING
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
FRANCE’S FUTURE AIR COMBAT CAPABILITIES
Major General Jean-Luc Moritz -
FCAS Project Operational Chief,
French Air and Space Force
- Current French air combat capabilities and upcoming requirements
- Moving towards collaborative air warfare with allies
- Progress on the NGWS and the French Air and Space Force’s contribution
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
AFTERNOON TEA AND NETWORKING BREAK
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm
MAINTAINING AIR DOMINANCE
Lieutenant General David Tabor -
Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs,
U.S. Air Force
- Updates from the Air Force program of the Future Years Defence Plan
- Progress of the Next Generation Air Dominance program as the USAF looks to secure its advantage in the future
- Addressing the challenge of interoperability across the USAF’s key capabilities
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
INDUSTRY LEADER’S PANEL DISCUSSION
- How can industry support the needs of operators to balance capabilities with affordability?
- What do industry see as the requirements for achieving future air dominance and how will these requirements translate to capability for sixth generation platforms?
- With the need to rapidly expand production capacity for weapon systems, how can the customer support this process? How have assessments of necessary stockpiles changed?
- From an industry perspective, does there need to be a shift in training priorities towards essential mission sets and what rapid support can industry provide?
- How do industry experts view the future of autonomous capabilities for fighter platforms?
5:30 pm - 6:00 pm
NGWS WITHIN THE FCAS PROGRAMME: SHAPING THE FUTURE OF COMBAT AIR
Colonel Emmanuel Thomé -
Programme Director, Head of the Combined Project Team (France, Germany and Spain),
FCAS/NGWS
- Defining requirements for the sixth generation of European air combat capabilities and remote carriers
- Pairing remote vehicles with fighter aircraft to enhance operations and lethality
- The importance of working with allies to identify priorities and development opportunities
- Leveraging innovation and technological breakthroughs with non-traditional players
Colonel Emmanuel Thomé
Programme Director, Head of the Combined Project Team (France, Germany and Spain)FCAS/NGWS
6:00 pm - 6:10 pm
CHAIRMEN’S CLOSING REMARKS
Lieutenant General (Ret'd) Klaus-Peter Stieglitz -
Former Commander,
German Air Force
General (Ret.) Frank Gorenc - Former Commander, USAFE/AFAFRICA
