Insights from our Past Speakers

Chairman Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent delivers a welcome interview for everybody attending this years Surface Warships & OPV conference. He answers questions such as:

• Why is this conference important?
• What are the big acquisition and capability questions for navies/industry?
• What can the navy /attendees expect to get out of the conference?
• Will there be enough opportunities for navies and industries to get together to consider the biggest issues?

With these core questions he sets the tone and the importance of the conference, and it is an opportunity for industry and end users alike.

Future surface forces must be able to strike harder, faster and with greater reach and this will only be achieved with a step change in availability and sustainability through lean-crewed and uncrewed vessels and supporting machines, as well as an integrated, digital design which will support a dispersed hybrid force of both overt and covert capabilities that is integrated with partners...

From a historical perspective and analysing current and possible future challenges at regional and global levels, observing the transformation of the strategic political and military environment, with more complex international systems, it is more and more obvious that we need to develop, transform, and adjust our political, economic, military, and social relationships, at both domestic and international levels.

Future surface forces must be able to strike harder, faster and with greater reach and this will only be achieved with a step change in availability and sustainability through lean-crewed and uncrewed vessels and supporting machines, as well as an integrated, digital design which will support a dispersed hybrid force of both overt and covert capabilities that is integrated with partners...

From a historical perspective and analysing current and possible future challenges at regional and global levels, observing the transformation of the strategic political and military environment, with more complex international systems, it is more and more obvious that we need to develop, transform, and adjust our political, economic, military, and social relationships, at both domestic and international levels.

Vice Admiral Manuel Antonio Martinez Ruiz, Director for Engineering and Naval Shipbuilding of the Spanish Navy delivers a succinct and knowledgeable insight into the Industry and Navy partnerships, particularly relevant for the Spanish Navy but also denoting global trends in the sector. This interview offers an insight into:

• Trends in the Naval Market
• Concerns and recommendation held by Navies
• How the Spanish Navy is conceptualising shipbuilding

Vice Admiral Malloy explains here the US Navy’s strategic environment, its focus on strengthening alliances and attract new partnerships, and its strategy in each region of the globe. 

Rear Admiral Torben Mikkelsen of the Danish Navy and Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent, former commander of the Royal Navy, discuss multi-modularity in future operations as part of Defence iQ's 2021 Surface Warships event.

In his presentation, Vice Admiral Gouveia e Melo outlines the current model of the Portuguese Navy and what his vision is for its future surface fleet. 

As part of Defence iQ's 2021 Surface Warships conference, Rear Admiral Torben Mikkelsen of the Danish Navy and Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent, the former commander of the Royal Navy, discussed multi-modularity in future operations on the third and final day of the January event.

Recent tensions in the Balkans and the South China Sea have highlighted the strategic importance for countries to expand their military influence without boots on the ground. It is in this context that large and smaller navies from across the globe will meet at the ninth iteration of the Surface Warships conference. Chairman Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent KCB CBE, former Commander-in-Chief Fleet of the Royal Navy explains here the political and operational context surrounding the conference, the type of solutions navies will need to overcome their challenges and what to expect at Surface Warships next January.

The focus of Rear Admiral Romero’s presentation is the challenges of the Peruvian Navy and its strategic roles in a global context.

Through initiatives such as NavyX, Project Nelson and the Information Warrior exercise, the Royal Navy is pushing the integration of innovation in its fleet, in order to prepare for the future operating environment.

Ahead of Surface Warships 2020, Defence IQ gained exclusive insight from one of the conference’s key speakers, Rear Admiral Andrew Burns OBE, Commander UK Maritime Strike Force & Rear Admiral Surface Ships, Royal Navy. In this interview, he discusses the top technological areas the Royal Navy is focusing on, the integration of these technologies onto the Type 26 and Type 31 platforms, the main objectives of the National Shipbuilding Strategy and the definition of disruptive innovation in the future naval operating environment.

Download the interview now >>

By downloading the interview, you will:

• Gain insider insight into the integration of innovation in the Royal Navy’s surface fleet 
• Learn more about the objectives of the Royal Navy’s National Shipbuilding Strategy
• Have a better understanding of the Royal Navy’s vision for its future surface warships fleet

In this interview, Rear Admiral Burns answers the following questions:

• There is currently a strong push for innovation within the Royal Navy, highlighted by NavyX, Programme Nelson and the Information Warrior exercise conducted since 2016. Could you tell us more about the top technological trends that are currently shaping naval requirements?
• For each of these trends, could you tell us their main advantages, challenges and implications if integrated in existing fleets?
• With the recent decision on the Type31e frigate, the RN is undergoing a transformation. What are the main objectives of the vigorous national shipbuilding strategy? How will it change the makeup of the fleet and future operations? 
• Could you explain your view of a surface warships fleet in the future? What does that mean for ship design, autonomous systems integration, telecommunications systems, sensors etc.?
• Lastly, how would you define disruptive innovation in the future naval operating environment?

Rear Admiral Burns will give a presentation on transforming the Navy for operations in the digital era. To view who will join him, you can download the full conference agenda here.

Mr Sellier discusses in his presentation the French Navy’s military planning law 2019-2025 and outlines the renewal of its operational capabilities. 

Mr Posthumus explains here the need for technology change in the context of the replacement of the M-Class frigates, the replacement of the MCM Alkmaar Class and the new Combat Support Ship of the Royal Netherlands Navy.

"In the age of high cost and shrinking budgets, sometimes the best choice is to modernise, not replace," said the U.S. Navy’s Captain James Dick, Program Manager at International Fleet Support and Ship Transfer. In this interview, Captain Dick offers his insight into the future role of warships, with a particular focus on the modernisation of warship platforms over the coming years.

Communication and data sharing are a vital element of successful combined operations and C2 structures across all allied systems must be interoperable and compatible in order to achieve true interoperability.

Ahead of Surface Warships 2018, we had the opportunity to discuss with Commander Andreas Uhl from the Department of Planning in the Group Future Development of the German Navy and speaker at the conference, on the need for better interoperability between allies during multinational operations and what needs to be done to make 'interoperability-by-design' a reality.

The current threat context requires navies from across the globe to find and use the right training tools to enable their fleet to achieve overall readiness at all times. Technology is to have a huge impact on the training landscape, but the real challenge now is to use it in the right conditions. 

Ahead of the eighth annual Surface Warships conference, Defence IQ asked Andy Fawkes, consultant and former UK Ministry of Defence simulation policy lead and speaker at the 2018 edition about his views on the ever-changing training systems and simulation landscape, their relevance in the current threat context, how technology can improve training and how he sees the future of naval training.