09.00 Chairman’s Welcome And Opening Speech

Group Captain (ret’d) Dave Bernard
Former Head of Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency (UK MoD)
Defence Consultant

09.10 Background To Armour Protection And An Integrated Approach To Developing Protection With Load Carriage In The Contemporary Environment

• Assessing the contemporary threat and operational environment facing the modern soldier
• Current operational and financial constraints
• Development of systems through Urgent Operational Requirements
• (UORs) and ensuring integration compatibility
• Integration of protective systems within soldier modernisation programmes for the future soldier

Lieutenant Colonel (ret’d) Nick Beyts
Royal Marines, Director
Beyts Associates

09.50 Reducing The Burden On The Current Infantryman On Operations

• The current problem
• Measures to reduce the burden:
  • New Helmet
  • New Body Armour
  • Under Body Armour Cooling
  • Water carriage/filtration
  • Load carriage
• Camouflage development for operations
• Links to PECOC

11.00 Infantry Combat Equipment: Lightening The Load

• Design and test of body armour and related equipment
• Weight reduction, improved functionality and capabilities
• Requirements to adapt to dynamic environments

Lieutenant Colonel Arthur (AJ) Pasagian
Project Manager Infantry Combat Equipment
US Marine Corps

11.40 The Romanian Individual Fighting System (RIFS): Understanding The Implications Of Human Factors On Your Requirements For A Harmonised Man-Machine Interface

• Understanding the physical limitations to the amount of equipment individual soldiers can carry
• Configuring the system to the needs of your soldier, challenges faced and what has been done to overcome these issues
• Factors like heat and weight distribution on operational efficiency and initiatives to explore ergonomic and human limitations

Colonel Liviu Cosereanu
Programme Manager, RFIS, Military Equipment and Technologies Research Agency
Romanian Armed Forces

13.30 Centre For Army Lessons Learned: Defining What The Warfighters Need And Reducing The Burden

• Day to day operations: basic kit provision for the US Army
• Engaging with soldiers and defining equipment challenges
• Delivery of scalable armour and providing protection for individual missions
• Ensuring every soldier is the most lethal, survivable and comfortable as possible

Larry Hollars
Deputy Director, Center for Army Lessons Learned
US Army

14.10 Protection Developments For The Finnish Warrior Programme

• Strategic direction for clothing and protective equipment
• Project management and assessing requirement and budget restraints
• Integration and training needs
• Timeline for delivery

Major Tapio Saarelainen
Programme Manager Finnish Warrior
Finnish Defence Forces

15.20 Challenges For Belgian Troops Abroad And Paving The Way For The Future

• Challenges faced with Belgian troops abroad since 1993
• Equipment specified and procured and additional technical issues with material development
• Assessment of lightweight armour and associated research at the
• Weapons Systems and Ballistics Department

Colonel Thierry Vandeveld
Assistant Professor, Department Weapon Systems and Ballistics, Royal Military Academy
Belgian Defence

16.00 Counter IED Measures And Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Protective Challenges

• Stresses and challenges for the EOD operators
• Current technology for EOD equipment and industry problems with materials development
• IED identification and jamming technology
• Future for EOD for the US Army

Lieutenant Colonel Leland Browning
EOD Branch Chief, Adaptive Networks, Threats and Solutions
US Army

16.40 Close Of Day One