UK: According to Wayne Buck, Modelling & Simulation Analyst with Allied Command Transformation at NATO; "ITEC acts as a unique forum in which we can educate our customers on our existing developments while simultaneously receiving informed guidance for our future work". This year the event is set to build upon its historic engagement with NATO by hosting a series of strategic Alliance initiatives. The expected decline in NATO's operational tempo, following the change of mission in Afghanistan scheduled for the year's end, is set to deliver a renewed emphasis on Military Simulation and Training (MS&T) capacity as Alliance partners shift from deployment to preparing for new challenges. "Direct interaction between customers and suppliers is crucial if we are to deliver an efficient military simulation and training market within the Alliance's borders. In light of this, NATO's Modelling and Simulation Forum has been strategically aligned to run alongside ITEC,” said Wayne Buck.
Consequently the Simulation Interoperability Standards Organisation (SISO) will conduct its third Modelling and Simulation (M&S) seminar at ITEC 2014. The event, which is free for ITEC visitors to attend, will be held on 19 May; a day before the ITEC exhibition and conference officially opens at the Cologne Messe, Germany, from 20-22 May. SISO's full-day seminar will introduce typical implementations of its M&S standards, guidance and reference products; providing delegates will the opportunity to engage in thought-leading debate and hear plans for the evolution of international standards for distributed simulations.
Meanwhile the opening day of the ITEC conference will witness, among other programme highlights, two sessions entitled; 'The Connected Forces Initiative in Nations' – moderated by Brigadier General DZ Roga, Assistant Chief of Staff, Joint Education, Training and Exercises, Allied Command Transformation – and 'Industry Involvement in Trident Juncture 15'. The former will provide an update on how nations are implementing the Connected Forces Initiative – a policy designed to maintain NATO's combat effectiveness via expanded education and training through improved technology use – via a high-profile panel including: Vice Admiral Christian Canova, Deputy Commander, NATO Maritime Command; Major General Rosario Castellano, Chief of Staff, NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy; Brigadier General Richard Nixon-Eckersall, Chief Training and Security Force Assistance, Allied Rapid Reaction Corps; and Brigadier General Wojciech Grabowski, Commander, Joint Force Training Centre. Following this session, discussion will move to the latest developments for exercise Trident Juncture, which is scheduled to be launched in 2015. Moderator Wayne Buck, will host an informed duo of panelists: Brigadier General DZ Roga and Dr Eric Pouliquen, Branch Head, Future Technologies and M&S, Allied Command Transformation. The aim of the discussion will be to offer industry representatives an outline of the plan for the exercise, suggest areas for involvement, and propose next steps.
The opening session of the second day, entitled '2020 Technology Vision', will be hosted by Brigadier General Gerd Bischof, Director Academic Planning at the NATO Defence College. In his opinion: "ITEC is important for education planners: they see state of the art technology and they have the opportunity to exchange with experts on the future of education and training". His presentation will focus upon the inevitable integration of Information Technology (IT) into the learning process, the limits of IT as a teaching tool and the economic case for its incorporation into modern systems.
The final day of the conference will witness a segment entitled 'Special Operating Forces Medical Specialists Using Simulation'. Moderated by Lieutenant Colonel (Dr) Daniel Irizarry, Medical Advisor/Command Surgeon at NATO SOF HQ, the session will host a panel of experts whose focus will be the use of simulation and other advanced technology in training and education within their respective organisations.
Source: ITEC
