HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – On Oct. 8, the Force Protection Division here, in collaboration with the Paul Revere Chapter of the Air Force Association, will host its annual counter-small unmanned aerial system symposium virtually.
Hosted via Zoom, “Defending and Defeating,” will address operational and acquisition opportunities and challenges dealing with C-sUAS. It is free to attend and will begin at 9 a.m. and go through 5 p.m.
Officials encourage program managers, engineers and operators working on C-sUAS or related Department of Defense-related programs, along with industry and academic partners in those areas, to attend.
“The symposium will bring together senior personnel to discuss current and evolving UAS threats, including status updates and trends; existing operational challenges; and new emerging technologies to combat these threats. Given the rapid pace of evolution within the sUAS and C-sUAS world, we think these areas remain ripe for discussion,” said Lt. Col. Paul Hrad, Force Protection Division deputy chief.
Scheduled speakers include U.S. Army Col. Richard Wright, deputy director, Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office and Fires Headquarters, from the Joint Capability Office; Brig. Gen. Roy Collins, director of Security Forces, from the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection; along with Steve Wert, presenting on the program executive officer for Digital’s perspective, and Linda Haines, chief of Hanscom’s Force Protection Division, talking about her office’s work.
“Our division is committed to providing our defenders leading edge capability and equipment to perform their mission,” said Haines. “C-sUAS is a critical and evolving capability in today’s world, and events like these allow all of us supporting those efforts to stay up-to-date.”
Also invited to speak, but not yet confirmed is Brig. Gen. Jason Armagost, director of Operations and Communications, Air Force Global Strike Command.
Haines also talked about the recent designation of the U.S. Army as the DOD Executive Agent for C-sUAS and establishment of the Joint C-sUAS Office, and said she hopes the symposium provides an opportunity to discuss what the interaction between the armed forces looks like moving forward, including how it affects government and industry interaction for new C-sUAS technology within the DOD.
Based on the popularity of the presentation from last year, Archie Stafford, director of Unmanned Systems, Red Six Solutions, LLC, will once again showcase open source threat status and trends. There will also be short industry technical updates throughout the day.
Time has been set aside for questions and answers following each presentation, and attendees should note that all information discussed needs to be appropriate for a public forum.
To see the full agenda or to register go to http://www.paulrevereafa.org/counter-suas-symposium-event-page/. Participants must register by Oct. 2.
“We hope attendees will get a fresh perspective on the changes that have occurred in C-sUAS technology and governance structure, and the ongoing operational challenges that exist since the last C-UAS symposium in 2019,” said Hrad. “In addition to information and resources, the symposium is also an opportunity to discuss creative ways industry and government can work together to get the best products to the warfighter.”
For additional information or questions on the symposium, contact David DeNofrio, president, AFA Paul Revere Chapter, at david.denofrio@ngc.com or 781-685-3727.