ADM’s 15th annual Congress once again gathers the top thinkers and leaders in the Defence community to examine the year that was and set the agenda for the year ahead.
With 2018 seeing a number of major project milestones in the offing, ADM2018 is an excellent way to start the year. Perhaps the most interesting speakers will be the various CEOs of defence primes jockeying to win programs due for contract award in coming months – Land 400 Phase 2 and Sea 5000 to name a few.
Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne will speak at the welcoming drinks on the eve of the event, no doubt offering his view on how the new Defence Export Strategy fits into the policy ecosystem and providing an update on the wider expectations of Government in regard to Defence.
Minister Pyne in particular has been very active in his role, spruiking the benefits of an active and diverse Defence industry base to support the ADF but also the wider Australian economy with a push towards exporting now part of the conversation.
Chief of Army Lieutenant General Angus Campbell and Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Leo Davies, recently interviewed in our February edition From the Source, will update the expected 450+ delegates on their challenges and programs.
Phase 2 of Army’s Land 400 vehicle program is expected to see a tender awarded later this year and the even larger Phase 3 competition will ramp up in earnest. The upgrading of the Abrams tank fleet (keep an eye out for the March edition for more on this program) and associated support vehicles is also on the cards, with industry being invited to attend an information day the week following the conference.
Air Force is preparing for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF or F-35A) to appear at the end of 2018 as it continues to manage transitions to a number of new platforms.
Kim Gillis, CASG Deputy-Secretary will explain how the Group is performing now that the transformation work under the First Principles Review is beginning to show to those outside of Russell Offices.
Professor John Blaxland from ANU will provide the strategic context for the event while the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Andrew Davies will provide the invaluable annual budget update. This will be a swansong for Davies, a respected thinker in the Defence space, as he will be retiring in coming weeks. His wit and insight, alongside that of fellow soon to be retired Defence budget specialist Mark Thomson, will be sorely missed from the informed Defence debate.
In terms of captains of industry, the line up is impressive. BAE Systems Australia’s new CEO Gabby Costigan will make her first public speech in the role, outlining her expectations for one of the largest Defence companies in the land. With decisions on both Land 400 vehicles and Sea 5000 Future Frigates due sooner rather than later, her insights will be worthwhile.
Gary Stewart, Managing Director, Rheinmetall Defence Australia, will no doubt highlight the benefits of the Boxer vehicle for Land 400 as the German owned company seeks to build on the success of the Land 121 vehicles and new ammunition contracts.
On the naval side of the house Navantia, Fincantieri and Rolls Royce will be on deck looking at how Australian industry can support the $35 billion Future Frigate program.
State government Defence advocates in Marg Staib of the NT, Kate Lundy from the ACT and John Harvey from NSW alongside DefenceSA’s new leader Richard Price will offer insights into the role that state governments play in Defence programs.
ADM2018 gathers not only a stellar line up of speakers but also provides a valuable networking tool for delegates looking to get the latest information on who’s doing what with whom.