The industry's recognized authority for design, engineering and application of equipment and services in the global ocean community
Issue link: http://sea-technology.epubxp.com/i/679071
www.sea-technology.com May 2016 / st 17 M ore than 1,200 military personnel, industry leaders, researchers and academics attend Undersea Defence Technology (UDT), which annually pro- vides a world-class platform to discuss technology developments, understand the latest requirements and present inno- vative solutions that can be exploited in the underwater domain. UDT 2016 will take place June 1 to 3 in Norges Varemesse Convention Center in Oslo, Norway. Oslo is the economic and governmen- tal center of Norway. The city is a hub of Norwegian maritime industries and trade in Europe and is home to many compa- nies within the maritime sector, some that are among the world's largest shipping companies, shipbrokers and insur- ance brokers. Elling Tveit, director of the maritime systems division of the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, will be the conference committee chair for UDT 2016. He brings to UDT extensive experience as a researcher and has spent a year at the Space Naval Warfare Systems Center in San Diego, California. "The recent evolution of the international political situ- ation has changed how we look at our defense," said Tveit. "The focus has shifted back to territorial defense and po- tential high-intensity conficts with a capable opponent. Si- multaneously, our need to maintain capability to support international and perform peace time operations related to maritime security remains critical." ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is the platinum partner for the 2016 show. Founded in 2005, they are a group and holding company of providers of naval vessels, surface ships and submarines. Saab Group is a gold partner for the show. Expanded Conference Agenda "Balancing Capability through Balanced Investment" is the overall theme of the UDT 2016 conference. UDT is renowned for its responsiveness to signifcant develop- ments in the subsea environment, not least in countering the evolving threat portfolio. This is refected in the 2016 agenda, which encompasses submarines, subsea concepts, AUVs and sonar. Prominence is given to autonomous vehicles in a conference stream that includes the topics of subsea concepts and technology, AUV as a counter- measure, mission management and the MCM survey. The future of unmanned subsea presence will also be examined. Operational drivers and imperatives are always a high priority, and the issues under the spotlight include weapons and payload systems, ASW capability development and the communications challenge in the UW battlespace. Escape, search and rescue is another crucially important subject area, and examples of current technology will be on display in the UDT exhibition running in tandem with the conference. UDT's platform design content is widely recognized as an authoritative source of learning, and this year's agenda will look at submarine design. UDT Plenary Sessions Attendees will gain valuable experience from UDT 2016. On each day there will be a panel and keynote by senior of- fcers, which can be attended by all visitors. The opening keynote speakers and panel for UDT 2016 will present a range of views from various defense offcials and maritime companies. The panel has members from the Royal Navy and the Netherlands to talk about collaboration and cooperation in future underwater defense programs. The second day of UDT will open with a focus on the conference theme, "Balancing Capablility through Bal- anced Investment." A panel drawn from senior military and industry speakers will present their programs, followed by a Q&A.; For more information or to register, visit www.UDT-glob al.com. ST Exhibitors List The following list of exhibitors was updated as of press time: AEROMARITIME Systembau GmbH Airbus DS Optronics Undersea Defence Technology ST Conference Preview