C4ISTAR 2008

09:00, 2 - 3 Oct 2008
Brighton Hilton, 106-121 Kings Road, Brighton

Link to map: multimap

Options	Price
Normal rate	£1,099.00
Government rate Proof of eligibility must be presented	£349.00
Corporate rate	£849.00

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About the event:

Early Bird Discount: Save up to £150 by booking before 31 July 2008.

The last year has seen the introduction of several initiatives to ensure coherence in Network Enabled Capability (NEC) both across the Equipment Plan and other Defence Lines of Development. This year’s RUSI C4ISTAR  conference will examine the implications of these programmes in the short and long term, and also discuss steps to improve the process further.

Structure
The new Military Estimate on Inform and Command has officially scoped the NEC requirements for the MoD. Key milestones for 2012 have also been set by the MoD’s Senior Responsible Owner, and the appointment of a Key Systems Adviser to aid in the design of a long term architecture means the NEC programme will have more rigour and structure. This work is further complemented by the Niteworks and the Systems Engineering and Integration Group (formerly Integration Authority), who are both under new contracts to provide NEC test and simulation expertise, and ensure standardisation respectively across the MoD.

Architecture
Teams in Director General ISTAR and Director General ISS are working hard on an architecture roadmap to avoid further stove-piping and are engaging with industry to understand the best contractual procedures for Future Core Networks. There are discussions across Whitehall to ensure that future systems are more interoperable, particularly in the expeditionary context, while work on security for the Olympics will also help improve interoperability at home.

Constraints & Opportunities
Planning Round 08 (PR08) established that networks and ISTAR are a priority for the Armed Forces, with both sectors emerging relatively unscathed from a year of difficult decisions. However, indications are that PR09 will force further cuts in equipment spending. Urgent Operational Requirements (UOR) remain the single most effective way of improving NEC in theatre, despite concerns over training and increased stove-piping. Yet, starting this year, the MoD will be required to use its equipment budget to pay back 50 per cent of all UORs that are still in service after 2 years, increasing the strain on an already overstretched financial resource.

The RUSI C4ISTAR Conference 2008 will once again bring together key national and international stakeholders to discuss these and other topics, providing a positive and pro-active forum for the fresh discussion of the key issues within the UK’s NEC programme.

Accommodation

Accommodation is not included in the conference fee.  To book accommodation at the Hilton Brighton Metropole please click here.  Alternatively, please contact the in-house reservations team on +44 (0)870 242 1303 or email reservations.brightonmet@hilton.com. Please be sure to quote "RUSI" when booking to receive the best rates available.  

For information regarding alternative accommodation close to the conference venue please click here.

Further information

To discuss sponsorship or speaking opportunities, please contact Elizabeth Quintana at elizabethq@rusi.org or call +44 (0)20 7747 2651.

For any other queries regarding the conference, please contact Rachel Bowden, Event Manager at rachelb@rusi.org or call +44 (0)20 7747 2648.

Event manager: Rachel Bowden, +44(0)20 7747 2648