The 2nd Annual IAMD CοE Conference was held on the 13th and 14th of June 2023 at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC) premises, with the theme: ‘’Integrated Air & Missile Defence: a Valuable Pillar in NATO’s Deterrence and Defence”.
Lieutenant General Georgios KIRIAKOU, Chief of Staff of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS), welcomed the distinguished attendees stressing the importance of Integrated Air and Missile Defense for the Alliance, and its relevance with all operational domains including all the state-of-the-art, scientific, and technological evolutions. He also highlighted the IAMD CoE Level of Ambition, to become an important hub of knowledge, activities, and events for the Alliance, with regard to Integrated Air and Missile Defense.
The Centre Director Brigadier General Nikolaos KOKKONIS at his welcome address analyzed that the primary focus of the Conference is to enhance the effectiveness of Air and Missile Defense Operations through building common understanding. He also emphasized the tasks accomplished since the previous Conference.
The Centre hosted twenty-five (25) distinguished speakers from IAMD domain, academia, and industry, who significantly contributed to the analysis of the current Geostrategic Military Situation and the emerging threats in the Euro-Atlantic area, focusing mainly on Hypersonic Weapons and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) development. They also referred to NATO current and future IAMD challenges as well as the significance of Training, Modelling & Simulation as a valuable tool for the NATO Deterrence and Defense Posture.
The keynote speakers had the opportunity to present important issues related to IAMD community of interest and had fruitful discussions with the audience. In this regard:
- The Commander of 7 (UK) Air Defence Group, Col (OF-5) Graham TAYLOR (UK A) presented the Lessons Learned on IAMD from the war in Ukraine and how they should shape NATO’s IAMD capabilities.
- The Deputy Commander of the 10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command, Col Lisa BARTEL (US A) elaborated NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept and highlighted how it enhances IAMD.
- The Head of the Counterterrorism Section in the Emerging Security Challenges Division in NATO HQ, Mr. Gabriele CASCONE referred to the ongoing efforts in Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) in NATO.
- The representative of the Integrated Air & Missile Defence Section, NATO International Staff, Defence Investment Division, Armament & Aerospace Capabilities Directorate (IS DI A&ACAP), Mr. Bogusz MADEJ’s presentation focused on the way NATO will meet current and future IAMD challenges.
The Conference was attended by 130 participants from 21 NATO Nations, International Organizations, the academic community, and representatives from the defence industry. Hellenic Air Force General Staff (HAFGS) was represented by Major General Ioannis BIRMPILIS. The Conference was also attended by the Director of the Transformation Branch of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS) Brigadier General Nikolaos GIAPRAKAS, the Director of the HAFGS Air Defence Branch Brigadier General Adamantios SOURRIS, the Director of Staff Element Europe/Flag Officer General Officer (FOGO) Champion for the IAMD CoE from the Allied Command Transformation (ACT) Brigadier General Franz CHAPUIS (FRA), and the Deputy Commander of the Italian Air Force & Space Operations Command Brigadier General Luca MAINERI (ITA).
