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COTS in Defence
6 October - 7 October 2004
COTS in Defence
Over the past decade, COTS (Commercial off-the-shelf) technological products have become increasingly employed in military environments. This conference will address both the hardware and software issues faced by the military in the 21st century through the implementation of these leading edge technological products in defence applications. Government policies on procurement, sustainability, obsolescence, risk evaluation, reliability, and security will be closely examined. COTS in Defence 2004 will respond to the success of last year's inaugural event in providing an overview of Commercial off-the- Shelf systems within global defence.

After the huge success of our inaugural COTS event in 2003, this year's conference promises to be bigger and better than ever.

Lieutenant Colonel Dan Hausauer, Divisions Chief of the USAF had this to say about the 2003 event:
"Excellent conference, great location and facilities briefings top notch"

This year the speaker line-up is exceptional, including senior representatives from: the US Army, UK's Ministry of Defence, Australia's DSTA, Canada's Defence Research and Development Agency, the UK's Royal Navy, and Finland's National Defence College.

Speaker Panel includes:
Wing Commander Keith Bethell, Nimrod SP2, MR4A Integrated Project Team, Defence Procurement Agency, Ministry of Defence, UK
Wing Commander Rodger Pickavance, Avionics Support Group, Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO), Ministry of Defence, UK
Lieutenant Commander Jeremy Franks, CTS, ILS Head of Specialisation, Obsolescence Management, Ministry of Defence, UK
Steve Morris, Astute ASM Integrated Project Team, Royal Navy, Ministry of Defence, UK
Barry Birdsong, Chairman, THAAD Weapons Systems Parts Review Board, US Army Aviation and Missile Command
Ted Glum, Director, US Defence Microelectronics Activity (DMEA)
John Hutchings, Project Manager, Land 125 (Wundurra), DSTA Australia
Tim Banfield, Defence Director, National Audit Office, UK
Anatol Kark, Group Leader, Software Engineering Group, National Research Council (NRC), Canada
Robert Inkol, Principal Scientific Authority, Defence Research and Development, Canada
Professor Jorma Jormakka, Professor, National Defence College & Helsinki University of Technology, Finland .

Conference agenda

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8:30

Registration & Coffee

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9:00

Reconciling COTS and MIL-SPEC requirements

  • COTS versus MCOTS specification routes
  • Functional performance specification
  • Working with the commercial supplier
  • Optimising test and qualification programmes
  • Tailoring the environmental requirements
  • Software auditing
    • The role of modelling in COTS testing
    • Structural analysis
    • Thermal analysis
    • Expertise required for the MIL-SPEC qualification model
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    11:00

    Morning Coffee

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    11:15

    Qualification case study

  • Introducing MCOTS items for Nimrod MRA4
  • Example evolution of COTS-based hardware
  • Environmental issues
  • Planning for the extended life-cycle
  • Test planning and execution
  • Working with RTCA/DO-178
  • Equipment modifications and version control
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    12:00

    Validation and verification

  • Documentation, audits and the requirements sign-off
  • Ongoing life-cycle support
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    12:30

    Discussion & Questions

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    13:00

    Close of Executive Briefing

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    13:30

    Registration & Coffee

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    14:00

    Deploying COTS hardware in onerous & hostile environments

  • Designs, techniques and processes that attempt to mitigate the restriction of limited environmental operating ranges
  • The key natural environments conditions that need to be considered and overcome
  • The key induced conditions that need to be considered and overcome
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    14:40

    The specialised and surprisingly complex field of rugged system enclosure design, development, manufacture, test and qualification

  • Sourcing a suitable standard COTS enclosure
  • Balancing cost and design integrity
  • Conception to qualification
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    15:20

    Afternoon Tea

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    15:40

    EMC protection – the do’s and the don’ts case study

  • Noisy EMC sources from third party cards
  • Screening of power and I/O wiring
  • Separation or isolation of noisy assemblies within the chassis
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    16:20

    Discussion & Questions – review of the session

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    17:00

    Close of Briefing

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    8:30

    Registration & Coffee

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    9:00

    Chairman's Opening Remarks

    Paul Kennedy

    Paul Kennedy, Independant Consultant, Information Systems and Management Services

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    9:10

    COTS ACQUISITION IN UK DEFENCE

    Tim Banfield

    Tim Banfield, Director of Defence Procurement, National Audit Office

  • Value for money in defence
  • Benefits of smart acquisition
  • COTS within smart acquisition
  • The track record
  • What drives successful acquisition?
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    9:40

    UPGRADED MISSION READINESS THROUGH COTS TECHNOLOGY

    Wing Commander Keith Bethell

    Wing Commander Keith Bethell, Nimrod SP2, MR4A Integrated Project Team, Defence Procurement Agency, Ministry of Defence, UK

  • MRA4 as an example of COTS-based design philosophy
  • Supporting COTS technology on a small fleet
  • Impact of COTS obsolescence on through life support
  • MRA4-an example of how to manage COTS technology through life
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    10:20

    AUSTRALIAN ARMY’S FUTURE COMBAT SYSTEM

    John Hutchings

    John Hutchings, Project Manager, Land 125 (Wundurra), DSTA, Australia

  • Australia’s soldier modernisation programme
  • An explanation of Land 125’s development
  • Engaging industry
  • The benefits of integrating COTS products into Land 125
  • The impact of commercial thought on systems designs
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    11:00

    Morning Coffee

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    11:20

    COTS FROM A CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE

    Robert Inkol

    Robert Inkol, Principal Scientific Authority, Defence Research and Development, Canada

  • SE/MiDAS - a programme overview
  • Technology choices and trade-offs
  • Conformance to Canadian Forces requirements
  • Assessing the success of COTS in MiDAS
  • Ongoing strategy - new monitoring applications
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    12:00

    CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF COTS EQUIPMENT IN MILITARY SYSTEMS

  • Evolution of COTS Review Board
  • Benefits and risks of using COTS in military
  • Development of COTS checklist
  • Evaluation and scoring of candidate COTS
  • Example
  • Risk analysis
  • Conclusion
  • Barry Birdsong

    Barry Birdsong, Chairman THAAD Weapons Systems Parts Review Board, US Army Aviation and Missile Command

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    12:40

    Networking Lunch

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    14:00

    PARTNERING THE PUBLIC SECTOR

  • Engaging with the market
  • Selecting solutions
  • The benefits of a pilot
  • Themes in successful projects
  • George Webb

    George Webb, Managing Director, RAC Software Solutions

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    14:40

    FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

    Professor David Kirkpatrick

    Professor David Kirkpatrick, Head of Defence Engineering Group, University College of London

  • The spectrum of COTS projects
  • COTS in the CADMID process
  • Acquisition strategy of COTS-based systems
  • Budgeting for COTS
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    15:20

    Afternoon Tea

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    15:40

    COTS-BASED SAFETY CRITICAL SYSTEMS

  • Safety issues with COTS
  • Problems of evidence acquisition
  • Making the safety case for COTS use
  • Contracting for safety with COTS
  • Dr Tim Kelly

    Dr Tim Kelly, Lecturer in Critical Systems, University of York

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    16:20

    COTS FOR SHORT AND LONG TERM SUCCESS

    Joey Sevin

    Joey Sevin, Director of Business Development, Radar Business, Mercury Computer Systems

  • Plan for change
  • Risk management
  • Standards
  • Low risk partner
  • Obsolescence protection
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    17:00

    Chairman’s Closing Remarks and Close of Day One

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    8:30

    Re-registration and Coffee

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    9:00

    Chairman's Opening Remarks

    Anatol Kark

    Anatol Kark, Group Leader, Software Engineering Group, National Research Council (NRC), Canada

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    9:10

    EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF OBSOLESCENCE

  • The consequences of ignoring obsolescence
  • Risks over lifecycle disparity
  • Obsolescence strategy and management plans
  • Special considerations for advanced technologies and COTS
  • Ted Glum

    Ted Glum, Director, US Defence Microelectronics Activity (DMEA)

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    9:40

    NETWORK CENTRIC OBSOLESCENCE MANAGEMENT

    Ted Smith

    Ted Smith, Technical Manager, Enterprise Development/Vice President Engineering/Director, QinetiQ/QinetiQ Technology Extension Corporation/National Obsolescence Centre, UK

  • What’s wrong with the present approach?
  • New base level obsolescence management enabling tools
  • Commonality and sharing initiatives
  • Platform and network centric obsolescence management
  • Cost/benefit analysis considerations
  • The complex asset life extension decision process
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    10:20

    OVERCOMING OBSOLESCENCE ASSOCIATED WITH COTS IN DEFENCE SYSTEMS

    Lieutenant Commander Jeremy Franks

    Lieutenant Commander Jeremy Franks, CTS, ILS Head of Specialisation, Obsolescence Management, Ministry of Defence, UK

  • Where are COTS exploited in defence systems?
  • Obsolescence problems associated with COTS usage
  • Effective management control
  • Lessons learnt for the consideration of COTS
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    11:00

    Morning Coffee

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    11:20

    SOFTWARE OPERABILITY ISSUES

    Dr Mark Vigder

    Dr Mark Vigder, Senior Research Officer, National Research Council

  • System heterogeneity
  • Architecture mismatch-rectification
  • Upgrade constraints with system evolution
  • Reliability assessment of COTS in SOS
  • Hardware interaction with alien software
  • COTS and custom code
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    12:00

    MAKING COTS-BASED SYSTEMS SECURE

  • Security issues with COTS (data storage, data transfer)
  • Approaches to make COTS secure
  • Security management
  • Security cost prediction (initial, maintenance and operational)
  • Philip Challans

    Philip Challans, Telecommunications Engineer, QinetiQ

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    12:40

    Networking Lunch

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    14:00

    AIR FORCE APPLICATION

    Wing Commander Rodger Pickavance

    Wing Commander Rodger Pickavance, Avionics Support Group, Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO), Ministry of Defence, UK

  • AFVs and COTS
  • Challenges of FCS and FRES
  • The COTS perspective of AFV vetronics
  • Current issues
  • Future challenges and opportunities
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    15:40

    ROBUSTNESS OF COTS-BASED SYSTEMS

    Martin Blake

    Martin Blake, Business Development Manager, Mektron Systems Ltd

  • Protection and reliability in extreme environments
  • Acceptable levels of tolerance
  • Tailoring and customising for extreme environments
  • The expense of ruggedization on COTS procurement
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    16:20

    MILITARY APPLICATIONS OF COTS-BASED AD HOC NETWORKS

    Professor Jorma Jormakka

    Professor Jorma Jormakka, Professor, National Defence College & Helsinki University of Technology, Finland

  • Military requirements for COTS ad hoc access networks
  • 802.11b/a/g WLAN as an enhancement of the TETRA-based deployable COTS Network concept
  • Shortcomings of 802.11 MAC
  • A better MAC
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    17:00

    Chairman's Closing Remarks and Close of Conference

    Workshops

    Qualifying COTS to MIL-SPEC requirements

    Qualifying COTS to MIL-SPEC requirements

    The Hatton, at etc. venues
    8 October 2004
    London, United Kingdom

    Designing COTS for harsh environments

    Designing COTS for harsh environments

    The Hatton, at etc. venues
    8 October 2004
    London, United Kingdom

    The Hatton, at etc. venues

    51/53 Hatton Garden
    London EC1N 8HN
    United Kingdom

    The Hatton, at etc. venues

    HOTEL BOOKING FORM

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    WHAT IS CPD?

    CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development’. It is essentially a philosophy, which maintains that in order to be effective, learning should be organised and structured. The most common definition is:

    ‘A commitment to structured skills and knowledge enhancement for Personal or Professional competence’

    CPD is a common requirement of individual membership with professional bodies and Institutes. Increasingly, employers also expect their staff to undertake regular CPD activities.

    Undertaken over a period of time, CPD ensures that educational qualifications do not become obsolete, and allows for best practice and professional standards to be upheld.

    CPD can be undertaken through a variety of learning activities including instructor led training courses, seminars and conferences, e:learning modules or structured reading.

    CPD AND PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTES

    There are approximately 470 institutes in the UK across all industry sectors, with a collective membership of circa 4 million professionals, and they all expect their members to undertake CPD.

    For some institutes undertaking CPD is mandatory e.g. accountancy and law, and linked to a licence to practice, for others it’s obligatory. By ensuring that their members undertake CPD, the professional bodies seek to ensure that professional standards, legislative awareness and ethical practices are maintained.

    CPD Schemes often run over the period of a year and the institutes generally provide online tools for their members to record and reflect on their CPD activities.

    TYPICAL CPD SCHEMES AND RECORDING OF CPD (CPD points and hours)

    Professional bodies and Institutes CPD schemes are either structured as ‘Input’ or ‘Output’ based.

    ‘Input’ based schemes list a precise number of CPD hours that individuals must achieve within a given time period. These schemes can also use different ‘currencies’ such as points, merits, units or credits, where an individual must accumulate the number required. These currencies are usually based on time i.e. 1 CPD point = 1 hour of learning.

    ‘Output’ based schemes are learner centred. They require individuals to set learning goals that align to professional competencies, or personal development objectives. These schemes also list different ways to achieve the learning goals e.g. training courses, seminars or e:learning, which enables an individual to complete their CPD through their preferred mode of learning.

    The majority of Input and Output based schemes actively encourage individuals to seek appropriate CPD activities independently.

    As a formal provider of CPD certified activities, SAE Media Group can provide an indication of the learning benefit gained and the typical completion. However, it is ultimately the responsibility of the delegate to evaluate their learning, and record it correctly in line with their professional body’s or employers requirements.

    GLOBAL CPD

    Increasingly, international and emerging markets are ‘professionalising’ their workforces and looking to the UK to benchmark educational standards. The undertaking of CPD is now increasingly expected of any individual employed within today’s global marketplace.

    CPD Certificates

    We can provide a certificate for all our accredited events. To request a CPD certificate for a conference , workshop, master classes you have attended please email events@saemediagroup.com

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