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Future Armoured Vehicles Central and Eastern Europe
19 May - 20 May 2025
Future Armoured Vehicles Central and Eastern Europe

SAE Media Group is delighted to announce that the Future Armoured Vehicles Central & Eastern Europe conference will return to Prague for its 11th year between the 19-20 May 2025.

The Future Armoured Vehicles Central and Eastern Europe conference is the premier meeting for armoured vehicle programme managers and military commanders from within the Central and Eastern European region.

In response to the ever-increasing digitalisation of the modern battlefield, and the emergence of new near-peer adversaries, there is a continuing requirement for the modernisation of armoured vehicle systems across the region.

A world class event focused on military vehicles based in Europe, assisting with the continued learning and development of armoured vehicle programme managers and practitioners through briefings, panel sessions and focused discussion groups.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Brigadier General Zdenek  Mikula

Brigadier General Zdenek Mikula

Commander, 7th Mechanized Brigade, Land Forces, Army of the Czech Republic
Colonel Jan Lagana

Colonel Jan Lagana

Deputy Chief of Capability programs Department, Strategic planning stuff, General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces
Colonel Zsolt Szabo

Colonel Zsolt Szabo

Deputy Office Director, Hungarian Defence Forces
Major General Adrian Ciolponea

Major General Adrian Ciolponea

Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Representative in Europe, NATO

Brigadier General Zdenek Mikula

Commander, 7th Mechanized Brigade, Land Forces, Army of the Czech Republic
Brigadier General Zdenek  Mikula

Colonel Antonio Llorens Perez

PM Pizarro, Spanish Army
Colonel Antonio Llorens Perez

Colonel Jan Lagana

Deputy Chief of Capability programs Department, Strategic planning stuff, General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces
Colonel Jan Lagana

Colonel Niklas Edelsvard

Deputy Senior National Representative Army, Swedish FMV
Colonel Niklas Edelsvard

Colonel Peter Cowell

Senior Army Advisor, UK Defence Security & Exports , UK Defence and Security Exports
Colonel Peter Cowell

Colonel Zsolt Szabo

Deputy Office Director, Hungarian Defence Forces
Colonel Zsolt Szabo

Lieutenant Frank Lobitz

Project manager of the German LEOPARD 2 fleet and Chairman of the LEOBEN working group in-service use / technic, Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr
Lieutenant Frank Lobitz

Lieutenant Riku Rantakari

Senior Staff Officer, FDF
Lieutenant Riku Rantakari

Major (Ret'd) Kamil Balwar

Desk Officer - Project Manager MBT, Czech Armed Forces
Major (Ret'd) Kamil Balwar

Major Angel Cea

Techincal Responsible Pizarro Program, DGAM
Major Angel Cea

Major General Adrian Ciolponea

Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Representative in Europe, NATO
Major General Adrian Ciolponea

Mr Cesar Pousa

Senior Project Officer, Land Combat Vehicles - Tactical Land Systems, NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA)
Mr Cesar Pousa

Mr Mario Blokken

Director PSec, Finabel - The European Land Force Commanders Organisation
Mr Mario Blokken

Mr Matthew West

Deputy Technical Section Leader, OCCAR-EA
Mr Matthew West

Mr Miha Matek

Head of Project Management Section, Armament Division, Slovenian Ministry of Defence
Mr Miha Matek

Mr Tugrul Apa

Program Manager Main Battle Tank Systems, SSB
Mr Tugrul Apa

Ms Matilda Agren

Scientist, FOI
Ms Matilda Agren

Senior Representative

, Lithuanian Polish Ukrainian Brigade
Senior Representative

Who should attend:

National militaries:

  • Military armoured vehicle specialists and commanding officers
  • Military Land Forces representatives
  • Government personnel working in the development and procurement of armoured vehicle capabilities in the CEE region

Industry:

  • Businesses looking to break into the regional market to demonstrate their products to the only regionally focussed armoured vehicle event
  • Established players in the regional market who wish to strengthen their brand
  • Developers and innovators in military technology

Here's why you can't miss this event:

Unlike the rest of the Future Armoured Vehicles portfolio, Future Armoured Vehicles Central & Eastern Europe conference focusses on all aspects of armoured vehicle development, including situational awareness, weapons systems or lethality, and armoured protection or survivability.

Key focusses include standards of interoperability for armoured systems with NATO allies, training and operational standards for armoured units, the sustainment of armoured vehicle fleets and modernisation/procurement plans for future armoured vehicle fleets.

sponsors

Conference agenda

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8:30

Registration & Coffee

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8:50

Chairman's Opening Remarks

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9:00

The 7th Mechanised Brigade — Overcoming Europe’s Security Challenges with Enhanced Armoured Capabilities

Brigadier General Zdenek  Mikula

Brigadier General Zdenek Mikula, Commander, 7th Mechanized Brigade, Land Forces, Army of the Czech Republic

  •  Modernisation plans and technical operational requirements for the 7th Mechanised Brigade
  • New capabilities from the delivery of the Leopard 2 A4 MBTs
  • Integration of the CV90 for enhanced combined arms operations
  • Adapting to lessons learned from the Russo-Ukrainian War
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    9:30

    The Next Generation of Polish Armoured Fighting Vehicles and the Future of Armoured Warfare

    Senior Representative

    Senior Representative, Army Inspectorate, Polish Armed Forces

  •  Capabilities and challenges of armoured formations in the modern environment
  • The complexities and benefits of multiple armoured vehicles platforms
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    10:00

    Modernisation Priorities for Future Hungarian Armoured Platforms

    Colonel Zsolt Szabo

    Colonel Zsolt Szabo, Deputy Office Director, Hungarian Defence Forces

  • Current Armoured Capabilities within the HDF
  • Intended Future Capabilities
  • Overview of Defence procurement
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    10:30

    Morning Coffee

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    11:00

    Slovakia’s Armoured Vehicle Nowadays and Modernisation Requirements

    Colonel Jan Lagana

    Colonel Jan Lagana, Deputy Chief of Capability programs Department, Strategic planning stuff, General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces

  •  An overview of the current armoured capabilities of Slovak Armoured forces
  • Introduction of the Patria 8x8 AFV and CV90 IFV – enhanced firepower and mobility
  • Modernisation priorities for the Slovak Armed Forces resulting from lessons learned in Ukraine
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    11:30

    Session Reserved for Sponsor

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    12:00

    Leopard 2 MBT: Development and German Army Service

    Lieutenant Frank Lobitz

    Lieutenant Frank Lobitz, Project manager of the German LEOPARD 2 fleet and Chairman of the LEOBEN working group in-service use / technic, Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr

  • Overview of the Leopard 2
  • Current projects on Leopard
  • Intended Future Developments
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    12:30

    Networking Lunch

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    13:30

    CV90 in the Swedish Armed Forces

    Colonel Niklas Edelsvard

    Colonel Niklas Edelsvard, Deputy Senior National Representative Army, Swedish FMV

  • The role of CV90 and recent survivability developments
  • Successes and Challenges of modernisation efforts on the CV90
  • Lethality and situational awareness as forms of survivability
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    14:00

    Session Reserved for Sponsor

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    14:30

    Ensuring Future ARmoured Vehicles are deisgned with the Human in mind

    Ms Matilda Agren

    Ms Matilda Agren, Scientist, FOI

  • Human Centric Design
  • The Future of Armoured Ergonomics
  • Getting the most possible out of crews
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    15:00

    Afternoon Tea

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    15:30

    Delivering European Armoured Interoperability to Meet New Threats and Challenges

    Mr Mario Blokken

    Mr Mario Blokken, Director PSec, Finabel - The European Land Force Commanders Organisation

  •  The mission of the EAIC in promoting European interoperability of land forces and maintaining Euro-Atlantic security
  • Developing diverse approaches to land force interoperability in Europe
  • Challenges to European interoperability
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    16:00

    Session Reserved for Sponsor - Milrem Robotics

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    16:30

    The BOXER Programme - Collaborative Multi-Nation Procurement and the Development of New Variants for Future Operations

    Mr Matthew West

    Mr Matthew West, Deputy Technical Section Leader, OCCAR-EA

  •  An overview of the BOXER programme – Member nations and key partners
  • Collaborative multi-national development of the BOXER
  • Meeting future threats – Planned C-UAS & short-range air defence, logistics, heavy weapon and joint fi re support variants of the BOXER
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    17:00

    Chairman’s Closing Remarks and Close of Day One

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    8:00

    Chairman's Opening Remarks

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    8:30

    Registration & Coffee

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    9:00

    Future innovation in Land Warfare and the need for international interoperability of armoured units

    Major General Adrian Ciolponea

    Major General Adrian Ciolponea, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Representative in Europe, NATO

  • The need for modernisation of armoured forces in Europe
  • The future of armoured warfare in Europe
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    9:30

    Working Towards International Collaboration

    Senior Representative

    Senior Representative, , Lithuanian Polish Ukrainian Brigade

  • Overview & Structure of the Brigade
  • Current Brigade Capabilities
  • Challenges of International Collaboration
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    10:00

    Lessons Learned on The Procurement Process

    Mr Miha Matek

    Mr Miha Matek, Head of Project Management Section, Armament Division, Slovenian Ministry of Defence

  • Best practices in procurement
  • Ensuring efficient and sustainable procurement
  • Procurement as part of force enablement
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    10:30

    Morning Coffee

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    11:00

    UK Armoured Modernisation Updates and Supporting European Partners

    Colonel Peter Cowell

    Colonel Peter Cowell, Senior Army Advisor, UK Defence Security & Exports , UK Defence and Security Exports

  •  Modernisation of The British Army’s AFV Fleet
  • International Collaboration on exports
  • Ensuring multinational interoperability through export collaboration
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    11:30

    Session Reserved for Sponsor - Pearson Engineering

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    12:00

    Enhancing Spanish armoured capability through current armoured vehicle programs

  •  Overview of the Armoured Vehicles Programs
  • Intended future developments of the programs
  • Colonel Antonio Llorens Perez

    Colonel Antonio Llorens Perez, PM Pizarro, Spanish Army

    Major Angel Cea

    Major Angel Cea, Techincal Responsible Pizarro Program, DGAM

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    12:30

    Networking Lunch

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    13:30

    The MBT Modernisation and Development Projects of the CZE Armaments Acquisition Division

    Major (Ret'd) Kamil Balwar

    Major (Ret'd) Kamil Balwar, Desk Officer - Project Manager MBT, Czech Armed Forces

  •  Upgrades to the T-72 Fleets and Leopard 2A4 MBT systems
  • Priorities and challenges for the Division in developing Czech MBT capabilities
  • Operating alongside Czech defence industry to optimise Czech MBTs
  • The Czech perspective on MBT technical requirements following lessons from the Ukraine War
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    14:00

    Session Reserved for Sponsor

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    14:30

    Enhancing the Altay MBT for Future Turkish Operations

    Mr Tugrul Apa

    Mr Tugrul Apa, Program Manager Main Battle Tank Systems, SSB

  • Updates on the development of the Altay MBT for the Turkish Armed Forces
  • Synergy between Türkiye’s defence industry and the armed forces to develop new MBT capabilities
  • Lessons learned from regional confl icts for armoured vehicle development
  • An update on SSB’s production and procurement plans for Türkiye’s armoured vehicle development
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    15:00

    Afternoon Tea

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    15:30

    Organisation to Support Development and Finnish Armoured Vehicles in the Modern Battlespace

    Lieutenant Riku Rantakari

    Lieutenant Riku Rantakari, Senior Staff Officer, FDF

  •  The current training of armoured forces and how this will develop going forwards
  • Areas identified for mid-life upgrades of armoured vehicles
  • Requirements for armoured vehicles of the future
  • The future of armoured formations within the FDF
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    16:00

    Session Reserved for Sponsor

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    16:30

    The NSPA and Supporting Regional Security Through Enhanced Systems

    Mr Cesar Pousa

    Mr Cesar Pousa, Senior Project Officer, Land Combat Vehicles - Tactical Land Systems, NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA)

  •  An overview of the NSPA’s armoured vehicles program – Leopard II, Boxer, M60T, PzH2000 and LAV
  • Supporting regional partners in armoured vehicle and land weapon system procurement
  • Requirements born from the Russo-Ukrainian War and enhancing the life cycle of legacy platforms
  • Demilitarisation Dismantling and Disposal (D3) of legacy armoured Vehicles
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    17:00

    Chairman’s Closing Remarks and Close of Day Two


    Commander, 7th Mechanized Brigade
    Land Forces, Army of the Czech Republic
    PM Pizarro
    Spanish Army
    Deputy Chief of Capability programs Department
    Strategic planning stuff, General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces
    Deputy Senior National Representative Army
    Swedish FMV
    Senior Army Advisor, UK Defence Security & Exports
    UK Defence and Security Exports
    Deputy Office Director
    Hungarian Defence Forces
    Project manager of the German LEOPARD 2 fleet and Chairman of the LEOBEN working group in-service use / technic
    Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr
    Senior Staff Officer
    FDF
    Desk Officer - Project Manager MBT
    Czech Armed Forces
    Techincal Responsible Pizarro Program
    DGAM
    Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Representative in Europe
    NATO
    Senior Project Officer, Land Combat Vehicles - Tactical Land Systems
    NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA)
    Director PSec
    Finabel - The European Land Force Commanders Organisation
    Deputy Technical Section Leader
    OCCAR-EA
    Head of Project Management Section, Armament Division
    Slovenian Ministry of Defence
    Program Manager Main Battle Tank Systems
    SSB
    Scientist
    FOI
    Lithuanian Polish Ukrainian Brigade

    Sponsors and Exhibitors

    Sponsors

    VENUE

    Vienna House Andel’s Prague

    Stroupeznickeho 21, Prague, Czech Republic

    A number of our clients have been approached by third party organisations offering to book hotel rooms. We would advise that you do not book through them as they are not representing the SMi Group. SMi Group books all hotel rooms directly. If you are approached by a third party organisation then please contact us before making any bookings. If you have already booked a hotel room using a third party organisation, we would highly recommend contacting the hotel you were booked into to ensure a booking has been made for you. We would also advise you to please check the terms and conditions of the booking carefully.
    HOTEL BOOKING FORM

    Sponsors and Exhibitors


    Pearson Engineering

    Sponsors and Exhibitors
    https://www.pearson-eng.com/

    Pearson Engineering has a world-proven ability to deliver against the most complex defence and security challenges.

    We are expert in battlefield mobility - breaching, detection, defeat and clearance of mines and explosives as well as combat bridge launch systems, non-lethal counter mobility products and specialised counter terror systems. Further, we deliver special project support, assembly, and manufacturing services for defence programmes from our facility in the UK.

    We are a long-standing supplier of combat engineering equipment and through life support to Armed Forces throughout the world and we have contributed to significant armoured vehicle programmes including the British Army’s Trojan and Terrier capabilities, as well as to the U.S Army’s Assault Breacher Vehicle. Our products range from heavy-duty mine ploughs for main battle tanks through to nimble, protective Counter-IED rollers for light weight vehicles.

    Our products are in constant development to meet the needs of the modern Warfighter and our dedicated Research & Development team are currently working on several novel technologies to both anticipate and respond to future requirements.

    Our Engineers and Project Managers are highly trained and have experience in delivering high-specification, complex engineering products, often against demanding programme requirements and deadlines. We can call upon an established local, national, and international supply chain comprising companies which have proven themselves in some of the world’s biggest defence programmes.

    To find out more, please contact pearson@pearson-eng.com or follow us on Twitter @Pearson_Eng_Ltd.


    Sponsors


    Milrem Robotics

    Sponsors
    https://milremrobotics.com/

    Milrem Robotics is the leading European robotics and autonomous systems developer and systems integrator. The company is known for their THeMIS and Multiscope UGVs, the Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle and MIFIK the autonomy kit. The Type-X RCV is intended to support mechanized units, raising troop survivability and lowering lethality risks by increasing standoff distance from enemy units.

    Milrem Robotics is the leader of the iMUGS consortium that was awarded 30.6 MEUR from the European Commission’s European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) to develop a European standardized unmanned ground system (UGS).

    Milrem Robotics’ products and services have been sold to 16 countries, including 8 NATO members. The company’s offices are in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and the US.


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    Vienna House Andel’s Prague

    Stroupeznickeho 21
    Prague 15000
    Czech Republic

    Vienna House Andel’s Prague

    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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