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Military Robotics & Autonomous Systems
31 March - 2 April 2025

The Military Robotics & Autonomous Systems Conference is returning bigger than ever in 2025. With the world less stable and the threat of conflict ever greater; the successful implementation and integration of risk reducing, yet tempo and mass generating robotics and autonomous systems is more crucial than ever.

With the increasing deployment of Uncrewed systems in Ukraine and more frequent tactical experiments with mission-capable UXS in NATO nations, the RAS community must prioritize the safe and effective operationalization of these systems.

With the dedicated focus day and 4 separate afternoon streams, covering all aspects of RAS, the MRAS conference is, as ever, the best place to gain essential knowledge and insight from MRAS programmes from across the globe, and where the capabilities, challenges and opportunities of these programmes lie.

“If you want to increase your knowledge and build your understanding of the complexities of RAS, this event is a must.”
- Defence Futures, British Army

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Dr Robert Sadowski

Dr Robert Sadowski

Army Chief Roboticist, US Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center
General Sir Roly Walker

General Sir Roly Walker

Chief of the General Staff CGS, British Army
Mr James Gavin

Mr James Gavin

Head of the Future Capability Group, DE&S, UK Ministry of Defence
Mr Robert Monto

Mr Robert Monto

Director, Advanced Concepts & Critical Technologies, US Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO)

Brigadier Paul Hughes

Head of Engineering Assurance and Certification Land, DE&S
Brigadier Paul Hughes

 Brigadier Paul Hughes commissioned into the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineering (REME) in 1992. Following a number of appointments at regimental duty and successful completion of the Officers’ Long Aeronautical Engineering (OLAE) course, he promoted to Major in 2005.
Completing SO2 staff appointments supporting the defence training review (DTR) at Cosford and latterly as the lead for personnel and infrastructure on the Army General Staff he was selected for sub-unit command in 2010.
Command of 4 Regiment Army Air Corp workshop followed, during which his unit supported Apache Helicopters on Op HERRICK (Afghanistan) and Op ELLAMY (Libya). Subsequently selected to be the engineering member on the 3-man service inquiry panel investigating the Red Arrows’ XX177 fatal accident in Nov 11, he remained committed to the enquiry until its conclusion in 2014.
A short period as the mechanical engineering authority within the Apache Helicopter Project Team followed.
Gaining promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in Sep 13, assuming the post of continuing airworthiness manager / chief air engineer for Army unmanned air systems he deployed on OP HERRICK (Afghanistan) to support Watchkeeper’s inaugural operational flight. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes was then selected as the inaugural Commanding Officer of 106 Battalion REME in Feb 15. Forming the Army Reserve unit as a result of Army 2020 restructuring, with an Area Of Responsibility (AOR) covering the entirety of Scotland and Northern Ireland, during his tenure he recruited over 350 personnel and deployed the unit to Cyprus on Ex LION STAR.
Returning to the Apache Delivery Team in the role of SO1 Engineering Airworthiness Authority in Apr 17 he introduced the Emergency Flotation System to the platform. Short toured from the appointment he gained promotion to Colonel in Apr 18 assuming the role of Type Airworthiness Authority and Chief Engineer within the Remotely Piloted Air Systems’ Delivery Team.
He has held type airworthiness authority for the entirety of UK Defence Remotely Piloted Air Systems including Reaper (Class 3), Protector (Class 3), Watchkeeper (Class 2) and Minis Portfolio (Class 1). He also led UK certification effort to gain a Military Type Certificate for the Protector RPAS; an achievement scheduled for achievement in 2024 which will be a global first for an RPAS of the Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) class.
Promoted to Brigadier in 2023 he is now the Head of Engineering Assurance for the Land Domain within Defence Equipment and Support responsible for overseeing effective procurement of equipment that is safe to operate.
A fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and Chartered Engineer, Brigadier Hughes enjoys mentoring those seeking professional registration and conducting interviews on behalf of the society.

Captain Artiom van den Broek

Project Officer, Military Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence, Royal Netherlands Army
Captain Artiom van den Broek

 Artiom van den Broek, a Dutch military officer serving in the Royal Netherlands Army, specializes in the innovative field of Robotics and Autonomous Systems. His expertise lies in applied military autonomy and artificial intelligence for unmanned vehicles. He holds a master’s degree in applied physics, with a specialization in quantum nanoscience, from Delft University of Technology (Faculty of Applied Sciences). Currently in his second year as a PhD candidate, he is focused on designing military autonomous systems at the University of Twente (Faculty of Engineering Technology).

Captain Artur Varanda

Project Officer for Remote and Autonomous Systems, Army Centre for Operational Experimentation and Technological Modernization
Captain Artur Varanda

 Captain Artur Varanda is a Project Officer for Remote and Autonomous Systems at the Army Experimentation and Technological Modernisation Centre. An Artillery Officer by training, he is a graduate of the Portuguese Military Academy and holds a Master’s in Geographic Information Systems and Science from the Nova University of Lisbon, where he is also an invited lecturer at the Bachelor’s in Data Science program. His current posting followed a command tour as Officer Commanding of a Ground-Based Air Defence Battery, which included the role of Project Officer at the “Short Range Air Defence” and “Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems” programs.

Captain Christian Andersson

Research Officer, Finnish National Defence University
Captain Christian Andersson

 Captain Christian Andersson works in the Finnish National Defence University as a research officer and a scientist. He received his M.Sc.Tech in Automation & hydraulics from Tampere University of Technology in 2018. He later graduated with a master´s degree in military sciences in 2022. He is preparing two dissertations, first on Artificial Intelligence in Military Unmanned Ground Vehicles and the second one on development and uses of Military Unmanned Ground Vehicles. His scientific researchers focuses on developing Evolutionary algorithms for UGV’s and further developing an Autonomous Multi-Purpose Ground Vehicle. Despite his young career he is already participating in several research projects in Finland.

Colonel Charles Seaberry

Director, DEVCOM FWD Element-Atlantic, US Army DEVCOM
Colonel Charles Seaberry

 
Charles M. Seaberry graduated from Augusta State University in 2001
and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Finance Corps.
His first assignment was assistant S-3 of the HHC training support Battalion at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Since then, he has served in a variety of command and staff positions to include, Company executive officer, 369 AG Battalion; Commander, Charlie Company, 1/61 Infantry; Aide de Camp to the post commander at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

In 2007, LTC Seaberry assessed into the Army Acquisition Corps. His career highlights include serving as a Contingency Contracting Officer, assigned to the 641st Contingency Contracting Team (CCT) at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Following this assignment, he joined the 411th Contracting Support Brigade at Camp Coiner, Seoul, Korea. Here, LTC Seaberry took on the roles of Branch Chief and a Warranted Contracting Officer for a Regional Contracting Office at Camp Henry, Daegu, Korea. During his time in Korea, he also served as Team Leader of the 646th CCT. The dedication and outstanding performance in contingency operations earned him the prestigious Expeditionary Contracting Command's Medallion in 2011.

Following his role as a Contingency Contracting Officer, LTC Seaberry served as Deputy Division Chief of Contracting for the Los Angeles District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2012. He then participated in the Army's Training with Industry (TWI) program at Lockheed Martin in Orlando, FL. Transitioning from TWI, he assumed the position of Assistant Program Manager (APM) for Games for Training at Program Executive Office, Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI). Subsequently, LTC Seaberry served as the executive officer for PEO STRI, followed by the role of Assistant Executive Officer to the Principal Military Deputy, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, stationed at the Pentagon. LTC Seaberry, a centrally selected Product Manager for the Common Synthetic Environment (PdM CSE), successfully delivered the Army's revolutionary software solutions: the Synthetic Training Environment (STE) and Live, Virtual, Constructive, Integrated Architecture (LVC-IA).

Following completion at the US Army War College, he now serves as Director of Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) - Atlantic, overseeing S&T collaboration, research, and ally interoperability in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. As the Army's S&T lead to NATO, he prioritizes promoting interoperability and modernization to foster cooperative R&D partnerships with foreign entities.

Lieutenant Colonel Seaberry’s education includes: Master of Arts in Management/Leadership from Webster University, Master of Business Administration in Contract Management from the Naval Postgraduate School, and Master of National Security and Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. LTC Seaberry is Level III certified in Contracting and Program Management.

LTC Seaberry’s awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (6 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Army Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Staff Identification Badge and the German Army Proficiency Badge (Gold).

Lieutenant Colonel Seaberry is happily married and has a son and daughter.

Colonel Jason Dudley

Chief, Ops Group Bravo, US Army Joint Modernization Command
Colonel Jason Dudley

 
Colonel Jason Dudley is a native of Newport News, Virginia, and graduated from Poquoson High School, Poquoson, Virginia, in 1997. Colonel Dudley enlisted in the Army on May 5th, 1998, and spent three years in the United States Army Reserve whilst completing his undergraduate education. Colonel Dudley was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Armor in May 2001 upon graduating Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.
Colonel Dudley has served in all key and developmental positions from Platoon Leader through Battalion Commander. He has deployed thrice on Operation Iraqi Freedom, and once on Operation Inherent Resolve. His five most recent assignments are:
• Senior Instructor, Tactics Wing, Australian School of Armour, Puckapunyal, Victoria, Australia (2016-2018)
• Battalion Commander, 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, Fort Jackson, South Carolina (2019-2021)
• G3 Operations Officer, Army Training Center, Fort Jackson, South Carolina (2021-2022)

• Graduate Student, Defense Strategic Studies Course, Australian War College, Canberra, Australia (2023)

• Chief, Operations Group Bravo, Joint Modernization Command, Fort Bliss, Texas (2024-Present)

Colonel Dudley’s professional military education includes the Armor Officer Basic Course, the Scout Leaders Course (Army Reconnaissance Course), the Armor Officer Advanced Course, the Cavalry Leaders Course, Command & General Staff College, Australian Army War College, Airborne School, Jumpmaster School, and the Pathfinder course.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (2), the Meritorious Service Medal (6), the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (2), the Army Reserve Achievement Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal (5 Campaign Stars), the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (2), the Armed Forces Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and the Pathfinder Badge. Colonel Dudley has also been awarded the Military Order of Saint George (Bronze) by the Armor & Cavalry Association. Colonel Dudley holds a Bachelor of Science in Government from Christopher Newport University (Virginia), a Master of Science in Human Resource Development from the University of Houston (Texas), and a Master of Science in National Security and Strategy from Deakin University (Australia).

Colonel Remi Pellabeuf

Head of the Future Combat Laboratory, French Army
Colonel Remi Pellabeuf

Colonel Toby Till

Commander Experimentation & Trials Group (ETG)| , British Army
Colonel Toby Till

 Colonel Toby Till has commanded the UK Experimentation and Trials Group since June 2022. His previous experience includes Infantry Battalion command (Coldstream Guards) with Light Infantry, Armoured Infantry, Reconnaissance, Close Observation and Airborne Pathfinder experience over 31 years. On the staff he has completed multiple capability roles covering concepts, capability delivery as well as a planner in Divisional and Operational HQ. He has served 3 tours in Northern Ireland, 3 in Afghanistan, 1 in Iraq, as well in Kosovo with the UNHCR. He has trained globally including in Southeast Asia, Central and North America, Africa and across Europe.

Dr Mark Hoepflinger

Head of the Swiss Drone and Robotics Centre SDRC, Armasuisse
Dr Mark Hoepflinger

 Dr. Markus Andreas (Mark) Hoepflinger holds a Master degree in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology from ETH Zurich. After his Master in the field of space robotics, Mark Hoepflinger was employed as engineer for the Swiss locomotion subsystem breadboard for ESA’s ExoMars project. He then conducted a PhD at the Autonomous Systems Lab (ASL) at ETH Zurich with the main focus on terrain perception for legged robots. From 2013 to 2015, Mark was employed at ASL as leading researcher on various national and international research projects and Pioneer Fellow for a legged robotics company. Since 2015, Mark Hoepflinger is leading the governmental research program ‘Unmanned Systems/Robotics’ at armasuisse Science + Technology and is currently head of the "Swiss Drone and Robotics Centre" of the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) and since 2024, head of competence centers of armasuisse S+T. In his military militia function, Höpflinger is a member of the Military Strategy Staff (MSS).

Dr Robert Sadowski

Army Chief Roboticist, US Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center
Dr Robert Sadowski

 Dr. Robert W. Sadowski is a member of the Scientific and Professional (ST) cadre of the
Senior Executive Service and serves as the United States Army’s Senior Scientist for
Robotics within the Research, Technology and Integration Directorate at the United States
Army CCDC Ground Vehicle Systems Center in Warren, MI.
Dr. Sadowski previously served
twenty nine (29) years of active United States Army duty
culminating as the Electrical Engineering Program Director and Academy Professor at the
United States Military Academy in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science where he continues working with the faculty.
Dr. Sadowski has over forty (40) months of operational experience in Southwest Asia in a
variety of leadership, staff, and engineering positions including Iraq and Afghanistan. He
currently chairs the OSD Autonomy Community of Interest and is guiding development of
robotics and autonomous systems technology as part of the Army Modernization
Enterprise.
Dr. Sadowski is a graduate of the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of
Science in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) and received his M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical
engineering from Stanford University as a Fannie and John Hertz Fellow. He also holds a
Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College. He is a
recent Meritorious Presidential Rank Award Recipient.

Dr Stuart Young

Program Manager, Tactical Technology officer (TTO) , DARPA
Dr Stuart Young

 Stuart Young joined DARPA in January 2020 as a program manager in the Tactical Technology Office. His expertise includes autonomous/unmanned ground and air vehicles, intelligent behaviors for unmanned systems, multi-agent teaming, applied artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and field robotics technologies.
Prior to joining DARPA, he served as program manager for AI for Maneuver and Mobility at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL), focusing on basic and applied research in efforts to develop intelligent behaviors and foundational autonomy for collaborating robotic teams operating in militarily relevant environments. He previously served as division chief for the Information Sciences Division at ARL, where he led a large team of researchers performing basic and applied research in intelligent behaviors for autonomous Army robots, machine learning for C3I, and natural language understanding for multi-domain battle. He also led the ARL Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance, in addition to serving as a branch chief and researcher dedicated to intelligent robotic behaviors. Young participated in numerous DARPA initiatives through his career including the Tactical Mobile Robotics, Mind’s Eye, DARPA Robotics Challenge, UGCV PerceptOR Integrator, and Learning Applied to Ground Robotics programs.
Young holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington. He earned a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, and holds a Doctor of Philosophy in systems engineering from The George Washington University. He previously served 13 years in the U.S. Army Reserve as a captain in the Engineer Branch.

General Sir Roly Walker

Chief of the General Staff CGS, British Army
General Sir Roly Walker

 General Sir Roly Walker was commissioned into the Irish Guards in 1993, and served with the UK’s Special Forces from 1997. He commanded the Grenadier Guards in 2009, promoting to the General Staff four years later.

He has commanded at company, squadron, battle group, brigade and SF group levels, variously in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Iraq, as well as joint command of operations across Europe, the broader Middle East, Africa and South America. On the Staff, he has served in brigade, divisional, army and strategic HQs.

Since April 2021, he was the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy & Operations) during which time he was responsible for advising on and directing operations to support the government’s response to Covid, the death of the late Duke of Edinburgh, the withdrawal from Kabul, the full scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II and coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, numerous evacuation operations, and most recently, the Hamas attacks on Israel. In June 2024 General Walker was appointed as the Chief of the General Staff.

He was made a Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath in 2023, and a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order in 2010. General Walker is the President of the Honourable Artillery Company, Army Rugby, and Army Winter Sports.

Married, with three daughters, he lives in Herefordshire.

Lieutenant Colonel Adam Hepworth, PhD

Director, Robotics and Autonomous Systems Implementation & Coordination Office (RICO), Australian Army
Lieutenant Colonel Adam Hepworth, PhD

Lieutenant Colonel Davide Pugliese

SO1 Concept Development, Italian Army
Lieutenant Colonel Davide Pugliese

 LTC Davide Pugliese currently serves as chief of the concept development and space branches, a subset of the Innovation and Space office of the Italian Army General Staff.
Before assuming command of the Innovation branches, LTC Pugliese held numerous operational Warfighter positions from Cavalry Platoon Leader, Cadets Platoon leader, armoured Coy Commander, recce Squadron Commander to Cavalry Battalion Commander, serving in numerous Operations, such as ISAF, UNIFIL, KFOR and IRAQ “Antica Babilonia”. As Staff Officer LTC Pugliese served in planning, operations and personnel branches.
His program management experience, especially in CD&E experiments, spans from investigating the impact of Emerging & Disruptive Technologies in the way ITA Army conducts operations to various robotics autonomous systems and space programs for the Defense.

Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Hanlon

SO1 Soldier Systems - Soldier Works, British Army
Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Hanlon

Lieutenant Colonel Robbie Hicks

SO1 Robotics & Autonomous Systems, British Army
Lieutenant Colonel Robbie Hicks

Lieutenant Jochem Vlaardingerbroek

Commander Robotics and Autonomous Systems Unit, Royal Netherlands Army
Lieutenant Jochem Vlaardingerbroek

 Lt-Col Jochem Vlaardingerbroek has been in the Army for 25 years. Following graduation from the Royal Military Academy, he has done several operational functions in the fields of reconnaissance and operational intelligence, including three deployments to Afghanistan. More recently, he graduated from Delft University of Technology with a master’s degree in control engineering. Currently he is the commanding officer of the Dutch Robotics and Autonomous Systems unit.

Major Charles Bradford

SO2 Future Force, Mounted Close Combat, Army Trials Unit, Experimentation and Trials Group , British Army
Major Charles Bradford

Major Ivo Peets

EDF Future Force Development Project, Estonian Defence Forces
Major Ivo Peets

Mr Guy Powell

Principal Adviser - Land Autonomy, Project Technical Authority - Land RAS demonstration, Project Technical Authority - Autonomous Collaborative Partners, DSTL
Mr Guy Powell

 Guy Powell is Principal Adviser (Mounted systems) to the Land Systems Programme within Dstl. He is also Principal Technical Authority for project JTARR (Joint Tactical Autonomous Resupply and Replenishment) leading a team conducting scientific assessment of RAS technologies, through trials and supporting studies of exemplar ground platforms. While the primary focus of this work is application to Autonomous Resupply, it will likely have wider applicability across a range of capabilities.
Guy has worked in Defence R&D for over 30 years across a breadth of technical areas including land platforms, Robotics & Autonomous Systems (RAS), weapons and energetic materials.

Mr James Gavin

Head of the Future Capability Group, DE&S, UK Ministry of Defence
Mr James Gavin

 
James Gavin is the head of the Future Capability Group (FCG) at Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S).

The FCG exists to help explore new capabilities so that they can then be exploited at scale. Increasingly projects are ‘Agile By Default’ to deliver early operational advantage. The Group works closely with all the Front-line Commands, DSTL and central MOD areas such as the DIU and DASA. James has served in the military, the civil service and industry before joining DE&S. He is a passionate advocate of delivering Operational Advantage through a better application of strategic thinking on innovation, inclusive cultures and sustainability.

Mr John Crozier

Principal Vetronics Systems Engineer Platform Systems Division, DSTL, UK MoD
Mr John Crozier

 Works in the United Kingdom (UK) Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) Platform Systems Division as the Principal Vetronics Systems Engineer Land Robotic and Autonomous Systems (RAS).
Recent work includes the development of an eco-system of RAS digital twins for the trialling, testing and development of RAS systems operating in Land environments, Command and Control (C2) systems for future novel weapons and the development of Land Combat Platform Situation Awareness capabilities.
John is the UK MOD Lead for the NATO Military Vetronics Association (MILVA) and supports the development of NATO STANAG 4754 NGVA and UK DEF STAN 23-009 Generic Vehicle Architecture standards.

Mr Martin Joesaar

Program Officer - EU Defence Innovation Office in Kyiv, European Commission
Mr Martin Joesaar

 Mr Martin Jõesaar served in the Estonian Defence Forces for 16 years as an officer. He added valuable contribution into the integration of Short Range Air Defence Missile Systems to the existing units at the early stage of his career. However, the latter part and the majority of his time was spent on helping to build up the Special Operations Forces Unit in order to meet the new challenges of NATO. This included different command positions within in the structure and contribution as an instructor and an operations officer at the HQ, including a deployment to Afghanistan under CJSOTF10 in 2012.
In 2019, Mr Jõesaar left the military in a rank of major and joined the Defence Industry side instead as the COO of an unmanned aerial systems developer and producer Threod Systems, based in Estonia. Additionally to the everyday coordination, ensuring the smooth process flow internally in the factory, one of the main roles for him was sharing the end-user experience. Threod Systems specialises on providing the state of the art equipment tailored according to the needs of the military and security forces. In which it is crucial to understand the intelligence collection details and its connections to the higher level HQ planning process for providing the full solution for the clients.
In the end of 2020, Mr Jõesaar accepted the offer to become the representative of the participating member states of the iMUGS project. By being the link between the industry consortium and the participating nations, he will play the key role in ensuring the full transparency of the project and helping all counterparts to understand the process in the mutual way. Coordinating such a complex international and multilingual project was the kind of challenge he gladly accepted.

Mr Nicholas Valentine

Lead Engineer - Human Machine Teaming, DE&S
Mr Nicholas Valentine

 Nicky is the Lead Engineer on the British Army’s Human Machine Teaming project. He has an MSc in Robotics and Automation and a BEng in Mechanical Engineering. Following graduation he completed the DE&S engineering graduate scheme with placements including the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, Clearpath Robotics and Horiba MIRA. In his time in the Future Capability Group he has taken a leading technical role on Robotic Platoon Vehicles, Heavy UGV Challenge, and the Leader Follower logistics element of Project THESEUS. An Army Reservist, in 2017 he deployed as an infrastructure engineer on Op KIPION, designing and delivering infrastructure across Ops TORAL and SHADER, and is now a Troop Sgt in the Royal Engineers Railway Team.

Mr Robert Monto

Director, Advanced Concepts & Critical Technologies, US Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO)
Mr Robert Monto

 Mr. Robert Monto Jr joined the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical
Technologies Office (RCCTO), then known as the Army Rapid Capabilities
Office, in September of 2016. He serves as Director, Advanced Concepts and
Critical Technologies. In this position he is responsible for identifying and
recommending evolving areas of operational need; discover disruptive
capabilities in support of National / Army strategies; assess and provide a
comprehensive plan in support of providing residual combat capability for
military operations. He directly and continuously aligns and encourages
academia, industry, and Science and Technology organizations to bring
solutions to emerging needs identified by the Army RCCTO’s Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors include the Secretary of the Army, Under Secretary, Army
Acquisition Execution, Chief of Staff, Vice Chief of Staff, and the Army Futures
Command Commander. While scouting and identifying technologies in
identified focus areas, Mr. Monto also drives the organization to look for
overmatch capabilities to close existing strategic gaps, as well as identify disruptive, game- changing
technologies. The mission includes the following operating concepts: rapidly assess, develop, test, and transition
advanced technologies to address high priority items from Army leadership. His office serves as the quick
reaction cell for rigorous research and analysis, prototyping, experimentation, and assessment.
Mr. Monto previously served as the Technical Director for Product Manager (PdM) Tactical Mission Command
(TMC) out of Program Executive Officer for Command, Control and Communications – Tactical (PEO C3T) from
August 2011 to August 2015, where he led the technical direction for an ACAT IAC MAIS program, leading core,
matrix, and contractor personnel in the development, testing, procurement, and product improvements of the
Army's mission command systems. Responsible for the technical strategy, planning, and execution to meet
requirements while balancing user ONSs and other stake holder expectations. Products included Command
Post of the Future, Command Post Web, and Battle Command Common Services. Prior to his role as Technical
Director, Mr. Monto was the Assistant Product Manager (APM) for Battle Command Web and APM for
Maneuver Control System from November 2008 to August 2011, responsible for cost, schedule, performance,
and all programmatic level decisions. During this time, he participated in multiple tests, certifications, and
fieldings of Army systems; deploying overseas multiple times to assist, and ensure, fielding success.
Mr. Monto holds an M.S. & B.S. in Software Engineering from Monmouth University. He is a graduate of the
Defense Acquisition University’s Senior Service College Fellowship. He holds executive certificates from The
Wharton School, MIT Management Sloan School, University of Pennsylvania, and Eckerd College. He is a
recipient of the Civilian Service Commendation Medal; Commander’s Award for Civilian Service and three
times been awarded the Achievement Medal for Civilian Service. He is a recipient of the Army Acquisition
Corps Level III in Systems Planning, Research, Development, and Engineering, and he is a member of the Army
Acquisition Corps.

Mr Steven Herrick

Product Manager, Robotic Combat Vehicle, US Army
Mr Steven Herrick

 Mr. Steven Herrick is the Product Manager for the Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (PM RCV) program.
Mr. Herrick is responsible for all cost, schedule and performance for both hardware and software programs that will deliver the Army’s first RCV Brigade Combat Teams.
The RCV Hardware program will deliver a safe, reliable, and remotely operated combat vehicle with a modular open systems architecture approach and system design to support continuous growth and enhancement of RCV capabilities.
The RCV Software program will deliver the software, development infrastructure, and processes to support persistent modernization and enhancement of RCV capabilities.

Mr Tiago Lanca

Project Officer, Innovation , European Defence Agency
Mr Tiago Lanca

 Tiago Mendes Lança is as a Project Officer for Innovation at the European Defence Agency. His role in the Hub for European Defence Innovation (HEDI) includes activities related to the Uptake of Innovation. He served the Portuguese Navy as a naval officer for 12 years, in various roles on board warships, with deployments in several real-world operations, notably EUNAVFOR ATALANTA (Gulf of Aden), the Flag Officer Sea Training with the Royal Navy, humanitarian disaster relief operations in Africa and various multinational joint exercises. He was a staff officer in the Portuguese Navy Fleet Command (N3/N5 Operations and Planning). In 2017 he was the founder of the Unmanned Systems Operational Experimentation Unit (CEOV), a new technological guerrilla unit that performed experimentation and rapid prototyping with unmanned systems, which supported both capacity building efforts and operations with Portuguese Marine Corps and Navy SOF. He supported the development of Portuguese Navy's maritime operational experimentation center (CEOM) in Troia, and the REP MUS exercise series. In 2020, he was seconded as a national expert to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) where he coordinated the implementation of research and innovation pilot projects related with surveillance and border control, in particular, a maritime surveillance Aerostat project in Greece, the Prize Contest on the Detection of Low Flying Objects in Estonia and a project on the integration Vertical Take Off and Landing UAVs on board maritime assets in Italy for coast guard functions.

Mr Will Ryan

PM, Autonomy Portfolio, Defense Innovation Unit
Mr Will Ryan

 Major Will Ryan is a program manager on DIU’s Autonomy Portfolio where he leads DIU’s ground autonomy efforts and supports several UAS projects.

Over the past 15 years, Will has served in various leadership and staff positions in both conventional and special operations units. Prior to joining DIU, Will served as the Operations Of?cer and Executive Of?cer for 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Will has also served in the 173rd Airborne Brigade, the 75th Regimental Special Troops Battalion, and 2nd Infantry Division and deployed multiple times across the CENTCOM, EUCOM, and AFRICOM theaters.

Will received a BS in Engineering Management from the United States Military Academy and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.

Senior Representative

, Brave1
Senior Representative

Senior Representative

, International Committee of the Red Cross
Senior Representative

Sergeant Major Corey Wilkens

PM Sandhills Project, 20th Engineer Brigade, US Army
Sergeant Major Corey Wilkens

NEW for 2025:

Focus Day: Multi-domain Integration

The 2025 MRAS conference will feature a focus day on Multi-domain Integration (MDI), highlighting the growing role of uncrewed systems (UxS) across all domains—Land, Air, Sea, and Cyber. As UxS capabilities expand, integrating them will enable more coordinated and effective operations. Large-scale trials like Project Convergence underscore AUKUS’s commitment to interoperability, resilience, redundancy, and cost efficiency, all crucial for achieving strategic advantage. MDI marks the next critical step in UxS development.

Enhancing Lethality Stream:

The British Army aims to double its lethality by 2027 and triple it by 2030, with uncrewed systems (UxS) playing a key role. This session will showcase how allies and industry are advancing lethality through RAS, featuring insights from nations like Ukraine and Estonia, where the need for lethal UxS is urgent.

New speakers from several key organisations:

Including: British Army | Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering | US Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) | Defense Innovation Unit | DARPA | DE&S | US Army Joint Modernization Command | French Army | Royal Marines | Estonian Defence Forces | US Army | DSTL, UK MoD

 

Military Robotics & Autonomous Systems is the leading event dedicated to the development, procurement and integration of Uncrewed Systems (UxS).

Listen to keynote briefings from senior UK, US and allied RAS programme managers

Discover the latest topics for the advancement of uncrewed systems, including multi-domain integration, lethality, autonomy, mounted and dismounted combat and much more

Meet and network with the key decision-makers from both military and industry to discuss modernisation and optimisation of Robotic & Autonomous Systems

“Excellent event for all who are involved with military robotics, autonomous systems, unmanned systems and questions around the use of them in military context." - National Finnish Defence Forces University

Key themes for 2025:

  • Multi-domain Integration
  • Enhancing Lethality
  • Pan-european collaboration

sponsors

Our approach sets us apart from other events. We're committed to providing genuine insight and meaningful learning experiences. Our discussions are led by expertly selected participants, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the latest developments from both industry and military sectors.

This three-day event is your gateway to interacting with key stakeholders spanning military, government, and industry, offering a comprehensive exploration of the sector's future. Immerse yourself in unparalleled networking opportunities at this conference.

To discuss your involvement as a sponsor contact, Alex Darby, Sponsorship Manager on alex.darby@saemediagroup.com or call on +44 (0) 20 7827 6107


Head of Engineering Assurance and Certification Land
DE&S
Project Officer, Military Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence
Royal Netherlands Army
Project Officer for Remote and Autonomous Systems
Army Centre for Operational Experimentation and Technological Modernization
Research Officer
Finnish National Defence University
Director, DEVCOM FWD Element-Atlantic
US Army DEVCOM
Chief, Ops Group Bravo
US Army Joint Modernization Command
Head of the Future Combat Laboratory
French Army
Commander Experimentation & Trials Group (ETG)|
British Army
Head of the Swiss Drone and Robotics Centre SDRC
Armasuisse
Army Chief Roboticist
US Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center
Program Manager, Tactical Technology officer (TTO)
DARPA
Chief of the General Staff CGS
British Army
Director, Robotics and Autonomous Systems Implementation & Coordination Office (RICO)
Australian Army
SO1 Concept Development
Italian Army
SO1 Soldier Systems - Soldier Works
British Army
SO1 Robotics & Autonomous Systems
British Army
Commander Robotics and Autonomous Systems Unit
Royal Netherlands Army
SO2 Future Force, Mounted Close Combat, Army Trials Unit, Experimentation and Trials Group
British Army
EDF Future Force Development Project
Estonian Defence Forces
Principal Adviser - Land Autonomy, Project Technical Authority - Land RAS demonstration, Project Technical Authority - Autonomous Collaborative Partners
DSTL
Head of the Future Capability Group
DE&S, UK Ministry of Defence
Principal Vetronics Systems Engineer Platform Systems Division
DSTL, UK MoD
Program Officer - EU Defence Innovation Office in Kyiv
European Commission
Lead Engineer - Human Machine Teaming
DE&S
Director, Advanced Concepts & Critical Technologies
US Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO)
Product Manager, Robotic Combat Vehicle
US Army
Project Officer, Innovation
European Defence Agency
PM, Autonomy Portfolio
Defense Innovation Unit
Brave1
International Committee of the Red Cross
PM Sandhills Project, 20th Engineer Brigade
US Army

Gold Sponsor

Sponsors

Exhibitors

VENUE

Royal Garden Hotel

2- 24 Kensington High Street, London , United Kingdom

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

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Sponsors and Exhibitors


Elbit Systems UK

Gold Sponsor
https://www.elbitsystems-uk.com/

Elbit Systems UK is an innovative Defence Technology company employing over 680 people across sixteen sites in the UK. Manufacturing and integrating advanced technology for the UK Armed Forces and our allies, our extensive portfolio provides cutting-edge capabilities for the British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force, protecting the UK at home and abroad.

We work on a range of technologies for both military and civilian applications to meet our customer requirements. With a focus on UK sovereignty the Elbit Systems UK supply chain creates and sustains jobs around Great Britain. Utilising this established network of partners and suppliers we support the MOD as they deliver for our Armed Forces.

Elbit Systems UK is a subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd (NASDAQ and TASE: ESLT), an international high technology company with a presence in dozens of countries. Elbit Systems develops and supplies a range of airborne, land and naval systems and services for Defence, homeland security and commercial applications worldwide.


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.



Pearson Engineering

Sponsors
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.


Exhibitors


Oxford Technical Solutions Ltd

Exhibitors
https://www.oxts.com/

At OxTS, we have been pushing the performance limits from MEMS-based GNSS/INS for over twenty years. Today, thousands of engineers are collecting and using position, orientation and dynamics data to develop and deploy vehicles and other autonomous platforms around the world. Our focus on robustness and scalability has led to our GNSS/INS systems becoming the go-to solution for automotive testing and an attractive alternative to FOG-based systems in other industries.


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Royal Garden Hotel

2- 24 Kensington High Street
London W8 4PT
United Kingdom

Royal Garden Hotel

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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UK Office
Opening Hours: 9.00 - 17.30 (local time)
SAE Media Group , Ground Floor, India House, 45 Curlew Street, London, SE1 2ND, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7827 6000 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7827 6001
Website: http://www.smgconferences.com Email: events@saemediagroup.com
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