Defense summit explores advanced weapons technology


A first-of-its-kind Advanced Weapons Technology Summit will be at the Von Braun Center next week that will bring together the key players developing new missiles, munitions and materials technologies for the nation. 

The Advanced Weapons Technology Summit, which will be Nov. 1-3 in the Saturn Ballroom, will feature senior Department of Defense leader presentations on warfighter and industrial base priorities. 

“We will have actual government-funded requirements being briefed – 60 plus requirements being briefed – as well as one-on-one opportunities for industry and the government to sign up to speak with those requirement owners,” Christina Brantley, government program manager for the Aviation & Missile Technology Consortium, said. 

According to a draft agenda, Charlie Zisette, the executive director of the National Armaments Consortium, will make opening remarks on Nov. 1 and 2, and others scheduled to make presentations the first day include Col. Richard Pfeiffer Jr., military deputy to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Procurement), and Anthony Di Stasio, the director of the Manufacturing, Capability Expansion, and Investment Prioritization Directorate at the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment. 

The speaker at a Nov. 1 reception at Mars Music Hall will be Chris Van Metre, president and CEO of Advanced Technology International. 

The free event is expected to attract as many as 800 attendees.   

“The overall effort is to increase the participation of what we call nontraditional contractors, which really corresponds to small businesses, in order to advance the state of the art in weapons technologies to include missiles, munitions, aviation as well as manufacturing,” Brantley said. 

For small businesses that may have limited resources for travel to events like this, “this gives them a chance to get (briefings on) a whole lot of requirements at one event,” Eric Edwards, the executive director of the Aviation & Missile Technology Consortium, said.  

“There’s also a government component,” Brantley said. “We not only want to enhance collaboration among industry but also enhance the collaboration across DOD agencies. We’ll have participation from the Air Force, the Navy and the Army there.”   

Participating organizations in the event besides the AMTC are the DOD Ordnance Technology Consortium, Naval Energetic Systems and Technologies, National Armaments Consortium, Vertical Lift Consortium, Joint Enhanced Munitions Technology Program, Critical Chemicals Collaboration Colloquium and Advanced Technology International. 

It’s taken about eight months to plan the summit, according to Brantley. 

“Lots of planning and orchestrating have gone into this event,” she said.  

To learn more about the summit or to register, visit nacconsortium.org/events/.


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