The Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces (RSADF) has announced plans to host the International Symposium on Air Defense 2020+ (ISAD2020+), a world first in air and missile defence, in Jeddah.

The first-ever official international Saudi Arabian defence symposium, ISAD2020+ will be held at the Air Defense Forces Institute, Jeddah from April 17 to 20.

The event is being held under the patronage of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation, and Inspector General of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The symposium will boast of attendance from over 150 RSADF officers, senior representatives from the Royal Saudi Air Force, Navy, Land Forces and National Guard, as well as officials from both Middle Eastern and international military forces.

Over four days the symposium will encompass more than 50 keynote presentations and panel discussions from some of the leading international military figures in air and missile defence, including:
•Prince Khalid bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General for Military Affairs
•Lieutenant General Abdul Latif Rashid Al Zayani, Secretary General, The Gulf Cooperation Council
•General James Mattis, Commander of US Central Command (US CENTCOM)
•Air Chief Marshal Simon Bryant, Commander in Chief of the UK Royal Air Force Air Command
•Lieutenant General Patrick O'Reilly, Commander of the US Missile Defense Agency
•Lieutenant General Mike Hostage, Commander of US Air Forces Central
•Lieutenant General Gilles Desclaux, Commander of the Commandement de la Défense Aérienne et des Opérations Aériennes, French Air Force
•Lieutenant General Patrick Auroy, Assistant Secretary General, NATO Defense Investment, and Director, NATO Conference of National Armaments Directors
•Lieutenant General Ram Pratap, AVSM, VSM, Director General of Army Air Defence, Indian Army

The experts will provide in-depth analysis on topics including the development of ballistic missile threats, multi-tiered missile defense architectures, C4I and radar integration, air defense training and education strategies, tactics for missile defense operations and the future requirements for GBAD requirements both in theatre conflicts and MOOTW.

ISAD2020+ will cover the key issues facing air and missile defense from now to 2020 and beyond. Defence giants including Thales, MBDA, Rheinmetall Defence and Saudi Ericsson will take part.

At a time when missile defense technologies are developing hand in hand with a drive for procurement and integration strategies, ISAD2020+ looks to provide the forum which will shape the future of air and missile defense, and the means to establish cooperation and knowledge-sharing on a very real scale.-TradeArabia News Service