Some of the latest trends in defence and security will be examined at a conference to be held as part of an upcoming tri-service defence show in Abu Dhabi.

The Gulf Defence Conference (GDC) will be held at the Armed Forces Officers’ Club on February 19. It is the official conference of Idex – the Mena region’s largest defence show.

The 10th edition of Idex will take place from February 20 to 24, encompassing indoor, outdoor and marine exhibit areas at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

The GDC plenary sessions will be delivered by international experts and include an examination of: The evolution of network-centric operations; Enhancing and developing civil-military relations for the asymmetric warfare environment, and; Future artillery – striking the right balance in mobility, reactivity and firepower.

This will be followed by a session that will take a closer look at the latest trends in naval warfare including: Low intensity surface and underwater naval warfare and the potential challenges faced by GCC states; UAVs in sea operations for offensive and defensive missions, and; Harnessing new technologies for countermining operations.

Finally, moving from operations to approaches to improving force readiness, the third and final session will look at: The evolving role of close-in air support in Joint combat operations; Building modern armoured vehicles by maintaining the triangular balance of protection, mobility and firepower, and; Simulated training - the evolving and future role of technology in infantry and armour training.

Riad Kahwaji, CEO, Institute for Near East & Gulf Military Analysis (Inegma), organisers of GDC, said: “Inegma would like to thank the UAE Armed Forces GHQ for its support in turning GDC into the biggest defence conference in the region. We also appreciate the confidence Adnec has put into Inegma. GDC will be a wonderful precursor to Idex 2011 with a lot of VIPs confirmed as speakers and attendees.”

More than 400 delegates are expected to attend the GDC, including members of the official delegations visiting Idex 2011, senior military officials, and key industry partners from across the GCC. – TradeArabia News Service