Overview
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The 3rd Manama Air Power Symposium (MAPS 2020), held under the prestigious patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and supported by the Royal Bahrain Air Force and the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunication, took place as a virtual event, on November 17, 2020. MAPS 2020 is the official conference of Bahrain International Air Show that was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 containment measures. As a result of cancelling BIAS, the Royal Bahrain Air Force command decided to hold MAPS as an online event to link up speakers and participants from air forces and defense industries worldwide.
MAPS 2020 brought together a select high-caliber audience of air force commanders and operators, policymakers and industry leaders from over 25 countries for the most important regional air power conference to be held online in 2020. The theme for MAPS 2020 was “Air Power and Air Defense in High Tempo and Networked Environments” where the one-day international conference discussed the most pressing issues in air power and missile defense in light of the most recent experiences and lessons learned in-theater from operations.
The audience had the chance to interact with the speakers and asked questions related to the topics and the theme of the event. The speakers addressed several topics focusing on the evolving role of C4ISR with a growing use of AI technologies. They also addressed the entry of the 5th Generation fighters the theater of operations in the Middle East region and the ways to integrate them with 4th Generation warplanes. The topic of missile defense gained strong attention at MAPS 2020 due to the growing threat of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial systems regionally and internationally.
MAPS 2020 was a big success as a first ever virtual event on air power in the Middle East region. Some of its presentations will be available via SEGMA website. Organizers are looking forward to holding the 4th edition of MAPS in 2022, with the world free of the COVID-19, allowing it to take place physically.
For further details about the event please contact Riad Kahwaji, General Manager SEGMA, by telephone +971 (4) 399 8355 or email riadk@segma.co
Schedule
| 12:45 | Participants start joining and signing in |
| Opening Session: | |
| 13:00-13:05 | Welcome and Opening Remarks Riad Kahwaji, Chief Executive, SEGMA |
| 13:05-13:20 | Welcome Address Major General Shaikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al Khalifah, Commander, Royal Bahrain Air Force, Bahrain |
| 13:20-13:25 | Riad Kahwaji Introduces first panel |
| 13:25-13:30 | Sponsor promotional videos and RBAF video (if available) |
| First Session - Moderator: Vago Muradian, Editor of Defense & Aerospace Report | |
| 13:35-13:55 | Enhancing 4th Generation fighters to better networked and coordinated operations with 5th Generation fighters - Future Priorities Brig. Gen. Munther Majed Nasser Al-Khalifa, Acting Fighter Wing Commander, Royal Bahrain Air Force |
| 13:55-14:15 | Conducting joint manned and unmanned aircrafts' missions in joint operations - Technical Challenges and Opportunities Lt. Gen. Gregory Guillot, Commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command |
| 14:15-14:35 | Utilizing Artificial Intelligence to Bolster C4ISR: Possibilities, Challenges and Future Opportunities Air Commodore Jez Holmes, Head of Rapid Capability Office, UK RAF |
| 14:35-14:55 | Panel Discussion |
| 14:55-15:00 | Networking and Promotional videos |
| Second Session | |
| 15:05-15:25 | Effective Defense against drone and cruise missiles' attacks: Lessons Learned Vice Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander US Navy Central, Fifth Fleet |
| 15:25-15:50 | Building a Fully Integrated Missile Defense System: Countering an Evolving Ballistic Missile Technology Maj. Gen. Khaled Al-Bu Ainain Al Mazrouei, Former Commander UAE Air Force and Air Defense, Advisor to Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces |
| 15:50-16:10 | Counter US Operations in Sub Conventional Environment Group Captain Kurikkatu Biju Mathews, Air Defense Operations, Indian Air Force |
| 16:10-16:30 | Panel Discussion |
| 16:30-16:35 | Networking and promotional videos |
| Third Session - Moderator: Colin Clark, Founding Editor of Breaking Defense | |
| 16:40-17:00 | Evolving Role of Rotary wing aircraft and helicopters in asymmetrical warfare Brig. Gen. Ziad Haikal, Commander of the Lebanese Air Force |
| 17:00-17:20 | Air Power in Pakistan's Counter Terrorism Operations: Lessons Learned and Future Capability Building Requirements Air Vice Marshall Abdul Moeed Khan, Director General Security, General Welfare and Rehabilitation, Pakistan Air Force |
| 17:20-17:40 | Effectively Utilizing Live Virtual Constructive (LVC) to Enhance and Improve Training of Pilots: Towards a More Cost-Effective Experience Brig. Gen. Luigi Casali, Chief of Staff Education and Training Command, Italian Air Force |
| 17:40-18:00 | Panel Discussion |
| 18:00-18:05 | Closing Remarks and Conclusion for Conference |
| *Timings are as per Bahrain Time Zone |
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