Hosting over 2,800 companies and showing the broadest range of military equipment for land, sea, air, security and joint applications, air vice-marshal (ret’d) Gary Waterfall, DSEI senior military adviser – aerospace, reveals what visitors to DSEI 2023 can expect to see at the event.
At this year’s Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEI) event held in London ExCeL from 12-15 September, aerospace manufacturing professionals can expect a bustling showfloor with outstanding displays of military capability from around the world. This includes a host of helicopters and aircraft from the highest calibre of exhibitors.
The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) will have its own dedicated exhibition stand that will feature truly immersive, digital displays to showcase some of the innovative technologies that are driving this programme. Colleagues from the UK, Japan and Italy will be on hand to talk to visitors about GCAP and the rapid progress that is being made across all areas of the programme.
Q) Typically, what kinds of companies and associations does DSEI attract to the event?
From the largest primes to the smaller SMEs, DSEI is open to companies of all sizes throughout the supply chain. There will be representatives from the whole defence ecosystem present, but we have also seen a major influx from companies outside the traditional industrial base, such as Sony, IBM, Oracle and Panasonic.
The ADS pavilion at DSEI will host many different aerospace companies, including Collins Aerospace, GE Aviation and smaller companies such as Standard Aero.
There is a range of valuable opportunities for networking, platforms for business and extensive access to relevant content and live-action demonstrations. The DSEI community can strengthen relationships, share knowledge and allows visitors to view the latest capabilities across the exhibition’s Aerospace, Land, Naval, Security and Joint Zones.
Q) How does the aerospace domain at DSEI integrate with other domains for a joined-up approach?
Integration at a national level across the frontline commands is essential and I know that they are all in constant dialogue. ‘Multi-domain operations’ was the underlying theme of DSEI 2021, and ‘achieving an integrated force’ is this year’s focus. The most effective fighting forces are those who can integrate best across all environments. But it’s more than that – it includes integration from supply chain, SMEs and large Primes alongside the UK Government – and all set in an international context. A hackneyed phrase – but together the component parts are much more powerful than the individual sum.
Therefore, the whole aerospace domain will play a prevalent part in DSEI 2023, but it always works best when it's connected with other domains for a joined-up approach. DSEI is a key learning platform and a way to bring together people from different branches of the military to share best practice, discuss ideas and scale capabilities from one domain and apply them to others. This learning from other domains ties in with the overarching theme for DSEI 2023 of “achieving an integrated force”.
Q) What will be the chief highlights of the aerospace domain at DSEI?
There are broadly three key reasons why people should visit the Aerospace Zone at DSEI. Firstly, DSEI will represent a key forum for updates on, and how to sell into, the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). GCAP is a trilateral collaboration between the UK, Japan and Italy to develop the next generation of fighter jet. Two months ago, the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) awarded a major contract to BAE Systems on behalf of British defence firms, Leonardo UK, MBDA UK and Rolls-Royce, to progress the design and development of this aircraft. Tempest is the UK name for the aircraft in development under GCAP. Team Tempest has been researching and evaluating a host of future combat air system capabilities since 2018 and is continuing to develop the technologies needed to deliver the next generation combat air capability.
Secondly, there will be extensive Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capabilities being exhibited, such as Mitsubishi’s counter-UAV laser prototype. Since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, UAVs have been in the spotlight both in terms of increased usage in warfare and the development of new UAV capabilities.
Thirdly, sustainable aviation that maintains an operational advantage will feature heavily. The UK Government is committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and we know that defence is a significant contributor. It will be fascinating to see how the RAF and large aerospace companies approach the challenges of being both sustainable and competitive.
Q) How will the Global Combat Air Programme feature at DSEI?
In addition to the GCAP feature stand there will be two GCAP panel discussions taking place at DSEI. The first will be in the Aerospace Forum and will include the international programme directors from the UK, Japan and Italy. They will be joined by the senior responsible owners from BAE Systems, MHI and Leonardo Italy. This promises to be a fascinating update from the international partners, who will talk about the overall direction of the programme; the capability that it is delivering; interoperability with allies and other domains; people and skills; and programme milestones.
The second panel is titled ‘How supply chains are supporting future combat air’ and will see UK industry analyse the procurement challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the Global Combat Air Programme. The panellists will discuss how GCAP is integrating SMEs, leveraging on their knowledge, capability and skills, which in parallel is creating a productive and robust supply chain.
Q) How do you expect the show to grow this year and what are your targets for the 2023 event?
In terms of scale, DSEI is currently on target to surpass pre-pandemic levels of exhibitors and visitors, which is hugely encouraging. This year, there has been an increase in non-traditional defence companies exhibiting solutions, so it’s expected that there will be a broader variety of approaches on display than in previous years.
This year’s targets also factor in a sustainability dimension. In collaboration with the ExCeL, DSEI organisers are working to deliver a more sustainable trade show as part of a long-term commitment to addressing the carbon footprint of large-scale events. DSEI 23 will act as a basis to facilitate meaningful reduction targets for all Clarion events going forward.
Q) Finally, in summary, what has changed since DSEI 2021 and how will this affect the show?
The major change since DSEI 2021 is unquestionably the war in Ukraine. The brutal and illegal invasion by Russia has focused minds on how to deter, and if necessary, defeat, a peer/near-peer adversary in order to maintain our hard-won freedoms. The conflict represents a significant shift in how allied forces think about warfare.
President Zelenskyy made a plea to allies for fighter jets in February this year and a few months later Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Dutch leader Mark Rutte agreed to build an ‘international coalition’ to help procure F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine. Ukraine has been seeking to obtain F-16s for some time to augment its small Soviet-standard air force because they are widely available, with about 3,000 in service in 25 countries. Depending on where this situation is in September at DSEI, conversations about military aid, particularly the gifting of more aircraft, may still be continuing.
DSEI is a global event, but as its based in the UK will have a significant UK MOD presence. The UK can be proud to be one of the largest donors to Ukraine having committed £2.3 billion in military assistance in 2022 and has pledged to match that assistance in 2023.
DSEI always attracts the biggest brands in the defence industry but increasingly has many companies who are coming from outside of the defence enterprise either exhibiting for the first time or returning, bringing novel applications of their technology into the sector.
