Calendar

Monthly Meeting
Young AFCEA Event
This meeting in the South Kensington area is organised by the London Chapter Young AFCEA Sub-Committee. Note that we are not publicising the exact venue, but full details will be disclosed in the joining instructions.
The format for the evening will be a series of lightning presentations given by members of 591 SU and also from PhD Candidates from Royal Holloway. Following the presentations, there will be the usual informal networking reception.
This is another great opportunity for AFCEA Corporate Members to send Graduate Trainees or Apprentices to meet and network with their peers in the military and Industry and to broaden their knowledge and experience. There is a maximum limit of 40 attendees, so preference in the first instance must be given to Young AFCEAns (i.e. aged under 35). Places will be allocated on a first come – first served basis. Bookings received from “not so young” AFCEAns will be put on a waiting list and places will be allocated as appropriate. Payments for any bookings received which can’t be fulfilled will be refunded.

Topic: Network Simulator Performance
Speaker: David Newell, Senior Lecturer in Systems Integration, Bournemouth University
Date: Wed 10 Apr
Time: 16:15 start
Venue: Princess Mary Hall, Blandford Camp, Dorset DT11 9RH
Registration: Via stating name, organisation and car details (make, colour, reg number)

An Introduction to Superintelligent Machines – A New Threat
Clive Hudson (CEO, Programify Ltd)
Mankind faces many existential threats such as nuclear war, large asteroid impacts, super volcanos and global warming to name a few. Superintelligent (SI) machines might seem like any other, but the most optimistic outcome is that they will irrevocably change what it means to be human.
This introduction starts with an explanation of what superintelligence is, how soon it could become a credible threat to national interests, who is most likely to develop the first SI machine and the likely impact those machines will have on individuals, businesses, governments and armed forces around the world.
Unlike conventional NBC-WMDs, weaponized SI (w-SI) machines must be pre-emptively deployed by the nation that gains first possession to prevent hostile states developing their own. While cyber warfare is currently experienced by many nations, less aggressive w-SI machines early in their development will likely use complex, loosely-coupled hybrid attacks that use concept warfare to de-radicalize general populations and to engineer regime changes while avoiding the use of conventional WMDs.
When humans are no longer the most intelligent species what happens to humanity? Should mankind relinquish its poor stewardship of this planet for their own sake? And perhaps most important, how the influence SI will have must depend entirely on which nation wins the SI race.
Presentation and dinner £25.00 (discount for active serving members)
- Venue:
Brickhampton Golf Club
Cheltenham Road
Churchdown GL2 9QF
- Timings:
Pre-meeting drinks 18:45
Presentation 19:30
Dinner approx 20:15

Cyber and Operational Resilience in the Era of Digital Banking
Andrew ‘Gudge’ Gudgeon – Director of Operational Risk Oversight – Cyberspace, Resilience and Transformation Nationwide Building Society
Talk Details – A canter through the Sector-wide threat landscape and the business opportunities afforded by cyberspace and digitalisation, followed by an appreciation of the business decisions that benefit from cyber risk management.
Culminating in several case studies of significant cyber attacks and their impact on the Sector and why Operational Resilience is the focus at a national and business level.
Presentation and dinner £25.00 (discount for active serving members)
- Venue:
Brickhampton Golf Club
Cheltenham Road
Churchdown GL2 9QF
- Timings:
Pre-meeting drinks 18:45
Presentation 19:30
Dinner approx 20:15

Project Zephyr – Ultra Persistent C4ISR from the Stratosphere – Dr Roger Tidswell –
With its record-breaking flight in the summer of 2018, the Airbus Zephyr demonstrated the potential for ultra-persistence ISR, which offers a step change in military capability. The presentation will provide an overview of the platform, CONOPS, payloads and applications, together with how to address the challenge of accessing data and intelligence, and data fusion with complementary data sources including satellite and manned aviation.
Dr Roger Tidswell has a technical background in materials and sensor physics and has worked with clients in sectors ranging from defence to government, energy, petrochemicals and international collaborative research. He first started working with the Zephyr team in 2009 and has managed platform development and build projects. He is currently working in Zephyr Business Development and Sales.

Address by AFCEA Regional VP and Appreciation Dinner for John Kirby
As you may know John Kirby has handed over as President after 12 years at the helm, during which time he has only ever missed three meetings. It would therefore seem fitting that we somehow mark his handover properly and say a big thank you to him for sterling efforts as President. To that end the Committee has suggested that the June event will be a relaxed affair in which we have a little longer in the bar for socialising and networking before going through for dinner.
Presentation and dinner £20.00 (discount for active serving members)
- Venue:
Brickhampton Golf Club
Cheltenham Road
Churchdown GL2 9QF
- Timings:
Pre-meeting drinks 18:45
Presentation 19:45
Dinner approx 20:15

Booking for Dinner AND Accommodation on site now open…..
The AFCEA London traditional annual cyber dinner (the 5th such event) will be held in the historic setting of the Royal Holloway University of London’s Founders Building on 19th June 2019….
- For individual places, please select the event
- For a table booking:
- please review the Ts&Cs below at the link (opens in new tab) – booking and payment will constitute your agreement to these!
- request an invoice, or use the ‘ad hoc / retrospective’ option (entering enough information to help us join up you, the payment and the event)
++++
For those people wanting to stay over after the Annual Cyber Dinner on 19th June, here are the details for on-campus accommodation:
- There are 32 Premium rooms in Tuke Hall at a cost of £101.00 Bed & Breakfast – more rooms may be available if required.
- There is a maximum of 36 Single En-Suite rooms in Runnymede 1 at a cost of £71.75 Bed & Breakfast.
All rooms are to be booked directly with the University using this link: https://venue-booking.royalholloway.ac.uk/BnB/
The Promotional Code is AFCEA2019.
There may also be rooms available in The Hub, but these will be on a first come first served basis and the price will be room only.
In the event of any queries, please contact:
- E: thehubaccommodation
- +44 (0)1784 276190
- Royal Holloway, University of London
- Egham, SURREY
- TW20 0EX
++++

The Royal Aeronautical Society, Team Defence Information, AFCEA London Chapter and RUSI are collaborating for our 1st ‘Young Professionals in Defence’ Summer Networking Reception, which will be held on 28th June at the Royal Aeronautical Society, 4 Hamilton Place in Mayfair. It will be an afternoon event, followed by an early evening networking reception, all aiming to celebrate, educate and inspire young professionals in defence.
More details, and booking options, will be updated on https://www.aerosociety.com/events-calendar/young-professionals-in-defence/ as they become available.