IAV 2024
Once again, the home of Rugby, the Twickenham Stadium, hosted the International Armoured Vehicles Conference, organised by Defence iQ. With a conventional conflict approaching the second year, Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24th, 2022, and an asymmetric one ongoing in the Middle East, following Hamas attack against Israel on October 7th, 2023, the event, which gathered south-west of London around 1,000 delegates, military, industrialists, and experts, from over 40 nations, hosted briefings based on feedback from the field.
In addition to plenary session presentations, seven focussed panel discussions, four themed conference streams, and one day dedicated to uncrewed systems, the 2024 conference features 16 workshop and specialist sessions.
Usually, such type of event gets mostly unnoticed by the big public, as general media seldom report on it. It was not the case of the 2024 edition for two main reasons. First, a peaceful gathering of protesters on Day One, showing Palestinian flags. Second, the hostnation keynote address by General Sir Patrick Sanders, Chief of the General Staff, British Army, who stated that the United Kingdom needs to put its forces on a pre-war footing. Not only, he also confirmed what he already said in September 2023 at DSEI, that the current one is a “pre-war” generation, while until now we all considered ourselves a post-war generation. Although the IAVC is run under the Chatham House Rules, which prevent from mentioning the speaker and his or her organisation, I think I am not infringing these rules as in the evening of Wednesday 24 January most TV news if not all in the UK were mentioning General Sanders words, which appeared on next morning newspapers, in the UK and abroad.
As usual it is impossible reporting on all briefings and panels. EDR On-Line selected some of them, more to be added in the coming days and weeks.
Where does the Boxer go
Japan looks for new technologies aimed at amphibious vehicles and hybrid propulsion
Estonia aims at increasing its Land Forces
