The Concept Development and Experimentation (CD&E) Conference is HQ SACT and US Joint Staff's leading annual forum which provides a unique opportunity for the international CD&E community and stakeholders to discuss the most current issues of concept development and experimentation in the process of capability development.

The host nation for this year's conference is the Republic of Lithuania. The Energy Security Centre under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs serves as the Executive Agent for planning and hosting the conference in Vilnius.

Location and dates:

Venue: The Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva, Konstitucijos pr. 20, Lt-09308 Vilnius, Lithuania
Tuesday, 6th to Thursday, 8th November 2012

Theme:

"Optimizing Joint & Combined Forces For 2020 And Beyond"

Objectives:

• Day 1: Create an environment conducive to information sharing and relationship building while highlighting the benefits of CD&E methodologies and practical applications in optimizing the development of joint and combined forces;
• Day 2 & partly day 3: Obtain perspectives on ideas, discuss relevant problems and challenges, and explore potential solutions to energy security from a military point of view and Maritime Security Operations; Combined Operational Access;
• Day 3: Finalize the conference inputs focusing on optimizing the development of joint and combined forces.

Structure:

Tuesday 06 November: Key note, Panel session, Information sharing sessions (plenary)
Wednesday 07 November: Workshops (WS) and Limited Objective Experiment (LOE) (breakouts)
Thursday 08 November: WS and LOE, results, conclusions and closure (breakouts and plenary)

Attendance:

The conference is focused at the Major General level and below, or the civilian equivalent. Attendance from the following fields, as applicable, is desired: CD&E, Research and Development, Science and Technology, Doctrine Development, Military Transformation, Battle Laboratories, Centres of Excellence, Academia, the Defence Industry and Subject Matter Experts based on specific workshops. Attendees can be from a NATO nation/body, a Partnership for Peace, Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative nations or from specific nations who are partnering with the US Joint Staff J7, Joint and Coalition Warfighting.

Language Format:

The program, is unclassified/releasable to the public and is presented and published in English. There are no translation services available during the conference.

Registration:

Registration is open until 25 October. You may register via the link on the right side of this page or clicking here.

Conference presentations and other materials:

The conference presentations and other materials will be posted on the ACT CD&E Webportal after the Conference.

Registration for this Portal can be obtained here.

Conference Coordinators:

ACT Lead Planner - Lieutenant Colonel Soeren Soltau Petersen, SO Capability Engineering, Principles and Plans Branch, Tel +1(757)747-3682
US Joint Staff J7 Lead Planner - Mr. Van Edelmann, Tel +1(757)203-0502