Programme
Conference Agenda – Day One
Three days of strategic content – from the future of warfare to Africa’s defence industry and the role of aviation in continental security.
DAY 1
Tuesday, 16 September 2026
The Future of Warfare
Air Force Base Waterkloof, Pretoria
07h30-08h30
Registration, refreshments and exhibition visit
Registration & Coffee
08h30-09h40
AAD Opening Ceremony
09h40-10h00
Morning refreshments
10h00-10h10
Welcome and introduction from the Chair
10h10-10h40
The responsible use of AI for military operations
- Where is AI already being used in military operations?
- Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)
- Decision-support and command-and-control systems
- Logistics, maintenance and predictive sustainment
- Autonomous and semi-autonomous systems
- What does “meaningful human control” actually look like in combat operations? The pros and cons of human-in-the-loop vs human-on-the-loop models
- What are the legal and ethical implications of using AI for military operations? Where should AI be adopted and where should it be limited?
- How can militaries test and validate AI systems before deployment?
- What are the defence industry and governments’ obligations when it comes to the responsible use of AI? Who is accountable when AI contributes to lethal outcomes?
Wayne Dalton, Senior AI Officer, Cyber Security Institute
10h40-11h10
The role of drones and autonomous systems in future warfare
- How are drones and autonomous systems being used? How fundamentally have they changed the character of warfare?
- To what extent will unmanned systems replace aircraft carriers or can they co-exist?
- The importance of anti-drone countermeasures: can counter-drone defences keep pace with low-cost systems?
- How should militaries balance speed, autonomy and human control?
- What are the risks of widespread drone proliferation in the hands of state and non-state actors?
Dr Moses B. Khanyile, Director: Centre for Military Studies (CEMIS), Faculty of Military Science, University of Stellenbosch
11h10-11h55
Panel discussion: Lessons from current conflicts around the world and how they can be applied to Africa
- Which lessons from current conflicts are transferable to African contexts? How do they assist African countries in terms of force design, doctrine, governance and strategic resilience?
- Are African militaries preparing for the right kind of future conflict?
- How can African states balance technological modernisation with fiscal realities?
- What risks arise from adopting external models without adaptation?
- How can regional cooperation enhance collective security resilience?
Panelists:
Advocate Vasu Gounden, Founder and Executive Director, Accord
11h55-13h15
Lunch, networking and exhibition visit
13h15-13h45
Cyber defence in the modern age: key learnings from the frontlines
In this session, we will dive into the world of state-sponsored hacking campaigns: what their objectives are, who the key adversaries are, how we can defend against them and what we can learn from our mistakes. Marc will share insights from the digital front lines, including how they can be applied to South African cyber operations.
Marc Lanzendorfer, Senior Incident Response Analyst, TrendAI
13h45-14h15
Targeting critical vulnerabilities in the absence of a singular centre of gravity: defence industry challenges in multi-domain operations
- This session will demonstrate that Carl von Clausewitz’s notion of a singular, identifiable centre of gravity is under strain in contemporary multi-domain operations and the resultant challenges for defence-related industries.
Colonel Robin Blake, Part-time Lecturer, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria
14h15-14h45
The future of land EW: Enabling spectrum dominance in multi-domain operations
- As modern conflicts become increasingly contested, congested and interconnected, control of the electromagnetic spectrum is emerging as a decisive factor in operational success. This session examines the evolution of land-based Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) from a standalone capability to a critical enabler of multi-domain operations. The discussion will explore how software-defined architectures, artificial intelligence and advanced spectrum management are transforming EW systems into agile, networked capabilities that can detect, analyse and respond to threats at machine speed. It will further examine the integration of land-based EW with air, maritime, cyber and space domains to enhance situational awareness, force protection and decision superiority. Attendees will gain insight into the technologies, operational concepts and future trends shaping the next generation of land EW and its role in delivering spectrum dominance on the modern battlefield.
Ryno van Staden, Head of Sales and Marketing &
Wimpie van den Berg, Land EW Product Portfolio and Strategy Manager, HENSOLDT GEW
14h45-15h15
Afternoon refreshments, networking and exhibition visit
15h15-15h45
Predictive maintenance, smart logistics and the digital military supply chain
Examining AI-driven maintenance systems, logistics forecasting, fleet readiness monitoring and how data analytics can improve force sustainment, reduce downtime and optimise operational availability.
Sipho Mbhokota, COO, Armscor
15h45-16h15
Unmanned systems as force multipliers for African maritime security
Drones have the potential to serve as force multipliers, to supplement the role of traditional navies and coastguards by operating in tandem with these forces. In this sense, unmanned systems would not replace traditional maritime forces, but rather they would play a complementary role. The necessity to integrate this technology in Africa cannot be understated, especially given the lacking capacity of several African navies.
Therefore, the focus of the discussion will be the development and maritime deployment of drones and other unmanned systems by African stakeholders, both state and non-state. This will include a look at the real-life applications, major players as well as the opportunities, implications and future trends in drone deployments in the African maritime domain.
Tshegofatso Johanna Ramachela, Researcher, Ocean Regions Programme, University of Pretoria
16h15-16h45
How apex technologies are shaping the future of warfare
- Apex technologies – led by AI, RPA, autonomous systems and enhanced digital technologies – are increasingly shaping the future of warfare by transforming and revolutionising prospective wars. The undeniable and irrefutable evidence is glaringly reflected and tangibly exposed in the Ukrainian and Iranian wars. This session will discuss the unfolding proliferation of these apex technologies and their evolving impact on future wars. These burgeoning technologies enable swifter, highly automated and more lethal combat campaigns. They accelerate the battlefield speed, reduce human decision-making time and shift operational attention to remote military operations. While apex technologies provide enormous advantages in highly competitive battlefields, they unleash risks such as a reduction of human oversight that may lead to unintended dangers on unprotected, innocent civilians.
Joe Solwazi Tsotetsi, Executive Chairman and CTO, Ubinadamu Group
16h45-16h50
Closing remarks from the Chair
16h50
End of Conference Day One
Attend All Three Days
Early Bird registration closes 31 July 2026. Full conference passes give you access across all three days.
