Aerospace Defense Forum

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“Space and the New World Order”

The Future of the Space Sector and Space Media
A Private Briefing with Payload Co-Founder, Mo Islam

South Bay Chapter meeting in El Segundo on Thursday, October 12, 2023

The world was characterized by free trade, geopolitical stability, supply chain efficiency (vs resiliency), reliable sources of energy and low interest rates (i.e. debt-fueled growth). This is no longer the case. The race for global influence is more important than ever before.

Please join us in El Segundo, CA, on Thursday, October 12, 2023, 4:00-6:30 pm Pacific Time, when Mo Islam, Co-Founder, Payload, will discuss how a new era in space technology impact global economics, geo-politics and defense:
• Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTs).
• Collapse of launch costs driven by reusable spacecraft.
• Vast improvements in satellite cost performance have expanded commercial plans.
• Product innovation and cost reduction in EO have surpassed many major technologies.
• Engineering practices have evolved to reduce costs and increase reliability.
• The current space race may be the greatest technological contest of the decade.
• China’s progress in developing space technology is unmatched.
• Government space spending reaches record levels.
• Space is the ultimate high ground, and it will inevitably become the next domain for warfare.
• New commercial partnerships between space and non-space entities.
• How will SpaceX’s Starship change the world?

The meeting is free for A&D Forum Individual Members and Corporate Members, and $30 (until October 5, $40 thereafter) for Non-members. Click here for more information and to register to attend the meeting.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The South Bay Chapter is hosted by Moss Adams.

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“Apprenticeship as a Strategic Workforce Development Tool”

National Online Forum webinar on Wednesday, September 20, 2023

This program will provide information and free resources to help your business develop and expand your workforce pipeline, using an apprenticeship model, whether for new hires or incumbent workers.

For the past six years, the South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB) has expanded its advanced manufacturing sector partnership by working with industry stakeholders to create Aero-Flex and, newly, Space-Flex. These programs liaison with business-education-community and professional organizations to plan and implement new strategies aimed at building our STEM/STEAM regional pipeline and upskilling current employees.

Please join us on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, 8:00-9:00 am Pacific Time, when Chris Cagle M.A., Regional Affairs and Special Projects Program Manager, South Bay Workforce Investment Board, and Deborah Shepard, M.Ed., Special Projects Coordinator, South Bay Workforce Investment Board, will explain the role of workforce boards, the State and Federal focus on using non-traditional apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship to enhance recruitment, retention, and training, as well as the financial resources available to your business.

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adfnofsep23.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

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“The New DoD Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC)”

San Diego Chapter meeting on September 19, 2023

Meeting location: Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
12275 El Camino Real, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92130-4092
Meeting Date: Tuesday, September 19
Meeting Time:
Networking & Refreshments, 4:30-5:30 PM:
Presentation: 5:30-6:30 p.m.

For DoD contractors and subcontractors, new cybersecurity requirements are coming. This Aerospace & Defense Forum presentation will cover the structure of the CMMC program and outline the general steps companies must take to prepare for these changes.

CMMC is the DoD’s new cybersecurity compliance program for all DoD contractors and their subcontractors. This will replace the old NIST 800-171 requirements, and for most companies it will require an external audit. There are new requirements included in the revised security baseline.

DFARS has always required DoD contractors and subcontractors to implement and adhere to the cybersecurity controls in NIST 800-171. The CMMC framework differentiates the requirements that must be met based on the risk the company poses to the DoD. There are also new reporting requirements, either self-attestation or an external audit.

Although the CMMC framework has been slow to materialize, finalization is close. Now is the time for DoD contractors and subcontractors to be assessing their readiness and preparing for these new requirements. To start, companies need to identify their CMMC Risk Level (1-3), which then defines the security requirements they must meet.

Risk Levels:
• Level 1 (Foundational) – companies that handle Federal Contract Information (FCI)
• Level 2 (Advanced) – companies that handle controlled unclassified information (CUI)
• Level 3 (Expert) – reducing risks of Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)

Once organizations have identified their risk level, they must define and assess system scope against the appropriate risk level control requirements and prepare and implement a plan to get to compliance.

Please join us in San Diego on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 (4:30-5:30 PM: Networking & Refreshments, 5:30-6:30 PM: Presentation) when Christian Hansen, CISSP, CISA, Partner, Cybersecurity Consulting, Moss Adams, will cover the structure of the CMMC program and outline the general steps companies should take to get ready for these changes.

The meeting is free for members & $30 for non-members until September 12 ($40 thereafter). For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to http://adfsdsep23.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The San Diego chapter is sponsored by Moss Adams, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, LevitZacks, and hosted by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton.

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“Aerospace Market Mid-Year Review and Preview”

Los Angeles Chapter webinar on September 22, 2023

The past several years have seen numerous challenges for companies in aerospace and defense. 2023 has been no exception. Among the current challenges are raw material shortages, more production problems at Boeing, finding resources needed to meet demand amid inflation, rising interest rates and labor shortages, and an uncertain economic outlook. What has been the impact of these and other factors on the outlook for 2023 and beyond?

Please join us online on Friday, September 22, 2023, 8:00AM – 9:00AM Pacific Time, when Peter Zimm of Charles Edwards Management Consulting will assess their expectations coming into 2023, examine the industry’s performance and events YTD, and look ahead to what we can expect for the full year. Peter will also share their outlook for the years ahead. In uncertain times, having as much information as possible is crucial to effective decision-making. You’ll leave this presentation with valuable insights for guiding your companies and clients

The meeting is free for A&D Forum Individual Members and Corporate Members, and $30 for Non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adflasep23.eventbrite.com/.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Los Angeles Chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is hosted by Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Mitchell and sponsored by Moss Adams Fifth Third Bank, and Lincoln International.

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“Cybersecurity Update for Small and Mid-Size (SME) Defense Contractors”

Meeting of the Santa Clarita Valley Chapter on August 15, 2023

Many SME Defense Contractors misunderstand complying with the DoD’s CMMC Assessment Program as fulfillment of complying with the NIST Security Requirements which is the standard SME Defense Contractors are used to measure compliance. This misunderstanding leads many SME Defense Contractors to have a false sense of the amount of time required to comply with these standards by focusing on the CMMC rulemaking delays. The reality is most defense contractors are running behind in the compliance schedule without knowing it.
This can result in the following issues for SME Defense Contractors:

  • How will revisions to NIST SP 800-171 affect compliance deadlines for the SME Defense Contractor?
  • Will the DoD provide extra time for SME Defense Contractors to implement these changes?
  • Which revision of NIST SP 800-171 will be used to evaluate SME Defense Contractors’ compliance with CMMC?

Please join us in Valencia on Tuesday, August 15, (Networking and Breakfast: 7:15-7:45am & Meeting: 7:45–9:00am) when Jacob Horne, Chief Security Evangelist, Summit 7 Systems, will provide information on:

  • How to avoid accidentally mistaking CMMC for NIST cyber requirements, which occurs frequently and thus may cost SME Defense Contractors their DoD contracts.
  • The DoD expects SME Defense Contractors of all sizes to be fully compliant with NIST SP 800-171 Revision 2 requirements today.
  • NIST will be expanding SP 800-171 requirements by 37% in Q1 2024 and create more compliance work for SME Defense Contractors.

The location of the meeting is at College of the Canyons. The meeting is free for members and $35 for non-members until August 8 ($45 thereafter). Registration closes at 7:15am on Monday, August 14 to give time to send parking passes. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adfscvaug23.eventbrite.com/.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Santa Clarita Valley chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation.

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“The 2023 Paris Air Show – A Tale of a Changing Industry” – NOF webinar

National Online Forum webinar on Wednesday, August 16, 2023

The 2023 Paris Air Show (or Le Bourget) was the first Paris Air Show in four years. What would we see at the show – with all the changes in our industry, would there be good news or not so good news? As we discovered, Paris 2023 was a tale of recovery, continued challenges, innovation, and sustainability.
• Demand is increasing – as traffic rapidly recovers, every airline is waking up to the need to plan for the rebound, and the orders are not small.
• However, unconstrained demand will face constrained supply for a while.
• Creaking supply chains are impacting deliveries and production ramp-up.
• We are all struggling – maybe we should look at all possible solutions.
• Global conflicts and tensions are driving defense program growth – but the market is fragmented as countries look to meet their own needs.
• The industry is full of innovation – application of AI/supercomputing to design, new engine design, new airframe designs, SAF and hydrogen use as fuel, sustainability.
• What are countries and companies doing to encourage innovation and growth?
• Our industry is changing with sustainability at the forefront – how close to reality are we and by when?

The show itself seemed to be a back to pre-pandemic levels of attendance, reflecting the resurgence and recovery of our industry and, as always, the Paris Air Show manages to be interesting. The activities of the airshow provided some answers on the important issues and gave us a few surprises as well.

Please join us on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, 8:00-9:00 am Pacific Time, when David Conrad, Vice President, Business Development, PTI Technologies will give us a first-hand account from someone who attended the 2023 Paris Airshow and find out some of what is new in our industry.

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adfnofaug23.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

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“The Engine and Systems Headwind to The Next Super Cycle”

OC Chapter meeting in Irvine on August 3, 2023

Please join us in Irvine on Thursday, August 3, (Networking and Breakfast: 7:00-7:30am & Meeting: 7:30–9:00am) as we discuss the outlook across the aerospace and defense engines and systems supply chain.

Alex Krutz of Patriot industrial Partners will lead a panel that will discuss the challenges, uncertainties and opportunities facing the engines and systems supply chain. This is a big challenge in the industry as Airbus and Boeing look to ramp up production. Kristine Liwag (A&D Analyst, Morgan Stanley) will provide an industry perspective on the supply chain. Boyd Adams (VP of BD and Strategic Partnerships, Frisa Aerospace) will discuss the forging and machining segment. Marzel Neckien (President, W Machine Works) will be discussing the tier 2/3 supply chain perspective.

Topics covered will be production plan outlook, demand volatility, the labor situation, inflation, costs and contracts and material lead times. This panel discussion will be beneficial to all companies in the A&D supply chain. Dialogue will be open and informative covering all segments and Tiers of the supply chain.

The meeting is free for members and $30 for non-members ($40 after July 27). Click here for more information and to register to attend the meeting.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Orange County chapter is hosted by Moss Adams.

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“NASA’s Artemis 1 Mission”

South Bay Chapter meeting in Torrance on Friday, August 11, 2023

NASA’s Artemis I mission from November- December 2022 marked the first time a spacecraft designed to carry a crew has visited the moon since 1972. This historic test mission paved the way for future crewed exploration of Earth’s nearest neighbor, in a more comprehensive and sustainable program than Apollo with growth potential to eventual Mars missions.

Artemis I was enabled by NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the most powerful operational launch vehicle ever built.

Please join us at The Western Museum of Flight in Torrance, CA, on Friday, August 11, 2023, 7:30-9:30 am Pacific Time, when William Whittenbury, Astronautical Engineer, Spacecraft Mechanical Design Integration, Northrop Grumman will give audiences an in-depth look at the design and development of this new rocket, including its design antecedents, a detailed technical description, the manufacturing process, testing, and the ultimate launch campaign and Artemis I mission.

The talk will also look ahead to what’s next in this exciting exploration program, including the Artemis II crew mission and upcoming vehicles for the program including the SLS Block IB, Human Landing System (HLS), and Lunar Gateway space station. The speaker will share his personal experiences supporting the program in 2018.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum Individual Members and Corporate Members, and $30 (until August 4, $40 thereafter) for Non-members. Click here for more information and to register to attend the meeting.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The South Bay Chapter is hosted by Moss Adams.

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“Getting the Most from the Gold Coast Conference”

San Diego Chapter meeting on July 18, 2023

Meeting location: Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
12275 El Camino Real, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92130-4092
Meeting Date: Tuesday, July 18
Meeting Time:
Networking & Refreshments, 4:30-5:30 PM:
Presentation: 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Have you attended a conference or sponsored a trade show and ever wondered if you had a return on your investment? While the trade show industry booms under high hopes of Aerospace and Defense spending, Industry still lags on where to place their precious marketing dollars.

Please join us in San Diego on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 (4:30-5:30 PM: Networking & Refreshments, 5:30-6:30 PM: Presentation) when the event will begin with Networking followed by presentations by Jeff Everage (Founder and President) and
Alexis Romero (Business Intelligence Team Lead and Orals Coach), both from Trident Proposal Management, who will discuss:
• How to prepare for a trade show with proper strategy development and research.
• How to promote your company’s value with proper marketing and messaging techniques.
• How to build genuine partnerships that lead to long-term successful outcomes by identifying the right teaming opportunities and business needs.

The meeting is free for members & $30 for non-members until July 11 ($40 after July 11). For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to http://adfsdjul23.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The San Diego chapter is sponsored by Moss Adams, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, LevitZacks, and hosted by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton.