Aerospace Defense Forum

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“Winning the Game of New Technologies” – OC Chapter

OC Chapter meeting in Irvine on February 2, 2023

Do they that get to market first win? Does the better technology win? Can you throw money at technology and win?

Please join us in Irvine on Thursday, February 2, (Networking and Breakfast: 7:00-7:30am & Meeting: 7:30–9:00am) when Rick Heise, President & CEO. The Mission Critical Companies, from a prospective of a business leader, investor, and entrepreneur; will share observations and lessons (and some war stories) from over 20 years experiences with a variety of award-winning product development initiatives from racecars, aircraft, spacecraft, humanoid robotics, unmanned systems, urban mobility, etc.

We will explore the common principles of product development that can be applied to limited funded start-ups, to highly capitalized initiatives, to top-tier organizations creating new products; and what we as business leaders and the ecosystem can do to support new technologies entering the market.

The meeting is free for members and $30 for non-members ($40 after January 26).   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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“Welcome to Rocket Lab: An End-to-End Space Company”

South Bay Chapter meeting in El Segundo on February 8, 2023, 2022

Rocket Lab is the global leader in dedicated small launch vehicles with the all carbon composite, electric fuel-pumped Electron launch vehicle. Rocket Lab has completed 30 launches sending 150 satellites to orbit with Electron, the first NASA Cat 1 certified small launch vehicle. The Neutron medium lift launch vehicle is in development to serve future constellation deployment, national security, and civil space needs.

The Space Systems Division is now providing end-to-end missions with the Photon family of spacecraft and operating as a spacecraft components supplier of reaction wheels, star trackers, solar power, radios, launch separations systems, flight software, ground software, composite structures, batteries.

Please join us in an in-person meeting on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, 7:30-9:00 am Pacific Time, when Richard French, Director – Business Development and Strategy, Space Systems, Rocket Lab will introduce us to this exciting company.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum Individual Members and Corporate Members, and $30 (until February 1, $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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“Trade & Export Compliance – No Longer an Option”

OC Chapter meeting in Irvine on December 1, 2022

Please join us in Irvine on Thursday, December 1, (Networking and Breakfast: 7:00-7:30am & Meeting: 7:30–9:00am) when Steven B. Zisser, Esq., Founder, Zisser Customs Law Group and Masters Method, will discuss the new complexities and challenges in the post-Ukraine invasion and other current events.

Why does trade compliance matter? A competitive advantage in competitive markets
We are dealing with the fallout of today’s global economic sanctions and other regulatory pressures in our aerospace industry going into 2023:

• Global supply chain constraints – how to get your product shipped and delivered on time, avoiding costly delays like shipment storage/seizures
• China Uyghur regional import restrictions – how to make sure your value stream doesn’t have parts that can’t enter the US and other countries
• Acquiring international companies and performing comprehensive due diligence on ownership – knowing who holds 50%+ and if they’re a denied party
• How to keep production schedules moving and prevent delays upon entry into the US

What are the consequences of non-compliance?
The trade compliance landscape is becoming more and more complex; we are in an “enforcement environment” leading to increased scrutiny and consequences of failing to comply.

Regardless of the specific consequence, non-compliance will ultimately eat into your bottom line. It’s an operations imperative, no longer a “nice to have.”

The meeting is free for members and $30 for non-members ($40 after November 24).  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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Tour of Noble Aerospace

OC Chapter meeting in Santa Ana on November 3, 2022

Please join us in Santa Ana on Thursday, November 3, (Networking and Coffee: 7:30-8:30am & Meeting and Tour: 8:30–9:30am) when Michael Coburn, CEO, Noble Aerospace, will give a brief presentation and take us on a tour of Embee Processing.

Noble Aerospace is the holding company for Embee Processing and All Metals Processing; market-leading aerospace companies dedicated to providing the highest quality metal finishing services.

The tour will highlight the operational capabilities at the Embee location. Embee Processing, a Noble Aerospace Company, offers complete, start-to-finish production capabilities designed to meet virtually any metal-finishing need.

The meeting is free for members and $30 for non-members ($40 after October 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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“Aero Markets: The Long Road Back”

National Online Forum webinar on 8-9:00am Pacific Time, Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Aviation markets were badly hit by the pandemic, both for demand and supply reasons. The recovery is challenged by supply challenges, particularly with labor, but also with key components. Meanwhile, key market segments, particularly twin aisle jets and commercial jetliners in China, remain depressed.

Please join us at 8:00-9:00am Pacific Time on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, when Richard Aboulafia, Managing Director, AeroDynamic Advisory, will look at the important economic and political drivers behind all major aero segments, and what the risks are moving forward. He will also look at the relative fortunes of key players in these segments.

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adfnofoct22.eventbrite.com.

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

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“An Update on Advanced Autonomy in Military Aviation”

Los Angeles Chapter webinar on October 20, 2022

Advanced autonomy has become a priority for military aviators around the world. Whether known as Air-Launched Effects, Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Remote Carriers or Loyal Wingmen, the air forces of the world want to vastly expand mass and power by teaming-up crewed and uncrewed aircraft by leveraging advances in artificial intelligence and microelectronics.

Timelines vary among operators globally, but the Pentagon hopes not to fall to second place to anyone, especially China. All of the service branches have major programs underway to introduce autonomous aircraft piloted by AI agents can operate independently, in swarms or in teams crewed and uncrewed aircraft. This emerging priority is being supported by efforts to develop a new generation of AI capabilities, novel aircraft types and enabling technologies, such as cheaper engines, munitions and sensors.

Please join us online on Thursday, October 20, 2022, 8:00–9:00am Pacific Time, when Steve Trimble, Defense Editor, Aviation Week, will describe how translating the vision into operational capabilities remains challenging. The operational test community is still learning how to test AI-piloted aircraft, which use non-deterministic software code. Military pilots are still learning how to constructively team-up with AI agents, which exhibit behaviors that baffle as much as they impress. And the defense industry is struggling to define the aircraft configurations and, not least, the business models that are best suited to a set of evolving requirements that continuously slide between affordable mass and exquisite capability.

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adflaoct22.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 and Fifth Third Bank.

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“Redwire, Space & SPACs – Investing in the Next Frontier”

OC Chapter meeting in Irvine on October 6, 2022

Please join us in Irvine on Thursday, October 6, (Networking and Breakfast: 7:00-7:30am & Meeting: 7:30–9:00am) when Kirk Konert, Partner, AE Industrial Partners will discuss the outlook for investing in space.

TOPICS covered:
• AE Industrial’s investment thesis for creating Redwire, a true pioneering “new” space company
• Why space is one of greatest places to invest in today
• SPACs – What’s going on?
• The increasingly blurred lines between venture, growth, and private equity

The meeting is free for members and $30 for non-members ($40 after Sept 29). Non-members may guest twice for free. 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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“Satellite Surveillance in the 21st Century”

Los Angeles Chapter webinar on September 22, 2022

With the proliferation of global satellite coverage being revolutionized thru strings of microsatellites, the “persistent presence” ability to have 24/7 coverage via the visual spectrum, infrared and synthetic aperture radar has become a reality. The satellite arrays are also beginning to make worldwide cell coverage from anywhere a reality. Sat phones are quickly becoming every cell phone, and with that a measure of connectivity, information sharing and global awareness unknown at any other time in history. Non-governmental entities like Belingcat, private industry and various news services are using these capabilities for analysis in ways that used to be the preserve of government intelligence organizations, and in many cases revealing things that are driving nation-state, regional and global policies and politics.

These new capabilities are yielding new applications in assessing supply chain challenges stemming from natural, man-made or systemic causes, critical infrastructure, agriculture, disasters and war, ships, etc. Hal will discuss how the Ukrainian armed forces are effectively engaging satellite intelligence to thwart the Russian invasion. In addition, unmanned presence is being further enhanced through various types of “drones”, specifically unmanned aerial/surface/underwater vehicles. Criminal activities on the sea, such as IUU (illegal, unregulated, and unreported) fishing and more frequent illegal transshipment, along with other wrongful activities, can be detected, monitored and addressed in ways that were simply not possible a decade ago, even a few years ago. All of this has profound impact on Southern California, as it is the historic and current center of gravity and lead for both satellite and drone development activities in the United States and arguably among all Western nations.

Please join us online on Thursday, September 22, 2022, 8:00–9:00am Pacific Time, when Hal Kempfer, CEO and Founder, Global Risk Intelligence & Planning, will give us an inside look at the surveillance capabilities that are changing the world of intelligence gathering.

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adflasep22.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 and Fifth Third Bank.

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“The Benefits of Augmented Reality for A&D”

National Online Forum webinar on 8-9:00am Pacific Time, Wednesday, September 21, 2022

The majority of the workforce today consists of frontline workers. In an industrial setting, this refers to the hardworking people in factories and service shops who, despite advancements in technology, remain at the core of operations and production. It is important to equip these individuals with the right digital tools to work efficiently and safely. A technology that is quickly gaining adoption in the A&D space for service and manufacturing is Augmented Reality (AR), a digital overly that displays information in a physical environment.

Please join us at 8:00-9:00am Pacific Time on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, when Hamed Yazdi, Sales Director, Sconce, a PDS Vision Company, will cover several industrial use cases of AR and the benefits that can be realized with this technology.

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adfnofsep22.eventbrite.com.

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