UK AOC Newsletter - January 2008

GREETINGS

The Board of the AOC UK Chapter extend their Season’s Greetings to you all and wish you a peaceful, healthy and prosperous New Year.

AOC CHRISTMAS DINNER 14 DECEMBER 2007

Some 50 members and guests enjoyed a most convivial evening in the Royal Air Force Club at the annual Christmas Dinner. If, however, you were sadly unable to attend, then hearing that we dined on smoked salmon terrine with prawns and quail’s egg, pheasant in mulled wine sauce and rum chocolate sponge with orange aniseed sauce may encourage you to join us at the Christmas 2008 dinner.

After dinner we were superbly entertained with an absorbing and amusing speech by our honoured guest, Peter Varnish OBE. Peter is now starting his thirtieth year as a member of the UK Chapter, having joined in the days when membership of the AOC was officially discouraged in government circles. We are delighted, of course, that he and many others ignored that official advice to become a member and note that, today, Peter holds several patents in radar, stealth and semiconductor devices, has written over 40 papers for learned journals and provides independent expert advice to two UK Departments of State. He was awarded the OBE in 1982 for his contribution to the Falklands war.

We were also delighted to welcome Mr Alexander Giles, the new CEO of the Shephard Group after its acquisition by Defence Event Management Limited. The Shephard Group and the AOC are collaborating in staging EW 2008 in Interlaken, Switzerland, in May 2008.

AOC UK CHAPTER ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 6 FEBRUARY 2008

The UK Chapter AGM will be held in the Royal Air Force Club, London, on Wednesday 6 February 2008. All AOC members are encouraged to attend this excellent opportunity to meet the President and the UK Chapter Board, to hear a report on the Chapter’s activities and its financial health and to help shape its future. And it’s free! Our guest speaker after the AGM will be Sqn Ldr Andy Cooke RAF who will present his MESE thesis on the use of data fusion in bistatic radar systems.

If you wish to attend the AGM, please complete the proforma and return as shown.

FUTURE EVENTS

Your Board is in the process of arranging a series of events during 2008 which we hope will be of interest to members, including:

• A classified visit to BAE Systems at Warton to view the EW Test Facility and Typhoon, probably in March.
• An EW Industry Open Day at Abacus EW Consultancy Ltd, near Lincoln, probably in April.
• The EW 2008 Conference & Exhibition at Interlaken, Switzerland, on 15/16 May 2008. This is a joint event managed by the Shephard Group and HQ AOC.
• A classified visit to QinetiQ, Malvern.
• A visit to the new SELEX EW support facility in Lincoln.
• A classified visit to the Defence Intelligence & Security Centre, Chicksands, Bedfordshire.

Details of these events will be circulated as they become available.

AOC UK WEB SITE: www.ukaoc.org

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