Programme
09:00 - 09:30 Registration
Attendees are requested to arrive at least 5 minutes before the conclusion of registration to guarantee they are seated for the start of the conference.
09:30 - 10:00 Welcome and Opening Keynote Address
The opening keynote speaker will be confirmed shortly.
10:00 - 11:00 Panel 1 – Long War: The Challenge
This opening panel sets the strategic scene. It considers how major powers have prepared for and sustained protracted wars, and what lessons these offer today. Drawing on historical precedent and contemporary conflicts such as Ukraine, the discussion will explore how political, industrial, and military systems endure or fail when war proves longer and harder than expected.
11:00 - 11:30 Coffee Break
Tea, coffee and refreshments will be available for conference delegates.
11:30 – 12:30 Panel 2 – Industrial Mobilisation and Dissimilar Rearmament
This panel examines how the UK and its allies can generate and sustain military capability at scale during a protracted conflict. It explores how defence industries adapt under pressure, the limits of peacetime production models, and the potential of 'dissimilar rearmament' to fill urgent gaps. Drawing on lessons from Ukraine and historical examples of wartime adaptation, the discussion will consider what an industrial base for long war might look like today.
12:30 – 13:15 Lunch Keynote Address
The keynote speaker will be confirmed shortly.
13:15 – 14:00 Lunch
Lunch will be provided to conference delegates.
14:00 – 15:30 Panel 3 – Reconstitution and Reserves
This panel examines how UK forces could adapt to the realities of attrition in a future high-intensity conflict. It will consider how manpower, training, and command structures might evolve to regenerate combat power at pace, and the role of reserve forces in planning for that effort. The discussion will explore what credible reconstitution looks like and how to plan to fight through the echelons.
15:30 – 16:00 Coffee Break
Tea, coffee and refreshments will be available for conference delegates.
16:00 – 16:50 Panel 4 – War Readiness and the Whole of Society
This panel looks beyond the battlefield to the wider systems that sustain a nation in war. It will examine how political leadership, information strategy, and societal resilience shape national endurance in a protracted conflict. Drawing on recent and historical examples, the discussion will explore how the UK could prepare its people, institutions, and narratives for the demands of a long war.
16:50 – 17:20 Closing Keynote Address
The closing keynote speaker will be confired shortly.
17:30 – 19:00 Sponsored Reception
Conference delegates are invited to attend a drinks reception.