30 years after the Defensive Aid Sub System (DASS) Business Agreement was signed, Leonardo was delighted to host the Praetorian DASS Supplier Conference on 29 June 2022 at the RAF Museum in Hendon, London to mark the anniversary.
Conference delegates were drawn from across the value chain, including end-users, work share partners and key suppliers, with the occasion providing an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate 30 years of rich history, as well as focus on the future challenges and how to adapt to ensure continuity of supply.
Among the delegates, feedback was very positive about the event.
RAF Flight Lieutenant Helen ‘Hels’ Seymour, said: “DASS is vital to survive!” while Dr Jason Lepley from BAE Systems Digital Intelligence, added his thanks for “putting on such a great event. I thought the presentations and discussions were pitched perfectly to the audience, and highlighted awareness of some of the common issues we are facing together. It was also fascinating to hear the messages from the RAF, which cemented in my mind the reasons we are doing this work.”
BAE Systems Surface Ships Programme Manager, Manufacturing, Simon Freeman, described the event as “outstanding”, adding: “It clearly met the objectives of celebrating 30 years of DASS and also outlined the challenges in the years ahead, to continue new build, support and equipment enhancement through to its out of service date.
“The Leonardo team obviously invested a lot of effort in both the preparation and delivery of the day’s activities, and it was good to catch up with people we haven’t seen for some time as well as meet others from the wider supply chain. We are fully committed to the challenges ahead for DASS equipment and look forward to commencing the journey as outlined during the conference. We are also keen to offer our capabilities and capacity to offer further support, should opportunities arise.”
Leonardo Programme Manager, Chloe Wilshin, said: “The supplier conference has been very well received. The venue was really good and I really enjoyed meeting the key suppliers. Everybody I spoke to was really engaged and very nice. The whole team did an excellent job with this event.”
While the conference celebrated the successes of the Praetorian DASS, Leonardo is already looking ahead to the future protection of the Eurofighter Typhoon in a highly contested and congested battlespace. Praetorian eVo will provide:
- A new digital architecture which will continue to protect Typhoon against an ever-increasing contested, congested and complex threat environment
- Agility to react to the dynamic nature of the digital battlespace
- Sensor data fidelity and contribution to the wider digital situational awareness picture
- The latest High-Reliability (Hi-Rel) manufacturing and assembly techniques, ensuring the operational capability advantage is matched by availability
Neil Jones, Leonardo UK’s Head of Programmes for Future Typhoon and FCAS, commented: “Praetorian DASS is responsible for providing exceptional platform protection for the Eurofighter Typhoon. This would not be possible without the expertise and collaboration across our partners and key suppliers. Praetorian eVo represents the future of the DASS, enabling the DASS to continue to outpace the evolving threat, encompassing advances in technology, manufacturing and availability. I cannot stress how important that even closer collaboration with our key suppliers and extended supply chain will be for our joint success.”
