THE WORLD’S PREMIER
MILITARY FLIGHT TRAINING CONFERENCE
31st March – 2nd April 2026 |
Hotel & Conference Center Sempachersee, Switzerland
DAY THREE | 2 APRIL
8:50 am - 9:00 am
CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS:
Lt. General David Nahom -
Former Commander, Alaskan Command,
US Air Force
9:00 am - 9:30 am
OPENING KEYNOTE: PHYSIOLOGICAL READINESS AND COGNITIVE RESILIENCE IN AIRCREW TRAINING
Lieutenant Colonel Erik Frijters -
Head of Department for Operational Training and Readiness,
Center for Man in Aviation Aerospace and Operational Physiology Department Mini
• Enhancing pilot performance through physiological and cognitive preparation
• Building resilience frameworks for high-stress operational environments
• Recent CLM innovations shaping Netherlands MoD training priorities
Lieutenant Colonel Erik Frijters
Head of Department for Operational Training and ReadinessCenter for Man in Aviation Aerospace and Operational Physiology Department Mini
9:30 am - 10:00 am
HOW ARE THE SPANISH AIR FORCE MAKING TRANSITION FROM LEGACY SYSTEM TO NEW SYSTEM
9:50 am - 10:30 am
PANEL DISCUSSION: TRAINING FOR SAFETY IN MULTI-DOMAIN OPERATIONS
How do we prepare aircrew for increasingly complex multi-domain threats while maintaining the safety standards essential to effective training? This panel addresses the balance between realistic threat simulation and training safety across:
• Electromagnetic warfare scenarios and AI-driven EW simulation
• Space domain threat awareness and training for degraded satellite access
• Cyber attack response protocols and procedural workarounds for denied communications
• Training aircrew to operate under contested space-cyber-air conditions
10:30 am - 11:00 am
SWISS AIR FORCE: APPROACHES TO TRAINING IN MOUNTAINOUS ENVIRONMENTS
11:00 am - 11:30 am
MORNING COFFEE AND NETWORKING
11:30 am - 11:50 am
ETAC’S PRIORITIES, PLANS AND CHALLENGES IN TRAINING FOR FLYING TRANSPORT AIRCRAFTS & ENHANCING THE TACTICAL KNOWLEDGE OF PILOTS
Colonel Carlos Herráiz Linares -
Commander,
European Tactical Airlift Centre
11:50 am - 12:30 pm
PANEL DISCUSSION: DOCTRINAL INNOVATIONS IN FLIGHT TRAINING
Exploring how emerging operational concepts are reshaping training pipelines and institutional frameworks:
• Agile Combat Employment & Dispersed Operations Training - how do we train aircrew for rapid deployment, austere field operations, and multi-base coordination?
• Establishing credible training standards as technology outpaces traditional instructor qualifications
• Data sovereignty in training systems: Ensuring national control over sensitive flight performance data, sensor downloads, and operational intelligence used in training environments
• Building contested environment simulation that mirrors real-world EW, space denial, and cyber disruption scenarios
12:30 pm - 1:50 pm
TRAINING MULTI-ENGINE AND AIRLIFT CREWS FOR EXPEDITIONARY OPERATIONS
Air Commodore Brett Williams -
Officer Commanding Air Academy,
Royal Australian Air Force
12:50 pm - 1:50 pm
LUNCH AND NETWORKING
1:50 pm - 2:20 pm
COLLABORATIVE COMBAT AIRCRAFT (CCA) TRAINING INTEGRATION SESSION
As unmanned wingmen transition from concept to reality, how do we prepare pilots for human-machine teaming:
• Training aircrew to delegate, override, and collaborate with autonomous systems under combat pressure
• Moving from direct aircraft control to multi-platform command and distributed kill chain management
• Doctrinal Impact on Squadron Structure - how CCA integration reshapes fighter training pipelines, mission planning, and decision-making hierarchy
2:20 pm - 2:40 pm
PRIORITIES FOR THE MULTINATIONAL HELICOPTER TRAINING CENTRE (MHTC) PROGRAMME
Lieutenant Colonel Zoltán SZILI -
Deputy Commander,
MHTC
• Improving European military helicopter interoperability and capability
• Importance of delivering multinational tactic training to harmonise common Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs)
• Maximising preparation and operational readiness for current and future theatre operations
2:40 pm - 3:00 pm
THE RAFALE: DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE AND INTEGRATED TRAINING SYSTEMS
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
AFTERNOON COFFEE AND NETWORKING
3:40 pm - 4:05 pm
CLOSING KEYNOTE: BALANCING FLEET MODERNISATION WITH PILOT TRAINING AND OPERATIONAL READINESS
Lieutenant General Francesco Vestito -
Commander, Italian Air Force Education and Training Command,
Italian Air Force
Lieutenant General Francesco Vestito
Commander, Italian Air Force Education and Training CommandItalian Air Force
4:30 pm - 4:40 pm
CHAIRMAN'S CLOSING REMARKS
Lieutenant General (Ret’d) Anthony J. Rock -
Former Inspector General,
U.S. Air Force
Lt. General David Nahom - Former Commander, Alaskan Command, US Air Force
