Page 73 - Cormorant Issue 20 2017

Swedish Air Force Museum. Hosted dinner by SAAB, with brie ngs on the Swedish aircraft industry followed by a tour of the museum
The nal day consisted of a visit to Maersk to understand their approach to procurement. By
now the topic of conversation was dominated by
the numerous costume changes required over the visit; jacket and tie was the order of the day, with inspiration ranging from Worzel Gummidge to a 1970s Roger Moore! Brie ngs included an interesting overview of the challenges involved in running a
large multinational company with a diverse range
of capabilities, supporting both commercial and military customers from a wide variety of nations
and cultures. Their multi-billion dollar procurement programme is of a similar size to the MOD’s equipment programme, and although they have many similar challenges in capability procurement it was fascinating to learn of their innovative approach to procurement which includes e-auctions, autonomy and apps to better support procurement staff.
A great few days - thank you to Lt Col James Scott, SCOTKSinagnsdotwhne QmPo_dLualyeowutri1tin2g1/t0e5a/m20.12 16:54 Page 1
government, industry, armed forces and the broader population. To preserve Sweden’s Cold War neutrality, it had a policy of developing its own capabilities to avoid allegations of aligning itself
with either East or West. However, ever-fearful of Soviet aggression, the small Swedish population of approximately 9 million felt obliged to actively support the defence and security of the nation; until relatively recently, conscription was widespread and the country had the ability to mobilise over half a million people, if required, within four days. The ability of SAAB, a company which prides itself on innovation, simplicity and economy, to develop the full range of military capabilities from ghter aircraft to submarines is incredible, given its relatively small size compared to the World’s other leading defence companies.
Visit highlights included the Gripen ghter aircraft production line followed by an opportunity for the students to attempt to y the aircraft simulator!
That evening the module travelled to Copenhagen for a visit to the Royal Danish Army Academy the following day. The Academy provided a brie ng on the Kingdom of Denmark’s (Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands) armed forces and its strategic defence and security challenges given Denmark’s position in the Baltic and its Arctic interests. Case- studies of Danish F35 and Piranha infantry ghting vehicles provided an alternative perspective on military procurement.
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