As demand for air power capabilities grows in the region, Middle Eastern delegations and senior regional officials will gather at the Air Power Middle East (APME) event to discuss the latest developments in air campaigning and the future of security cooperation in the region following Operation Unified Protector.

With the General Support of the Royal Air Force of Oman, APME is organized by IQ Defence and will take place on 26-27 March 2011 at the Plaza Hotel, Muscat.

APME will feature keynote briefings from the likes of Staff Lieutenant General Anwar Hamad Ameen, Commander of the Iraqi Air Force. They will be joined by senior Royal Bahraini Air Force representatives and others from across the Middle East.

Keynote briefings on recent operations over Libya will come from Lieutenant General Ralph J. Jodice II, Commander of the Allied Air Component Command (NATO) and from Air Vice-Marshal Stuart Atha DSO, Air Officer Commanding, Number One Group, RAF who will both be speaking on day one.

On day two, other nations being invited to speak also include Royal Jordanian Air Force, Lebanese Air Force and Qatar Emiri Air Force.

Along with senior military personnel, the event is attracting key industry partners to garner the latest information on the region's air power requirements and to strengthen their professional relationships with the senior air force officials in attendance.

The event is sponsored by RUAG and THALES.
 
"APME continues to offer a rare and valuable opportunity for the region's Air Forces to exchange views with, and update industry on, procedures, training and requirements while gathered under one roof over a concentrated 2 day conference - that is the primary reason we have agreed to sponsor this event for 3 years," said Jan H de Haldevang, Director of Sales & Marketing, Thales.

With the aerospace market in the Middle East growing exponentially, the event attracts the largest competitors in the region including BAE Systems, SAAB, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.