Western Joint Branch: Christmas Debate 2026 - Cultural Transformation for a Hybrid Navy

About the Talk: We are pleased to invite you to this year’s WJB Christmas Debate. The event will take the form of a panel-based debate, with each panellist offering an opening perspective on the topic posed, followed by an interactive discussion and audience Q&A. Our first panellist: As navies around the world embrace autonomy, artificial intelligence and uncrewed systems, much of the conversation focuses on the technology. But is technology really the hardest part? This year's debate will explore the cultural challenges of delivering a Hybrid Navy, and what needs to change if new capabilities are to reach their full potential. We're also delighted to announce our first panel member below. More panellists across the Royal Navy, Industry and the UK Ministry of Defence will be announced over the coming weeks. We look forward to welcoming members, guests and colleagues from across the maritime, defence and technology communities for what promises to be a lively and thought-provoking evening.

Our first panellist: 

Mike K - Hybrid Navy Programme Director, BAE Systems: Mike leads BAE Systems' Hybrid Navy campaign and previously served as the Royal Navy's Head of Future Capability Development, where he was responsible for shaping future fleet concepts and accelerating maritime innovation. His experience spans naval operations, capability development, acquisition and the introduction of autonomous and uncrewed systems into maritime operations.

Registration: We will be running this as an in-person only event - Click Here to join the waitlist

CPD Certificates will be sent to the email address used to register.