No.4 HAMILTON PLACE
National Aerospace Library 
The Stevenage Branch annual Leslie Bedford lecture took place on the 19th April and was delivered by Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, Chief of the Air Staff, Royal Air Force. The lecture, entitled ‘21st Century Air Power’, took place courtesy of MBDA in the Quadrangle of their Stevenage facility.
Sir Stephen summarised the likely future character of (air power) conflict as being: congested, cluttered, connected, constrained, and last but not least, contested. Stressing that in an age of uncertainty an expeditionary capability will be required, Sir Stephen was also pleased to state that by 2020 82% of the RAF fleet will be less than 10 years old.
In 1988 the Stevenage Branch introduced the Leslie Bedford named lecture into the annual programme of events to honour one of the most respected and innovative pioneers in the field of radar and guided weapon technology. Leslie Bedford’s illustrious career concluded at the Guided Weapons Division of British Aircraft Corporation (MBDA) where he held the role of director of engineering. The 2012 Leslie Bedford Lecture was kindly sponsored by both MBDA UK Ltd and EADS Astrium.
ACM Sir Stephen Dalton, Leslie Bedford Lecture 2012. Picture Chris Miles MBDA
The Stevenage Branch monthly lectures are usually hosted by EADS Astrium at their Gunnels Wood Road facility, Stevenage. Please visit the In Your Area section of the RAeS website for Branch contact details.
