Frank Belonus wins ITEC 2018 best paper

ITEC 2018, which took place in May in Stuttgart, Germany, brought together the world’s military simulation, training and education community to showcase the latest technologies on offer and discuss the latest developments in the market.

As the world’s leading dedicated military training and simulation event, the ITEC 2018 conference gave delegates the opportunity to hear from some of the sector’s leading voices from across industry, the military and academia.

From a rich and varied conference programme, the ITEC conference committee is pleased to announce that the award for the best 2018 paper is being awarded to Frank Belonus of Falcon Desert International for his paper, “What the Training and Simulations Senior Advisor is telling the organization’s leadership, and why.”

Drawing on his extensive experience as a training and simulations senior advisor to the Kuwait National Guard, Belonus’ paper tackled the issue of how specialist training and simulations advisors can benefit military and security agencies in critical ways. When successfully integrated, advisers can effectively serve as guidance, integration, training development and management force-multipliers for organisations that may lack the manpower or expertise of the utilisation of simulation training as a tool to increase success and dominance in the face of an ever-changing spectrum of threats.

Belonus will be presented with his award at the International Reception at I/ITSEC 2018 in Orlando in November by Clarion Defence & Security Chairman, Simon Williams.

“We are so pleased to announce Mr Belonus as the winner of the best paper from the ITEC 2018 conference,” Williams said. “The conference committee felt that his presentation added significantly to the current global military training and simulation conversation and contributed an important viewpoint on the Middle East and the complex challenges faced within the region.”

“I am truly honoured to be selected (as) best paper for ITEC 2018, the best international conference and forum for military training, education and simulation in Europe,” Frank Belonus, president and CEO, Falcon Desert International, said. “It was truly a privilege to discuss military training and simulations for today and tomorrow in the Middle East from both the business and joint perspective.

“It was also an honour and frankly quite humbling to be amongst the industries’ foremost leaders and visionaries displaying their cutting-edge technology and capabilities, and discussing what the future holds for military training, simulations and education. For all I shared at the forum, I walked away learning far more!”