DAY ONE | TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2025

·       Current operational requirements for the US Army, focusing on lessons identified from current conflicts

·       Army aviation modernisation priorities following the cancellation of FARA, and increased investment in FLRAA

·       Future role of rotary aviation in combat, and capabilities needed to operate in increasingly contested air space

Brigadier General Matthew Braman

Director, Army Aviation
US Army

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·       Tactical integration of current platforms for lift, find and attack mission sets

·       Lessons identified from current operations, and future requirements to enhance combat capabilities

·       Strategic view on the future of uncrewed systems for combat aviation

·       Future design and operational challenges to ensure seamless multi-domain interoperability 

Brigadier Nick English MBE PhD

Commander
1st Aviation Brigade Combat Team

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·       Requirements for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare missions

·       Importance of optimum speed and range to operate in the Indo-Pacific

·       Industry support needed to replace the Super Lynx fleet between 2026–2030

First Admiral Ahmad Shafirudin

Commander, Naval Air
Royal Malaysian Navy

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·       With the Ukraine conflict exposing new rotorcraft vulnerabilities, what is the future role of rotorcraft in the battlefield environment?

·       How can rotary fleets be upgraded to enhance defensive operations, and counter both crewed and uncrewed system attacks

·       How are militaries adapting to account for unmanned and uncrewed experimentation, and how will proposed capabilities support future operations?

·       Perspectives on how to balance investments to upgrade current fleets, while looking ahead to future programs & developments

·       How should the role of rotary aviation evolve to meet contemporary threats?

Major General (Retd) James Illingworth OBE

Former Director Land Warfare & Former Deputy Commander Joint Helicopter Command
IMH 2025 Conference Chairman

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James Gavin

Head of Future Capability Innovation
DE&S - UK MoD

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Major General Michael Keating CBE

Chief of Staff
Allied Rapid Reaction Corps

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·       Status update and key priorities of NGRC for 2025/2026

·       What could the next phase of development look like for the NGRC as contracts are awarded to Airbus, Sikorsky and Leonardo for potential platform concepts

·       How will open system architecture benefit the development of the NGRC, and allow for a 2038 delivery of the next-generation platform

Cyril Heckel

NGRC Programme Manager
NATO Support and Procurement Agency

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·       Integral role of tactical helicopters in future defence requirements, and taking a holistic approach to what capabilities will be required in the future

·       Addressing the threat factors of climate change, and a changing security environment for future vertical lift capabilities

·       Bridging the gap from current rotary capabilities to meet future requirements with the expanded reach and distances that are unique to Canada

Brigadier General Brendan Cook

Director General Air and Space Force Development
Royal Canadian Air Force

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Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Fountain

Director Air Requirements 9 (Tactical Aviation)
Royal Canadian Air Force

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·       Which system architectures will be best suited to future operational environments, and how can industry support the challenge of operating across long distances in the Indo Pacific?

·       Understand the role of industry in driving interoperability and interchangeability with allies and partners to maximise performance in the modern battlefield

·       How does industry see the maturity of uncrewed systems developing in the next 10 years, and how can industry help to deliver confidence in uncrewed capabilities?

·       What lessons can be identified from Ukraine to maximise the potential of current platforms to operate in a near-peer contested environment?

·       Developments in the RMV Tigre mid-life upgrade programme to adapt to the realities of the future battlefield

·       Challenges and opportunities to integrate drone-helicopter cooperation capabilities to meet the requirements of collaborative contact

·       Observations from Ukraine on how to maximise mission effectiveness in contested airspace

Brigadier General David Cruzille

Commanding General
French Army Aviation

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·       Rotorcraft vulnerabilities identified from the Russia Ukraine conflict

·       Changes in the role of attack helicopters between 2023 and 2024

·       Analysis of the future developments in attack helicopter operations as the conflict continues

Lieutenant Colonel Emiliano Pellegrini

Subject Matter Expert Attack Helicopters
JAPCC

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·       Understand how to incorporate stealth and drive lethality from the corps level

·       Lessons identified from the Russia Ukraine conflict, and adjusting future strategies to utilize aviation assets for both conventional and unconventional threats.

·       Addressing the future role of rotorcraft in contemporary conflicts at the corps level

Major General Michael Keating CBE

Chief of Staff
Allied Rapid Reaction Corps

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·       Strategies to ensure sufficient spare components and repair capabilities to prepare for first CH-53K deployment in 2026

·       Providing logistics support to Marines spread out on and near shore in the Indo-Pacific, and increasing capabilities in high, hot environments

·       Operational innovations to drive the use of the CH-53K forwards, and new strategies to work with the remaining legacy heavy lift aircraft

Colonel Kate Fleeger

Program Manager, PMA-261 H53 Heavy Lift Helicopters
Naval Air Systems Command

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·       Upgrade requirements for Chinook and Apache fleets to extend service life

·       Special Operation Forces requirements to perform covert collection and sabotage operations against Russian Forces

·       Defining future medium helicopter requirements

Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Hoogsteder

Program Manager SOF Air
Royal Netherlands Air Force

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