25 - 27 February, 2025 I Novotel London West, London, United Kingdom
DAY ONE | TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2025
6:40 - 7:55
REGISTRATION & REFRESHMENTS
7:55 - 8:00
DEFENCE iQ WELCOME
8:00 - 8:05
CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS
Major General (Retd) James Illingworth OBE -
Former Director Land Warfare & Former Deputy Commander Joint Helicopter Command,
IMH 2025 Conference Chairman
Major General (Retd) James Illingworth OBE
Former Director Land Warfare & Former Deputy Commander Joint Helicopter CommandIMH 2025 Conference Chairman
8:05 - 8:10
WELCOME ADDRESS FROM AIRBUS
DELIVERING PLATFORMS FOR CURRENT & FUTURE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS
8:10 - 8:30
HOST NATION KEYNOTE BRIEFING
Vice Admiral Sir Martin Connell CBE -
Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff,
Royal Navy
Vice Admiral Sir Martin Connell CBE
Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval StaffRoyal Navy
8:30 - 9:00
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: BRITISH ARMY ROTARY WING
Major General Alex Turner DSO -
Director Army Futures,
British Army
• Understand the context of British Army rotary wing capabilities within the current operating environment
• Lessons identified from Ukraine, and impact on future development
• Challenges and opportunities for modernisation
9:00 - 9:30
MISSION & REQUIREMENTS OF US ARMY AVIATION: DIRECTION OF FUTURE VERTICAL LIFT
Brigadier General Matthew Braman -
Director, Army Aviation,
US Army
· 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
8:40 - 9:10
LEAD PARTNER PRESENTATION: INDUSTRY INSIGHTS FROM AIRBUS
10:00 - 10:30
ROYAL MALAYSIAN NAVAL AVIATION ASPIRATION
First Admiral Ruzman Bin Mat -
Chief of Staff & Incoming Naval Wing Commander,
Royal Malaysian Navy
· Requirements for ASuW & ASW capable platform
· Challenges and limitations of operation
· Role of industry in strategic partnership for MRO
First Admiral Ruzman Bin Mat
Chief of Staff & Incoming Naval Wing CommanderRoyal Malaysian Navy
10:30 - 11:00
MORNING COFFEE AND NETWORKING BREAK
11:00 - 11:40
PANEL DISCUSSION: DEFINING AND DELIVERING CAPABILITIES FOR THE FUTURE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT
Major General (Retd) James Illingworth OBE -
Former Director Land Warfare & Former Deputy Commander Joint Helicopter Command,
IMH 2025 Conference Chairman
Major General Alex Turner DSO - Director Army Futures, British Army
Brigadier General David Walsh - Program Executive Officer, PEO Air ASW, Assault, and Special Mission Programs (A)
Major General Alex Turner DSO - Director Army Futures, British Army
James Gavin - Head of Future Capability Innovation, DE&S - UK MoD
Helen Wheatley - Hd Hels 2 (inc Next Generation Rotary), DE&S - UK MoD
· 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 CommandIMH 2025 Conference Chairman
Brigadier General David Walsh
Program Executive OfficerPEO Air ASW, Assault, and Special Mission Programs (A)
UPDATES ON CURRENT PROGRAMMES FOR THE ROTARY WING
11:40 - 12:10
NEXT GENERATION ROTORCRAFT CAPABILITY: PROGRAMME UPDATE AND NEXT PHASE OF CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
Cyril Heckel -
NGRC Programme Manager,
NATO Support and Procurement Agency
· 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
12:10 - 12:40
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS FROM LEONARDO
12:40 - 13:10
CANADIAN AIR FORCE: OUR NORTH, STRONG AND FREE MODERNISATION PROGRAMME
Brigadier General Brendan Cook -
Director General Air and Space Force Development,
Royal Canadian Air Force
Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Fountain - Director Air Requirements 9 (Tactical Aviation), Royal Canadian Air Force
· 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 DevelopmentRoyal Canadian Air Force
Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Fountain
Director Air Requirements 9 (Tactical Aviation)Royal Canadian Air Force
13:10 - 13:40
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS FROM SIKORSKY
13:40 - 14:40
LUNCH AND NETWORKING BREAK
OBSERVATIONS FROM CURRENT CONFLICTS: CHALLENGES, LESSONS IDENTIFIED, AND PREPARING FOR THE MISSION OF THE FUTURE
14:40 - 15:20
INDUSTRY LEADER’S PANEL DISCUSSION: MAXIMISING PLATFORM POTENTIAL IN THE MODERN BATTLEFIELD
· 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?
15:20 - 15:50
LESSONS IDENTIFIED FROM CONTEMPORARY CONFLICT: HOW THE FRENCH ARMY AVIATION IS ADAPTING TO THE REALITIES OF THE FUTURE BATTLEFIELD
Brigadier General David Cruzille -
Commanding General,
French Army Aviation
· 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
15:50 - 16:20
UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF ATTACK HELICOPTERS IN CURRENT CONFLICT: OBSERVATIONS FROM UKRAINE
Lieutenant Colonel Emiliano Pellegrini -
Subject Matter Expert Attack Helicopters,
JAPCC
· 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
16:20 - 16:50
AFTERNOON TEA BREAK, & VIP EXHIBITION TOURS
16:50 - 17:20
DIRECTION OF FUTURE VERTICAL LIFT
Brigadier General Cain Baker -
Director, Future of Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team,
US Army
• Growing role autonomy and air launched effects in the Future Vertical Lift programme, and direction for the future
• Impact of lessons identified from Ukraine on expanding UAS capabilities
• Importance of collaboration with systems in the air and on the ground to bolster lethality
Brigadier General Cain Baker
Director, Future of Vertical Lift Cross Functional TeamUS Army
17:50 - 18:20
SOF-AIR DEVELOPMENT FOR MODERNISING THE ROYAL NETHERLANDS AIR FORCE
Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Hoogsteder -
Program Manager SOF Air,
Royal Netherlands Air Force
· 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
17:50 - 18:20
US ARMY SPECIAL OPERATIONS AVIATION COMMAND PRIORITIES FOR FVL
Colonel Roger Waleski Jr. -
Commander,
US Army Special Operations Aviation Command
• Direction of Future Vertical Lift from the perspective of Special Operations Aviation
• Impact of FLRAA cancellation on procurement decisions for the ARSOAC
• How the command is continuing to support US Army Operations by maximising speed, range and convergence of the fleet
18:20 - 18:30
CHAIRMAN’S CLOSING REMARKS & DAY ONE SUMMARY
Major General (Retd) James Illingworth OBE -
Former Director Land Warfare & Former Deputy Commander Joint Helicopter Command,
IMH 2025 Conference Chairman
Major General (Retd) James Illingworth OBE
Former Director Land Warfare & Former Deputy Commander Joint Helicopter CommandIMH 2025 Conference Chairman
