25 - 27 February, 2025 I Novotel London West, London, United Kingdom
DAY THREE | THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2025
7:55 - 9:45
REGISTRATION AND REFRESHMENTS
8:55 - 9:00
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
TRACK 1: INDUSTRY MORNING – All Attendees Welcome
Chaired By: Major General (Retd) James Illingworth OBE, Former Deputy Commander Joint Helicopter Command
Participants are invited to take place in the International Military Helicopter 2025 ‘Industry Morning’, designed to maximise opportunities for engagement across the entire rotary supply chain, as well as foster collaboration with key military stakeholders. Take the opportunity to share and hear visions and direction for rotary capabilities up to 2040 and beyond with as many potential partners across Industry as possible, and understand how industry can work together to help with the thinking, planning, and development of next-generation rotary requirements and capabilities.
9:00 - 9:15
LIGHTNING PRESENTATIONS: RESERVED FOR INDUSTRY EXPERTS
9:15 - 10:00
OEM-LED ROUNDTABLES: JOIN TECHNICAL OEM EXPERTS TO DISCUSS CURRENT AND FUTURE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS FOR ADVANCED ROTARY CAPABILITIES
TABLE 1: ELECTRIFICATION & HYBRIDISATION OF PROPULSION
TABLE 2: SUPPORTING UNCREWED CAPABILITIES
TABLE 3: PROVIDING EFFECTIVE MRO SUPPORT
TABLE 4: WEAPON SYSTEMS TO INCREASE LETHALITY
TABLE 5: ADVANCED AVIONICS, COMMUNICATIONS & CONNECTIVITY
TABLE 6: SENSOR INTEGRATION
10:00 - 11:30
PANEL DISCUSSION: INDUSTRY SUPPORT AND COLLABORATION TO MEET FUTURE ROTARY REQUIREMENTS
· How much of a priority is maximising availability to meet current threats, compared to long-term next-generation platforms to meet future operational environments?
· How can militaries work collaboratively with industry to maximise the support available for maintenance, repair and overhaul?
· How can industry realistically keep up with the current demand for rotary platforms, and how can they adjust to meet the demand for maximum capability at a competitive cost and in the shortest amount of time?
TRACK 2: MEETING REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPLEX SAR OPERATIONS
Chaired By: Rear Admiral (Ret.) Matt Briers, Former Director Carrier Strike, UK Ministry of Defence
9:00 - 9:30
EXPANDING FRENCH NAVY ROTARY OPERATIONS FOR SAR AND BEYOND
Rear Admiral Serge Bordarier -
Commander of the Naval Aviation Force,
French Navy
- Role of rotary aviation in advancing maritime rescue and alert missions, and for aero-maritime combat
- Importance of modularity and interoperability to address multiple missions
- Future vision for French Naval Aviation, being able to meet current and future threats
9:30 - 10:00
RESERVED FOR INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
10:00 - 10:30
TRANSFORMING AIRBORNE SAR MISSIONS WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Major Jorge Liquito -
AW119 Fleet Manager,
Portuguese Air Force
· Utilising modern technology in today’s SAR missions, taking lessons observed from Ukraine into consideration for future assets
· Innovations in unmanned aircraft to support SAR operations
· Training requirements to maximise effectiveness of future SAR missions
10:30 - 11:00
MORNING COFFEE AND NETWORKING BREAK
TRACK 1: DEVELOPMENTS IN AVIONICS, CONNECTIVITY & COMMUNICATIONS TO MAXIMISE MISSION EFFECTIVENESS
Chaired By: Major General (Retd) James Illingworth OBE, Former Deputy Commander Joint Helicopter Command
11:00 - 11:30
MAXIMISING FLEET EFFICIENCY & MEETING NEW CHALLENGES WITH ADVANCED AVIONICS
Lieutenant Colonel Ville Siiropää -
Technical Director, Army Aviation,
Finnish Army
· Gain insight into how upgraded communications and flight management capabilities have been upgraded to enable special aircraft operations, and increase all round performance
· Future upgrade requirements for the MD 500, and maximising efficiency by making the most of a small fleet of 20 NH90s
· Optimising crews for advanced operations with enhanced communication systems
11:30 - 12:00
RESERVED FOR INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
12:00 - 12:30
STRENGTHENING OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES TO RESPOND TO NEW THREATS
· Importance of strengthening defence capacities with the acquisition of NH90 helicopters
· Requirements to enhance rotary wing capabilities to operate in multiple environments
· New technologies required to support pilots with complex missions, and challenges of integrating new systems
TRACK 2: INCREASING ROTARY WING PERFORMANCE WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES & COMPONENTS
Chaired By: Rear Admiral (Ret.) Matt Briers, Former Director Carrier Strike, UK Ministry of Defence
11:00 - 11:30
INTEGRATING NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE IN MULTI-ROLE MISSIONS
Colonel Krešimir Ražov -
Commander, 93rd Wing,
Croatian Air Force
· Enhancing logistics to match the demands of new modern rotary technology being integrated into the Croatian Air Force
· Challenges of higher maintenance with increased system upgrades required for multi-role missions
· Strategies to enhance versatility in modern combat scenarios, and industry support needed for replaceable parts
· Analysing key metrics from the procurement of new platforms, and the modernisation of legacy fleets
11:30 - 12:00
RESERVED FOR INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
12:00 - 12:30
ITALIAN AIR FORCE NEED FOR NEXT GENERATION HELICOPTER TECHNOLOGY
Brigadier General Diego Sismondini -
Deputy Commander, 1st Aviation Brigade for Special Operations,
Italian Air Force
· High speed, long range, and high manoeuvrability requirements to defend from SAMs
· Limitations of current operational fleet, and challenges for Special Operation missions
· Prioritising maximising availability over maintaining existing fleets
Brigadier General Diego Sismondini
Deputy Commander, 1st Aviation Brigade for Special OperationsItalian Air Force
ADVANCING INTEROPERABILITY BETWEEN PLATFORMS & ALLIES
12:30 - 13:30
LUNCH AND NETWORKING BREAK
13:30 - 15:00
ENHANCING INTEROPERABILITY WITH INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS TO INCREASE READINESS & MAINTAIN STABILITY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC
· Rotary aircraft capabilities demonstrated in Exercise Pitch Black, and importance of collaboration with international partners
· Going further than interoperability by encouraging interchangeability of crews, ships and aircraft aboard ships
· Future vision for the Italian naval aviation, and priorities up to 2040 and beyond
14:00 - 14:30
RESERVED FOR INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
14:30 - 15:10
PANEL DISCUSSION: ADOPTING A MODULAR OPEN SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE APPROACH TO OPTIMISE SYSTEM INTEGRATION
Kevin Luxford -
NGRC Technical Section Leader - Principal Technical Officer,
NSPA
Brigadier General Matthew Braman - Director, Army Aviation, US Army
· How are militaries prioritising MOSA as a core part of acquiring systems and fleet management to better support the warfighter in the future?
· Gain insight into how MOSA eases cost, streamlines implementation and interchangeability, and improves interoperability
· How can procurement heads simplify the acquisition of complex systems to adapt to cutting-edge capabilities?
15:10 - 15:40
AFTERNOON TEA BREAK & VIP EXHIBITION TOURS
FUTURE OF ROTARY AVIATION ACROSS DEFENCE FORCES
15:40 - 16:20
PANEL DISCUSSION: MAXIMISING ROTORCRAFT EFFECTIVENESS IN MULTI-DOMAIN OPERATIONS
· Enhancing communication and data-sharing during complex missions to optimise effectiveness and ensure cross domain interoperability
· With worldwide interest for multi-use helicopters, what capabilities should Armed Forces prioritise given current security challenges and evolving threats?
· What capabilities are required for enduring fleets to be operationally effective in MDO environments?
· How are nations fostering better coordination and collaboration through multinational helicopter exercises, and how does this aid in preparing for multi-domain operations?
· How are militaries planning to optimise battlespace management when operating in MDO environments?
16:20 - 16:50
ROTARY AVIATION PRIORITIES ACROSS DEFENCE: GERMAN NAVAL AVIATION PERSPECTIVE
Commander Sebastian Schimera -
Deputy Head of Planning Department, DEU Naval Air Command,
German Navy
· Challenges of transitioning from Sea Lynx Mk88a to NH90 Sea Tiger
· First experiences and lessons identified from NH90 Sea Lion operations
· Challenges & anticipated limitations of MDO operations
Commander Sebastian Schimera
Deputy Head of Planning Department, DEU Naval Air CommandGerman Navy
16:50 - 17:00
CHAIRMAN’S CLOSING REMARKS & CONFERENCE 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
