24 - 26 February 2026 I Novotel London West, London, United Kingdom
DAY ONE | TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2025
7:00 - 8:10
REGISTRATION & REFRESHMENTS
8:10 - 8:15
DEFENCE iQ WELCOME
8:15 - 8:25
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
8:25 - 8:30
WELCOME ADDRESS FROM AIRBUS
DELIVERING PLATFORMS FOR CURRENT & FUTURE OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS
8:30 - 8:50
HOST NATION KEYNOTE BRIEFING
Vice Admiral Sir Martin Connell KCB CBE -
Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff,
Royal Navy
Vice Admiral Sir Martin Connell KCB CBE
Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval StaffRoyal Navy
8:50 - 9:20
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: BRITISH ARMY ROTARY WING
Major General Alex Turner DSO -
Director Army Futures,
British Army
9:20 - 9:50
MISSION & REQUIREMENTS OF US ARMY AVIATION: DIRECTION OF FUTURE VERTICAL LIFT
Brigadier General Matthew Braman -
Director, Army Aviation,
US Army
9:50 - 10:20
LEAD PARTNER PRESENTATION: INDUSTRY INSIGHTS FROM AIRBUS
Victor Gerin-Roze -
Head of UAS Business,
Airbus Helicopters
10:20 - 10:50
ROYAL MALAYSIAN NAVAL AVIATION ASPIRATION
First Admiral Ruzman Bin Mat -
Commander, Naval Wing,
Royal Malaysian Navy
10:50 - 11:20
MORNING COFFEE AND NETWORKING BREAK
11:20 - 12:00
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
Brigadier General David Walsh - Program Executive Officer, Air Anti-Submarine Warfare, Assault and Special Miss, Department of the Navy
James Gavin - Head of Future Capability Innovation, DE&S - UK MoD
Helen Wheatley - NGRC and NMH Lead, 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 Officer, Air Anti-Submarine Warfare, Assault and Special MissDepartment of the Navy
UPDATES ON CURRENT PROGRAMMES FOR THE ROTARY WING
12:00 - 12:30
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS FROM LEONARDO
Air Vice Marshal (ret.) Nigel Colman CB OBE -
Vice President Market Development,
Leonardo
12:30 - 13:00
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
13:00 - 13:30
MEETING TODAY’S ROTORCRAFT REQUIREMENTS AND THE PATH TO NEXT GENERATION ROTORCRAFT CAPABILITY
Jay Macklin -
Director, Army, and Air Force (AAFS) Strategy and Business Development,
Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company
Jay Macklin
Director, Army, and Air Force (AAFS) Strategy and Business DevelopmentSikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company
13:30 - 14:30
LUNCH AND NETWORKING BREAK
14:30 - 15:00
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
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
Major General (Retd) James Illingworth OBE -
Former Director Land Warfare & Former Deputy Commander Joint Helicopter Command,
IMH 2025 Conference Chairman
Roberto Garavaglia - Senior Vice President, Strategy & Rotorcraft Business Evolution, Leonardo
Jay Macklin - Director, Army, and Air Force (AAFS) Strategy and Business Development, Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company
Cristian Naso - Managing Director NHIndustries and Head of NH90 Program at Leonardo, NHIndustries
Vincent Chenot - H160M Programme Manager, Airbus Helicopters
Major General (Retd) James Illingworth OBE
Former Director Land Warfare & Former Deputy Commander Joint Helicopter CommandIMH 2025 Conference Chairman
Jay Macklin
Director, Army, and Air Force (AAFS) Strategy and Business DevelopmentSikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company
Cristian Naso
Managing Director NHIndustries and Head of NH90 Program at LeonardoNHIndustries
15:40 - 16:10
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
16:10 - 16:40
AFTERNOON TEA BREAK, & VIP EXHIBITION TOURS
16:40 - 17:10
DIRECTION OF FUTURE VERTICAL LIFT
Brigadier General Cain Baker -
Director, Future of Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team,
US Army
Brigadier General Cain Baker
Director, Future of Vertical Lift Cross Functional TeamUS Army
17:10 - 17:40
SOF-AIR DEVELOPMENT FOR MODERNISING THE ROYAL NETHERLANDS AIR FORCE
Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Hoogsteder -
Program Manager SOF Air,
Royal Netherlands Air Force
17:40 - 18:10
US ARMY SPECIAL OPERATIONS AVIATION COMMAND PRIORITIES FOR FVL
Colonel Roger Waleski Jr. -
Commander,
US Army Special Operations Aviation Command
18:10 - 18:20
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
