24 - 26 February 2026 I Novotel London West, London, United Kingdom
DAY ONE | TUESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2026
7:00 - 8:00
REGISTRATION & REFRESHMENTS
7:55 - 8:00
DEFENCE iQ WELCOME
8:00 - 8:05
CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS
Major General (Rtd) James Illingworth OBE -
Former Director Land Warfare & Former Deputy Commander Joint Helicopter Command,
IMH Conference Chairman
Major General (Rtd) James Illingworth OBE
Former Director Land Warfare & Former Deputy Commander Joint Helicopter CommandIMH Conference Chairman
8:05 - 8:10
WELCOME ADDRESS FROM ANDURIL
ROTARY POWER IN ALLIANCE: THE ROLE OF HELICOPTERS IN THE MODERN OPERATING ENVIRONMENT
8:10 - 8:40
KEYNOTE: STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOR THE JOINT AVIATION COMMAND
8:40 - 9:10
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS FROM ANDURIL
9:10 - 9:40
CURRENT AND FUTURE ROLE OF ROTARY AIR POWER
- Understanding the current context of rotary wing operations in recent conflict
- Explore the future role of crewed helicopter platforms with the recent proliferation of drones in modern warfare
- Developing future rotary requirements to meet evolving threats
9:40 - 10:10
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS FROM AIRBUS
10:10 - 10:40
UTILISING UNCREWED ASSETS ALONGSIDE THE ROTARY FLEET
- Impact of the UK’s SDR on the direction of rotary aviation
- Collaboration with industry to shape procurement processes
- Integrating uncrewed systems for lift, find, and attack missions
10:30 - 11:00
MORNING COFFEE AND NETWORKING BREAK
ACCELERATING NEXT GENERATION ROTORCRAFT: UPDATES ON CURRENT PROGRAMMES
11:00 - 11:30
FLRAA: FROM DEVELOPMENT TO DEPLOYMENT
Colonel Jeffrey Poquette -
Program Manager, Future Long Range Assault Aircraft,
US Army
- Prioritising speed, endurance, and reliability
- Shifting the timeline to accelerate development
- Operational advantage from doubling the range of the existing fleet
11:30 - 12:10
PANEL DISCUSSION: ACCELERATING FLRAA
Colonel Jeffrey Poquette -
Program Manager, Future Long Range Assault Aircraft,
US Army
Ryan Ehinger - Sr. Vice President and Program Director FLRAA Future Long Range Assault Aircraft, Bell Textron Inc.
Ray Davis - Senior Vice President, Business Development, Rolls-Royce
- What are the critical enablers driving momentum in the FLRAA programme? What needs to happen to deliver FLRAA on time, on budget, and mission ready?
- What are the potential roadblocks that both US Army and industry see in delivering FLRAA and an accelerated pace, and what are the proposed solutions?
- How will FLRAA align with Army requirements for speed, range, and capability alongside operational needs?
- What do Bell and Rolls-Royce view as priority one for meeting the demands of the US Army, and how will this impact future platform development?
Ryan Ehinger
Sr. Vice President and Program Director FLRAA Future Long Range Assault AircraftBell Textron Inc.
12:10 - 12:40
ENTERING A NEW PHASE FOR NGRC
Cyril Heckel -
Program and Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability Manager,
NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA)
- Understanding the NGRC targets for 2026 following the conclusion of Study 5
- Early results from NGRC working groups who are defining key requirements ahead of the RFP
- Outline of the new procurement model for NSPA
Cyril Heckel
Program and Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability ManagerNATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA)
12:40 - 13:10
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS FROM SIKORSKY
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
13:10 - 14:10
LUNCH AND NETWORKING BREAK
DELIVERING CAPABILITIES FOR THE CURRENT AND FUTURE OPERATING ENVIRONMENT
14:10 - 15:00
IINDUSTRY LEADERS PANEL DISCUSSION: DELIVERING ENHANCED ROTARY CAPABILITIES FOR TODAY’S AND TOMORROW’S MISSION
- How can current technology maturation and modernisation of capabilities like Air Launched Effects benefit operators of existing fleets?
- How can industry help integrate new capabilities to meet new threats and adapt at pace?
- How fast can industry react to managing platform obsolescence in today’s economic climate?
- What is the industry perspective on prioritising modularity to allow collaboration with multiple assets during operation?
- What are the foreseen challenges of operating in an increasingly multi-domain environment, and how do industry suggest solving these challenges?
15:00 - 15:30
UPDATE ON MARITIME AVIATION TRANSFORMATION AND THE ROUTE TO A HYBRID AIR WING
Commodore Steve Bolton -
Deputy Director Aviation Programmes and Futures,
Royal Navy
- MATX – embedded in Defence planning
- Exploiting Experience and preparing to scale-up at pace
- From RPAS to ACP – operationalising for the fight
- Defence Reform – the opportunity to do things differently
15:30 - 16:00
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS FROM LEONARDO
Adam Wardrope -
Vice President Market Development,
Leonardo Helicopters UK
16:00 - 16:30
SHAPING THE FUTURE FIGHT
- Delivering a modernised battlefield aviation fleet that is fully integrated with land forces
- Maximising operational readiness and prioritising allied interoperability
- Reshaping force structure to deliver a more agile aviation force
16:30 - 17:00
AFTERNOON TEA BREAK, & VIP EXHIBITION TOURS
MODERNISING ROTARY FLEETS TO MAXIMISE PERFORMANCE AND SURVIVABILITY
17:00 - 17:30
MAINTAINING DOMINANCE IN FUTURE MULTI-DOMAIN OPERATIONS
Brigadier General Cain Baker -
Director, Future Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team,
US Army
- Adopting MOSA for more rapid upgrades and ensuring adaptability to future needs
- Enhancing joint force capabilities
- Integrating advanced sensors, weapons, and data sharing networks
17:30 - 18:00
CAPABILITY MODERNISATION FOR CURRENT AIRCRAFT
Ryan Scoble -
Director, Business Development, Army Rotary Wing Programs and MOSA Modernization,
Collins Aerospace
- Using Obsolescence for Modernisation
- Establishing a hardware and software building block approach to architectures
- Creating an early foundation for future growth
Ryan Scoble
Director, Business Development, Army Rotary Wing Programs and MOSA ModernizationCollins Aerospace
18:00 - 18:30
ENHANCING MANOEUVRE AND ASSAULT OPERATIONS WITH A MODERNISED FLEET
Brigadier Hubert Doutaud -
Deputy Commander,
French Army Aviation
- Integrating next-generation weapons to enhance lethality of the Tiger MK III fleet
- Increasing survivability
- Future efforts to integrate uncrewed capabilities
