SQEP attended the 11th Global Defence Helicopter 24 in Warsaw last week – an event that brings together industry leaders, defence experts and key decision-makers to discuss the future of rotary-wing capabilities and address the most critical issues across the defence sector.
The range of talks were fascinating, and of course, highly pertinent in the current geo-political climate. There were three that we were particularly keen to take in:
Capability growth in the German Air Force rotary fleet and the integration of the CH-47F capability
We sense this strategic addition isn’t just about upgrading aircraft, but a commitment to operational versatility, enhanced lift capacity, and increased support for both national and NATO missions.
Sweden’s talk on their current rotary fleet, embracing change and NATO membership
This was a powerful presentation on how Sweden is not only strengthening its national defence but also embracing a collaborative approach to security within the Euro-Atlantic community. The future is bright for Sweden’s helicopter fleet as it adapts to new roles and responsibilities in a changing global landscape.
Lessons from Ukraine
There were some interesting discussions around the use of rotary aircraft in Ukraine and the effectiveness of Russian tactics and Defensive Aids versus aircraft losses.
Our key takeaway?
In today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape, collaboration is more essential than ever, particularly for rotorcraft mission sets where they are so often operating hand-in-hand with allied ground forces.
However, effective collaboration in the battlespace requires a much higher level of interoperability than allied forces currently enjoy. We’re watching the progress of programmes such as the UK’s New Medium Helicopter (NHM) and NATO-led Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) – which have both prioritised commonality and open systems architecture within their requirements – with interest.
In summary, this was a fascinating and invaluable contextual deep-dive into the rotary-wing domain.