For the 2026 Aerospace Test & Development Show, we will be introducing the brand new Defence Testing Forum covering all aspects of testing and evaluation of military aircraft and equipment, from R&D through to certification and operations. The Defence Testing Forum will host discussions about the latest technologies, processes and regulations for all areas, from autonomy and unmanned aerial systems to fighter jets and laser energy weapons, including crossover products and services between civilian and military.
All Aerospace Test & Development Show attendees can take part and no additional Forum registration is necessary: your free entry exhibition pass gains you access to the Forum.
10:35
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5 mins
10:40
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30 minsFull details for this session will be published shortly. Please check back for updates.
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11:10
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30 mins
Our Air Forces are longing for operational capabilities, which require increasing speeds of adaptability to a faster evolving threat environment.
Solutions of those ambitions can be derived through:
- System of System concepts delivering operational capability through combinations of different weapon systems,
- Unmanned Systems with faster development cycles than manned weapon systems
- Software driven functionalities in the area of autonomy and AI enabled functions. Driven by a Hardware and Software Segregation.
Testing those individual Solutions will require new approaches extending our capabilities of testing single, manned weapon systems. Live, Virtual and Constructive setups will be essential to allow testing of full performance critieria, likewise simulation and digital verification tools will be changing the way we are testing our products prior releasing them to our customers. The Presentation will reflect on the linkage between Operational Needs, Product solutions and related Test & Verification needs.
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11:40
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30 mins
Jeremy will highlight how the company’s aeronautical expertise, industrial agility, and innovation-driven approach can support the evolving needs of the defence sector. The session will focus on modern, scalable, and responsible aviation platforms designed to strengthen sovereignty, operational performance, and technological transformation.
12:10
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30 minsChris will provide an overview of Amentum's critical role in supporting the UK Hypersonics Technology Capability Development programme. He will delve into the management of the Systems Engineering Des ...
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12:40
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30 mins
The Leonardo Innovation Hub is at the “heart” of innovation for Leonardo’s group. It is a network of multi-disciplinary research and development experts interconnecting together to ensure a pioneering technological acceleration of Leonardo’s Industrial competitiveness. The technological areas are focusing on Quantum Technologies, Optronics, Advanced Materials, Robotics, Autonomous Systems and Advanced Power & Energy Systems. The focus of Leonardo’s Innovation Hub is to develop next-generation solutions for both civil and defence applications. Evanthia will present an overview on the set of R&D achievements in the field of defence applications.
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13:10
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30 minsFlight test and hardware-in-the-loop programs have historically relied on manual, fragmented workflows to review telemetry data. Engineers move between disconnected tools, reconstruct context after ea ...
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13:40
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30 minsAs part of the Norwegian Search and Rescue contract for the AW101 Leonardo helicopters were contracted to conduct a Performance Improvement Programme. This Programme employed a Joint Test Team constr ...
14:10
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50 minsAdditional panellists to be confirmed
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15:00
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20 minsDefence aircraft validation is challenged by increasingly complex airframes, demanding mission profiles and harsh operational environments, all under tight development schedules. Physical testing rema ...
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