Brought to you in partnership with Collins Aerospace

What happens when sustainment stops being a service and becomes a partnership?

In this episode of Critical Care, produced by Shephard Studio in partnership with Collins Aerospace, we head to Vliegbasis Woensdrecht in the Netherlands to see a new model of military aviation support in action — one that places engineers not behind desks, but on the hangar floor, shoulder to shoulder with pilots and technicians.

Colonel Ted Meeuwsen of the Royal Netherlands Air Force shares how an initial contractor relationship with Collins evolved into something far deeper: an embedded, trust-based collaboration that has transformed how quickly sustainment issues are resolved — often within hours, not weeks. What began as workshop-level support for helmet systems has grown into a dynamic model of co-located engineering, real-time diagnostics and a shared commitment to mission readiness.

We also hear from Chris Norris and Michael Nelson of Collins Aerospace, who explain how this approach goes far beyond shortening repair cycles. It reduces risk, enhances sovereignty, and creates a blueprint for other nations facing similar challenges.

As the pace of technology accelerates and operational demands mount, this episode shows how co-location, communication and collaboration can reshape sustainment from a supply chain issue into a strategic advantage.

Next time, we look ahead to the technologies set to revolutionise sustainment — from AI-powered diagnostics to predictive maintenance and condition-based logistics.

Brought to you in partnership with Collins Aerospace

As Europe ramps up defence investment in the wake of the Ukraine crisis, the spotlight is turning to how nations sustain their growing fleets. In this episode of Critical Care, produced by Shephard Studio in partnership with Collins Aerospace, we travel to Heidelberg, Germany — home to a regional sustainment hub that’s proving crucial for fast, local support across Europe and beyond.

We hear from Holger Eckstein, Michael Mayer and Michael Nelson – leaders within Collins’ sustainment operations – as they explain how the Heidelberg service centre is handling everything from Eurofighter and Tornado repairs to complex electronics for helicopters and land platforms. They reveal how deep regional expertise, long-term partnerships with primes like Airbus and BAE Systems, and close ties to international customers are transforming the speed and scale of military readiness.

From reducing reliance on transatlantic repair cycles to enabling more responsive support for customers like the Royal Saudi Air Force, this episode explores how Heidelberg’s model of forward sustainment is setting a new benchmark. We also look at how Europe’s fragmented defence landscape is starting to shift towards more unified, collaborative approaches — not just for procurement, but for long-term support.

What emerges is a clear message: rapid, reliable sustainment isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s essential for operational credibility in a fast-changing world.

Coming up next: we head to the Netherlands to see what happens when Collins’ engineers go embedded with the Royal Netherlands Air Force, working side by side on the hangar floor.

Establishing and maintaining air dominance has been a primary objective for militaries since the earliest days of air warfare.

But as the US government and industry focus on sixth-generation fighters and other future platforms, what capabilities are required to ensure sustained air dominance of the US and allied forces?

Welcome to this bonus episode of the Critical Care podcast, which is brought to you in partnership with our sponsor Collins Aerospace.

In this episode, we examine the role that new technologies, such as enhanced vision systems, open systems and digital aircraft architectures, will play in tomorrow’s battlespace.