Gerrard Cowan

Belfast

Freelance Writer and Editor at Freelance

Author of The Machinery fantasy trilogy (HarperVoyager UK). Agent @literarywhore. Freelance journalist covering finance and defence.

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Articles

Powered Up: The benefits of lithium-ion batteries

1 month ago | verticalmag.com | Gerrard Cowan

Published on: May 19, 2025Estimated reading time 12 minutes, 13 seconds. Lithium-ion batteries have seen growing demand from helicopter manufacturers, providing advantages in maintenance, weight and beyond. As a leading developer of lithium-ion battery packs for aviation, True Blue Power has seen substantial growth in demand in recent years, with requirements expected to continue in the coming decades, according to the company and its key partners.
Just Released: New UAS Technology Report now available to read

2 months ago | shephardmedia.com | Gerrard Cowan

In Shephard's first Technology Report of 2025, Gerrard Cowan finds out how advances in autonomous systems and artificial intelligence are enabling VTOL UAS developers to offer innovative solutions to the requirements of major armed forces for the frontline cargo transport and resupply mission.
Feature: NATO Centres of Excellence trying to adapt to turbulent times

2 months ago | janes.com | Gerrard Cowan

NATO's ENSEC COE demonstrates portable hydrogen fuel cell technology in collaboration with the French military. (NATO ENSEC COE)NATO Centres of Excellence (COEs) operate as research, training, and development hubs for the alliance without being a formal element of its command structure. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and accelerating technological innovations have placed new demands on the centres, affecting priorities in everything from cyber security to air and missile defence.
Firehawk's fiery future

Mar 27, 2025 | verticalmag.com | Gerrard Cowan

Published on: March 27, 2025Estimated reading time 21 minutes, 53 seconds. The recent fires in Los Angeles underlined the enduring importance of aerial firefighting, with the S-70 Firehawk — an adaptation of Sikorsky’s longstanding Black Hawk — developed to meet this demand. Sikorsky and United Rotorcraft are now looking to the future of the platform, including the potential for enhanced autonomy.
Ukraine conflict: Kara Dag Technologies develops new UAS detector

Mar 18, 2025 | janes.com | Gerrard Cowan

Kara Dag Technologies developed the Obriy wearable drone detector, currently in use on the Ukrainian front lines. (Kara Dag Technologies)Ukrainian drone detection specialist Kara Dag Technologies is developing a new variant of its Obriy artificial intelligence (AI)-powered unmanned aircraft system (UAS) detector, incorporating advances in radio frequency (RF) detection and other innovations learnt from active use by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the war against Russia.
Heliports: Fit for purpose

Mar 18, 2025 | verticalmag.com | Gerrard Cowan

Published on: March 18, 2025Estimated reading time 13 minutes, 18 seconds. As the dimensions and performance of helicopters have advanced, so have the demands placed on heliports. As a result, heliport design has continued to evolve. Björn Abel is managing partner of BATT Suisse, a supplier of heliport and vertiport systems (such as visual navigation aids and lighting), as well as consulting and design services.
Maximum Performance

Jan 23, 2025 | verticalmag.com | Gerrard Cowan

Published on: January 23, 2025Estimated reading time 19 minutes, 25 seconds. Parapublic operators depend on platform availability to deliver their critical services. Modern health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) play a key role in delivering maximum performance for their helicopters, while providing long-term benefits in maintenance and fleet management, according to industry experts.
What's new in helicopter avionics?

Jan 21, 2025 | verticalmag.com | Gerrard Cowan

Published on: January 21, 2025Estimated reading time 12 minutes, 9 seconds. Avionics must meet a range of growing demands for commercial helicopters, while avoiding undue size, weight and power (SWaP) burdens. Vertical asked leading providers in the area to outline their latest technological advances and their goals for the coming years.
Feature: NATO's DIANA plans to double innovation competitions, seeking dual-use advantages

Jan 17, 2025 | janes.com | Gerrard Cowan

A snapshot of AI Verse's labelled image datasets, used to help train machine learning systems. AI Verse is one of DIANA's 2025 cohort of companies. (AI Verse)Established to help speed up innovation and procurement, NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) has, like so much of the defence sector, been trying to keep up with lessons coming out of Ukraine's defence against Russia's invasion.
Just released: Night Vision & Situational Awareness Technology Report 2024 now available to read

Oct 1, 2024 | shephardmedia.com | Gerrard Cowan

In Shephard’s new Technology Report, Gerrard Cowan explores how the latest night vision systems can do so much more than ‘see in the dark’ and the way they can interact with other dismounted devices to create a comprehensive picture of the battlefield.