8+ major defence technology events taking place in October

Last weekend, IT Arena 2026 took place in Lviv — the first public event in Ukraine for some time where defence technology was one of the main themes. It was there that former Minister of Defence Mykhailo Fedorov unveiled the Army of Robots project, while Zmiyar, a developer of solutions for “smart” minefields, took second place in the start-up competition.

The latest events round-up features October’s London Defence Tech Week and Resilience Conference London, hackathons organised by EDTH, AUSA 2026 — which will host a dedicated Ukrainian pavilion for the first time — the Czech Future Forces Forum and several other international defence technology events.

The full list of events is available in our calendar.

European Defense Tech Hub hackathons

Where and when:

• London — 2–4 October;
• Taipei — 2–4 October;
• Bucharest — 9–11 October;
• Seoul — 9–11 October;
• Bratislava — 16–18 October;
• Sofia — 16–18 October;
• Winterthur — 23–25 October.

This is a series of hackathons held across Europe and beyond, where teams work not on abstract problems but on real-world defence challenges. Over several days, engineers, military personnel, start-ups and investors jointly develop and test new solutions, with the most successful projects given an opportunity for further development.

London Defence Tech Week

Where: London, UK
When: 1–8 October

This themed week is dedicated to developing the defence and security ecosystems of Europe, NATO and partner countries. The event will bring together representatives of the defence industry, start-ups, the investment community, government bodies and the military to discuss current operational requirements, technological development and the adoption of innovative defence solutions.

A separate event held as part of the week will be the Resilience Conference — a leading platform for the defence and security innovation ecosystem, where breakthrough ideas meet those with the resources to scale them.

Land Forces 2026

Where: Perth, Australia
When: 6–8 October

The Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition is Australia’s largest exhibition dedicated to land defence. Over three days, attendees explore the latest technologies and solutions for land forces, attend conferences and thematic discussions, and hold business meetings.

The exhibition brings together representatives of the defence industry, government, military and academic community from Australia and across the Indo-Pacific, providing a platform for developing partnerships and discussing future defence capabilities.

Marrakech Air Show 2026

Where: Marrakech, Morocco
When: 7–10 October

One of Africa’s leading international exhibitions covering aviation, defence and space technologies.

The event will focus on representatives of industry, government bodies and international companies, alongside a major aircraft exhibition. It will also feature business meetings, conferences and discussions on the development of civil and military aviation, artificial intelligence, satellite technologies and the defence industry.

AUSA 2026

Where: Washington, D.C., USA
When: 12–14 October

The Annual Meeting of the Association of the United States Army is North America’s largest exhibition and professional forum dedicated to land forces.

The event brings together representatives of the US Army, defence industry, government bodies and international partners, offering a major defence technology exhibition, conferences, panel discussions and professional networking opportunities.

This year, Ukraine will have a dedicated pavilion at the event for the first time. The Ukrainian Defense Tech Pavilion will showcase Ukraine’s rapidly evolving defence ecosystem, shaped by the realities of modern warfare — from unmanned systems and electronic warfare equipment to sensor technologies, communications systems, autonomous solutions and other capabilities developed in response to battlefield requirements.

Best Defence Conference 2026

Where: London, Canada
When: 20–21 October

Canada’s annual defence industry conference brings together representatives of the Canadian Armed Forces, government bodies, defence industry, small and medium-sized enterprises, and technology companies.

The programme covers defence procurement, supply-chain development, demonstrations of new technologies, B2B and B2G meetings, and the development of solutions in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum technologies and autonomous systems.

Totalförsvarsmässan (National Defence Expo)

Where: Stockholm, Sweden
When: 20–22 October

The National Defence Expo is a Swedish defence exhibition bringing together representatives of the military and civilian security sectors, government bodies, defence companies, voluntary organisations and non-governmental organisations.

The event aims to promote professional dialogue, showcase modern solutions and foster long-term cooperation among participants in the defence ecosystem.

Future Forces Exhibition & Forum 2026

Where: Prague, The Czech Republic
When: 21–23 October

One of Central Europe’s largest international defence and security events. The forum combines a conference programme with a major exhibition where more than 350 companies showcase the latest defence and security solutions.

Each year, FFF brings together official delegations from more than 60 countries, creating opportunities to discuss emerging technologies, defence capability development and international cooperation.

Know of an interesting event that is not yet listed in our calendar? Email us at team@thedefender.media.