Sponsored by Clarion Events
https://www.dsei.co.uk
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02 Mar 26. Close Combat Symposium
Defence Academy of the UK
30th June – 02nd July 2026
Registration and Call for Papers Now Open
Aim
The aim is to bring together the military, academia, and industry to discuss current and future developments in close combat and dismounted technologies and procedures. It will also consider current and future equipment pipelines.
Theme
With thanks to Army HQ, the Theme for 2026 is outlined below.
Technology has arguably shifted the fundamental nature of conflict by making “information dominance” (the ability to sense, decide, and strike through a contested digital ecosystem) the primary determinant of tactical outcomes—such that dismounted close combat is no longer chiefly decided by physical closing and firepower at short range, but by the side that best survives and manoeuvres on an increasingly transparent battlefield through signature management, distributed sensing, and integration into multi-domain kill webs.
Has technology altered the nature of conflict—rather than merely its character—such that success in dismounted close combat is now primarily determined by information dominance (find, decide, integrate effects) rather than physical closing and firepower at close range?
- What capabilities most directly determine survivability and lethality for the dismounted soldier on a transparent battlefield? For example: is it weapons, protection, sensors, power and energy, networks and software or signature management?
- Is the dismounted soldier primarily a manoeuvre element, or a mobile sensor/decision/targeting node?
- What are the limiting factors on dismounted effectiveness? For example: physical load, cognitive load, power and battery endurance, bandwidth and network resilience, or training and trust in systems?
- What new skills and behaviours must dismounted soldiers master to fight effectively in an information-dominated close battle? What training capabilities exist to meet this challenge?
Format
The event is planned to be held over three days.
- 30th June: Day 1, is at the Defence Academy of the UK in Shrivenham and provides insight from Army HQ and other customers on their intent for the future. This is supplemented by presentations from academia and industry.
- 1st July: Day 2 takes place at Cranfield University’s COTEC range facility on Salisbury Plain. This involves live-firing demonstrations from industry as well as an opportunity for delegates to fire small arms from different manufacturers and with different optics and technologies. There is also the opportunity to showcase and demonstrate autonomous and remote technologies.
- 2nd July: Day 3 is back at Shrivenham and provides more technology briefs from industry and academia.
Sponsorship
Range Day Sponsor
FN UK
Call for Papers
If you wish to present a paper based on this years theme, please Submit an abstract of around 200 words by e-mail to Leanne no later than Monday 23 March 2026. Papers should be planned to take no more than 20 minutes followed by 10 minutes for questions either individually or in a plenary.
Exhibitors
Range and exhibition space are currently available, we recommend to book early to avoid disappointment. There are also unique opportunities for sponsoring this event.
27 Feb 26. Cuashub.com said today that SAE Media Group launches Counter-UAS Indo-Pacific with long-term commitment from Aaronia. SAE Media Group has announced the launch of a new Counter-UAS Indo-Pacific conference, marking its first event dedicated specifically to the operational challenges of the Indo-Pacific theatre. The announcement comes as Aaronia AG has committed to serving not only as a key sponsor of the new conference, but to extending its Lead Sponsorship across several counter-UAS events over the next two years.
The launch of Counter-UAS Indo-Pacific marks an expansion of SAE Media Group’s established C-UAS conference portfolio into a region where UAS threats are increasingly shaping defense posture and investment. By committing as sponsor not only for the Hawaii-based event but for multiple upcoming C-UAS conferences, Aaronia is aligning itself closely with the SAE Media Group’s long-term global regional strategy.
“Aaronia AG has been participating in SAE Media Group’s C-UAS conferences since 2022, and since 2023 we have proudly served as Lead Sponsor of the flagship C-UAS events in the UK and USA,” said Stephan Kraschansky, Chief Defense & Government Solutions Officer at Aaronia AG.
The Indo-Pacific focus comes at a pivotal moment. The Pentagon has recently released its spending plan for $153.3 bn in additional defense funding, with $12.3 bn allocated to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Against that backdrop, a dedicated C-UAS forum in the region presents an opportunity for industry, military and government leaders to come together to progress the C-UAS discussion in the region.
Hosted in Hawaii, the strategic hub of INDOPACOM, the conference is positioned to bring together APAC, U.S., and allied defense leaders, industry stakeholders and policymakers. Hawaii’s proximity to Japan, Australia, the Republic of Korea and other Indo-Pacific partners provides a natural convening point for multinational coordination on force protection, base security, and maritime counter-drone challenges.
Aaronia builds on C-UAS conference involvement
For Aaronia, the expanded sponsorship builds on its established partnership with SAE’s C-UAS conference series.
“These conferences bring together exactly the high-level military, government and industry stakeholders who are shaping the future of electronic warfare and counter-UAS operations worldwide. For Aaronia, this platform provides exceptional strategic value, not only in terms of visibility, but through meaningful engagement with decision-makers, system integrators and operational end users actively deploying next-generation capabilities,” Kraschansky explained.
Kraschansky has been a key figure in SAE Media Group’s counter-UAS conference series, addressing audiences in Europe and the U.S. By extending its sponsorship to include the Indo-Pacific launch, Aaronia is reinforcing its positioning within the global electronic warfare and counter-UAS ecosystem.
“As a leading EW and C-UAS provider, Aaronia values the conference’s strong technical focus and operational relevance. The events consistently enable high-level discussions, foster long-term partnerships and strengthen collaboration across the ecosystem. They also provide an ideal opportunity to meet with our strategic partners who contribute to delivering our full C-UAS suite,” Kraschansky said.
“Given the strong alignment between SAE’s audience and Aaronia’s strategic objectives, we are pleased to continue our role as Lead Sponsor and look forward to extending this successful partnership for the next two years.”
Aaronia has committed to sponsoring the new Counter-UAS Indo-Pacific conference as part of a broader, multi-year agreement with SAE Media Group.
Under the deal, the company will support Counter-UAS Indo-Pacific alongside Counter UAS Homeland Security USA and Europe and Counter UAS Technology Europe and USA events through 2028, maintaining Lead Sponsor roles at the flagship Technology conferences and Silver Sponsor positions at the Homeland Security and Indo-Pacific editions.
The commitment signals confidence in both the region’s strategic relevance and the continued success of SAE Media Group’s counter-UAS conference series. SAE Media Group launches Counter-UAS Indo-Pacific with long-term commitment from Aaronia – cuashub.com (Source: https://cuashub.com/
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