In this context, Prague will once again become a central defense and security forum when the 16th Future Forces Exhibition & Forum (FF26) opens at the PVA EXPO PRAGUE exhibition grounds on October 21–23, 2026.
For more than 25 years, Future Forces events have brought together users, capability developers, decision-makers, and industry. What began as a specialist exhibition focused on individual soldier equipment systems has evolved into one of Europe’s most important platforms for the defense and security sector.
FF26 is not simply a trade show with an accompanying conference. It is a working platform combining a three-day exhibition with official NATO working group sessions, more than 40 expert panels and conferences, bilateral meeting areas, and organized delegate participation.
Photos: Future Forces
More than 400 exhibitors from over 35 countries will present their products across 20,000 m² of exhibition space. Delegations from more than 70 countries are expected to attend. The event is held under the patronage of the President and Government of the Czech Republic, in close cooperation with NATO and EU structures.
A key strength of FF26 is its direct link to the Alliance’s governance system. Prague will host official sessions of the NATO Army Armaments Group (NAAG), the Land Capability Group on Dismounted Soldier Systems, and the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) Dismounted Soldier Equipment User Group. These are practical working platforms where interoperability standards, user requirements, and procurement directions are shaped. A dedicated NATO Pavilion will provide structured engagement between representatives of Alliance institutions and the wider professional community.
The expert program reflects the complexity of the current security environment. The Future Forces Conference opens with the strategic panel “Defence 2035+: Adapting to the New Security Reality,” which sets the framework for a broader debate on the level of capabilities the Alliance should have in the coming decade.
The program then moves on to operational and technical areas: armed unmanned aircraft system operations, advanced detection and electronic warfare, counter-UAS technologies, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), innovation in the field of CBRN, battlefield medicine, cyber-crisis preparedness, space as an operational domain, logistics, and the resilience of the state security system. Lessons from Ukraine run through many sessions, not as theory, but as direct operational input.
The Future of Cyber Conference will include a Live Hacking Zone and Cyber Escape Rooms, placing concepts in a direct, hands-on context. The Future of Civil Security Conference, developed in cooperation with the Ukrainian Defence and Security Industry Association, will draw on operational experience gained during the conflict itself.
A new feature in 2026 will be a mobile containerized combat shooting range, the first of its kind in the Czech Republic, enabling firearms, ammunition, ballistics, protection systems, optics, and sensors to be tested directly at the exhibition site.
FF26 is designed for people who have to make important decisions: senior officials, military commanders, procurement authorities, planners, R&D managers, industry representatives, and diplomatic missions. Its value lies not only in presenting technologies, but also in connecting them with real operational requirements.
The most valuable outcome of such a meeting is not a catalog. It is a decision made on the basis of the right conversation with the right person.
The 16th Future Forces Exhibition & Forum will take place on October 21–23, 2026, at PVA EXPO PRAGUE. Visitors may attend the exhibition and forum free of charge.
Exhibitors and general inquiries: info@future-forces.org
www.future-forces-forum.org