What is the primary focus of the IDEF fair?

The IDEF fair is an international exhibition for the defense industry, showcasing the latest advancements in defense technology and fostering international cooperation in the sector.

18th International Defence Industry Fair, IDEF 2027

Name: 18th International Defence Industry Fair, IDEF 2027
Start: 2027-05-03T00:00:00Z
End: 2027-05-09T00:00:00Z
Location: Istanbul

May 3–9, 2027Istanbul, TurkeyIn-person

Registration open

The 18th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) is a significant international exhibition for the defense industry, held in Istanbul, Turkey. This event serves as a crucial platform for showcasing the latest advancements in defense technology and fostering international cooperation in the sector. Participants include high-level military and civilian delegations, defense industry professionals, and manufacturers from around the globe. IDEF provides an opportunity for networking, business development, and the exchange of ideas on contemporary defense and security challenges. The fair typically features a wide array of products and services, ranging from land, naval, and air defense systems to security technologies, logistics, and supply chain solutions.

Committees & topics

Topics
Land Defence Technologies · Naval Defence Technologies · Aviation and Space Technologies · Security: Border, Counter-Terrorism, Cyber, and Crisis Management · Defence Logistics · Supply Materials and Equipment

Why it matters

The IDEF fair is particularly relevant in the current geopolitical landscape, where defense capabilities and technological superiority are increasingly critical for national security and international stability. As nations navigate complex security environments, events like IDEF facilitate the sharing of innovations and the formation of strategic partnerships that can enhance collective defense postures.

For TUR, hosting IDEF underscores its growing role as a significant player in the global defense industry. The event not only boosts the domestic defense sector but also positions TUR as a hub for defense technology and trade, attracting investment and fostering collaborations with other nations. The fair's location in Istanbul, a city with historical and strategic importance, further amplifies its significance as a meeting point for diverse international interests.

The exhibition's focus on a broad spectrum of defense technologies reflects the multifaceted nature of modern warfare and security threats. From advanced weaponry to cyber security solutions, the products and discussions at IDEF contribute to shaping future defense strategies and technological developments worldwide. This makes it a key event for understanding emerging trends and the direction of the global defense industry.

How to prepare

For delegates attending IDEF, a thorough understanding of the current geopolitical landscape and the specific defense priorities of participating nations is essential. Prior research into the defense industrial bases of key countries, such as USA, DEU, KOR, RUS, ISR, CHN, GBR, JPN, FRA, POL, and AUS, will provide valuable context for engagements. Consider utilizing a Dynamic Analysis approach to anticipate potential areas of collaboration or competition.

Identifying Hidden Stakeholders within the defense industry and governmental delegations can be crucial for effective Engagement Strategies. Understanding their interests and influence will allow for more targeted and impactful interactions. A Stakeholder Mapping Workshop could be beneficial in preparing for the diverse range of participants.

Given the international nature of the fair, an awareness of Gender Dynamics Across Cultures and general cultural sensitivities will be important for fostering productive relationships. Delegates should also be prepared to discuss the ethical implications of defense technologies and international arms trade, as these are often underlying considerations in such large-scale events.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 5 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Türkiye

Host nation, showcasing its burgeoning defense industry and seeking to strengthen international defense collaborations.

Role in topic

As the host country, TUR plays a central role in organizing and facilitating IDEF. The event is a platform for TUR to exhibit its indigenous defense capabilities, attract foreign investment, and forge strategic partnerships with other nations. It also serves to enhance TUR's geopolitical influence in the defense sector.

United States

Major global defense exporter, interested in showcasing advanced technologies and securing new markets and partnerships.

Role in topic

USA is a dominant force in the global defense industry. Its participation in IDEF would involve showcasing cutting-edge military technologies, seeking to expand its market share, and reinforcing its strategic alliances with key partners in the region and beyond. USA's presence often sets benchmarks for technological innovation.

Germany

Significant European defense manufacturer, focusing on high-quality engineering and niche defense solutions.

Role in topic

DEU's defense industry is known for its advanced engineering and specialized military equipment. At IDEF, DEU companies would likely focus on promoting their high-tech products, exploring export opportunities, and engaging in discussions on European defense cooperation and security challenges.

South Korea

Emerging global defense exporter, particularly in armored vehicles and artillery, seeking to expand its international footprint.

Role in topic

KOR has rapidly become a significant player in the international defense market. Its participation in IDEF would be aimed at showcasing its competitive defense products, particularly in areas like land systems and naval vessels, and establishing new partnerships to further expand its global export reach.

Russia

Traditional major arms supplier, looking to maintain existing client relationships and explore new markets despite geopolitical pressures.

Role in topic

RUS is a long-standing major exporter of military hardware. At IDEF, RUS would likely aim to demonstrate its latest defense systems, including air defense and combat aircraft, and to secure new contracts and maintain its influence in traditional and emerging defense markets, navigating complex international relations.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Land Defence Technologies

Land warfare has been transformed over the past decade by the convergence of armoured platforms with unmanned systems, loitering munitions, and networked battle management. The conflicts in Ukraine since 2022 and in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 demonstrated how relatively inexpensive drones, anti-tank guided missiles, and electronic warfare assets can degrade legacy main battle tank fleets, accelerating modernization programmes worldwide. Active protection systems, modular armour, and AI-enabled targeting are now central procurement priorities for NATO members, Russia, China, and an expanding tier of middle-power producers including Turkey, South Korea, and Israel. The core industrial dispute concerns supply chain sovereignty: dependence on foreign optics, engines, and microelectronics has prompted indigenization drives, particularly in Turkey (Altay MBT), India, and several Gulf states. At the same time, export competition has intensified, with South Korean K2 tanks and K9 howitzers, Turkish armoured vehicles, and German Leopard variants competing for European rearmament contracts triggered by the war in Ukraine. Today, debates centre on how to integrate autonomy into ground forces while preserving meaningful human control, how to sustain ammunition production at wartime rates, and how export controls under the Wassenaar Arrangement should evolve as ground systems become increasingly software-defined.

Key players

Naval Defence Technologies

Naval competition has resurged as great-power rivalry shifts to maritime domains, particularly the Indo-Pacific, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and the Red Sea. China's rapid fleet expansion, including its third aircraft carrier Fujian and a growing destroyer force, has prompted counter-investments by the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, with the AUKUS pact (2021) marking a generational shift through nuclear-powered submarine transfers. Simultaneously, Houthi strikes on Red Sea shipping since late 2023 have exposed the vulnerability of commercial sea lanes to anti-ship missiles and uncrewed surface vessels. Technological emphasis has shifted toward unmanned surface and underwater vehicles, integrated air and missile defence at sea, hypersonic anti-ship weapons, and quieter conventional submarines with air-independent propulsion. Turkey's MILGEM corvette programme and TCG Anadolu light carrier illustrate how middle powers are pursuing indigenous shipbuilding, while South Korea and Japan have emerged as competitive frigate and destroyer exporters. The contemporary debate spans freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, the legal status of unmanned naval systems under UNCLOS, and how alliances will share submarine and missile defence technologies without triggering proliferation concerns.

Key players

Aviation and Space Technologies

Air and space power are increasingly inseparable, with fifth- and sixth-generation fighter programmes, advanced UAVs, and dual-use satellite constellations defining the competitive landscape. The U.S. F-35 has become the backbone of allied air forces, while parallel European efforts — the Franco-German-Spanish FCAS and the UK-Italy-Japan GCAP — aim to deliver next-generation platforms by the late 2030s. Turkey's KAAN fighter, unveiled in 2023, and its TB2 and Akıncı UAV families have positioned it as a notable aerospace exporter, particularly after combat performance in Ukraine, Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh. In space, the proliferation of ASAT capabilities — demonstrated by Chinese (2007), Indian (2019), and Russian (2021) tests — has raised serious debris and escalation concerns, while stalled negotiations on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) leave the 1967 Outer Space Treaty as the principal but increasingly strained legal framework. Commercial constellations such as Starlink have also blurred the line between civilian and military space assets, as seen in their battlefield use in Ukraine. Key contemporary questions concern export controls on advanced UAVs under the MTCR, the militarization of low Earth orbit, and how middle powers can secure independent launch and satellite manufacturing capacity.

Key players

Security: Border, Counter-Terrorism, Cyber, and Crisis Management

The security landscape has broadened from traditional military threats to a hybrid set of challenges spanning borders, terrorism, cyberspace, and complex emergencies. Mass migration pressures along the EU's external borders, the Türkiye-Syria frontier, and the U.S.-Mexico border have driven investment in surveillance towers, biometric systems, and integrated command centres. Counter-terrorism efforts continue against ISIS remnants in Syria and Iraq, al-Shabaab in the Horn of Africa, and Sahelian jihadist networks, even as great-power competition has reduced multilateral cooperation in some theatres. Cyber threats have escalated sharply: ransomware against critical infrastructure (Colonial Pipeline, 2021), state-linked intrusions disclosed through the SolarWinds and Microsoft Exchange incidents, and cyber operations accompanying the war in Ukraine have pushed cybersecurity from a technical concern to a core national security domain. The UN Open-Ended Working Group on ICT has produced consensus reports on responsible state behaviour, but enforcement and attribution remain contested. Crisis management has gained new urgency after the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquakes, and recurring climate-driven disasters, prompting demand for integrated civil-military emergency systems. Current debates focus on balancing security and privacy in border technologies, harmonizing cyber norms, and ensuring interoperability among first responders across borders.

Key players

Defence Logistics

The war in Ukraine has been a stark reminder that modern conflict is won as much in logistics as on the battlefield. Western states have struggled to sustain artillery ammunition deliveries, prompting multi-year industrial expansion plans by the United States, the EU's Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP, 2023), and South Korea's emergence as a backfill supplier. Stockpile depletion, single-source dependencies for critical materials, and lengthy lead times for missiles and propellants have driven a re-evaluation of just-in-time defence procurement models. Strategic mobility — the ability to move forces and matériel rapidly across theatres — has also been tested, from NATO reinforcement of its eastern flank to coalition resupply during Red Sea operations. Investments in roll-on/roll-off shipping, strategic airlift (C-17, A400M), and prepositioned stocks have accelerated, alongside efforts to harden logistics networks against cyber and kinetic attack. Contemporary debates focus on dual-use commercial logistics, host-nation support arrangements, the role of AI in predictive maintenance and supply forecasting, and how export controls interact with allied logistics burden-sharing under arrangements such as NATO's Defence Production Action Plan.

Key players

Supply Materials and Equipment

Defence supply chains have come under unprecedented strain since 2020, exposing dependencies on a narrow set of suppliers for critical raw materials, semiconductors, and specialty components. China dominates global processing of rare earth elements and several critical minerals essential for magnets, optics, and propulsion, prompting the United States, EU, Japan, and Australia to pursue alternative supply arrangements through the Minerals Security Partnership (2022) and the EU Critical Raw Materials Act (2024). Semiconductor restrictions, particularly U.S. export controls on advanced chips to China since October 2022, have further fragmented the technology base. At the equipment level, individual soldier systems, electro-optics, body armour ceramics, and additive-manufactured spares have become areas of intense innovation, with 3D printing increasingly used for forward-deployed maintenance. Standardization remains a persistent challenge: NATO STANAGs aim to ensure interoperability, but national procurement preferences and offset requirements often fragment markets. The contemporary agenda concerns securing access to critical minerals, building resilient and traceable supply chains, applying additive manufacturing at scale, and reconciling national industrial policies with allied interoperability requirements.

Key players