Warfighting Domains​

We cordially invite distinguished delegates, stakeholders, and experts in the field of Joint Air and Space Power to attend our annual conference, which will take place from 30 September to 2 October 2025 at the ‘Grugahalle’ in Essen, Germany. This event offers a forum to explore the theme of ‘Disrupting Dominance: The Future of Air Superiority?’.

For decades, NATO’s unrivalled air and space superiority has been a cornerstone of its collective deterrence strategy. That era is over.

Deteriorating geopolitics and disruptive technologies have fundamentally altered NATO’s strategic landscape by widening the spectrum of potential threats and challenging its previous foundations of air and space deterrence. On one end of the technological spectrum, cheap, commercially available drones and other weapons have lowered the barrier to entry onto the modern battlefield, enabling state and non-state actors to contest the air and space domains at a fraction of the cost of previous eras. Simultaneously, on the other end of the spectrum, advancements in space capabilities, sixth-generation fighters, and autonomous platforms are set to render legacy combat systems obsolete, demanding a significant and urgent modernization effort from NATO members.

This broadening array of threats requires NATO to reevaluate its deterrence strategies, defence plans, and overall combat capabilities. Investments in high-end systems must be balanced with the need for ‘affordable mass’ capable of countering new and diverse threats ranging from low-cost drone swarms to advanced hypersonic weapons. To address this challenge, NATO requires a comprehensive assessment of its current defence posture, a willingness to promote rapid innovation, and a commitment to interoperability and collaboration between Alliance governments, militaries, and industry partners.

As NATO reorients to a changing battlefield, it must answer the question, ‘How will we achieve air and space superiority in future operations?’

The 2025 Joint Air and Space Power Conference provides a forum to address these complex challenges. Participants can look forward to a comprehensive two-day programme featuring intellectually stimulating panels, thought-provoking sessions, and active engagement and networking opportunities.