The first Airbus Defence Summit took place on May 20, 2026, in Manching, Germany. Staged against a backdrop of shifting geopolitical landscapes and rapid technological advancements, the summit gathered political figures, academic experts, military officials, and media representatives to address the future of European security and strategic autonomy.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury opened the event by emphasising that the “rules of the world have changed”. He outlined a strategic blueprint focused on establishing a robust digital and physical shield to protect Allied sovereignty. Central to this vision is a unified European defence posture that spans the full spectrum of modern warfare: fighter jets, transport aircraft, uncrewed systems, military satellites, and cybersecurity.
Key highlights and discussions at the summit centred around:
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Collaborative Combat & FCAS: Detailed insights into Europe’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS), illustrating how New Generation Fighters and uncrewed remote carriers will coordinate within a single ecosystem.
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Multi-Domain Connectivity: Live demonstrations showcasing the Multi-Domain Combat Cloud (MDCC), a cyber-resilient infrastructure bridging communication across air, land, sea, space, and cyber fields.
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Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming (MUM-T): Showcasing real-world integration, such as recent tests involving the Spanish Navy, where crewed assets seamlessly coordinated with uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft.
Ultimately, the 2026 summit served as a critical platform for Airbus to present its roadmap for speed, scale, and cross-border cooperation — positioning technological independence as the fundamental bedrock for long-term regional stability.
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