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Joint Air and Space Power Conference 2026
Air Power at the Edge: Securing NATO’s New Frontiers
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 22 to 24 September 2026 at the ‘Grugahalle’ in Essen, Germany. This event offers a forum to explore the theme of ‘Air Power at the Edge: Securing NATO’s New Frontiers’.
Strategic competition is no longer confined to traditional battlefields; it is expanding rapidly into the High North, the Indo-Pacific, the orbital commons, and the human cognitive domain.
The 2026 Conference, Air Power at the Edge: Securing NATO’s New Frontiers, invites an expanded view of the air and space domain—one that recognises the interconnected nature of capability development, operational credibility and international cooperation. The conference challenges the Alliance to look beyond the immediate Eastern Flank and confront these emerging realities. NATO must secure a 360-degree deterrence posture that bridges new geographic, technological, and human frontiers, maintaining a sharp edge on each.
In line with this theme, this year’s discussions will address a broad range of strategic and operational topics shaping the future of air and space power. These include how shifting geopolitical dynamics and emerging areas of competition are reshaping deterrence and defence requirements; how civil and military actors can work more effectively together to address cross-domain challenges; how air and space power can contribute to security and resilience in the grey zone below the threshold of open conflict; and how advances in technology, training and human–machine interaction are redefining the skills, structures and concepts needed for future forces. This conference will help forge the roadmap for that evolution, exploring how we can master these new realities to secure NATO’s new frontiers and maintain the Alliance’s edge.
The 2026 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.
Recent Publications
An MDO Approach to NATO’s Counter-IADS Strategy
Integrating Suppression of Enemy Air Defences and Cyber-Electromagnetic Activities
By Lt Col
Athanasios
Sdrakas
Integrating SEAD and CEMA is more than a procedural improvement; it changes how NATO defeats a modern IADS Russia’s war in Ukraine has shattered long-held assumptions about air superiority. Events of the past four years [...]
Advancing Human–Machine Teaming: A Collaborative Study by JAPCC and NATO C2COE
A joint effort bringing together the expertise of two NATO Centres of Excellence to strengthen Cross-Domain Command
This paper represents a close collaborative effort between JAPCC and the NATO Command and Control Centre of Excellence (C2COE) to explore how Human–Machine Teaming (HMT) can strengthen Command and Control at the operational level in [...]
Countering Russia’s Glide Bomb Warfare in Ukraine
Observations and Lessons for NATO on Neutralising Long-Range Weapons
By Col
Kevin
Anderson
By Lt Col
Giovanni
Zanier
The Russia-Ukraine war has served as a proving ground for military innovation on both sides of the conflict. While Ukrainian forces pioneered small, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technology to stall ground assaults, Russia’s most effective [...]
Publication Categories
Professional Air and Space Power Publications Written by NATO’s Premier Subject Matter Experts
What is 'Air Power'?
Fast Facts
What’s the organization of the JAPCC ?
Based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the JAPCC is sponsored by 14 NATO nations who provide a variety of experienced Subject Matter Experts (SME) that come from all three services. Through its multi-discipline organization, the JAPCC chooses the most suitable SMEs for the task and combines their knowledge and experience to fully contribute to transforming NATO’s A&S Power. More importantly, the JAPCC is not constrained by the need for consensus or by political expediency in developing ideas. It can offer independent military advice across the spectrum of A&S Power to NATO HQs and national policy-making bodies.
What can the JAPCC do for you ?
Our primary customers are NATO Headquarters (Allied Command Operations, Allied Command Transformation, NATO Joint Commands and Air Command) and sponsoring nations. However, the JAPCC does accept Requests for Support (RfS) from other sources via our RfS form, which can be accessed via the link below. With numerous successful products and ever-increasing connections with industry and academia, the JAPCC continues to build upon its reputation as NATO’s preeminent advocate for the development and enhancement of Joint A&S Power
How does the JAPCC accomplish its mission ?
A&S Power SMEs, drawn from the Land, Maritime and Air components of the 16 MoU nations, conduct collaborative research into areas in which JAPCC assistance is requested by leveraging their independent thought and a global network of experts that reach across the military, academic and industrial spheres. The resulting analysis and solutions are disseminated via studies, reports, journal articles, seminars, panels and conferences.
