Joint Air and Space Power Conference 2023
10–12 October 2023
Congress Centre Essen, Germany
Enhancing Deterrence and Defence through Joint Air Power
Credible, Capable, and Available
At the NATO Summit in Madrid 2022, nations agreed to set a new baseline for NATO’s deterrence and defence posture to continue protecting NATO’s population and defending every inch of allied territory at all times. The agreement included enhancing our nations’ defensive capabilities and significantly strengthening NATO’s posture to ensure Allies’ security and deterrence our adversaries for the long term. This commitment is in line with NATO’s 360-degree approach to leverage the land, air, maritime, cyber, and space domains, against all threats and challenges.
Allies committed to deploying additional robust in-place combat-ready forces on NATO’s eastern flank, to be scaled up from the existing battlegroups to brigade-size units where and when required, underpinned by credible rapidly available reinforcements, prepositioned equipment, and enhanced command and control.
The Joint Air and Space Power Conference 2023 will explore how NATO should further proceed on its path to address the challenges and opportunities to achieve deterrence and defence through NATO Joint Air Power. NATO Joint Air Power will have to be credible, capable and available across domains to face a multi-faceted, demanding environment to contribute to the Alliance and ensure it remains a credible organization for the defence of its members and their shared values of freedom and democracy.
Conference Panels
Panel 1
NATO Joint Air & Space Power to enhance deterrence & defence
As Russia’s invasion and the current stalemate in Ukraine remind us, Air Superiority is an essential catalyst to victory. Meanwhile, our adversaries capabilities to engaging us faster and from a greater distance, reducing the alert time and decision space to defend our territory. How must we adapt? The first panel will discuss recent changes in our security environment, as well as how the credibility, capability, and availability of Joint Air and Space Power can contribute to Allied deterrence and defence across all domains, services, and nations.
Panel 2
Enhancing readiness, availability, and resilience of Joint Air & Space Power
The second panel should offer suggestions to ensure that Joint Air & Space Power capabilities are positioned, prepared, and linked to immediately offer an effective defence. How can improved equipment, force availability, and readiness strengthen collective defence such that it is ready for high-intensity, multi-domain operations. Furthermore, how can NATO offer substantial reinforcements – and hence deterrence – to a threatened ally. In this perspective, it is important to confront the continuing discrepancy between limited defence budgets and the trade-offs between quality and quantity of equipment and forces.
Panel 3
Developing Joint Air & Space Power capabilities for Collective Defence
The third panel shall emphasize modern and future capabilities that help NATO maintain its technological superiority. What are tomorrow’s key technologies on which we should focus and spend our limited budgets? Should we rely mainly on civilian research and development, or are military proprietary developments better? Do we need new approaches to multinational defence planning, more jointly funded solutions, or better incentives to strengthen industrial cooperation?
Panel 4
Improving sustainability of NATO Joint Air & Space Power
NATO’s support for Ukraine’s defence against Russian aggression has clearly demonstrated the importance of logistics, industrial capacity for weapons, spare parts, and ammunition, as well as functioning supply chains across national borders in times of conflict. The final panel shall discuss how to improve these aspects in support of an effective and collective defence effort and should elaborate on the military, industrial, and political responsiveness if NATO has to follow its Article 5 commitments.
Why you should attend
Registration Information
For any questions regarding participation in the conference or any problems with your request, please send a note to .
Exhibitor Information
The Joint Air and Space Power Conference, organised annually by the Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC), offers a splendid opportunity to discuss imminent and future challenges in the Air and other interconnected domains. Together with the team of the Messe Essen Congress Centre, the JAPCC provides a unique setting to enable far-reaching debates for high-ranking leaders and experts from politics and the military, as well as from academia and industry. The conference will as usual be an ideal venue for a stimulating exchange of thoughts and ideas. Industry involvement is greatly valued as part of the networking and cooperation activities that have made the JAPCC conference so special.
