National Convention Centre Canberra, 31 Constitution Avenue, Canberra ACT 2601
Location
Canberra, Australia
Organizer
Air and Space Power Centre, Royal Australian Air Force
Cost
free
Scale
regional
Recurrence
biennial
Reg. deadline
6 Mar 2026
Format
Hybrid
Why it matters
ASPCon26 is the primary forum where the RAAF publicly articulates its strategic direction and capability priorities, making it essential for defence suppliers and researchers seeking to align with Australian air and space power investment cycles. The presence of air and space chiefs from 30 nations — including the US, UK, Canada, and Sweden — signals allied procurement alignment and interoperability requirements relevant to SMEs and primes operating in the Indo-Pacific. As the only RAAF calendar event focused on air power education outside formal PME courses, it shapes doctrine and concept development that drives future acquisition decisions.
The Air and Space Power Conference 2026 (ASPCon26) is the Royal Australian Air Force's biennial flagship professional military education event, held at the National Convention Centre Canberra on 17 March 2026. Themed 'Air and Space Power in National Defence', it examined how the RAAF is building fighting depth — generating and exploiting depth in posture, space, and time — as articulated in Concept ASPECT. The program featured keynote addresses, expert presentations, and panel sessions on topics including heterogeneous air power, allied interoperability, and space integration within the joint force, drawing senior military leaders from Australia and partner nations alongside academics and industry experts.
Market intel
Cheap pricinghigh confidence
ASPCon26 is a government-run, free-to-attend hybrid conference with no commercial exhibition component; industry participates as delegates rather than exhibitors. With over 1,000 in-person and 850+ online attendees and military leaders from 30 nations, it is a regionally significant strategic forum rather than a procurement marketplace. Attendance and delegation figures are confirmed from post-event reporting by AeroTime and the Australian Department of Defence.
AI-researched Tue, 25 August 2026. Estimates from public sources. Verify with the organizer.
This is the only dedicated regional defence conference in Australia that places prime contractors and SMEs in the same room for structured, direct engagement — making it a critical pipeline event for Hunter-region and NSW suppliers seeking to enter or grow within ADF programs. Senior leaders from all three services and Joint Capabilities attend, providing rare first-hand insight into current capability priorities and procurement pathways. For SMEs and startups, the small-group discussion format offers direct access to decision-makers that larger trade shows rarely replicate.
As the premier security marketplace in the Asia-Pacific region, this event is the primary venue for global security suppliers to launch products into the Australian market and engage directly with integrators, consultants, government buyers, and critical-infrastructure end users. The co-location with Integrate and Fire Security Expo expands the addressable buyer pool to ~14,500 professionals across converging physical, cyber, fire, and AV sectors. For SMEs and startups, it is the most cost-efficient route to the Australian security procurement community, with free visitor registration and a sold-out floor plan signalling strong buyer intent.
SubSTEC is Australia's only dedicated submarine science and engineering conference, making it the primary access point for suppliers seeking to engage the RAN submarine enterprise, Defence SA, and AUKUS programme decision-makers in a single venue. For SMEs and startups, the SME Spotlight sessions and tiered sponsorship tiers (Bronze upward) offer direct visibility to the naval and government officials who shape sovereign capability investment. With Australia committing to a multi-decade, multi-billion-dollar nuclear submarine transition, SubSTEC8 is the earliest opportunity to position technology and services ahead of major procurement cycles.
