Photo: Larry Wilbourn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Dates
Tue, 24 March 2026 – Thu, 26 March 2026
Venue
Von Braun Center
Location
Huntsville, United States
Organizer
Association of the United States Army (AUSA)
Cost
paid
Scale
major
Recurrence
annual
Reg. deadline
27 Feb 2026
Format
On-site
Why it matters
Global Force is the U.S. Army's primary spring forum for signaling near-term acquisition and modernization priorities, making it a critical venue for defence suppliers seeking early insight into program office requirements and contracting opportunities. Its location adjacent to Redstone Arsenal — home to Army Materiel Command, Army Futures Command elements, and a 36,000-person government-contractor workforce — provides unmatched proximity to programme decision-makers. For SMEs and startups, the Warriors Corner sessions and exposition floor offer direct engagement with procurement specialists and prime contractors actively scouting capability gaps.
The AUSA Global Force Symposium & Exposition is the Association of the United States Army's annual three-day forum dedicated to advancing Total Army modernization through collaboration between military, industry, and academia. Held at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama — adjacent to Redstone Arsenal — the 2026 edition spotlighted the Army's Transformation in Contact initiative, emphasizing iterative, outcomes-focused modernization under realistic operational conditions. The event features over 50 sessions and 200+ exhibits, with keynote addresses from senior Army leadership, Warriors Corner panel discussions, and a dedicated exposition floor with structured, session-free exhibit hall hours. Topics span acquisition innovation, multi-domain operations, UAS and counter-UAS, command and control, force sustainment, and organic industrial base modernization.
Market intel
High pricinghigh confidence
AUSA Global Force is one of the most operationally significant annual Army-focused events in the United States, drawing 7,000+ attendees including senior Army leadership, programme office representatives, and 200+ exhibiting defence companies across 62,000+ sq ft of exposition space. Its Huntsville location adjacent to Redstone Arsenal maximises access to acquisition decision-makers and aligns exhibitor engagement directly with Army modernisation priorities. The 2026 edition's emphasis on Transformation in Contact and counter-UAS/drone swarm threats reflects live Army capability gaps, making it a high-value business development opportunity for suppliers across land systems, autonomy, directed energy, and C2 domains.
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.
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.
Podkarpackie is one of Central Europe's most established aerospace manufacturing bases, and this summit is the region's strategic move to pivot from aviation to drone/dual-use technology — directly relevant to defence suppliers and SMEs seeking to enter or expand in the UAS and dual-use market. The co-located Dual Use Challenge pitch finals offer startups direct access to VC funds, investors, and industrial primes on a single day. For defence-adjacent firms, the live airfield showcase at Stalowa Wola–Turbia — including counter-drone systems — provides rare hands-on demonstration access in a NATO-ally operational context.
