Eudex, a new defence trade fair, opens in Germany

A new arms trade fair opened in the western German city of Essen, with 360 manufacturers from 28 nations presenting their products and services at the Euro Defence Expo.

The four-day event, known as Eudex, aims to bring companies and representatives of armed forces, researchers and politicians together.

Exhibits include unmanned ground vehicles that can navigate autonomously, portable drone systems and sensor devices that can detect chemical warfare agents or nuclear hazards.

A focus of the fair is strengthening civilian-military cooperation, the city's trade fair agency Messe Essen said.

Security Essen, a parallel exhibition involving 520 companies from 41 countries, is expected to boost that cooperation.

"The security industry is more interconnected today than ever before. At Security Essen, we show how artificial intelligence, digital networking and innovative technologies are coming together to form integrated security solutions," trade fair project manager Julia Jacob said in a statement.

Annual meeting of NATO think tank also in Essen

Senior military figures from NATO member states are also currently meeting not far from the exhibition grounds for the annual conference of NATO's Joint Air Power Competence Centre (JAPCC).

The think tank, based in Kalkar in the Lower Rhine region, supports NATO states' development of air and space forces. More than 400 people are taking part in the three-day conference.

JAPCC Executive Director Lieutenant General Thorsten Poschwatta emphasized the growing importance of cooperation between armed forces, industry, academia and politics for Europe's security.

"We analyse trends, develop concepts and provide impetus for the further development of capabilities in the air and space domains and in the NATO context," he said, describing JAPCC's role.

Eudex contributes the technological and industrial perspective, he said. "Strategy without technology remains theory. Technology without strategic embedding fails to realize its potential," Poschwatta added.