According to reports at the conference, as of September 21, 134 organizations and companies from 32 countries have registered to display their products at the expo. These included those from China, India, Russia, the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Türkiye, and Israel. Meanwhile, 20 international delegations from 16 countries have confirmed their attendance, including six ministerial-level delegations.
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Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang chairs the conference. |
Covering an area of about 123,800 square meters, the expo will feature seven main areas, including indoor and outdoor exhibition spaces, as well as a space introducing economic-defense products and the culture of Viet Nam’s three regions.
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Senior Lieutenant General Le Quang Dao, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee, and Head of the Organizing Panel, speaks at the conference. |
Products displayed by foreign partners will be diverse. U.S. partners are expected to showcase outdoor products such as the C-130J transport aircraft, M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), M777 155mm howitzer, Stryker M1126 armored vehicle, and various tactical military vehicles.
As the host country, Viet Nam’s defense industry is expected to introduce 579 products and services. A list of 123 weapons and technical equipment from 80 categories has also been approved for display, including 48 new categories compared with the 2024 edition.
At the area introducing typical economic-defense products, visitors will have the opportunity to experience flying MiG-21 aircraft, operating infantry fighting vehicles, and controlling military ships through virtual reality technology. They will also experience new dual-use technologies and products from the Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel) and other units.
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Senior Lieutenant General Le Quang Minh, Vice Chairman of the General Department of Political Affairs and Deputy Head of the Steering Committee, speaks at the conference. |
Relevant agencies and units have coordinated to develop plans to ensure security and safety for the expo. They have also prepared traffic regulation plans, applied artificial intelligence (AI) in security control, and arranged congratulatory flights, drone swarm performances, reconnaissance flights, and image transmission flights.
Speaking at the conference, Vice Chairman of the General Department of Political Affairs Senior Lieutenant General Le Quang Minh emphasized that the Viet Nam Defense Expo 2026 is a large-scale event featuring various weapons and technical equipment, with many high-ranking and all-level international delegations expected to attend. Therefore, reception, security, safety, and communication tasks must receive close attention and require close, scientific coordination among relevant agencies and units to ensure the success of the expo and promote the image of the country, people, and Viet Nam People’s Army to international friends.
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Delegates attend the conference. |
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief of the General Staff Senior Lieutenant General Le Quang Dao requested sub-committees under the Organizing Panel to submit weekly reports on progress and results. In September, the General Department of Defense Industry, the standing agency of the Steering Committee and Organizing Panel, must coordinate with relevant agencies to hand over the construction site for exhibition areas. Functional agencies were requested to carefully review and issue press cards, and prepare plans for preliminary and final rehearsals of the opening ceremony.
Concluding the conference, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang affirmed that, drawing on experience from the two previous successful editions, agencies and units had seriously implemented assigned tasks and closely followed progress, completing a large volume of work.
On behalf of the Standing Board of the Central Military Commission and the Defense Ministry’s leadership, the general praised the Organizing Panel, its standing agency, sub-committees, and relevant units for pro-actively overcoming difficulties and fulfilling assigned tasks.
Given the significant remaining workload and the approaching event, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang requested the standing agency to develop detailed plans for joint practice sessions, preliminary rehearsals, and final rehearsals, and submit them to the Head of the Organizing Panel for approval before November 10.
He asked agencies and units to firmly grasp the number of partners and guests; coordinate and provide guidance on procedures for receiving products and weapons from foreign partners; develop plans to ensure security and safety throughout the expo; coordinate with Ha Noi municipal Public Security units to organize traffic regulation plans; and actively practice performances.
The Communications Sub-committee was requested to develop a communication plan, promote information dissemination from early October, and organize a press conference introducing the expo.
Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang called on members of the Steering Committee, Organizing Panel, sub-committees, and relevant units to uphold their sense of responsibility and urgently make thorough preparations for the expo.
Following the success of the previous editions, the success of the Viet Nam Defense Expo 2026 will demonstrate the strong, self-reliant development and modernization of Viet Nam’s defense industry. It will also contribute to affirming Viet Nam’s position and prestige internationally while spreading pride and responsibility among officers, soldiers, and people nationwide in the cause of national construction and defense.
Translated by Minh Anh