Delegates at the promotion conference for the Vietnam International Defence Exhibition 2026. — VNA/VNS Photos Trọng Đức

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of National Defence on Wednesday held a promotion conference in Hà Nội to step up preparations for the Việt Nam Defence Expo 2026, a major event in the country’s defence diplomacy calendar.

Scheduled for December 10–13 at Gia Lâm Airport in Hà Nội across a space of nearly 150,000sq.m, the international exhibition with the theme of 'Peace, Friendship, Cooperation for Shared Development' will also feature an air force aerial display, special forces martial arts demonstrations, and booths showcasing new Vietnamese-made defence products and equipment.

Organisers said the exhibits will highlight Việt Nam’s defence of peace and self-defence, focusing on the protection of national sovereignty and a stable environment for development rather than an arms race.

Displays will include domestically designed systems, including smart and dual-use technologies for modern warfare and a modern People’s Army. The event is also intended to promote Việt Nam’s peace-loving image, according to organisers.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of National Defence, Lieutenant General Nguyễn Trường Thắng, head of the Exhibition Steering Committee, said the event is a key activity in international integration and defence diplomacy in the defence industry sector. It supports Party policies on science, technology and innovation, promotes Vietnamese culture abroad and contributes to building a modern and capable People’s Army.

He said the exhibition demonstrates the army’s vision and determination and reaffirms public and international confidence in a self-reliant, resilient, dual-use and modern Vietnamese defence industry.

Lieutenant General Thắng said the ministry aims to socialise and professionalise the exhibition, gradually reducing reliance on state budget funding and mobilising social resources. He called for active participation and support from enterprises inside and outside the military.

He instructed the organising committee to coordinate with relevant agencies, particularly the General Department of Defence Industry and the Ministry’s Finance Department, to advise the Central Military Commission and ministry leadership on funding and contributions from domestic and foreign businesses, with emphasis on major corporations.

Reflecting on the first and second exhibitions in 2022 and 2024, Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Phùng Sĩ Tấn, head of the exhibition organising committee, said their success was due to the leadership of the Party, State, Central Military Commission and the ministry, as well as close inter-agency coordination and contributions from businesses inside and outside the military.

He noted that companies provided financial support, manpower, organisational expertise, design ideas, exhibition content and communications solutions, contributions that the Ministry of National Defence and organising committee deeply appreciate.

Lieutenant General Phùng Sĩ Tấn, head of the Exhibition Organising Committee, speaking at the event.

Lieutenant General Tấn said the 2026 exhibition will raise requirements in terms of scale, depth and cooperative effectiveness, expand exhibition space and attract more domestic and international partners, including reputable global defence and security corporations and Việt Nam’s strategic partners.

He urged sponsors and enterprises to approach the event with a more substantive and responsible mindset.

“View sponsorship not merely as financial support, but as an opportunity to demonstrate national pride, political responsibility, and corporate identity,” he said.

He also called on sponsors to choose contribution forms and levels commensurate with each organisation’s status, brand and reputation, adding that partnership would bring economic and commercial benefits while reflecting a higher political commitment to building and defending the Fatherland in the new context.

The exhibition will also host exchanges aimed at strengthening cooperation between agencies and businesses as well as among enterprises. It will include specialised military-technical seminars, showcases of economic and defence achievements, public experience activities and performances highlighting Vietnamese culture and the arts. — VNS