Press Release
Final Press Release, Bratislava, 15 May 2026
Bratislava has witnessed the largest showcase of modern defence and security technology in its history over the past few days. The 12th edition of IDEB Defence & Security, symbolically opened on 12 May, became the largest and most ambitious edition in the history of the exhibition and further confirmed Slovakia’s growing position on the map of the European defence and security industry.
During this year’s edition at Incheba Expo Bratislava, exhibitors from Slovakia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Croatia, Israel, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Austria, the United States of America, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Ukraine and the United Kingdom presented their latest technologies and innovations.
Thanks also to the event partners — the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic and the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic — the exhibition ranked among the most successful editions since its inception, not only with its record attendance of 33,248 visitors, but also with its exhibition area (17,626 m²), number of exhibitors (150), participating countries (17), and exceptionally positive feedback from exhibitors, visitors and media representatives.
The opening ceremony on Tuesday, 12 May at 10:00 a.m. began with full military honours performed by members of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic in the presence of Prime Minister Robert Fico, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Robert Kaliňák, Minister of Interior Matúš Šutaj Eštok, representatives of foreign delegations and other distinguished guests. The ceremony also featured a flyover by aircraft of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic above the Incheba Expo Bratislava exhibition and congress centre. Visitors were able to witness two UH-60M Black Hawk multi-purpose helicopters accompanied by a C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft and two of the most advanced F-16 Block 70 fighter jets.
The exhibition was officially opened with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting by Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Robert Fico, Deputy Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic Andrej Danko, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the Slovak Republic Robert Kaliňák, Minister of Interior of the Slovak Republic Matúš Šutaj Eštok, Minister of Defence of Azerbaijan Colonel General Zakir Hasanov together with Azerbaijan’s Minister of Defence Industry Vugar Mustafayev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic Jaromír Zůna, Minister of Defence of North Macedonia Vlado Misajlovský, Deputy Minister of National Defence of Vietnam Lieutenant General Phạm Hoài Nam, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic Lieutenant General Miroslav Lorinc, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the National Army of Moldova Brigadier General Sergiu Voina, and CEO of Incheba Alexander Rozin Jr.
The importance of the exhibition was further confirmed by the exceptionally strong participation of foreign delegations from Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, France, Israel, South Korea, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Sweden and Italy. A regular participant of the exhibition is also the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic, whose exposition has long ranked among the most significant international presentations at the event.
One of the strongest moments and greatest highlights of the exhibition was the presentation by the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic featuring the state-of-the-art F-16 Block 70 fighter jet, the Israeli BARAK MX air defence system, and the iconic UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter. The Ministry of Defence exposition also showcased the activities of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic and other defence sector units at a level matching the European elite.
A strong focus on internal security issues was also brought by the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic, which prepared its most extensive presentation in the history of the exhibition. Visitors were able to see dynamic demonstrations by elite units, interventions by the Rapid Response Police Unit, robotic technologies, unmanned systems, civil protection laboratories, as well as presentations by the Mountain Rescue Service. The highlight of the programme was the “NO ESCAPE” demonstration — a realistic intervention against an armed offender.
The exhibition also featured its most comprehensive professional programme to date, including the international Artillery Symposium, conferences, networking sessions with representatives of NATO, industry and academia, as well as presentations of innovations and startups. One of the key topics was the European SAFE initiative, introduced in Slovakia for the very first time.
Visitors had the opportunity to see more than 250 pieces of equipment and technologies — ranging from heavy military hardware, drones, communication and antenna systems, and mobile control towers to equipment and armaments, as well as modern security and unmanned solutions.
During the gala reception, the traditional awards for the best exhibition exhibits were presented:
GRAND PRIX IDEB 2026 Award
- EVPÚ, a. s., Nová Dubnica — TURRA 30 V10 Remote-Controlled Turret
PRIX IDEB 2026 Award
- CSM Industries s.r.o., Tisovec — UDS4 VTV 4×4 exhibit
- MSM LAND SYSTEMS, s.r.o. — CFL-120 KARPAT (120 mm Medium Tank) exhibit
- ŠESTAN-BUSCH d.o.o PRELOG, Croatia — ŠESTAN-BUSCH ballistic helmets
The exhibition was held under the professional auspices of the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic, and the Defence and Security Industry Association of the Slovak Republic.
Media partners of the exhibition included zoznam.sk, pravda.sk, securitymagazin.sk, finreport.sk and the publishing house MagnetPress.