Spectacular! A look at the success of FEINDEF 25
- To be noted in the international calendar
- The autonomous regions are committed to creating their own industrial fabric
Spectacular! That's what Javier Alonso, president of Wiresa, a Spanish consulting and commercial representation company, told me amid the hubbub of dozens of people surrounding us on all sides.
Alonso reminded me that for 40 years he had ‘trodden the boards’ of practically every defence and aerospace fair held around the world. When I asked him what he thought of the fair, he replied: ‘...Well, I have to say that FEINDEF 25 is... spectacular! That says it all.’
He added: ‘But I'll tell you more. The 2025 edition of FEINDEF has nothing to envy and has positioned itself on a par with the DSEI show in London, which I have been attending for decades.’ He was referring to the Defence and Security Equipment International Exhibition in London, better known by its acronym DSEI, the major biennial exhibition where the powerful British defence industry has been showcasing its capabilities in armaments and equipment since 1999.
Javier Alonso made the comparison, pointing out that DSEI ‘takes place in London, on the banks of the River Thames’, which allows its organisers to showcase large, medium and small warships, something that is not possible on Madrid's squalid River Manzanares.
To be noted in the international calendar
Another veteran professional who also knows the sector very well pointed out to me that, in view of the technological, human and organisational deployment of the Spanish exhibition, ‘FEINDEF is on its way to becoming a true international benchmark exhibition’.
As these are people with wisdom and independent judgement, I agree with both assessments. So, from now on, the fifth edition of FEINDEF, scheduled for May 2027, should be taken into account in the international defence trade fair calendar by innovative companies with cutting-edge technologies.
The success of FEINDEF 25, which has far exceeded even the most optimistic expectations, is largely due to the managing director of the FEINDEF Foundation, Julio Gala, a pharmaceutical industry executive with experience in international events. He took over at the end of January 2024 from Ramón Pérez Alonso, who had to make strenuous efforts to get FEINDEF 21 off the ground, still with restrictions due to the COVID pandemic, but who was able to give FEINDEF 23 a huge boost in terms of quality and quantity.
Two years later, companies feel that the lean decades are now behind them and that the global geostrategic framework and even the national scenario are favourable. They are rubbing their hands with glee at the thought that the immediate future clearly points to a long period of prosperity... or at least that is what they hope.
This is the opinion of the vast majority of companies consulted. Two of them, Uro and em&e group, better known as Escribano, have gone all out. Uro has come to FEINDEF 25 with 13 all-terrain vehicles. Em&e has done so with its wide range of products and has unveiled its new 6x6 Ferox armoured wheeled vehicle, designed to escort the 8x8 Dragón.
Among the many new features offered by the fourth edition of FEINDEF, the growing presence of pavilions from the autonomous communities is particularly noteworthy. Some have been present for years, while others are determined to promote the arrival and location of new defence industries in their territories.
The autonomous regions are committed to creating their own industrial fabric
This is the case of Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Madrid and Murcia, which have competed with each other to gain maximum visibility at FEINDEF 25, as evidenced by the size and number of companies they have welcomed to their respective regional pavilions.
In Murcia and Zaragoza, regional politicians have made a strong commitment to creating a favourable framework and incentives to promote an industrial fabric linked to defence. The president of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, was present at the opening day of FEINDEF 2025 to confirm his commitment to establishing the so-called Aragon Defence Hub as soon as possible. And he is well on his way to achieving this.
FEINDEF 25 saw the signing of an agreement between Turkish Aerospace and Airbus, which is acting as coordinator for Spanish industry, to find areas of collaboration in the programme spearheaded by the Hürjet. If it progresses as planned, Turkey's supersonic trainer, still under development, will be packed with Spanish technology to become the national version that will replace the Spanish Air Force's veteran Northrop/CASA F-5M aircraft.
The environment in which the Fair took place was also conducive to strengthening collaborations between Spanish entities. For example, TEDAE signed agreements with the Regional Ministry of Economy and Industry of the Xunta de Galicia and with the Defence and Security Technology Circle Foundation to promote and strengthen the aforementioned industries.
AESMIDE has established similar links with the Asturias Business Association for the Development of the Defence Industry, the Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Córdoba (CECO), the City Council of Córdoba and the international law firm Garrigues, which specialises in business law.
Within the framework of cooperation between transnational companies, large defence corporations in the United States (Lockheed Martin and Raytheon) and Germany (Rheinmetall) continue to sign important agreements with national companies (Grupo Oesia, Sener, Indra, etc., in view of the likely arrival of the F-35 fighter jet in the Spanish Air Force and Navy and other important contracts that are waiting to be signed.