Defence Manufacturing & Materials Expo

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

Hotel tiers

A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.

Local transport

Get around the city with these convenient transport options.

Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Prime contractor (platform integrator)

The company that holds the end-customer contract for a defence platform (aircraft, vehicle, vessel, radar or command system) and integrates subsystems from many suppliers. At a defence manufacturing show these are the buyers that tier suppliers come to meet.

2

OEM (original equipment manufacturer)

The manufacturer whose name is on the delivered system. In defence supply chains OEMs set the technical specification, quality regime and configuration control that lower-tier manufacturers must work to.

3

Tier 1 / Tier 2 supplier

Tier 1 suppliers deliver complete subsystems or assemblies directly to the prime; Tier 2 suppliers make parts, castings, PCBAs, harnesses or coatings for Tier 1. Exhibitor positioning and buyer targeting usually depends on which tier a company occupies.

4

Offset / industrial participation

Contractual commitments under which a foreign prime places work, technology transfer or investment into the buyer country's industrial base. Offsets are a standard route for smaller manufacturers to enter a defence programme.

5

Dual-use goods

Items, software and technology with both civil and military applications that fall under export-control lists. Suppliers exhibiting dual-use components need licence screening and end-user documentation.

6

ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations)

US export-control regime for defence articles and services. Non-US manufacturers that touch ITAR-controlled parts must register, restrict access to controlled technical data and screen foreign nationals.

7

STANAG (NATO Standardization Agreement)

NATO standards covering interoperability, test methods and documentation. STANAG references often appear on component datasheets sold into allied programmes.

8

AQAP (Allied Quality Assurance Publication)

NATO quality-management requirements, notably AQAP 2110 for design and production. Defence buyers often require AQAP or EN 9100 certification before a supplier can quote.

9

MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul)

Through-life support work on fielded equipment: inspection, refurbishment, spares and upgrades. MRO is a growing revenue stream for manufacturers as fleets age and budgets shift to readiness.

10

C4ISR

Command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. C4ISR programmes pull in electronics, rugged computing, optics and secure communications suppliers.

11

UGV / UAV

Unmanned ground vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles. Autonomous and remotely operated systems are a fast-moving procurement category with demand for sensors, datalinks, batteries and lightweight structures.

12

Counter-UAS

Systems that detect, track and defeat hostile drones: radar, RF detection, jamming and kinetic or directed-energy effectors. A distinct buyer group from conventional air-defence procurement.

13

Obsolescence management

The discipline of keeping long-lived platforms supportable when original components go end-of-life. Manufacturers pitch form-fit-function replacements, re-engineering and additive-manufactured spares here.

14

Additive manufacturing / DfAM

Industrial 3D printing and design-for-additive-manufacturing. Used in defence for low-volume spares, tooling, lightweight brackets and rapid repair of legacy parts.

15

EN 9100 / AS9100

Aerospace and defence quality-management standard covering traceability, risk management and configuration control. Frequently a pre-condition for supplier qualification in European programmes.

16

Transfer of technology (ToT)

The licensed handover of design data, processes and know-how from a prime to a local manufacturer, usually tied to an offset or localisation obligation.