The International Armoured Vehicles Conference is the world’s leading event for the armoured vehicles community, gathering industry leaders, government officials, and military decision-makers. The 2025 conference promises to bring together an unparalleled network of professionals who are actively shaping the future of armoured warfare and defense technology. 

Download the current 2025 Attendee List to see who you’ll meet - from Chiefs of Army Operations and Heads of Platform Development to Directors of Ground Combat Solutions, the attendee list includes senior figures across the industry – the very people who are driving advancements in operational effectiveness and cutting-edge technology. 

Don’t miss out – download the attendee list now and secure your opportunity to connect with influential leaders at the world’s premier armoured vehicles conference!

The International Armoured Vehicle Conference 2024 was arguably Defence IQ’s most ambitious to date. Over 100 speakers, 40 nations, 150 companies, and 1000 attendees gathered under one roof to discuss within the scope of armoured warfare: how will we fight in the future? Top-level programmes and military leaders worldwide presented the latest developments, trends, and objectives, while the industry brought forward its latest offerings and innovations. The conference also included wargaming exercises, interactive group sessions, and a vehicle pavilion, which allowed attendees to maximise their networking and opportunities. In this 2024 post-show report, we highlight some of the conference's most notable successes and summarise the events and presentations that took place.

While the battlefield is becoming more automated and robotic, discounting the human factor would be a mistake. While uncrewed technology has evolved rapidly, how we think of human-machine teaming (HMT) on the battlefield needs to catch up; otherwise, the technology will not reach its realised potential. To delve into this topic, the lead engineer at the UK’s Human-Machine Teaming Future Capability Innovation group, Nicholas Valentine, shares his thoughts. This whitepaper by Nicholas Valentine covers:

• The importance of the human aspect in HMT
• The role of understanding purpose in HMT
• The role of Robot Logic on the Battlefield
  

The importance of Active Protection Systems (APS) has only increased as threats to armour have evolved to the point where passive protection systems are not enough. New armour-penetrating technologies and techniques, which are more prevalent in near-peer conflicts, vehicle weight limitations, and the evolution of more efficient sensors and effectors have set APS systems to become mainstream. In this interview, we discuss the UK’s APS efforts with Tom Newbery CPhys from the Platform Survivability Group at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, the UK’s foremost defence research organisation. In this interview, we discuss:

• Trends in armoured vehicle survivability
• Challenges and opportunities in developing APS
• Implications for Industry and Forces
  

The UK, along with its allies, is playing an active role on the global stage and a key part in fighting and deterring current threats. Military forces worldwide are facing the same challenge of modernising or overhauling their fleets of armoured vehicles through sustainment, upgrades, or expansion whilst maintaining a balance between investment and capability. A vital aspect of this is international cooperation and partnerships with industry. The Armoured Vehicle Defence Acquisition Report 2025-2029 will look at:

• Global and regional trends in the armoured vehicle market
• Updates on the most significant armoured vehicle programmes worldwide
• Spending across the different armoured vehicle segments, including UGVs, tanks and other land vehicles
  

We are excited to introduce the Armoured Vehicle Interactive Market Report (2025-2029). This innovative tool empowers users to customise and analyse data to uncover the most critical trends in the armoured vehicle sector. Gain a distinct competitive edge by leveraging real-time insights into global and regional spending forecasts.

Key Features:

🔹Personalised forecasts on armoured vehicle budgets, including C-UAS & UGV programmes.

🔹Detailed breakdowns of spending trends across regions and globally.

🔹Access to country-specific project spending.

🔹Insights on expenditures by vehicle type and supplier.

Take control of your market intelligence and stay ahead with this first-of-its-kind interactive report!

International Armoured Vehicles has the privilege in receiving this piece from David Willey, curator of the Tank Museum in Bovington, on the history of UGVs. This fascinating piece highlights how many of the challenges in the past persist today albeit in different magnitudes. A must read for Uncrewed Ground System enthusiasts everywhere.

UGVs and Robotics continue to offer exiting potential for the future of land warfare. What was once science fiction is quickly become a battlefield reality. Propelled by advances in communication, machine learning, and artificial intelligence the battlefield will feature an increasingly rich mix of Robotic and Autonomous Systems. 

Countries featured in the report include: Australia, India, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, UK, and the U.S.

IAVC 2024 is dedicating an entire day to Uncrewed Systems, calling upon experts at the very cutting edge of the field to present and debate this rapidly upcoming future on Day Four of the programme.

All forces face the question, “How will we fight in the future?” Recent conflicts have highlighted the rapidly changing nature of warfare, from the doctrinal to the tactical, due to quickly changing and accessible technologies combined with their imaginative but practical employment. In preparation for the International Armoured Vehicles Conference 2025, we have had the privilege of having Colonel Armin Dirks, Head of Operations of the Combined Project Team of Main Ground Combat System, share his thoughts on this question. As one of the leading figures in bringing the next generation's main battle tank into a reality, few people are in a better position to determine the future of armoured warfare. To answer the question of “How will we fight in the future?”, we have asked the following subset of questions:

• What are some of the everlasting challenges versus new challenges that forces face?
• Considering the trends we have seen on recent battlefields, are there any calls to rethink aspects of modern armoured warfare rather than simply evolving the thought behind it?
• Modern thought on armoured vehicle requirements has shifted from the “Iron Triangle” (Protection, Firepower, and Mobility) to the “Steel Hexagon” (Lethality, Autonomy, Adaptability, Connectivity, Survivability, and Mobility). What are your thoughts on the implications of this for capabilities?
  

'Digital Transformation' is currently thriving within civilian, commercial and public sectors - signalling a new era of data and information technology-centric thinking and practice. The armed forces have also felt the effects, both organizationally and on the battlefield.

The manoeuvre force is one such force embracing the concept, adopting technologies which reduce maintenance costs, manpower burdens, speed up decision cycles and support battle management. In light of this Defence iQ have published this white paper 'Manoeuvre in the Digital World' - designed to address the impact of digitization processes and digital technologies on the contemporary armoured manoeuvre force.

• 'Digitization in Defence' an analysis on UK MOD digitization initiatives by PA Consulting
• The Bundeswehr's 'Digitisation of Land-Based Operations' Programme
• 'Protected Manoeuvre': The Australian Army's Transition to a Digitized Armoured Fleet
• Digitized by Design: Innovating the AFV - in conversation with General Dynamics Land Systems

This article sets the scene for the International Armoured Vehicles conference, and will help to stimulate thought and debate. It aims to strike a balance between examining some elements of history and design parameters, future prospects and ongoing development. 

The global armoured vehicles market will continue to grow due to a number of rising tensions worldwide. This report is ideal to keep up to date with the latest on all the armoured vehicle expenditure from all four corners of the globe and the associated programmes. Furthermore, unique to this edition, we have included information on how these developments relate to the IAV24 conference, highlighting relevant speakers, past delegations, and workshops which IAV24 will offer.

Curious to know what to expect at the International Armoured Vehicles conference? Read this exclusive presentation from Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Wooddisse KCB CBE MC -  British Army, which was delivered at the 2024 conference, on How the British Army will Fight. 

Hear updates from the British Army at the 2025 conference, including an update from Lieutenant General Mike Elviss, Commander Field Army, who will be delivering the opening keynote address on Day One: Mobilising the British Army: Delivering a more productive and lethal force.