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From the Editor
After two full days of AOC Europe, the event is exceeding my expectations, which were already quite elevated. The presentations have been informative, and the discussions have been thought provoking. But one area that has truly surprised me is the exhibit hall. As a self-diagnosed EW zealot (hopefully not a terminal condition), I typically know (or know about) most of the companies at AOC events. This is both a product of time spent writing about the EW industry over the past 30-plus, and the relative stability of the EW industry in those three decades. Each year, I look forward to meeting the small number of exhibitors who are new to me, and I truly enjoy learning about their companies, their histories and their offerings. This year, however, there is a wave of new companies in the exhibit hall. Some of them are components and subsystems suppliers who may have done some EW work in the past and are testing the market's interest. I've spoken to a number of them, and most seem very impressed by the symposium attendees and curious to learn more about the community. Some of the other new exhibitors seem to be full-fledged EW houses with extensive EW or SIGINT products lines that I have never seen before. And then there are the established EW companies in the exhibit hall, many of which are introducing innovative new solutions that define state-of-the-art capabilities. It seems like whichever aisle I walk in the exhibit hall, I can see dozens of new systems and technologies. My point is, if you are new to this event, you are witnessing an EW industry that is innovating at full throttle, pursuing lots of new opportunities, and very engaged in solving extremely challenging operational requirements. I hope you will take time to explore the exhibit hall, learn about the offerings, and discover what these companies can do for you.
Today's Events
Review the online schedule of events and symposium agenda to finalize your on-site agenda. Get out your phone and download the AOC Europe 2026 app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn and use #AOCEUROPE2026 to join in the conversation. NEW! AI translation now being offered during sessions at AOC Europe. Visit aoceurope.org/translate for more information, including which languages are available and how to access the app.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS – Thursday 21 May
Exhibitor Happenings
Official Expo Hall hours during the AOC Europe 2026: Today
Inside the Convention
On Wednesday at AOC Europe 2026, Brigadier General Juha-Matti Ylitalo, Deputy Chief of the Defence Forces Logistics Command and Chief Engineer of the Finnish Defence Forces, delivered the opening keynote, which provided an insightful EMS perspective on a range of topics, including long-term materiel planning, standards, EMO training, and the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDECO) alliance. Brigadier General Ylitalo explained that Finland has a lengthy tradition of long-term planning, with a horizon the extends 12 years out. "We are now thinking what is going to be the defence posture on capabilities at the end of the 40s," he said. "We have step-by-step programs developing the capabilities long term. But how are innovation, agility, and the rapid development of capabilities – in this case in electromagnetic operations – actually then implemented? If you just look far away, how we are going to implement the things that are in place today or tomorrow?" Brigadier General Ylitalo also discussed the importance of standards, particularly NATO Standardization Agreements (STANAGs) "Standardization used to be the thing. That is the thing that we use to create structures; that is the thing we use to create TTPs. That is the tool for us to actually implement something," he said, before asking, "Are they agile enough? Do they follow the current battle rhythm? Do they follow the rhythm of innovations, rhythm of creating new technologies? That is a question at least for me." "In Finland we are a fresh member of NATO, and every year we try to implement like 100 STANAGs," he explained. "Most of them are technically oriented. Are they going to be the tools that will be the operational spearheads of electromagnetic operation by implementing the TTPs and operations by the STANAGs?" He then asked, "How do we benefit from resilience and performance provided and enabled by this new system and innovation and technologies? Are the techniques and procedures following the roadmap and growing capabilities of the technologies. I would say that … what we need across all the organizations is a change of culture. We need rapid development, but still we need structures to take care that is done, coordinated." Brigadier General Ylitalo also sees an opportunity to increase EMS representation in training environments. "In Finland," he said, "we have a program – a quite ambitious program – of creating a joint training environment combining all the needs from the services – truly capable of training multi-domain [scenarios] virtually, live, or constructively, and all these together. In Finland we have an excellent live virtual constructive model for fighter pilot training. This means that we can create artificial planes, we can fly simulators, we can fly real aircraft, all of them together in same scenario. I'm just thinking how can this be implemented in electromagnetic operations training. How can we create situational awareness virtually? How can we virtually develop an electronic order of battle, which would be real time, same picture for all the services and everybody who needs that. [As for] the emitters and also the battle damage assessment, I would say that has to be taken care of some way. And this is again a technological challenge: how to have the same common picture and same baseline information for training. Culture, awareness and adaptation, they are the keywords for implementing this kind of thinking and capabilities." Brigadier General Ylitalo also discussed the Nordic Defense Cooperation (NORDEFCO) alliance between Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. "When we joined NATO," he said, "there was a lot of discussion that are those Nordic structures like NORDEFCO needed anymore? But there has been quite a lot of discussion on armament programs, on operational planning, and on capability development, and how we see these two entities. My thinking personally – and I know that quite many share this feeling – is that NORDEFCO is a great tool for developing thinking, discussing, and planning something for the joint operational area in the north, because we have a good legacy of doing planning in Nordics. We have the same environment, we have the same threat, we have the same joint operational area." He added, "Because emissions do not obey the rules of border crossing. There's no sense for us thinking electromagnetic [operations], handling the frequency range, how to operate in that domain – not only in Finland – [means] we need to take that to the Nordic dimension." He concluded his keynote by saying, "I think that to survive and to be effective on a battlefield packed with full spectrum radiation emission and counter capabilities, you need cultural change, you need awareness of new technologies and capabilities, and tools and methods of using the new technologies. You need awareness that you are observed all the time; you can't hide. And you need new capacity and capability to adapt across the structure of the military – the whole administration."
The Empowering Women in Electromagnetic Warfare (EW in EW) Committee's “Power Up: Empowering Women in Electromagnetic Warfare Morning Meetup,” held on Wednesday, 20 May at AOC Europe 2026 in Helsinki, brought together women from multiple countries and continents for a dynamic morning of networking, collaboration, and professional development. Representing a wide range of roles and experience levels throughout the EW industry, attendees engaged in lively discussions, shared ideas and best practices, and explored practical guidance for launching and growing Chapter initiatives. The meetup fostered meaningful connections and highlighted the strength, diversity, and global reach of women advancing the electromagnetic warfare community. For more information on EW in EW, including how to be involved, visit the EW in EW page.
"In war, sharing means winning when it comes to immediate threats."
The City of Helsinki welcomed hundreds of AOC guests to a reception at City Hall on Wednesday evening, serving wine, hors d’oeuvres, and fellowship in one of the Finnish capital’s most elegant settings. A city official thanked AOC for bringing AOC Europe 2026 to Helsinki and warmly welcomed the Old Crows to return again soon. The room was abuzz throughout the evening as VIP speakers, attendees, and exhibitors enjoyed the chance to connect, network, and share conversations in a memorable setting in the heart of the city. Today – Commander Malte von Spreckelsen, DEU CYBER and INFORMATION Domain Command, Germany, will kick off the final day of AOC Europe 2026 on the Main Stage beginning at 09:00. More details are available in the full agenda.
JED News
Read the May issue of JED Cover Story: Shaping the Future of European EMSO The Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance (JED) is the official publication of AOC and available exclusively to members. Become an AOC member to get access to the latest issue of JED, along with our extensive archive library.
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