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NATO is holding its first-ever Defense Industry Forum (NSDIF) as an official part of the leaders' summit in Ankara on Tuesday, July 7.
Secretary General Mark Rutte is expected to attend as agreements on drones, missile defense, space surveillance, and raw materials are announced throughout the day.
The NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum 2026 is set to open at the ATO Congresium in Ankara's Cankaya district and is running alongside the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit taking place July 7-8.
Previous editions of the forum were held at The Hague and Washington.
This year's event is the first to be held as an integral part of a NATO leaders' summit rather than a standalone gathering.
The forum focuses on allied progress toward NATO's 5% defense investment plan and on how member states are turning spending commitments into increased production, joint procurement, and transatlantic industrial cooperation.
"There is no strong defense without a strong defense industry," according to the forum's organizing description.
This year's edition brings together senior NATO officials, allied and partner government leaders, industry executives, and innovation communities.
The forum's morning program will begin at 10:00 a.m. with a "Big Reveal" announcement, followed by a series of high-level announcements running through midday.
These cover a wide range of NATO priority capability areas, including transatlantic defense industrial cooperation, defense-critical raw materials, NATO's drone capabilities, space and surveillance, strike capabilities, and integrated air and missile defense.
A mass signing ceremony is scheduled for 12:19 p.m., taking place in the presence of NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Sekerinska.
The morning also features six closed-door "spotlight" sessions running concurrently, designed to maximize interaction in small-group formats.
These are not open to the public or media.
From 12:45 p.m., the forum shifts to livestreamed plenary sessions.
The afternoon opens with keynote speeches by NATO's Secretary General and Türkiye's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz and Minister of National Defense Yasar Guler.
Subsequent sessions cover the industry's role as a "military variable," financing defense capability, a conversation between NATO and the European Union on the capability challenge, and a session titled "From Innovation to Mass: Building NATO's Drone Edge."
The forum closes with a session on expanding partnerships and cooperation, followed by closing remarks at approximately 4:50 p.m.
Only journalists accredited to the NATO summit are permitted to cover selected forum events.
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