gda 2026 Speakers
Global Defence Aviation consistently showcases a high-calibre roster of speakers from the forefront of military aviation, operations, and capability development. The 2025 edition brought together senior air force leaders, programme directors, technical specialists, and industry innovators from over 85 nations — all contributing to the global dialogue on the future of air power.
Covering topics ranging from next-generation rotary and fixed-wing platforms to uncrewed systems, digital integration, and air domain resilience, our speakers deliver both strategic insight and technical depth.
The GDA agenda is now available. You can view the 2026 edition by clicking the button below.
2026 Speaker line-up
Adam Wells
Director of Warfighter Support Solutions, Marvin Test Solutions
Agnieszka Gugala-Szczerbicka
Provision and flights for UAS, Polish Institute of Aviation
Air Commodore Jeroen van Bruchem
Commander (Desig) – Netherlands Defence Helicopter Command, Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force
Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Ackrill
Former Commander Combat Aviation Brigade, UK MoD
Brigadier General John Creel
Commander NATO ISRF, NATO ISR Force
Brigadier General Pablo Muñoz Bermudo
Commander Spanish Army Aviation, FAMET
Captain (Ret’d) Dennis Monagle
Former Director Unmanned and Robotic Systems, US Navy
Colonel (ret’d) Tomasz Kotas
Chief Specialist, Polish Air Force Institute of Technology (ITWL)
Colonel Benjamin Ingham
AH Adapt, Joint Aviation Command
Colonel Francis Lavertu
Commander 1st Wing, Canadian Armed Forces
Colonel Guillaume Briançon Rouge
Head of the Studies and Foresight Division, French Army
Colonel Krisztián Kovács
Commander Hungarian Defence Forces 86 Helicopter Wing, Hungarian Air Force
Colonel Krzysztof Dragan
Professor, ITWL
Colonel Lars Hedemark
Commander – Air Transport Wing and Garrison Commander – Air Station Aalbourg, Royal Danish Air Force
Colonel Leigh Irwin
Program Manager for Multi-Mission Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems, US Navy
Colonel Sebastien Charpentier
Programme Manager – MAST-F Programme Division, OCCAR
Commander Andrew Henderson
Wildcat Maritime Force Commander, Royal Navy
Craig Whitson-Fay
Sales Manager, FLX, Avionic Systems, Thales
CW5 Michael Weisskopf
Standardization Officer, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, US Army
Dr Brendan Mulvaney
Director China Aerospace Studies Institute, US Air College
Eddi Giorgio Gnecchi
Key Account Manager, G&G Partners
Francisco Ortiz de Zarate
Programme Manager Tiger -Programme Division, OCCAR
George DeCock
Director of SCARpods & ISR Sensors, Airborne Technologies
Lieutenant Colonel Anna Huuva
Commander 1. Helo Detachment, Swedish Air Force
Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin J. Link
Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) – Future Concepts and Capabilities Officer Cunningham Group, US Marine Corps
Lieutenant Colonel Deividas Mikalonis
Maintenance Depot commander, Lithuanian Air Force
Lieutenant Colonel Jean Citerne
UH Programme Officer, French Army Aviation Command
Lieutenant Colonel Jordy van Resien
Head of Rotary Wing Investment Plans, Netherlands Air and Space Force Command
Lieutenant Colonel Tobias Schwarz
Section Chief Army Aviation, Army Concepts and Capabilities Development Centre
Lieutenant Colonel Tomas Navratil
Deputy Wing Commander, 22 Helicoter Base, Czech Air Force
Lieutenant Colonel Will France
SO1 Capability Development, Combat Aviation, British Army
Luca Gargiulo
EDA Project Officer Air Superiority, European Defence Agency
Major Jan Malmgren
Chief of Operations – Air Patrol Squadron, Finnish Border Guard
Major Michael Zbonack
 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) – Future Concepts and Capabilities Officer, Cunningham Group, US Marine Corps
Major Ole Andersen
Staff Officer Capacity Department – Seahawk ASW Implementation Officer, Royal Danish Air Force
Major Samuel Mulliez
Head of Aviation Capabilities Branch, French Army Special Operations Command
Mark Langrill
Director Rotary Wing & Uncrewed Air Systems, UK MoD DE&S
Meirion Roscoe
NATO Flight Training Europe Technical Officer (NFTE), NATO Support and Procurement Agency
Paolo Trotta
CEO and Founder, Mission Systems SA
Peter Sanderson
Head of Design and Integration, HeliOperations
Stanislaw Wziatek
Deputy Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Poland, Ministry of National Defence
Stergios Isakidis
NATO AGS & UAS Programme Manager, NSPA