BRIEFING Invitation | Surface Warships Conference
13-14 October 2026|Design Hotel, Tróia, Portugal
Commodore Ivo Värk 04 March 2026
Commander
Estonian Navy
INVITATION TO BRIEF
ANNUAL SURFACE WARSHIPS 2026 CONFERENCE
Design Hotel, Tróia, Portugal| 13-14 October 2026
Dear Commodore Värk,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you as the Conference Director of Defence IQ’s Surface Warships which will
be taking place in Tróia, Portugal on the 13-14 October 2026. On behalf of Defence iQ, I would like to invite you to deliver a
brief at the event.
We hope that you will be able to deliver a 20-minute speech on a topic (we would also welcome your suggestion for a
specific topic.) This will then be followed by a 10-minute Q&A session which will allow the attendees to benefit from your
vast expertise in these areas. As a speaker you are invited to attend the conference without any fees, and we also extend
this courtesy to any members of your delegation that may be attending with you.
Defence IQ’s Surface Warships 2026 event was a resounding success with nearly 100% of attendees saying they would
recommend the event to their colleagues. Building on this great success, I’m excited to share with you that this annual
meeting of surface warships stakeholders returns in 2026.
This year’s event will build on the work of the 2025 edition, with an expanded speaker line up with senior military
representation from across the Euro-Atlantic. In previous years, the event has featured in-depth discussions on systems of
systems concepts, with this foundation in place, the 2026 edition will move towards detailed discussions on the
implementation of advanced technologies in the warships arena. The warships community is arguably in a season of
transition, with many programs and projects ongoing with the aim of updating current technologies and building the ships and
systems for the fight of the future. This event will provide updates on the key programs ongoing for surface warships
internationally.
The event will continue these ever-relevant discussions on integrating warships with autonomous systems, the role of
warships in deterrence and the defence of the Euro-Atlantic, and modular shipbuilding. This year’s event focuses on the
need for warfighting readiness in the naval domain, attendees will have the opportunity to explore best strategies for
integrating uncrewed systems on surface warships, uncrewed surface vessels and the possibilities of data processing and
AL/ML technologies for surface warships. This event will hone in the evolving requirements of surface warships in the
modern era for various regions and environments including: the Black Sea, the Red Sea, the High North and the Arctic as
well as the role of surface warships in amphibious and littoral environments.
2026 Topics (included but not limited to):
• Integration of Uncrewed Systems and Surface Warships
• Hybrid Fleet Concept (combining traditional surface warships with uncrewed surface vessels)
• Enhancing Interoperability across NATO nations and allies
• Modular Shipbuilding for the integration of future capabilities
• Arctic Capable Surface Warships
• The role of Surface Warships in Amphibious Warfare
• Enhancing Data Processing for Surface Warships
• Enhancing Surface Warships through AI, ML, and autonomous technologies
• The Shift to Large Surface Combatants
BRIEFING Invitation | Surface Warships Conference
13-14 October 2026|Design Hotel, Tróia, Portugal
• Power/Future Weapons on Surface Warships
I will be your designated direct point of contact. Please contact me on the coordinates below. For our planning purposes, it
would be much appreciated if your staff could indicate your early intent to participate by 13th March, if possible.
Yours Sincerely,
Blessing Aroboto
Senior Conference Producer, Defence IQ
Email:
[email protected]
Phone: 020 3989 6293 | ext 1168