Leaders and experts from military, academia and the aerospace industry met on 17 March for Australia's biennial Air and Space Power Conference.
Attended by more than 1000 people at the National Convention Centre Canberra and with more than 850 guests online, the 2026 conference builds on a long-standing tradition of credible international dialogue, reinforcing Australia's role as a thought leader in air and space power.
Presentations examined emerging issues in the context of the National Defence Strategy, emphasising the critical need for collaborative efforts amidst a contested global environment.
In his opening address, Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, set the scene on the evolving role of air power in national defence and how Air Force must posture, train and integrate for what lies ahead.
"For several years now, we've heard how we're facing the most challenging strategic environment since the Second World War," said Air Marshal Chappell.
"We find ourselves in an era of deep and accelerating geopolitical disruption - one that calls for strategic discipline, heightened preparedness, and a shared commitment to safeguarding our future."
He noted the profound change across the geostrategic, technological and operating landscapes in the two years since the previous Air and Space Power Conference in 2024.
It is something he has often described since taking command of the Royal Australian Air Force two years ago as a period of 'strategic autumn'.
"I see this as being our season of preparedness," said Air Marshal Chappell.
"It is a time to make changes, evolve and ensure we are ready for any number of plausible, possible future scenarios, including the worst-case scenario of conflict."
Unlike traditional autumn, he went on to explain, the strategic winter of conflict and war is not inevitable, focusing on preparedness as key to deterrence.
"It's not enough to talk about deterrence: I believe we must demonstrate that we can deliver air power to degrade, disrupt, destroy, and defeat," said Air Marshal Chappell.
"The way we maintain and strengthen our Tier One Air Force is by building fighting depth."
"Building fighting depth is about growing what we can do as an Air Force, how much we can do and the circumstances in which we can do it across the dimensions of time, space and posture."
Director of Royal Australian Air Force's Air and Space Power Centre and Master of Ceremonies for the conference, Group Captain Jesse Laroche, added that the past two years have also seen an acceleration in the space domain worldwide.
"All nations represented here are experiencing the same reality: space is now a vital terrain," said Group Captain Laroche.
"From communication and navigation, to sensing, targeting and strategic warning, space underpins every aspect of joint and combined operations."
With Australia's strategic landscape undergoing rapid transformation, the conference highlighted regional dynamics and the role of allies and partners in strengthening deterrence.
