DSEI UK 2025 will be the biggest ever: Here’s what to expect
September 8, 2025
Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) returns to London this week for what organisers say will be the largest edition in its history. The show will run from 9–12 September and is expected to draw more than 60,000 visitors and 1,700 exhibitors – a record turnout.
Bookmark our dedicated DSEI 2025 page for all the latest news.
DSEI UK 2025 will have a bigger stage than ever
DSEI 2025 has outgrown its traditional footprint, taking over both the original ExCeL halls and new extensions.
Around 42% of exhibitors are first-time participants, many of them small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking to break into the defence market.
A dedicated Tech Zone will showcase these startups, highlighting innovation in cyber, autonomy, and emerging aerospace systems.
Preparing the Future Force
The theme for this year’s event is Preparing the Future Force. Speakers emphasise that the focus will be on the defence enterprise as a whole, from startups and supply chain innovators through to front-line forces and international partners.
The message is that DSEI is no longer just about platforms, but about the ecosystem of technologies, people, and collaborations needed to deter and fight in the coming decades.
Cyber and electromagnetic operations take centre stage
The newly restructured Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) will use DSEI to outline its role leading in the cyber and electromagnetic domain.
Its showcase will include the “digital targeting web” concept and the Defence Cyber and Electromagnetic Force, capabilities described as “Always On” and critical to operations in Ukraine and beyond.
Exhibitors and commanders alike will stress the growing importance of electromagnetic warfare as distinct from, but linked to, cyber operations.
Showcasing SMEs and innovation
With more than 700 SMEs on show, this will be the most significant SME presence in DSEI’s history.
The Ministry of Defence will launch a new “single front door” for SMEs, designed to make it easier for smaller firms to work with DSTL, DE&S and other agencies.
While not all startups will succeed, officials stress that some will grow into unicorns, helping to keep the UK at the cutting edge of defence technology.
DSEI’s international reach
DSEI 2025 will host around 170 international delegations, reinforcing its position as a key platform for global defence diplomacy.
The UK government has confirmed that no Israeli delegations will attend, though Israeli companies will be permitted to exhibit under export control rules.
UK defence spending is on a steep upward trajectory, moving from 2.38% of GDP today to a projected 3.5% by 2035.
That would mean an increase from £65 billion to more than £100 billion over the next decade. At the same time, UK defence exports, worth £14 billion in 2024, could double by 2035.
DSEI UK 2025: A platform for the next decade
DSEI organisers and UK defence leaders alike are framing the show as more than an exhibition.
With a world facing unpredictable threats, it will be used to demonstrate NATO unity, showcase lessons from Ukraine, and build industrial and diplomatic partnerships. The result, they argue, is not just a bigger DSEI, but a more strategically significant one.
DSEI 2025 opens at ExCeL London on Tuesday, 9 September and runs until Friday, 12 September. Bookmark our page to stay up to date.
