Paris arms fair showcases weapons of future amid Europe’s push to rearm
Paris arms fair showcases weapons of future amid Europe’s push to rearm
Publish Date: 2026-06-20 04:55:00
Source Domain: www.rfi.fr
- The 2026 Eurosatory defence show highlighted the future of warfare with a significant focus on drones, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
- Exhibits featured tethered surveillance drones, AI-powered robots for dangerous missions without human operators, and unmanned ground vehicles in use in the war in Ukraine.
- The defence industry is predicted to benefit from a European rearmament drive, partly due to US President Donald Trump’s urging for Europe to increase defence spending.
- The United States remains the leading arms supplier globally, with France in second place and experiencing a 21% climb in arms exports from 2016-20 to 2021-25.
- Anti-war protests marked the event, with French campaign group Guerre à la Guerre opposing the fair as a “global supermarket of war and control” and pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocking access roads to the exhibition.
- Israel and Russia were excluded or had their displays heavily restricted due to the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine, demonstrating the political sensitivity surrounding the event.
