Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2026, the continent's premier tri-service defence and aerospace exhibition, will place unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) firmly in the spotlight when it opens at Air Force Base Waterkloof, Centurion, from 16 to 20 September 2026 - marking the show's 13th edition and 25th anniversary. Both large and small unmanned systems will feature across the exhibition and flying display, building on AAD 2022, when the show secured its first-ever regulatory clearance to fly UAVs during the air show.
Unmanned systems have become one of the fastest-growing areas of modern air power, moving from a specialised niche to a core capability for air forces worldwide. Their rise is reshaping how defence forces plan, train and invest.
At AAD's 100 Days Countdown media briefing in Pretoria, Chief of the South African Air Force, Lieutenant General Carl Moatshe, pointed to the sector's rapid growth and confirmed that unmanned systems will feature more prominently at AAD 2026 than ever before. Securing a mix of large and small platforms for static display and live flying demonstrations, extending an international aircraft line-up that has previously included China's Y-20 airlifter and Brazil's KC-390 transporter.
For AAD, the expanded UAV footprint is a statement of intent: a platform for African armed forces, procurement authorities and industrialists to engage directly with the technologies redefining air power, and for Africa's own UAV manufacturing base to move from consumer to contributor. It is a positioning consistent with AAD 2026's theme, Africa's Gateway to Global Defence and Aerospace Collaboration.
