Exclusive Content

We’re pleased to feature an exclusive presentation from Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Ryan, titled "Future Challenges and Improving Lethality." Drawing on operational insight and strategic expertise, the presentation examines how dismounted forces can evolve to enhance agility, survivability, and lethality in today’s rapidly changing battlespace.

Discover exclusive insights from NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), presented by Dr. Ing. Col. (Rtd) Frederic Peugeot at Defence Transformation 2024. This presentation explores how multinational procurement and joint support are enhancing interoperability, reducing costs, and delivering operational agility across NATO forces. With the modern battlefield demanding greater connectivity and resilience, these lessons offer a rare look at how acquisition strategies are shaping tomorrow’s soldier.

Download now to access the full presentation and prepare for International Dismounted Soldier 2025.

The International Dismounted Soldier Conference returned to London on the 28th–29th October 2025, bringing together military leaders, capability developers, procurement specialists, researchers, and industry partners at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel to examine one of the most pressing challenges facing modern land forces: how to prepare, equip, and support dismounted soldiers for an increasingly complex and transparent battlefield.

The 2025 conference welcomed representatives from 19 nations and featured more than 30 expert speakers drawn from military organisations, government agencies, NATO bodies, research institutions, and industry. Attendees included representatives from organisations such as NATO, the British Army, the U.S. Army, and the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), alongside senior decision-makers holding appointments including Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, Chief Procurement Officer, and Director, Close Combat Lethality Task Force. Across two days of presentations, panel discussions, and networking sessions, participants shared lessons learned, examined emerging capability requirements, and explored approaches to strengthening dismounted force effectiveness for future operations.

This Post Show Report captures the key themes, insights, and takeaways from the conference. It provides an overview of the discussions that took place and reflects on the challenges and opportunities facing military organisations as they seek to develop combat-ready soldiers capable of operating effectively across the evolving battlefields of tomorrow.

Speaker presentation from Colonel Harm Van Der Have, Manoeuvre Education & Training Center, Netherlands Army from last year's iteration of International Dismounted Soldier.

No matter how battlefields evolve, the dismounted soldier remains the core of the land forces. To ensure that dismounted soldiers remain combat-effective, the organisation, tactics, and technologies employed need to continuously evolve to meet operational needs.

One of the questions plaguing defence future planners is, “How will we fight in the future?” Future soldier programmes try to answer this question for the dismounted soldier. As technology advances, improvements in size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) allow the dismounted soldier to carry more equipment and, therefore, do more. However, this is at odds with human factors such as physical and cognitive burden and complicated by the changing nature of the battlefield.

In this interview, we talk to Lieutenant Colonel Kai Falk, Capability Development Soldier Systems, Army Concepts and Capabilities Development Centre of the Bundeswehr on Germany’s Future Soldier Programme (Infanterist der Zukunft (IdZ)). We enquire about how recent developments have changed the direction of the IdZ, what is envisioned for the future, and how this vision is informed.

Read Defence IQ’s latest International Dismounted Soldier 2025 Market Report for exclusive insights into the future of infantry modernisation. Covering selected markets from 2025 to 2029, this in-depth analysis explores key technologies, global procurement trends, and strategic investment priorities across 11 leading nations. Essential reading for defence professionals and industry suppliers operating in the soldier systems space.

In this exclusive interview, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Dawe, Commanding Officer of the Infantry Trials Development Unit discusses the future of the British Armed Forces as it modernises and digitises. Dawe also provides insight into the impact of technologies such as AI and ML on the battlefield. Read the 8 minute interview now to learn more about the projects transforming the way British Land Forces conduct operations in the tactical environment.

The War in Ukraine shows the clear importance of the dismounted soldier in contemporary warfare. In many respects, it demonstrates the value of personal training, communication, and firepower on the modern battlefield. Ukrainian defence expert, Pavlo Khoma, shares the lessons learned from the beginning of the invasion, delivering a unique insight into how things have changed in modern warfare but also how things remain the same.