Michigan Showcases Aerospace and Defense Strength at Key Upcoming Events
Written by Dan Ryan, MIBA Defense and Aerospace Advisor
Michigan is once again flexing its Aerospace and Defense muscles with three important events that provide opportunities for industry to demonstrate their capabilities and connect with the Michigan and US aerospace/defense ecosystem. Several Israeli companies are poised to participate in GVSETS and Northern Strike. Read about these and the Aero One symposium here:
- The 17th annual Ground Vehicle System Engineering & Technology Symposium GVSETS returns to Michigan August 12 – 15. This annual event, sponsored by the Michigan Chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association, provides a forum for industry, academia, and the military to share the latest developments in ground vehicle technologies. A full day is dedicated to technical papers on topics ranging from autonomy/robotics to power and mobility. Over two hundred companies from around the world will showcase their products. The Army will also share their vision for emerging requirements during a full day of panel discussions. GVSETS
- Northern Strike is a National Guard sponsored exercise that is conducted twice yearly (January and August) at the Army National All Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC). NADWC includes the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center and the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center. Guard units from Michigan and multiple other states (32 states participated in 2024) gather for two weeks for training and hardware demonstrations in various terrains and scenarios. In 2024 over 6,000 soldiers participated in Northern Strike exercises.
- The Aerospace Industry Association of Michigan (AIAM) is an organization that represents the often overlooked aerospace industry in Michigan. Michigan hosts operations from over 900 aerospace companies, including familiar names such as GE, Honeywell, and L3 Harris. AIAM is hosting its annual Aero One symposium September 3-5 in Grand Rapids, offering participants the opportunity to network with major aerospace companies from around the globe. Notable this year will be speaking appearances by Richard Aboulafia and Joe Anselmo; Aboulafia is the Managing Director of the Aerospace Advisory Board and is considered one of the leading experts in commercial and military aviation. Anselmo is the Editor in Chief Aviation Week and Space Technology, the leading publication for the aviation industry.
These three events, coupled with the Michigan Defense Expo that was held earlier this year, are further examples of why so many aerospace and defense companies call Michigan home.
