The Princess Royal joins NATO industry leaders as ADS supports UK-hosted NIAG Plenary

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal joined senior defence industry representatives from across NATO and partner nations on board HMS Warrior, as the UK hosted the NATO Industrial Advisory Group Plenary for the first time this century.

More than 160 NATO defence industry representatives attended the dinner on 24 June, held aboard HMS Warrior in Portsmouth, with The Princess Royal joining as guest of honour.

The event formed part of the UK-hosted NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG) Plenary, which took place in Portsmouth from 23 to 25 June 2026. The three-day programme brought together more than 200 participants from 30 nations, making it the best-attended NIAG plenary to date.

In the UK, ADS provides the secretariat to NIAG, supporting the UK delegation and helping ensure the voice of the UK defence industry is represented within NATO’s principal industrial advisory forum.

ADS helps bring NATO industry leaders to Portsmouth

Held in a city closely associated with UK maritime power and industrial heritage, the plenary provided a platform for the UK to showcase the strength and breadth of its defence industrial base to allied industry leaders, NATO officials and senior national representatives.

The programme included an industry showcase day, a reception at Admiralty House on Portsmouth Naval Base, two days of plenary sessions and the formal dinner on board HMS Warrior.

For ADS, the UK-hosted plenary highlighted the role industry plays in supporting NATO capability development, defence industrial resilience and closer cooperation between allied nations.

The meeting took place ahead of the NATO Summit in Ankara and came at a critical moment for the Alliance, as member nations continue to respond to the war in Ukraine, growing pressure on defence industrial capacity and the wider security threat posed by Russia.

NATO defence industry focus turns to production and resilience

Discussions in Portsmouth focused on the industrial challenges facing NATO, including how allied nations can increase defence production capacity, build war-ready stockpiles and deliver the capabilities required by NATO armed forces both today and in the future.

The NIAG was established in 1968 and operates under NATO’s Conference of National Armaments Directors. It serves as the Alliance’s principal forum for industrial advice on armaments cooperation, capability development and defence industrial policy.

Its national delegations, made up of senior industrialists and officials, represent the voice of their countries’ defence industries within NATO. In the UK, ADS provides the secretariat to the group, reflecting its role in connecting UK industry with allied defence priorities.

Hosting the plenary gave the UK a significant opportunity to demonstrate its defence innovation ecosystem, industrial capability and commitment to strengthening NATO’s collective resilience.

The Portsmouth gathering also underlined the importance of close cooperation between government, industry and allies at a time when NATO is seeking to accelerate capability development and strengthen the industrial foundations that underpin deterrence and defence.