Berlin air show opens with focus on drones, European defense cooperation

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Berlin air show opens with focus on drones, European defense cooperation

2026-06-11 15:28 Last Updated At：16:11

The International Aerospace Exhibition, also known as ILA Berlin, opened on Wednesday, with high-tech drones and European defense cooperation in focus.

Organizers said in a press release that more than 750 exhibitors from 37 countries are presenting innovations and future technologies across the aviation, space and defense sectors at this year's event.

Drones are among the key topics at the exhibition, with ILA Berlin setting up a dedicated Drone Pavilion. German news agency dpa reported that the future direction of European defense cooperation is also likely to be discussed, following setbacks in a multi-billion-euro Franco-German fighter jet project.

The program also includes political forums and flight demonstrations featuring military and civilian aircraft. Around 100 aircraft are scheduled to be displayed on the ground and in the air, including the German Heron TP, the Airbus Beluga, the Emirates A380 and the AW249 helicopter.

"This is the biggest ILA ever. As you can see, it is larger than last time. The topic of defense is of course the focus of this year's show," said Martin Kroell, member of the board of the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI).

Held every two years, ILA Berlin is one of Europe's major aerospace trade shows. This year's event runs through June 14.

Euphrates floods hit northeastern Syria

The swelling Euphrates River has submerged farmland and washed away roads and bridges in Syrian provinces of Deir al-Zour and Raqqa since late May.

The Syrian transitional government has ordered residents along the riverbanks to evacuate as the flood water continues to rise and has inundated villages in the region.

"No one has come to help us. The entire area is submerged. The water level has risen as high as the houses and is still rising. All people are in a hurry to find a shelter. We have nowhere to go," said a local resident.

The flood has caused the Euphrates' water surface to expand to three times its normal extent, from 60.9 square kilometers to 188.7 square kilometers.

The disaster stems from abnormal torrential rain in upstream regions coupled with large-scale water releases from dams, according to Syrian news media reports.

Citing regional water authority sources, Turkish media reported that months of high precipitation raised water levels at Turkey's Ataturk Dam, prompting authorities to carry out "controlled water releases," with the spillway gates opened for the first time in seven years.