Combined Naval Event 2026

Combined Naval Event 2026 (CNE 2026) was a naval industry and doctrine conference held at Farnborough, Hampshire, from 19 to 21 May 2026. It served as the public platform for two of the year's most significant UK naval-autonomy announcements: General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, First Sea Lord, setting out the doctrine "crewed where necessary, uncrewed wherever possible, integrated always", and Huntington Ingalls Industries publicly showcasing its ARMOR Force subsea initiative with Babcock.

Farnborough's long-standing role as a UK aerospace and defence showcase made CNE a natural venue for that convergence of doctrine, industry and procurement signalling. Eight days after the conference, the Royal Navy's Ariadne minehunter began its deployment toward the Strait of Hormuz, a timing that suggests the ministry had used the conference to frame an operation already in preparation.