SOFINS 2025

09/04/202511/04/2025 Paolo Valpolini

The 7th edition of SOFINS, the Special Operations Forces Innovation Network Seminar, took place April 1st to 3rd, 2025, at Camp de Souge, 15 km west of Bordeaux. As usual SOFINS was much more than a mere exhibition, several roundtables taking place on SF-related subjects, while industry was able to bring potential customers on test ranges to try hands-on new products showcased at the event. Paved and cross-country test tracks, firing ranges where firerarms as well as direct energy systems could be tested in real, areas dedicated to drones, were available, not to mention the parachute jumps taking place all day long on the runway.

Organised by the Cercle de l’Arbalète, a covered structure of 10,000 m² hosted most of the exhibitors, several more showcasing their products in the outside areas.

The 2025 edition was definitely marked by the presence of numerous loitering munitions, some of them unveiled at the event, which were often the result of close cooperation between major French industrial groups and small and medium enterprises. Meetings between industry and operators, as well as between industry and industry, being one of the aims of SOFINS.

Within SOFINS an area known as SOFLAB was dedicated to startups and emerging companies.

Hereafter EDR On-Line readers will find the articles on some of the new systems seen at SOFINS, while reports on some of the roundtables will follow soon.

More to come