At MDEX 2026: Addressing the Defense Sustainment Challenge Through Better Technical Data

Next week, ONEIL will be attending the Michigan Defense Expo (MDEX), hosted by NDIA Michigan and widely recognized as one of the Midwest’s key gatherings for the defense community. This year’s event carries even greater significance as it is co-located with XPONENTIAL, one of the industry’s leading events focused on autonomous systems, robotics, and unmanned technologies.

Together, these events bring a broader cross-section of the defense ecosystem into one place, from traditional ground systems and sustainment leaders to innovators working in the rapidly evolving drone and autonomous systems space. As these technologies continue to expand, so does the complexity of the systems being deployed and the data required to support them in the field.

For organizations across the defense landscape, this convergence highlights an important reality. Advanced platforms alone do not drive readiness. The technical data that supports them plays an equally critical role. Events like MDEX create space for meaningful conversations around how to better connect innovation with the information, standards, and processes required to sustain it over time.

Why ONEIL Is Attending
At ONEIL, we view MDEX as an opportunity to engage directly with the people and organizations driving defense sustainment forward. Our work centers on transforming complex technical data into clear, usable information that supports maintenance, training, and operational readiness. Attending MDEX allows us to listen to the challenges our customers are facing, share our expertise in technical documentation and digital transformation, and explore how better information management can improve outcomes across the product lifecycle.

We are especially focused on conversations around interoperability and global collaboration. As many defense organizations look to expand into allied markets, particularly across Europe and the Middle East, the need for standardized, internationally recognized technical data has become increasingly important. These discussions are shaping how organizations think about not just sustaining equipment, but ensuring it can be effectively supported across multinational environments.

What We’re Excited to Showcase
ONEIL’s focus on modernization, usability, and interoperability is exactly what we’re bringing to MDEX. Throughout the event, we will be highlighting how ONEIL helps defense organizations improve the way technical information is created, managed, and delivered to the people who depend on it most.

Attendees who connect with our team will learn more about:

• S1000D Expertise: Supporting the development and management of standardized technical publications that enable interoperability across allied forces. As more organizations move beyond legacy specifications like MIL-STD-40051, S1000D is becoming a critical enabler for programs that must operate and be supported across international partners.
• Interactive Electronic Technical Publications (IETPs): Delivering intuitive digital solutions that provide technicians with fast, accurate access to mission-critical information, improving efficiency and reducing time to repair in complex operational environments.
• Digital Transformation of Technical Data: Helping organizations transition from static, program-specific documentation to structured, reusable content that supports long-term sustainability, scalability, and cross-platform consistency.
• Structured Authoring and Content Management: Enabling a data-driven approach to technical publications that improves accuracy, simplifies updates, and ensures information can be delivered consistently across systems, users, and geographies.

These capabilities are especially important as defense programs increasingly operate in joint and coalition environments. The ability to deliver consistent, standardized technical data across platforms and partners is no longer a nice-to-have. It is essential to ensuring readiness at scale.

Together, these capabilities help reduce complexity in the field, improve access to critical information, and ensure that maintainers and operators have the data they need to keep systems mission-ready.

Join Us at MDEX
We are excited to be part of this year’s MDEX and to contribute to the important conversations taking place around defense sustainment and modernization. With the added presence of XPONENTIAL, this year’s event offers a unique opportunity to explore how emerging technologies and proven sustainment practices are coming together to shape the future of defense.

If you are planning to attend, we invite you to connect with the ONEIL team (booth #11010) to learn how we help organizations modernize their technical data, support global interoperability, and strengthen mission readiness. We look forward to seeing you there.