Unmanned & autonomous systems community to convene on April 8-9, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
In FY2026, the Department of War is directing more than USD 13 billion toward the modernization, development, integration, and scaling of unmanned and autonomous systems to ensure drone dominance across contested environments. To this end, we invite you to reserve your seat for the highly anticipated Unmanned & Autonomous Systems Summit.
The 2026 Summit will convene experts, decision-makers, and innovators from the DoW, Military Services, Industry, and Academia for in-depth discussions on advancements and innovations in unmanned and autonomous technologies essential for the future of military defense and mission success in all combat environments. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from leaders and practitioners across the unmanned and autonomous systems enterprise, gaining forward-looking insights into the continued advancement and operationalization of technologies that will underpin Joint Force advantage and sustained drone dominance on the future all-domain battlefield.
Confirmed Speakers Include:
- Dr. Sunshine Smith-Carroll, SES PTDO Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Platform and Weapon Portfolio Management, OSW A&S
- MG Cain Baker, USA, Director, Aviation Future Capability Directorate, FCC, T2COM
- Rebecca Gassler, Program Acquisition Executive, Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Dept of the Navy
- Thomas Lawhead, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, Integration and Requirements, Headquarters USAF
- Eric Shirey, Lead, C-UXS Requirements Team, STRATCOM
- COL Greg Merkl, USA, Drone Dominance Director, Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army
- Col Dustin Thomas, USAF, US-X Commander, DCMA
- Col Nathanial Huston, USAF Director of Innovation and Partnerships, Office of the CTO, USCENTCOM
- COL Ken Bernier, USA Program Manager, Autonomous Robotics Capabilities, CPE Mission Autonomy
- COL John Peterson, USA Director, Joint C-sUAS University
- LTC Jeffrey Black, USA, Military Analyst, Close Combat Lethality Task Force
- Thomas “TJ” Goulter, Executive Director, 96th Test Wing, Air Force Test Center
- Todd Hadley, Director, Joint Acquisition Task Force, USSOCOM
- Lt Col Jonathan Gilbert, USAF Division Chief, AFWERX Prime
- CAPT (Ret) Colin Corridan, USN Former Director, USN Disruptive Capabilities Office
- Caitlin Lee, Director, Acquisition and Technology Policy Program, RAND
- Dr. Dimitris Pados, Director, Center for Connected Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence, College of Engineering and Computer Science, FAU
- Dr. James Bellingham, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Exploration Robotics & Executive Director, John Hopkins Institute for Assured Autonomy
- Austin Phoenix, Director, Mission Systems Division, National Security Institute, Virginia Tech
- Kateryna Bondar, Fellow, Wadhwani AI Center, CSIS
- Sam Bresnick, Research Fellow & Andew W. Marshall Fellow, Georgetown University
Key Topics of Discussion:
- Sustaining Naval Lethality Through Deliverance of Next-Gen Unmanned Aircraft and Weapons Systems
- American Air Superiority: Defense–Industrial Acceleration in Uncrewed Systems
- Commanding the Future Fight: Combatant Command Strategy for Autonomous Capabilities
- Accelerating Secure UAS Adoption: A DIU–DCMA Joint Briefing on Blue UAS List
- Autonomy Unleashed: Emerging Systems for the Modern Warfighter and Tomorrow’s Battlefield
- Adapting to the Threat: Counter-UAS in Multi-Domain Operations
- Leading Unmanned Drone Innovation Through the Rapid Employment Joint Task Force
DSI is now welcoming Sponsors and Exhibitors for the forum. To learn more please contact Dudley Duverne at dduverne@dsigroup.org
Active US military and government and state personnel attend complimentary. Those interested in participating in the Unmanned & Autonomous Systems Summit can visit Defense Strategies Institute’s website at https://unmanned.dsigroup.org/. Anyone interested in learning more or sending questions please contact Jessica Joaquim at jjoaquim@dsigroup.org or (201) 824-0077.
