Unmanned & Autonomous Systems Summit

In FY2026, the Department of War is directing more than USD 13 billion toward the modernization, development, and integration of unmanned and autonomous systems. Confronted with a rapidly evolving threat landscape and technologically sophisticated adversaries, the Department and the Military Services are accelerating the fielding of innovative unmanned and autonomous capabilities to strengthen operational reach, enhance battlespace awareness, increase tactical adaptability, and mitigate risk to Warfighters. Attendees will 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 on the future all-domain battlefield.

The 2026 Summit brings together key 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. With recent acceleration in autonomous capability development, including new breakthroughs in AI-enabled mission autonomy, advanced loitering munitions, and next-generation drone swarms, this year’s Summit reflects the rapidly shifting landscape shaping the future force.

DoW and the Military Services are rapidly expanding the utilization and integration of cutting-edge unmanned and autonomous systems into military operations to counter modernizing adversaries, enhance multi-domain coordination, increase operational reach, improve situational awareness, and reduce risk to the Warfighter. The event will focus on several key topics including human-machine teaming, improving operational efficiency across air, land, and sea, ensuring unmanned system resilience in contested and denied environments, the latest in technological innovation, emerging threats and challenges, and evolving policy and acquisition strategies. The Summit will also feature panels on American industrial acceleration of uncrewed systems, joint efforts across combatant commands, C-UAS strategies, and emerging technology in unmanned systems. Attendees at the 2026 Unmanned & Autonomous Systems Summit will have the unique opportunity to explore the strategies, technologies, and modernization priorities critical to developing and delivering unmanned systems to the Warfighter.

DSI’s team specializes in the extensive research and development of our Summit’s content and focus areas, and we will assemble the most respected minds in unmanned and autonomous systems as well as key policy makers across military and civilian offices. Our non-partisan approach allows us to reach across all services and organizations to bring together a truly holistic group of decision-makers and solution providers.

• Gain Education & Insight: Walk away with knowledge gained from our senior level speakers on some of the complex challenges facing DoD and Military Services.
• Build Partnerships:The agenda is designed to allow for ample networking opportunities and the ability to engage in constructive dialogues among all in attendance
• Influence: Help foster ideas! Share your own insight and knowledge during our interactive sessions. All attendees are encouraged to address our speaker faculty and each other with their questions, comments or ideas.

• DSI’s Summit directly supports DoD, Military Services, and federal priorities by providing a conduit for officials to efficiently reach audiences outside of their respective offices that directly impact their department’s mission success, at no charge to the government, and in an efficient expenditure of time.
• DSI’s Summit will provide a forum to address and improve internal and external initiatives, meet with and hear from partner organizations, disseminate vital capability requirements to industry, increase visibility within the larger community, and generally support their mission.
• The Summit is open and complimentary to all DoD and Federal employees and is considered an educational training forum, and a widely attended gathering.

(Industry and academia members are charged a fee for admission.)

Summit is CLOSED TO PRESS / NO RECORDINGS