agenda 8:30AM WELCOME REMARKS Mike Gruss, Editor-in-chief, Defense News, C4ISRNET, Military Times & Federal Times 8:35AM PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE AIR FORCE Facing stagnating budgets, the Air Force’s top general has said the service is on the verge of making “the most difficult force structure decisions in generations.” To keep pace with adversaries, the Air Force is expected to reprioritize major programs, slash existing inventories, and eliminate departmental silos. But what will come in its place? How will these decisions impact the service’s major priorities, such as modernizing its nuclear transport, realizing the Advanced Battle Management System, and ensuring that acquisition can match the speed of software? In this panel, we’ll look at how Air Force leadership is preparing for the future. Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force Moderator: Valerie Insinna, Air Warfare Reporter, Defense News 9:30AM MODERNIZING THE FLEET With China and Russia spending on naval technology, pressure is building for the US Navy to resolve maintenance backlogs and upgrade its fleet architecture to one that is more distributed, agile, and connected for the modern era. From Project Overmatch’s goal of connecting ships across a common network, to pending congressional support that could decide the future of the Navy’s 355-ship goal, to research and development of unmanned subsurface vessels, this panel will explore how the Navy is modernizing its fleet to take on the top maritime challenges of the decade. Adm. Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy Moderator: Megan Eckstein, Naval Warfare Reporter, Defense News 10:30AM KEYNOTE Hon. Kathleen Hicks, Deputy Secretary of Defense Moderator: Marjorie Censer, Editor, Defense News 11:07AM KEYNOTE Gen. James McConville, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Hon. Christine Wormuth, Secretary of the Army Moderator: Jen Judson, Land Warfare Reporter, Defense News 11:57 PM FROM BLUEPRINT TO THE BATTLEFIELD Research and development of groundbreaking technology is critical to ensuring US military dominance on the battlefield. But history shows that the pathway from idea to reality is not always straightforward; such tools must pass through a gauntlet of security vetting, design iteration, and user feedback before they are finally deemed mature enough to aid soldiers in combat. While most ideas never find their footing, the ones that do can change the battlefield permanently. How does the Defense Department identify its R&D priorities? What factors are needed to bring an idea from blueprint to the battlefield? And what are challenges to acquiring and scaling this technology to meet unique needs across the services? Join us as we hear from experts at the Defense Innovation Unit and DARPA on how their organizations bring big ideas to life and shape the nature of war for generations. Industry Fireside Chat: Bo Marr, Chief Technology Officer & Co-Founder, Epirus Panel Discussion: Mike Brown, Director, Defense Innovation Unit Stefanie Tompkins, Director, DARPA Moderator: Joe Gould, Congress Reporter, Defense News 5 I DEFENSE NEWS CONFERENCE