Defense One Tech Summit 2018

As technological advancements across the world rise at an unprecedented pace, the U.S. military is searching for tools and tricks to provide a tactical advantage against adversaries. This year, the Pentagon is taking leaps forward by bringing these technologies to the battlefield.

The Army is streamlining the way it buys weapons through a “Futures Command,” which will focus on long-range precision fires, a new battlefield communication network and new fighting vehicles. Drones and unmanned vehicles are also playing a bigger daily role in strategic operations. Cyber Command will become a full combatant command, tasked with challenge of securing and maintaining U.S. advantage in what is now called the fifth domain of warfare.

As ever, the Pentagon continues awarding new defense contracts for advanced planes, tanks, ships, and more. But the gear of the future won’t look like Desert Storm. Artificial intelligence, solid-state lasers, next-generation robotics, and a menagerie of science fiction-sounding concepts will be hitting the very real battle and training field, hard.

This is a time of great change and great opportunity in defense technology. The 3rd Annual Defense One Tech Summit explored the next phase of military advancements. Top national security and tech journalists sat down with leading tech thinkers in government, industry, academia, Silicon Valley, and more to discuss the game-changing tools of today, the capabilities and possibilities of tomorrow, and where the future of military tech is heading in 2018 and beyond.

	Opening Remarks Daniela Fayer, Publisher, Defense One Patrick Tucker, Technology Editor, Defense One
	The Role of Decision-Grade Information in National Security Innovation Chris Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Govini Robert Work, former Deputy Secretary of Defense Moderated by: Marcus Weisgerber, Global Business Editor, Defense One
	Mission Innovation Every outfit wants to claim the mantle of innovation, but few institutions are willing to do the necessary and difficult work to become more nimble, forward-looking and effective. This panel will explore the Defense Department’s goals for becoming a more innovative institution and what barriers stand in the way. Chris Lynch, Director, Defense Digital Service Edward Brindley, Principal Director for Cybersecurity, Office of the CIO, Department of Defense Moderated By: Frank Konkel, Executive Editor, Nextgov
	Aircraft 2030 Since the end of World War II, the United States has had the advantage of air domain dominance in every military engagement it has fought. As the U.S. Air Force prepares for the possibility of conflict against major peer adversaries, that dominance is no longer a given. Even non-state actors are able now to deploy small aircraft en masse for lethal effect. To maintain its edge, the U.S. Air Force is is leaping ahead in new tech for command and control, artificial intelligence, big data and materials. This panel will focus on the Air Force of 2030 and how it differs from our expectations today. Dr. Richard Joseph, Chief Scientist, U.S. Air Force Mark Tapper, Special Advisor to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, U.S. Air Force Moderated By: Oriana Pawlyk, Air Warfare Reporter, Military.com
	Silicon Valley Meets National Security In the 1960s, two-thirds of technological research and development money in the United States came from the United States; only one-third came from private industry. Today, that figure is reversed. Silicon Valley is the global capital of information technology innovation—with big lessons to teach the Defense Department and the national security community. Learn what the world’s most successful enterprises can teach the Defense Department as the U.S. military prepares for a major tech refresh. CAPT Sean Heritage, Acting Managing Partner, DIUx Josh Marcuse, Executive Director, Defense Innovation Board Christy Monaco, Chief Ventures Officer, Office of Ventures and Innovation, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Heather Roff, Associate Fellow, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge Moderated by: Richard Lui, News Anchor, MSNBC and NBC News
	Shining Light on Dark Data to Strengthen Competitive Advantage A Session Presented By Our Underwriter IBM Dr. David McQueeney, Vice President, Corporate Technology, IBM Corporate
	One-on-One Conversation James "Hondo" Geurts, Assistant Secretary, Research, Development and Acquisition, U.S. Navy Moderated by: Marcus Weisgerber, Global Business Editor, Defense One
	The Future of Intelligence Gathering and Protection New technologies like biometrics, quantum encryption, and artificial intelligence, big data and cheap, space-based microsatellites are rapidly changing the way that intelligence agencies and the military develop insight and understanding of situations around the world. As adversaries become more capable and gain access to new consumer technologies, it’s the job of America’s top technical minds in science and technology for national security to stay one step ahead. This session will explore the science and technology behind the spy game of the future and look at key hot spots developing across the globe. Natalie Laing, Deputy Director of Operations, NSA Dr. Jason Matheny, Director, IARPA Sean Roche, Associate Deputy Director for Digital Innovation, CIA Moderated by: Patrick Tucker, Technology Editor, Defense One
	Luncheon Interview LTG Robert Ashley, Director, Defense Intelligence Agency Moderated by: Patrick Tucker, Technology Editor, Defense One
	Tech Summit Talk Dr. Christopher Barrett, Executive Director and Professor, Biocomplexity Institute, Virginia Tech
	Fancy Bear Catching: Countering State-Based Threats in the Wild Cyber attacks, disinformation and fake news aren’t just challenges confronting consumers, state-sponsored cyber influence campaigns also confront the United States military and intelligence communities as they attempt to achieve important mission milestones around the world. This panel will explore cyber and information warfare’s place in modern warfare and emerging technologies’ roles in our nation’s security. Dr. Michael Carpenter, Senior Director, Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement Mieke Eoyang, Vice President, National Security Program, Third Way Dr. Shawn Powers, Executive Director for the Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, Department of State Moderated By: Natasha Bertrand, Staff Writer, The Atlantic
	Redefining Autonomy A Session Presented By Our Underwriter Lockheed Martin Chris Van Buiten, Vice President, Sikorsky Innovations, Lockheed Martin
	The Technologies of the Next World War A new era of Great State Competition has arrived, according to the U.S. National Defense Strategy. The United States, China, and Russia are locked in a race to create new technologies for dominance, deterrence and power projection. To secure advantages against competitive states, the military is rushing ahead in the development of new, science fiction-sounding technologies like lasers, hypersonic aircraft, robotics, quantum computing, and many other areas. This session will explore the amazing new technologies for military use over the next horizon. RADM David Hahn, Chief of Naval Research and Director of Innovation, Technology Requirements and Test and Evaluation, Office of Naval Research MG William Hix, Deputy Director, Army Modernization Command Task Force Mary Miller, Performing the Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Department of Defense Moderated By: Sharon Weinberger, Executive Editor, News, Foreign Policy