Phoenix Challenge® 2026

The United States Department of Defense, Office of Information Operations Policy (OIOP) welcomes you to Phoenix Challenge® 2026, to be held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott, March 23-25, 2026. 

This is an annual conference for leaders and other professionals from within the Operations in the Information Environment (OIE) community, to provide a unique opportunity for experts from across the U.S. combatant commands, military departments, OSD components, industry, academia, government, allies, and partner nations to find common cause and promote the best practices found among the various programs, tools, and capabilities so they may jointly address the successes, gaps, needs, and opportunities for OIE. Further, this event will cover topics important to the Principal Information Operations Advisor to the Secretary of Defense in the oversight of policy, strategy, planning, resource management, operational considerations, personnel, and technology development across all elements of the DoD’s OIE.

The format for the 2026 Phoenix Challenge will include briefings from various government entities, vendors and educational institutions.  In addition to the sessions and content provided, displays from vendors will be available for demonstrations, information exchange and networking. 

Building on the momentum from Phoenix Challenge® 2025 in London, this year's event will explore "Information Operations: Evolving for Strategic Dominance." We will delve into integrating capabilities, forging alliances, and executing with precision to achieve a decisive advantage in the information domain. 

We invite leaders and professionals from government, private industry, and academia across all cognitive and technical information specialties to attend and participate in this unique opportunity for collaboration and advancement.