Defense Strategies Institute (DSI)

Defense Strategies Institute’s 6th Annual Assured PNT Summit will convene leaders from the military services, federal government, industry, and academia in a collaborative, town hall forum to discuss the advancement and development of a robust, resilient U.S. PNT enterprise.  The 2026 Summit will highlight the need to ensure PNT services are robust, resilient, and available for military, civil, and commercial applications across the United States.

The United States currently relies on the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) as its primary source of positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services, leaving the nation vulnerable to billions of dollars in losses should GPS be disrupted, even for a few minutes.  As adversaries continually advance their PNT capabilities, the 2026 Assured PNT Summit will explore how the United States is modernizing GPS and pursuing alternative and complementary sources of PNT to develop a robust, resilient national PNT architecture.

GPS underpins countless daily operations across modern society, including military and civil critical infrastructures.  PNT is essential for battlefield maneuver and navigation, precision strike, target tracking, weapon system accuracy, as well as for power grids, telecommunications networks, financial markets, transportation systems, and civilian navigation. However, GPS signals remain vulnerable to disruption, jamming, and spoofing, highlighting an urgent need for additional and complementary sources of PNT that can be used in the event GPS is denied or degraded.  This year’s Summit will support the national security imperative to reduce reliance on a single PNT source by advancing a diversified, resilient PNT ecosystem.  

Speakers will explore opportunities to introduce and scale terrestrial PNT solutions while also strengthening space-based PNT technologies to withstand jamming and spoofing from adversaries.  Join us at the 2026 Assured PNT Summit to hear from and directly engage with leaders across the DoW, federal government, academia, and industry as they discuss the steps being taken to assure PNT for military, commercial, and civilian applications.

The 14th Annual Unmanned & Autonomous Systems 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.

Defense Strategies Institute’s 2nd Annual MOSA for Defense Summit will provide a forum for members of the DoD, Military Services, Industry, Academia, and other key stakeholders to discuss the warfighting imperative of implementing a modular open systems approach (MOSA) in the design, development, delivery, acquisition, and sustainment of modern defense systems. 

96.1 billion dollars or 31% of the DoD’s total investment funding, was dedicated to major defense acquisition programs (MDAPs) in FY 2025. These programs under US law: Title 10 U.S.C. 2446a.(b), Sec 805 states all major defense acquisition programs (MDAP) are to be designed and developed using a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA). This approach is an attempt to counter rapidly modernizing adversaries and is DoD’s plan to modernize its acquisition and development processes, prioritizing adaptability, accelerating innovation, and lowering cost. A cornerstone of this transformation is the implementation of MOSA across all defense systems. MOSA is an integrated business and technical strategy that uses open standards and modular design to achieve competitive and affordable acquisition and sustainment of defense systems throughout their lifecycle MOSA enhances flexibility, interoperability, and efficiency, ensuring the U.S. maintains a technological edge.

This year’s MOSA for Defense Summit brings together leaders from across the DoD, industry, and academia at the forefront of MOSA implementation. Attendees will gain insights into how these organizations are implementing this critical strategy and the resulting benefits.

The summit will explore how MOSA is driving enhanced competition, innovation, interoperability, and cost-effective system design and delivery through open system development. By enabling easier and more cost-effective addition, removal, and replacement of components and subsystems, MOSA enhances program agility and reduces costs. This year’s event will delve into MOSA’s impact on key areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Air Dominance, Space and Missile Defense, and Ground Combat Systems. Attendees will also hear the role of Intellectual property laws play in MOSA and hear from the perspective of a Tri service panel. Connect with senior leaders and join the critical discussion around implementing open systems across the DoD.

Due to the federal government’s lapse in budget appropriations, the October DoW/VA & Government Health IT Summit will be postponed and rescheduled for Spring 2026.

DSI’s 29th DoW/VA & Government HIT Summit will bring together leaders from across the VA, DHA, DoW, federal government, and relevant industry stakeholders to improve the delivery of lifelong patient-centered healthcare for military members and Veterans.  The October 2025 Summit will explore the role of health IT in advancing the interoperability, delivery, accessibility, affordability, and resiliency of Veteran and military healthcare.

Defense Strategies Institute’s 5^th Annual Assured Logistics Summit will convene senior leaders, leading experts, and strategic decision makers from across the DoW, military services, and industry for in-depth discussion on the strategies, policies, and technologies enabling secure, resilient, efficient, and responsive supply chain and sustainment operations in contested logistics environment. 

In response to evolving threats and increasing operational complexity, the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research & Engineering has identified contested logistics as one of its six Critical Technology Areas (CTAs), underscoring its importance in ensuring U.S. military access to mission-critical resources in disrupted or denied environments. The 2026 Summit will highlight how the DoW is modernizing its vast global supply chains to maintain effective and resilient logistics operations, ensuring warfighters have the capabilities and resources necessary to achieve battlefield success in contested environments. 

This year’s Assured Logistics Summit will examine how the Joint Force is adapting to enable mobility and freedom of movement, deliver resources, equipment, and manpower, and sustain operations at the point of need through initiatives focused on strengthening the resiliency, readiness, and security of military supply chains. Join us at DSI’s 5th Annual Assured Logistics Summit to convene with senior leaders from the DoW, military services, industry, logistics experts, and academia in a dynamic ‘town-hall’ style event. Attendees will gain the unique opportunity to engage with the policies, technologies, and innovative solutions that keep the Warfighter prepared, support, and resilient in complex operating environments.

The 2026 Advanced Energy Storage for Defense & Security Summit will convene key decision-makers and innovators from across the DoW, Federal Government, Commercial Sector, & Academia to explore how emerging technologies such as customizable, intelligent battery cells and management systems are helping to power the future. This forum aims to examine how lithium-ion and other battery technologies can help to improve Warfighter platforms such as tactical UAVs & EVs by offering higher density, longer duration, & better safety. Advancements in energy storage are transforming how we harness and utilize power for mobility systems, as well as help to enhance portable electronics in austere environments.

DSI’s 8th Annual Human Performance & Biosystems Summit will convene senior-level leaders and decision-makers from across the Department of War, Military Research Laboratories, Industry, and Academia to examine the latest policies, strategies, and innovations shaping the future of Warfighter human performance. As the character of war continues to evolve toward multi-domain, highly contested, and cognitively demanding environments, the Summit will focus on advancing integrated, data-driven approaches that preserve readiness, resilience, and lethality across the Joint Force. The 2026 Summit will spotlight current and emerging efforts to optimize physical, cognitive, psychological, and social performance through Department-wide Human Performance Optimization initiatives, Total Force Fitness (TFF), the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system, the Marine Corps Total Fitness (MCTF), the Navy’s Operational Fitness and Fueling System (NOFFS), and aligned Service-specific readiness strategies. Discussions will emphasize prevention-focused, sustainable performance models that reduce injury, improve recovery, enhance decision-making under stress, and support long-term force readiness.

Defense Strategies Institute’s Digital Engineering for Defense Summit will bring together leaders from across the Department of War, federal government, industry, academia, and other relevant stakeholders to advance engineering innovation to accelerate the delivery of advanced warfighting systems for technological advantage. 

DSI’s 2nd Annual Maritime Security Summit is a leading professional, educational development event that will bring together members of the DoW, USCG, Port Security Executives, & Marine Technical Solutions Providers to discuss current efforts toward integrating emerging capabilities, tools, & technologies in support of maritime dominance & sustained readiness. This forum will also address the importance of leveraging alliances & partnerships to enhance overall Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) for our nation’s coastlines, ports, & vessels.

The global maritime security market size was valued at USD 35.60 billion in 2026 and is projected to grow to USD 48.90 billion by 2034. In the U.S., the expansion of coastal security initiatives and increased adoption of Unmanned Maritime Aircraft Systems (UAS) under defense and coast guard modernization programs has been a major focus. The maritime security sector has experienced rapid technological transformation with the integration of advanced AI & sensor technologies aimed at enhancing lethality & overall maritime domain awareness (MDA). Port authorities and maritime security stakeholders are increasingly deploying modernized surveillance systems, automated screening solutions, and integrated command and control platforms to better detect, track, and interdict illicit threats in the maritime domain. DSI’s Maritime Security Summit will bring together the DoW, USCG, Port Security Executives, & Marine Technical Solutions providers to discuss current efforts toward integrating emerging capabilities, tools, & technologies in support of maritime dominance & sustained readiness.

Important initiatives over the past year such as the recent Maritime Action Plan released by the White House, the standing up of the Navy’s Rapid Capabilities Office & the U.S. Coast Guard’s Force Design 2028 have helped in facilitating a stronger maritime industrial base while sustaining maritime readiness and security efforts for a more agile, capable, and responsive fleet. The U.S. Military and other federal/state partners continue to advance peace through strength in the maritime domain, by bolstering overall capabilities of current systems & establishing better methods of detecting, locating, surveilling, & eliminating illicit maritime threats such as narcotics smuggling. Maritime security efforts are essential in protecting harbors, ports, vessels, military personnel, and more. Fielding critical technologies & advancing intelligence integration, information sharing, and domain awareness will be key to ensuring U.S. Maritime Supremacy. This event will offer attendees insight into the importance of alliances and partnerships happening across the global maritime domain, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Senior level perspectives at this forum from across all levels of military, government and industry will cover critical topic areas in maritime security such as short- and long-range vessel detection and monitoring capabilities, next-gen sensor technologies, physical cyber security capabilities for ports, and operationalizing robotic & autonomous systems.

The 14th Annual Border Security & Intelligence Summit will bring together leading experts and decision-makers from across the law enforcement and intelligence community to share insights and engage in strategic dialogue on the state of U.S. border security and the innovative technologies advancing the protection of our Nation’s borders. 

In response to evolving challenges at U.S. borders from illegal immigration to transnational crime, border security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies are enhancing their capabilities to effectively address these threats. The 2026 Border Security & Intelligence Summit will highlight the latest trends, technologies, and strategies for securing borders and advancing intelligence operations in an increasingly digital environment. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the most pressing issues facing the border security community, as well as the implementation of cutting-edge technologies that support national and global security. 

The 2026 event will convene senior level experts, decision-makers, and innovators from across DHS, the Intelligence Community, federal agencies, & industry to discuss emerging threats and the tools needed to counter organized crime and illicit actors. Key panel discussions will examine innovative surveillance technologies, the integration of AI and advanced data analytics, evolving challenges at the U.S.-Canada border, and local strategies for enforcement and security. Attendees at the 2026 Border Security & Intelligence Summit will have the unique opportunity to explore the policies, technologies, and solutions essential to achieving current security objectives and protecting U.S. citizens from emerging threats.