Senator Deb Fischer serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee and has been a leading congressional voice on nuclear deterrence, strategic forces, and the modernization of U.S. air and space defense capabilities. As security competition intensifies and emerging technologies reshape deterrence, Congress is playing a central role in guiding investments and policy for homeland and global defense. In this conversation, she will discuss priorities across integrated air and missile defense, the evolving concept of a “Golden Dome” homeland defense architecture, the future of strategic deterrence and New START, and how the United States is balancing resilience, escalation management, and readiness in an increasingly contested air and space domain.

The Air Force has rapidly progressed on its first collaborative combat aircraft, going from concept to first flight in just 16 months. Now, the service is looking at the second round of its drone wingman completion and has incorporated the robot drone concept into its future fighter jet plans. What innovations does the Air Force want to see from industry on future CCAs while still balancing cost expectations? What will the integration of drone wingmen mean for future combat operations?

As global competition accelerates and space becomes an increasingly contested warfighting domain, the U.S. Space Force is transforming how the nation protects, operates, and prevails in space. From building resilient satellite architectures and advancing space domain awareness to integrating digital systems and autonomous capabilities, the service is redefining how space power enables joint and coalition operations. In this keynote conversation, Defense One will speak with Lt. Gen. Greg Gagnon, Commander, Combat Forces Command, about the operational execution of spacepower. The discussion will examine how combat-credible space forces are organized, trained, and employed to support deterrence, crisis response, and high-end conflict. The conversation will also explore operational readiness in contested environments, integrating capabilities across the joint force, and how the Space Force is preparing to fight and win in competition and conflict beyond the atmosphere.

As space becomes an increasingly critical domain for military operations, the United States and its allies are facing a more congested, competitive, and contested orbital environment. From counterspace threats and debris risks to the growing reliance on space-enabled intelligence, communications, navigation, and missile warning, space is now inseparable from modern deterrence and warfighting. In this session, senior military leaders and space policy experts will examine how the U.S. is preparing for operations in a contested space environment. The conversation will explore evolving threats from peer competitors, the role of resilience and deterrence in orbit, and how military and commercial partnerships are reshaping space architecture. Panelists will also discuss what it means to operate, defend, and sustain space capabilities in an era where space superiority can no longer be assumed.

As military operations extend deeper into contested and data-saturated space environments, the ability to sense, decide, and act faster than an adversary is becoming decisive. Space forces are moving beyond isolated AI pilots toward an enterprise approach that integrates artificial intelligence across training, testing, and operational infrastructure. By embedding AI into mission rehearsal environments and operational architectures from the outset, leaders aim to accelerate capability validation, improve resilience, and ensure operators can trust automated decision support under real-world conditions. This conversation will explore how the service is developing an end-to-end framework for AI in space operations, spanning digital test ranges, synthetic training environments, and live mission systems. The discussion will examine how realistic data environments enable rapid iteration, how human operators learn to collaborate with autonomous tools, and how organizations validate safety, reliability, and performance before fielding capabilities at scale.

The 11th Airborne Division, known as the “Arctic Angels,” operates at the forefront of one of the most demanding and strategically significant environments on earth. In this keynote, the Commanding General will share a firsthand perspective on operating, training, and sustaining forces in the Arctic, where extreme conditions test both personnel and technology. Drawing on recent experiences from JPMRC 26-02, this discussion will highlight key lessons learned, emerging operational requirements, and how the Army is preparing to project power and maintain readiness in contested, cold-weather environments. They will cover the evolving role of the Arctic in national defense and what it takes to succeed on this critical frontier.

As warfare becomes increasingly data-driven, the ability to quickly gather, process, and act on information is essential to operational success. Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) aims to transform how the Army connects sensors, systems, and commanders across the battlefield, in complex and contested environments to enable decision dominance.

This panel will discuss how leaders are advancing NGC2 and what it means for operational forces. Panelists will explore how new command-and-control frameworks are being tested in the field, how emerging technologies are improving situational awareness and decision-making, and what challenges remain in integrating data and networks across formations.

As NATO confronts an increasingly complex and contested security environment, the alliance is accelerating efforts to modernize its forces and harness emerging technologies to maintain collective defense and deterrence. From artificial intelligence and digital integration to data-driven decision-making, rapid innovation is central to how NATO prepares for the future fight. This dicussion will examine how NATO militaries are advancing modernization across domains, fostering deeper collaboration among allies and industry, and embedding AI and digital capabilities into operational planning and force development. The discussion will explore how NATO is aligning innovation with interoperability, resilience, and mission readiness.