2021 Defense News Conference Program Book

THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER DEFENSE EVENT OF THE YEAR

PROGRAM BOOK CONFERENCE.DEFENSENEWS.COM | SEPT. 8, 2021 - ONLINE | #DNCONF 1 I DEFENSE NEWS CONFERENCE

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2 I DEFENSE NEWS CONFERENCE

5TH ANNUAL DEFENSE NEWS CONFERENCE There’s a lot new about this year’s Defense News conference, now in its fifth year.

There’s a new administration in town with new priorities and plans. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks will speak on how the Defense Department is repositioning and rethinking its approach.

Defense News has a newly redesigned website and a few more changes are on the way. We think our new look will help you find and enjoy more of our stories and better understand the breadth of our coverage.

I’m also new. I joined the team as editor in late July and have been getting to know the talented staff here and how the work gets done.

I have spent nearly 15 years covering defense and have already been impressed by my inside look at Defense News.

The reporters, editors and staff here are knowledgeable, hardworking and eager to make sure readers are getting the latest and most comprehensive news on defense technology, policies and spending.

This conference is a testament to that effort. We’ve gathered many of the top officials from the Pentagon and the military services, as well as some of the Defense Department officials leading the effort to find new technologies and companies.

The Defense News conference is a unique opportunity to understand their priorities, the path forward and the potential challenges. We hope you enjoy it and learn something new.

Marjorie Censer Editor, Defense News

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The power to do great things TODAY’S GREAT POWER COMPETITION DEMANDS RAPID APPLICATION OF IT, ENGINEERING, AND SCIENCE FOR AN UNPRECEDENTED TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE. With proven expertise that spans hardware to software, our iterative prototype design, delivery, and manufacturing capabilities provide the warfighter with superior performance and protection, enabling informed decision making with unrivaled precision and speed.

Find out how we put our high tech on a mission and help every branch of the military achieve multi-domain dominance and protect what’s most important.

leidos.com/defense 4 I DEFENSE NEWS CONFERENCE © 2021 LEIDOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 21-187151

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

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agenda WARFARE’S ‘HOLY GRAIL’: THE MULTIDOMAIN FORCE

12:52PM

The Joint All Domain Command and Control (or JADC2) concept is the grand vision that’s compelling modernization across all the services. This panel will examine the progress the department is making in connecting every sensor to every shooter, and why it is expected to deliver the battlefield awareness, seamless communication, and synchronized missions that are required to maintain U.S. military superiority.

Industry Fireside Chat: Michael R. Boera, Vice ​​ President, Leidos Panel Discussion: Raj Iyer, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Rob Parker, Deputy Director, JS J6 Chair, JADC2 CFT Moderator: Andrew Eversden, Defense Technology Reporter, C4ISRNET

1:55PM

MAXIMIZING SPACE Since its start in 2019, the U.S. Space Force has emphasized the need to use industry innovations better and add commercial service providers to fulfill its missions. To do so, the United States has rolled out new contracting techniques, pushed acquisition authorities lower, and brought nontraditional companies into the fold through pitch days and a new consortium. In this panel, we will discuss how two of the nation’s most secretive space organizations — the Space Rapid Capabilities Office and the National Reconnaissance Office — are pulling in industry’s best ideas to deliver improved capabilities to the war fighter from on orbit. We’ll ask how they work with partners across the enterprise to avoid duplication and ensure complementary capabilities.

Col. Timothy Sejba, Program Executive Officer for Space Enterprise and Director of the Enterprise Corps, U.S. Space Force Peter Muend, Director, Commercial Systems Program Office, National Reconnaissance Office Moderator: Nathan Strout, Space, Unmanned and Intelligence Systems Reporter, C4ISRNET

2:42PM

MAINTAINING MODERNIZATION MOMENTUM In 2019, the Army set a course for radically modernizing its forces to operate at maximum readiness in multi-domain operations by 2035. Since that plan was released, the Army has moved with warp speed in standing up its Futures Command and unleashing cross-functional teams to realize its six pillars of modernization: long range precision fires, future vertical lift platforms, next-generation combat vehicles, network modernization, air and missile defense, and improved soldier lethality. This panel will look at modernization and acquisition priorities, the challenges ahead for the Army and how it can sustain this momentum in light of looming post-COVID budget cuts and a growing need for new technologies.

Industry Fireside Chat: Keith Flail, Executive Vice President for Advanced Vertical Lift Systems, Bell Panel Discussion: Lt. Gen. Scott McKean, Director, Futures and Concepts Center and Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Futures Command Brig. Gen. Stephanie Ahern, Director of Concepts, Futures and Concepts Center, U.S. Army Futures Command Col. Tobin Magsig, Commander, US Army Joint Modernization Command, U.S. Army Futures Command Moderator: Jen Judson, Land Warfare Reporter, Defense News

3:35PM

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CLOSING REMARKS

speakers

CLICK ON SPEAKER PHOTO TO VIEW BIO

KEYNOTE

KEYNOTE

KEYNOTE

HON. KATHLEEN HICKS

GENERAL JAMES C. MCCONVILLE

HON. CHRISTINE WORMUTH

Deputy Secretary of Defense

Chief of Staff, U.S. Army

Secretary of the Army

GEN. CQ BROWN, JR. Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force

BRIG. GEN. STEPHANIE AHERN Director of Concepts, Futures and Concepts Center, U.S. Army Futures Command 8 I DEFENSE NEWS CONFERENCE

ADM. MICHAEL GILDAY

LT. GEN. D. SCOTT MCKEAN

BRIG. GEN. ROB PARKER

Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy

Director, Futures and Concepts Center and Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Futures Command

Deputy Director, JS J6

COL. TOBIN MAGSIG

COL. TIMOTHY SEJBA

Commander, U.S. Army Joint Modernization Command, U.S. Army Futures Command

Program Executive Officer for Space Enterprise and Director of the Enterprise Corps, U.S. Space Force

Chair, JADC2 CFT

RAJ IYER Army Chief Information Officer, U.S. Army

speakers

STEFANIE TOMPKINS Director, DARPA

CLICK ON SPEAKER PHOTO TO VIEW BIO

MIKE BROWN

PETER MUEND

BO MARR

Director, Defense Innovation Unit

Director, Commercial Systems Program Office, National Reconaissance Office

Chief Technology Officer & Co-Founder, Epirus

MICHAEL BOERA

KEITH FLAIL

Vice President, Leidos

Executive Vice President, Advanced Vertical Lift Systems, Bell

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moderators

MIKE GRUSS

MARJORIE CENSER

VALERIE INSINNA

JEN JUDSON

Editor,

Air Warfare Reporter,

Land Warfare Reporter,

Defense News, C4IRNET, Military Times & Federal Times

Defense News

Defense News

Defense News

JOE GOULD

ANDREW EVERSDEN

NATHAN STROUT

MEGAN ECKSTEIN

Congress Reporter,

Defense Technology Reporter,

Space, Unmanned and Intelligence Systems Reporter,

Naval Warfare Reporter

Editor-in-chief,

Defense News

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C4ISRNET

C4ISRNET

Defense News

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thank you to our sponsors PLATINUM

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