Autonomous Systems Summit

In FY2027, the Department of War is directing more than USD 70 billion toward the modernization, development, integration, and scaling of unmanned and autonomous systems to ensure drone dominance across all combat environments. Confronted with a rapidly evolving threat landscape and technologically sophisticated adversaries, the DoW and the Joint Force are accelerating the fielding of innovative unmanned, robotic, and autonomous capabilities, across air, land, maritime, space, and cyber domains, to extend operational reach, create resilient combat power, reduce risk to Warfighters, and maintain drone dominance across multi-domain operations. Efforts include the newly announced Autonomous Warfare Command (AUTOWARCOM) and Project Agincourt, the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, the Drone Dominance Program, JIATF-401’s counter-UAS mission, and the Services’ unmanned and counter-drone programs. Through focused investments in collaborative autonomy, AI-enabled swarming, advanced robotics, and rapid acquisition pathways at scale, the DoW is advancing a comprehensive approach to maintaining superiority in unmanned systems and denying adversary freedom of maneuver. Attendees will hear from leaders and practitioners across the unmanned and autonomous systems enterprise, gaining forward-looking insights into the continued advancement and operationalization of technologies that will underpin Joint Force advantage and sustained drone dominance on the future all-domain battlefield.

The 2027 Summit brings together key experts, leaders, decision makers, and innovators from the DoW, Military Services, Industry, and Academia for in-depth discussions on the rapid advancement and integration of unmanned, robotic, and autonomous technologies essential to future military operations and mission success across all combat environments. As the battlespace becomes increasingly defined by drone proliferation and autonomous warfare, this Summit will examine how the DoW is advancing drone dominance through new guidance, acquisition strategies, expanded investment, and accelerated fielding of next-generation systems. With the FY27 budget request including over $70 billion for drone and counter-drone systems, this year’s program reflects the growing priority placed on scalable unmanned capabilities, collaborative autonomy, advanced robotics, contested logistics, and domestic UxS production.

The DoW and the Military Services are accelerating the integration of unmanned systems to counter modernizing adversaries, enhance multi-domain coordination, extend operational reach, improve battlefield awareness, and reduce risk to the Warfighter. Key topics include integrating capabilities at scale, foreign and domestic drone warfare tactics, testing and evaluation, joint force integration, industrial-base acceleration, domestic production, life cycle management and sustainment, and operational lessons from current conflicts. Attendees at the 2027 Summit will gain insight into the strategies, technologies, investments, and modernization priorities critical to establishing sustained U.S. drone dominance and rapidly delivering next-generation unmanned and autonomous capabilities to the Warfighter.

DSI’s team specializes in the extensive research and development of our Summit’s content and focus areas, and we will assemble the most respected minds in unmanned and autonomous systems as well as key policy makers across military and civilian offices. Our non-partisan approach allows us to reach across all services and organizations to bring together a truly holistic group of decision-makers and solution providers.

• Gain Education & Insight: Walk away with knowledge gained from our senior level speakers on some of the complex challenges facing DoW and Military Services.
• Build Partnerships: The agenda is designed to allow for ample networking opportunities and the ability to engage in constructive dialogues among all in attendance.
• Influence: Help foster ideas! Share your own insight and knowledge during our interactive sessions. All attendees are encouraged to address our speaker faculty and each other with their questions, comments or ideas.

• DSI’s Summit directly supports DoW, Military Services, and federal priorities by providing a conduit for officials to efficiently reach audiences outside of their respective offices that directly impact their department’s mission success, at no charge to the government, and in an efficient expenditure of time.
• DSI’s Summit will provide a forum to address and improve internal and external initiatives, meet with and hear from partner organizations, disseminate vital capability requirements to industry, increase visibility within the larger community, and generally support their mission.
• The Summit is open and complimentary to all DoD and Federal employees and is considered an educational training forum, and a widely attended gathering.

(Industry and academia members are charged a fee for admission.)

Summit is CLOSED TO PRESS / NO RECORDINGS