2026 Full Sessions
Videos and transcripts from the 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference are now available. Follow AFA on YouTube for even more content from the show.
Monday, September 14, 2026
Keynote Address—Advancing Combat Power in Air and Space
- Dr. Troy Meink
Secretary of the Air Force
Keynote Address—The State of the Air Force
- Gen. Ken Wilsbach
Chief of Staff of the Air Force
Defending the Homeland: Making Golden Dome a Reality
- Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)
Chair of the Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee - Gen. Michael A. Guetlein
Director of Golden Dome - Gen. Gregory M. Guillot
Commander, U.S. Northern Command - Moderator:
Gen. Kevin Chilton, USAF (Ret.)
Explorer Chair, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence
United Forces & Families: Unlocking Military Spouse Talent for a Ready Force
- Stephen B. Simmons
Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Military Community and Family Policy - Sue Luangkhot Hoppin
President, National Military Spouse Network - Liz O’Brien
Senior Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation - Moderator:
Nicole Murray
Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, American Corporate Partners
Rethinking the Stockpile: Building the Right Mix for Future Conflict
- Col. Scott “Fug” Gilloon, USAF (Ret.)
Sector Vice President, USAF Strategic Development, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. - Ryan M. Hartman
Chief Executive Officer, Ondas Sentinel - Bryon Kroger
Founder & CEO, Rise8 - Chris Spagnoletti
Chief Executive Officer, Ursa Major - Moderator:
Brig. Gen. Robert Lyons III
Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Weapons, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center
Advancing the Space Force’s Combat Capability
- Lt. Gen. Dennis O. Bythewood
Commander, U.S. Space Forces–Space - Brig. Gen. Todd J. Benson
Commander, U.S. Space Forces Central - Brig. Gen. Brian Denaro
Commander, U.S. Space Forces– Indo-Pacific - Moderator:
Col. Jennifer Reeves, USAF (Ret.)
Senior Fellow, AFA's Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence
Growth of the Space Force
- Lt. Gen. Gregory J. Gagnon
Commander, U.S. Space Force Combat Forces Command - Maj. Gen. James E. Smith
Commander, Space Training and Readiness Command - Kathryn Kolbe
Assistant Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Installations and Logistics - Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna
- Moderator:
Gen. Kevin Chilton, USAF (Ret.)
Explorer Chair, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence
Counter-Drone Defenses
- Michael Hiatt
Chief Technology Officer, Epirus - Adam Mohamed
Chief Technology Officer, Asylon Robotics, A Boston Dynamics Partner - Ben Van Roo
Chief Executive Officer, Legion Intelligence - Colton Wood
Chief Technology Officer, Digital Force Technologies - Moderator:
Col. Alfred J. Rosales
Commander, 319th Reconnaissance Wing
Building the Arsenal: Speed, Scale, and Affordability
- Lukas Czinger
CEO and Co-founder, Divergent - Paul Ferraro
Vice President and General Manager, Defense Engines and Systems, GE Aerospace - Randy Fields
Chief Technology Officer, Ultra Intelligence & Communications - Jon A. Hill
Vice President & General Manager, Air Dominance & Strike Weapons, Missiles & Fire Control, Lockheed Martin - Jon Norman
Vice President, Requirements & Capabilities, Air & Space Defense Systems, Raytheon, an RTX business - Moderator:
Brig. Gen. Robert Lyons III
Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Weapons, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center
The Future Air Force: How Do We Get There?
- Gen. Kevin Schneider
Commander, Pacific Air Forces - Gen. Adrian L. Spain
Commander, Air Combat Command - Lt. Gen. Kenyon K. Bell
Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection - Lt. Gen. Christopher Niemi
Air Force Chief Modernization Officer - Moderator:
Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.)
Dean, AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
F-35 in Combat: Penetrating Modern Defense Systems
- Maj. Gen. David C. Epperson
Commander, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center - Maj. Gen. Brian Laidlaw
Director of Operations, Air Combat Command - Col. Charles A. Fallon
Commander, 388th Fighter Wing - Moderator:
Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, USAF (Ret.)
Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works®
Space Access: Building Resilient and Ready Launch
- Gen. Mike Minihan, USAF (Ret.)
Senior Advisor, Radia - David Simenc
President of SciTec, A Firefly Aerospace Company - Col. Greg Wood, USAF (Ret.)
Chief Engineer and Director of Operations, Space Force Range Contract, Amentum - Moderator:
Brig. Gen. Eric Zarybnisky
Space Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Space Access
Keynote Address: Fit and Ready Force
- Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David R. Wolfe
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Keynote Address—The State of the Space Force
- Gen. Douglas A. Schiess
Chief of Space Operations
Today’s Space Race: To the Moon
- Jared Isaacman
NASA Administrator - Moderator:
Gen. Kevin Chilton, USAF (Ret.)
Explorer Chair, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence
Next-Generation Battle Management
- Elaine Bitonti
Vice President & General Manager, Connected Battlespace and Emerging Capabilities Mission Systems, Collins Aerospace an RTX Business - Scott ‘Frag’ Jobe
Executive Director, Business Development & Strategy, Phantom Works, Boeing - Sean Lowe
Director of Business Development, SAIC - Luke Savoie
President and CEO, Twenty-Six Defense - Moderator:
Brig. Gen. Joshua Williams
Department of the Air Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management
Long-Range Airpower: Lessons from Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury
- Maj. Gen. Gerald Donohue
Deputy Commander, Air Mobility Command - Maj. Gen. Ty W. Neuman
Commander, Eighth Air Force and Joint-Global Strike Operations Center - Jamie Burgess
Vice President & General Manager, Mobility, Surveillance & Bombers, Boeing - Moderator:
Mark Gunzinger
Director, Future Concepts & Capability Assessments, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Sustaining Forces Through Acquisition and Innovation
- Gen. Dale White
Director, Critical Major Weapon Systems for the Department of War - Dr. Erich Hernandez-Baquero
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Space Acquisition and Integration - William D. Bailey
Performing the Duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics - Moderator:
Rob Wavra
Partner at McKinsey & Company
Before the Window Closes: Automated Target Custody for Timely Effects
- Lt. Gen. Max E. Pearson
Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence - Lt. Gen. Christopher Niemi
Air Force Chief Modernization Officer - Maj. Gen. Christopher S. Povak
Deputy Director, National Reconnaissance Office - Brig. Gen Nick Hague
Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations - Moderator:
Eliahu H. Niewood, SC.D.
Director, Department of the Air Force Integrated Capabilities Office
Nuclear Power for Space
- Dr. Bob Behnken
Vice President, Mission Strategy & Advanced Capabilities, Lockheed Martin - Scott Forney
President, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems - Will Madsen
Founding Head of Mission Engineering, Antares Industries - Dr. Gillian Bussey
Deputy Chief Science Officer, U.S. Space Force - Moderator:
Col. Charles Galbreath, USSF (Ret.)
Director and Senior Resident Fellow of Space Studies, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Keynote Address—The Cyber Thread of Space Power: Forging the Guardians Who Secure Our Decision Advantage
- Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna
Space Force and Intelligence Community Integration
- Lt. Gen. Michael Downs
Associate Director for Military Affairs, Central Intelligence Agency - Maj. Gen. Christopher S. Povak
Deputy Director, National Reconnaissance Office - Maj. Gen. Brian D. Sidari
Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Intelligence - Moderator:
Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.)
Dean, AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Manned-Unmanned Teaming: Epic Fury Suggests a Clear Future Vector
- Lt. Col. Lyndon “OTTO” Bartlett
Director of Operations, Experimental Operations Unit - Brig. Gen. Tim Helfrich
Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Fighters and Advanced Aircraft - David Alexander
President, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems - Dr. Jason Levin
Senior Vice President, Air Dominance & Strike, Anduril Industries - Robert “Otis” Winkler
Vice President, Corporate Development & National Security Programs, Kratos - Moderator:
Heather Penney
Director of Studies and Research, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Promotions, Recruiting and Retention: The Keys for Guardian and Airmen Success
- Hon. Richard Anderson
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs - Lt. Gen. Jefferson J. O’Donnell
Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel, and Services - Katharine Kelley
Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Personnel - Moderator:
Greg Hadley
News Editor, Air & Space Forces Magazine
Stress-Testing Assumptions: Building Resilience for the Future Fight
- Susan Davenport
Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer, Department of the Air Force - Gen. Steven S. Nordhaus
Chief of the National Guard Bureau - Maj. Gen. Sean M. Choquette
Vice Director for Operations, J-3, the Joint Staff - Mark Gunzinger
Director, Future Concepts & Capability Assessments, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies - Moderator:
Mike Stefanelli
Partner at McKinsey & Company
DAF Battle Network: Why Is this Crucial?
- Brig. Gen. Joshua Williams
Department of the Air Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management - Dr. Bryan Tipton
Chief of Architecture and Engineering at the Department of the Air Force Integrating Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications, and Battle Management - Col. Raj Agrawal
Military Deputy for Space, Department of the Air Force, Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management - Moderator:
Heather Penney
Director of Studies and Research, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Roles and Limits of Commercial Space in National Security
- Dr. Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo
Director, Space Development Agency - Col. Aaron T. Stevenson
Deputy Director, Commercial Space Office, Space Systems Command - Greg Caicedo
Senior Vice President, Kratos Space Federal - Tom McCormick
Vice President and General Manager, National Security Space, Lockheed Martin Space - Moderator:
Col. Charles Galbreath, USSF (Ret.)
Director and Senior Resident Fellow of Space Studies, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Building Combat-Ready Pilots
- Gen. Adrian L. Spain
Commander, Air Combat Command - Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force - Lt. Gen. Clark J. Quinn
Commander, Air Education and Training Command - Moderator:
John “JV” Venable
Senior Fellow, AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Space-Based Sensing and Targeting
- Jeff Hanke
President, Space Systems, L3Harris Technologies - Brig. Gen. Jon Rice, USAF (Ret.)
Chief Architect, Space and Integrated Air & Missile Defense, Leidos - Todd Stevens
Vice President, Strike, Deterrence & Missile Defense, Lockheed Martin Space - Brandon White
Vice President and General Manager, Multi-Domain Operations, Northrop Grumman Space System - Moderator:
Col. Nathan Vosters
Commander, System Delta 810, Space Based Sensing and Targeting
Integrating AI for Combat Effects
- William Duhe
Senior Director, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Engineering, SNC - Matt George
CEO and Co-founder, Merlin Labs - Peter Guerra
Global Vice President, Data & AI, Government, Defense & Intelligence, Oracle - Ryan Tseng
President, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, ShieldAI - Moderator:
Col. Toni Gray
Division Chief, Artificial Intelligence Integration, HQ ACC A3 - Operations Directorate
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Jimmy Stewart and the Importance of Airpower
- Lt. Gen. Andrew J. Gebara
Director of Staff, Headquarters Air Force - Aaron Burns
Director, JIMMY - Kelly Stewart Harcourt
Executive Producer, JIMMY - Moderator:
Kathleen Ferguson
Chair of the Board, Air & Space Forces Association
Keynote Address
- Gen. Dan Caine
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Bravery in the Skies: The Nation’s Response to 9/11 and Its Impact on National Defense 25 Years Later
- Lt. Gen. Marc H. Sasseville, USAF (Ret.)
12th Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau - Heather Penney
Director of Studies and Research, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Building a Combat-Credible Force to Deliver Space Superiority
- Lt. Gen. David N. Miller, Jr.
Deputy Chief of Space Operations, Strategy, Plans, Programs and Requirements - Maj. Gen. Anthony J. Mastalir
Director of Global Space Operations (J3), Headquarters U.S. Space Command - John M. Trumpfheller
Director, Force Design & Analysis, USSF - Moderator:
Col. Jennifer Reeves, USAF (Ret.)
Senior Fellow, AFA's Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence
Cyber Resilience and Mission Assurance
- Dan Feller
Vice President, Space & Embedded Cryptographic solutions, General Dynamics Mission Systems - Candice Frost
Vice President, Mission Engagement, Parsons - Dan Waddell
Partner, Federal Cybersecurity, IBM - Lt. Gen. Chris Weggeman, USAF (Ret.)
Managing Director, Deloitte Cyber Strategy and Transformation - Moderator:
Dr. Wanda T. Jones-Heath
Principal Cyber Advisor for the Department of the Air Force
Ready for the Fight: Building the Air and Space Forces America Needs
- Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas)
Chairman of the Republican Study Committee - Moderator:
Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, USAF (Ret.)
Dean, AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Carnivore Leadership Meets Overcoming Impossible
Two Leadership Philosophies. One Mission.
- Ramon “CZ” Colon-Lopez, USAF (Ret.)
Former Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - Chef Robert Irvine
Founder & Chairman, Robert Irvine Foundation - Moderator:
Dr. Patrick Donley, USAF (Ret.)
Director of AFA's Doolittle Leadership Center
Cyber Strategy
- Katherine “Katie” E. Sutton
Assistant Secretary of War for Cyber Policy and Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of War - Dr. Wanda T. Jones-Heath
Principal Cyber Advisor for the Department of the Air Force - Moderator:
Brig. Gen. Greg Touhill, USAF (Ret.)
Director, SEI CERT Division and AFA National Director
Flying and Fixing to Fight and Win
- Gen. Stephen L. Davis
Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command - Lt. Gen. Linda Hurry
Commander, Air Force Materiel Command - Lt. Gen. Daniel H. Tulley
Commander, Air Mobility Command - Maj. Gen. Jon A. Eberlan
Director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters Air Combat Command - Moderator:
Maj. Gen. Larry Stutzriem, USAF (Ret.)
Executive Vice President, Air & Space Forces Association
Electronic Warfare as America’s Strategic Advantage
- Patrick Creighton
Vice President and General Manager, Electronic Warfare, L3Harris Technologies - Shalini Gupta
Vice President, Electronic Warfare & Targeting, Northrop Grumman Mission System - Dave Harrold
Vice President & General Manager, Countermeasure & Electromagnetic Attack Solutions, BAE Systems - Jordan Riedel
Director, Electromagnetic Mission Systems, Systems Planning & Analysis - Moderator:
Col. Aaron T. Gray
Commander, 55th Wing
Leveraging Modeling and Simulation for Combat Effectiveness
- Doug Gill
Senior Staff Scientist, FlightSafety International - Jonathan Hudgins
Strategy and Growth Manager, Google Public Sector - Dr. Dan “Animal” Javorsek
Chief Strategy Officer, Scientific Systems - Mike Pedaci
President, AGI - Moderator:
Brig. Gen. Douglas Wickert
Commander, Air Force Research Laboratory
Nuclear Command and Control in the 21st Century
- Lt. Gen. Jason Armagost
Deputy Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command - Lt. Gen. Brandon Parker
Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration - Lt. Gen. Mark B. Pye
Deputy Director, Critical Major Weapon Systems - Moderator:
Col. Jennifer Reeves, USAF (Ret.)
Senior Fellow, AFA's Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence
Battle Hardening Commercial Space
- Kimberly Chamblin
Director of Government Sales, Boston Dynamics - Ryan Roberts
Principal, Deloitte Space - Travis Steele
Chief Architect, Air Force and Space Force, Global Office of the CTO, Red Hat, Inc. - Dr. Jonathan Welch
Vice President, Missile Warning, Tracking & Defense & Ranges, SAIC - Moderator:
Lt. Col. Brandon ‘Cherry’ Galindo
Division Chief, Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve
Fixing the Force: Spare Parts and Readiness
- Liam Campbell
Vice President, Federal Solutions, Virtualitics - Kinda Eastwood
Vice president, Sustainment Operations for Military Engines, Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business - Melissa Sutherland
Executive Vice President, Air Power Market, Booz Allen Hamilton - Adam Wells
Director, Warfighter Support Solutions, Marvin Test Solutions - Moderator:
Lt. Gen. Jennifer Hammerstedt
Commander, Air Force Sustainment Center, Air Force Materiel Command
United Forces & Families: Senior Leaders Perspectives
- Gen. Ken Wilsbach
Chief of Staff of the Air Force - Cindy Wilsbach
Wife of Chief of Staff of the Air Force - Gen. Douglas A. Schiess
Chief of Space Operations - Debbie Schiess
Wife of Chief of Space Operations - Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David R. Wolfe
- Dr. Doniel Wolfe
Wife of Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force - Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna
- Cathy Bentivegna
Wife of Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force - Moderator:
Lt. Gen. Burt Field, USAF (Ret.)
President & CEO, Air & Space Forces Association