2026 Warfare Symposium | Agenda
Monday, February 23, 2026
Aurora Exhibit Hall
Technology Exposition
Juniper AB
AFA’s Mile High Chapter Presents: Aligning Air & Space Power Operational Perspectives
Aurora Ballroom
Keynote Address—Innovating Faster: Acquisition Transformation
- Dr. Troy Meink
Secretary of the Air Force
Aurora Ballroom
Keynote Address—USSF: Charting the Future of the Force
- Gen. B. Chance Saltzman
Chief of Space Operations
Aurora Ballroom
Polaris Awards
Aurora Ballroom
Keynote Address—Fly and Fix: Empowered by Airmen
- Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach
Chief of Staff of the Air Force
Aurora Exhibit Hall
Polaris Reception
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Aurora Exhibit Hall
Technology Exposition
Aurora Ballroom
A Conversation with Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force and the Space Force’s Top Guardians
- Maj. Adriane Payn
Chief, Mission Assurance Branch, National Reconnaissance Office - Spc. 4 Logan Pinder
Multiple Intelligence Fusion Analyst, Space Operations Command - Sgt. Michael Campos, (Invited)
Crew Chief, Cyber Aggressor, Space Training and Readiness Command - 1st Lt. Robert Bartkowiak
Orbital Warfare Test, Project Officer, Space Training and Readiness Command - TSgt. Robert Powell
Flight Chief, Archer Flight - 1st Lt. Cristian Montelongo
Deputy Commander, Archer Flight - Moderator:
Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John Bentivegna
Colorado B
Fireside Chat: Air Force BMT Next
- Maj. Gen. Wolfe Davidson
Commander, 2nd Air Force - Chief Master Sgt. Colin A. Fleck
Command Chief, 2nd Air Force
Colorado C
Generating EW Effects
- Patrick Creighton
Vice President and General Manager, Electronic Warfare, L3Harris Technologies - Dan Mooney
Director of Business Development, Small Form Factor Solutions, BAE Systems - Moderator:
Col. Angelo Fernandez
Commander, Mission Delta 3
Aurora Ballroom
Reinforcing Warfighting and Personnel Readiness
- Matthew Lohmeier
Under Secretary of the Air Force - Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations - Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess
Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations - Moderator:
Gen. Mike Minihan, USAF (Ret.)
Former Commander, Air Mobility Command
Colorado B
Long-Range Kill Chains
- Elaine Bitonti
Vice President & General Manager, Connected Battlespace and Emerging Capabilities Mission Systems, Collins Aerospace an RTX Business - Matt George
CEO and Co-founder, Merlin Labs - Col. Scott “Fug” Gilloon, USAF (Ret.)
Sector Vice President, USAF Strategic Development, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. - Orlando ‘OJ’ Sanchez Jr.
Vice President & General Manager, Skunk Works, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics - Moderator:
Col. Gary E. Roos
Senior Materiel Leader, Adaptive Weapons Division, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center
Colorado C
Battle-Hardening Commercial Space
- Matt Hungerford
Chief Technology Officer, Space and Intel Business Group, SAIC - Mark Lundstrom
CEO, Radia - David Schmolke
Vice President, Mission Connections and Cybersecurity, Viasat - Moderator:
Lt. Col. Timothy Trimailo
Director and Senior Materiel Leader, Commercial Space Office, Space Systems Command
Aurora Ballroom
International Partnerships in Space
- Air Marshal Paul Godfrey
Assistant Chief of Space Operations for Future Concepts and Partnerships - Brig. Gen. Christopher Gardiner
Space and Cyber Attache, Embassy of Australia - Deanna L. Ryals
Director of Space International Affairs, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs - Thomas Goffus
Former Assistant Secretary General-Operations, NATO - Moderator:
Heidi Grant
Partner, Elara Nova
Colorado B
Integrated Air & Missile Defense
- Johnathon Caldwell
Vice President & General Manager, Strategic & Missile Defense Systems, Lockheed Martin Space - Lukas Czinger
CEO, Divergent - Rob Fleming
Sector President, Northrop Grumman Space Systems - Jon Piatt
Executive Vice President, ISR, Aviation & Security, SNC - Moderator:
Col. Jennifer Reeves, USAF (Ret.)
Senior Fellow, Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence
Colorado C
Air-to-Air Sensors and Weapons
- Taylor Frank
Executive Director, Strategy & Development, Air Dominance, Boeing Defense, Space & Security - Dr. Dan “Animal” Javorsek
Chief Engineer, Aviation, Applied Intuition - Jon Norman
Vice President, Requirements & Capabilities for Air & Space Defense Systems, Raytheon, an RTX business - Steve Sargeant
CEO, Marvin Test Solutions - Moderator:
Maj. Gen. William D. Betts
Director of Plans, Programs, and Requirements, Air Combat Command
Aurora Ballroom
Leveraging Private Capital to Advance DAF Priorities
- Lt. Gen. Luke C.G. Cropsey
Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics - Brig. Gen. Jason Lindsey
Director of Strategic Plans, Programs, Requirements, and Analyses, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command - Dan Jablonsky
Former CEO, Ursa Major and Maxar Systems - Gareth Keane
Partner, In-Q-Tel - Moderator:
Brooke Stokes
Partner, McKinsey & Co. in the Aerospace & Defense practice
Colorado B
Desert Storm 35: A Turning Point in Warfare
- Gen. Lance Lord, USAF (Ret.)
Former Commander, Air Force Space Command - Lt. Gen. Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.)
Dean, AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies - Maj. Gen. Gregory Feest, USAF (Ret.)
F-117 Nighthawk pilot, dropped the first bomb of Desert Storm - Moderator:
Col. Richard Reynolds, USAF (Ret.)
Author, Heart of the Storm: The Genesis of the Air Campaign Against Iraq
Colorado C
Guardians in Space
- Maj. Gen. Robert W. Claude
Mobilization Assistant to the Chief of Space Operations - Brig. Gen. Matthew Cantore
Deputy Commander, Space Training and Readiness Command - Brig. Gen. Nick Hague
Assistant Deputy Chief of Space Operations - Tom Ayres
General Counsel, Starlab Space - Dr. Andrew Feustel
Lead Astronaut, Vast - Moderator:
Col. Kyle Pumroy, USSF (Ret.)
Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies, AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Aurora Ballroom
Defending the Homeland
- Gen. Stephen N. Whiting
Commander, U.S. Space Command - Gen. Gregory M. Guillot
Commander, U.S. Northern Command - Lt. Gen. Michael J. Lutton
Deputy Commander, U.S. Strategic Command - Moderator:
Gen. David D. Thompson, USSF (Ret.)
Former Vice Chief of Space Operations
Colorado B
Accelerating AI
- Chris Brown
Chief Technology Officer, Virtualitics - Nicky Pike
Field CTO, Coder - Jess Salzbrun
Chief Information Officer, Defense & Systems, GE Aerospace - Jay Theodore
CTO, ArcGIS Enterprise & AI, ESRI - Moderator:
Susan Davenport
Department of the Air Force Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer
Colorado C
Moving Target Indications from Space
- Dr. Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo
Acting Director, Space Development Agency - Dan Stewart
National Reconnaissance Office - Lt. Gen. Gregory J. Gagnon
Commander, U.S. Space Force Combat Forces Command - Moderator:
Col. Jennifer Reeves, USAF (Ret.)
Senior Fellow, Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence
Aurora Ballroom
Improving Readiness for Peer Conflict
- Gen. Adrian L. Spain
Commander, Air Combat Command - Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham
Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations - Lt. Gen. Rebecca “Reba” Sonkiss
Interim Commander, Air Mobility Command - Moderator:
Lt. Gen. Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.)
Dean, AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Colorado B
Realistic Training for Space
- Maj. Gen. James E. Smith
Commander, Space Training and Readiness Command - Brig. Gen. Nick Hague
Assistant Deputy Chief of Space Operations - Col. Agustin Carrero
Commander, Space Delta 11 (Ranges & Aggressors, Training & Exercises, Weapons School) - Lt. Col. Josh Print
Commander, 98th Space Range Squadron - Col. Kyle Pumroy, USSF (Ret.)
Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies, AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Colorado C
Long-Range Strike—With Speed
- Lt. Gen. Jason Armagost
Deputy Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command - Brig. Gen. Brian Laidlaw
Director of Operations, Air Combat Command - Tom Jones
President, Aeronautics Systems, Northrop Grumman Corporation - Mike Rothstein
Vice President, Strategy & Requirements, Air Weapons & Sensors, Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control - Moderator:
Lt. Gen. David S. Nahom, USAF (Ret.)
Former Commander Alaskan Command, 11th Air Force
Aurora Ballroom
Winning Above the Atmosphere: Future Technologies for Space Advantage
- Dr. Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo
Acting Director, Space Development Agency - Lt. Gen. Philip A. Garrant
Commander, Space Systems Command - Tory Bruno
President, National Security, Blue Origin - Robert Lightfoot
President, Lockheed Martin Space - Moderator:
Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno, USSF (Ret.)
Executive Director, International Partnerships, Elara Nova
Colorado B
Forward Air Base Defense
- Lt. Gen. Thorsten Poschwatta
Commander, German Air Operations Command - Brig. Gen. Chris McFarland
Director, Plans and Programs, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa - Thomas Goffus
Assistant Secretary General-Operations, NATO - Moderator:
Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, USAF (Ret.)
Former Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa
Colorado C
DAF Battle Network: Connecting Every Domain from Cloud to Constellation
- Brig. Gen. Jason Voorheis
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 - Shannon Pallone
Program Executive Officer, Battle Management, Command, Control, Communications, and Space Intelligence, USSF - Taylor “Bingo” Herron
Executive, Palantir Technologies - Moderator:
Heather Penney
Director of Studies and Research, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Aurora Exhibit Hall
Technology Exposition
Aurora Ballroom
What Satellite Imagery Can Tell Us About China’s Military Build Up
- J. Michael Dahm
Senior Fellow, AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Colorado B
Space Supply Chain Resilience
- Maj. Gen. David J. Sanford
Director, Logistics Operations (J3) and Commander, Joint Regional Combat Support, Defense Logistics Agency - Bradley Leonard
Director of Installations, Logistics and Product Support, Space Systems Command - Jeff Schrader
Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, Lockheed Martin Space - Moderator:
Col. Kevin Sampels, USAF (Ret.)
Senior Vice President of Operations, Systecon North America
Colorado C
Readiness for Anything: Leadership in the Trenches
- Chief Master Sgt. Kathleen McCool
Command Chief, Pacific Air Forces - Chief Master Sgt. Karmann-Monique Pogue
Command Senior Enlisted Leader, Space Training and Readiness Command - Chief Master Sgt. Joshua D. Moore
Command Chief, Air National Guard - Chief Master Sgt. Israel Nunez
Command Chief, Air Force Reserve - Moderator:
Dr. Patrick Donley, USAF (Ret.)
Director, AFA's Doolittle Leadership Center
Aurora Ballroom
Integrating CCAs into the Operational Force
- Brig. Gen. David C. Epperson
Commander, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center - Lt. Col. Matthew Jensen
Commander, Experimental Operations Unit, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. - Col. Timothy Helfrich
Portfolio Acquisition Executive, Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate - Moderator:
Heather Penney
Director of Studies and Research, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Colorado B
Target Indication from Space
- Daniel Dant
Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Mission Technology Solutions, KBR - Jon Rhone
Senior Program Director, SAIC - Brandon White
Vice President and General Manager, Multi-Domain Operations, Northrop Grumman - Moderator:
Col. Ryan Frazier
Acting PAE, Space-Based Sensing & Targeting
Colorado C
The Power of Digital Twins
- Austen Bruhn
Solution Engineer, Coder - Karr W. “Win” Farrell, Jr
Digital Transformation Officer, Space Force Range Contract, Amentum - Michael Foust
Executive Director, T-7 Services, Boeing - Peter Sommerkorn
Vice President, Military Development Programs, Pratt & Whitney an RTX Business - Moderator:
Dr. Michael Gregg
Director, Aerospace Systems Directorate
Aurora Ballroom
The Space Force We Need: Delivering a Combat-Ready Force in an Evolving Operational Environment
- Lt. Gen. Gregory J. Gagnon
Commander, U.S. Space Force Combat Forces Command - Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess
Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations
Colorado B
Integrating to Win: Finding the Jets to Fly, Fix and Fight
- Gen. Adrian L. Spain
Commander, Air Combat Command - Lt. Gen. John P. Healy
Commander, Air Force Reserve Command - Lt. Gen. Linda Hurry
Commander, Air Force Materiel Command - Maj. Gen. Bryony Terrell
Special Assistant to the Director, Air National Guard - Moderator:
Lt. Gen. Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.)
Dean, AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Colorado C
Rapid Spacecraft Development and Manufacturing
- Kevin Czinger
Founder, Lead Inventor, and Executive Chairman, Divergent - Chris Long
Deputy General Manager, Space, Cyber and Intelligence Systems, General Dynamics Mission Systems - Tony Ulloa-Severino
Vice President, Manufacturing, Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing Company - Moderator:
Col. Bryon E.C. McClain
Program Executive Officer for Space Combat Power, Space Systems Command
Aurora Ballroom
Acquisition Reform: A Warfighting Imperative
- Gen. Dale R. White
Director, Critical Major Weapon Systems, Office of the Secretary of War - William D. Bailey
Performing the Duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics - Thomas Ainsworth
Performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration - Maj. Gen. Stephen G. Purdy
Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration - Moderator:
Kirk Rieckhoff
Senior Partner and Leader of Global Defense and Security Practice, McKinsey & Co.
Colorado B
AI Autonomy in the Fight: How Agentic AI Is Transforming the Tempo of Air, Space, and Cyber Operations
- Lt. Gen. Luke C.G. Cropsey
Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics - Col. Timothy Helfrich
Portfolio Acquisition Executive, Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate - Shannon Pallone
Program Executive Officer, Battle Management, Command, Control, Communications, and Space Intelligence, USSF - Jonathan Hudgins
Strategic Growth Leader, Google - Moderator:
Maj. Gen. Kimberly Crider, USAF (Ret.)
Founding Partner, Elara Nova
Colorado C
Defending the Homeland from Small Drones
- Aaron Dann
Vice President, Connectivity and Network Solutions, Northrop Grumman - Travis Gomez
Director, Business Development, Engineering & Technology, Amentum - Tyler Griffin
C-UAS Program Director, Lockheed Martin Rotary & Mission Systems - Moderator:
Col. Jason Eckberg
Penetrating Persistent Multi-role Remotely Piloted Aircraft Division Chief
Aurora Ballroom
Readiness Informed Metrics: The New Measure of Readiness
- Brig. Gen. Brian Laidlaw
Director of Operations, Air Combat Command - Brig. Gen. Derek M. Salmi
Director of Operations, Strategic Deterrence, and Nuclear Integration, Air Mobility Command - Moderator:
John “JV” Venable
Senior Fellow, AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace
Colorado B
Priorities for the Air Force’s Future Force Design
- Mr. Thomas J. Lawhead
Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, Integration and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force - Lt. Gen. Jason Armagost
Deputy Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command - Gen. James “Mike” Holmes, USAF (Ret.)
Senior Advisor, Boeing Defense - Moderator:
Heather Penney
Director of Studies and Research, AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Colorado C
Dynamic Space Operations
- Dr. Kelly D. Hammett
Director and Program Executive Officer, Space Rapid Capabilities Office - Maj. Gen. Anthony Mastalir
Director of Global Space Operations (J3), Headquarters U.S. Space Command - Scott Forney
President, General Atomics Electromagnetics - Ryan Tintner
Vice President and General Manager, Northrop Grumman Space Systems - Moderator:
Col. Charles Galbreath, USSF (Ret.)
Senior Resident Fellow for Space Studies, AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Aurora Ballroom
Keynote Address—People and Purpose: The Foundation of Our Force
- Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David R. Wolfe
Mountain Pass Sports Bar
Rock the Rockies Reception