Disruptive Technology for Future Warfare

Sponsored by the National Defense University’s (NDU) Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS), this conference addresses the question: How can the Department of Defense (DoD) effectively adapt emerging and disruptive technologies for future warfare and engage the defense industrial base (DIB) to compete with and remain ahead of global adversaries?

Speakers will include senior members from the U.S. military and the Department of Defense, as well as representatives from academia, think tanks, and the private sector. The morning panel sessions will focus on Transformative Military and Battlefield Technologies and Information and Intelligence, while the afternoon panels will address Disruptive Biotechnologies and Leveraging Partners and Allies.

The conference will take place on 4 September 2025 at the NDU campus on Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, DC.

To reserve a spot, please register by 08 August 2025 via Eventbrite.

IMPORTANT: Due to limited capacity, you may be placed on a waitlist for in-person participation. All registrants will receive a confirmation email by 15 August indicating their participation status (in-person or virtual). Virtual participants will receive a link in a separate email.

In-person participants will receive further information in their confirmation email about base access, parking, and lunch options. Lunch will be available for purchase; specific menu selections and fees will be provided.

To speak with an event organizer, you may contact:

• Mr. Darien Shedrick at [email protected] regarding administrative aspects of the workshop.

• Dr. James Giordano at [email protected] for information regarding the conference program

We hope that you will be able to join us in September for this important and timely event!

Info: This panel focuses on the current state of emerging technologies, their implications on future warfare and the joint warfighter in the next ten to fifteen years, and how the focus, scope, and contingencies of the DIB can augment their progress.

Info: This panel assesses how information systems (i.e.- big data processing, machine learning, artificial intelligence) are affecting the contemporary and near future battlescape; and how the DIB can be best leveraged to optimize progress incorporating these systems to facilitate progress research, development and use of AI to fortify warfighting and the joint warfighter.

Info: This "fireside chat" will explore how the industrial sector can - and should - provide transformative technological progress to support the joint warfighter and maximize strategic advantages. It will assess how industry addresses risks, safety, and ethical considerations to optimize effectiveness and efficiency.

Info: This panel defines new biotechnological advancements, identifies and assesses gaps in science and technology and explores how engaging the DIB can minimize such gaps, and addresses the benefits, burdens, and risks these advancements pose to warfighting.

Info: This panel addresses ways that the DoD, through the DIB, can engage commercial and international allied partners to advance technological initiatives that support the warfighter.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

National Defense University, 300 5th Avenue Southwest, Washington, United States