Defense IT Summit

This conversation will provide a view of the legislative landscape and the technology priorities set by Congress shaping defense mission. Learn how congressional oversight, funding decisions and policy requirements are driving modernization in areas like AI, zero trust and acquisition at the Pentagon. 

The Pentagon’s new plan to overhaul defense acquisition centers speed and impact to more quickly deploy and field essential military technology. Officials will discuss the structural changes to the new strategy, including streamlining requirements and reforming the protest process.

AI is reshaping national security to safeguard critical infrastructure, train warfighters and systems, and deploy tech more quickly. Officials will address the critical implementation challenges the DOW faces in moving AI from pilot projects and labs to operational capability at the speed required for decision advantage. Experts will explore AI uses cases, the rise of agentic systems and other strategies to bring emerging technology into the national security ecosystem.

With a federal mandate to implement zero-trust architectures by fiscal 2027, the DOW has made significant strides across services to advance its cyber posture. Defense IT leaders will break down the policies and implementation progress that are boosting cyber resiliency and protecting defense networks.

War Department officials are reevaluating and modernizing IT resources to strengthen mission execution against rapidly advancing national security threats. Officials will break down how agencies are driving progress in wireless connectivity, cloud adoption, CMMC compliance, research and development, DevSecOps integration and enterprise risk-management approaches to stay ahead of adversaries.

We’ll announce our next batch of Flywheel Award winners, recognizing distinguished leaders and their work in federal government.

The flywheel — a critical component in a machine to increase its momentum — is also a critical symbol representing our goal to keep federal IT decision-makers informed on technology’s impact on government. This momentum is what fuels the constant need for transformers to innovate around the defense systems, infrastructure and tools that are keeping our nation safe.

Categories include: Rising Star, Emerging Tech Innovator, Cyber Defender, Digital Transformer and Data Advocate.

The Pentagon is accelerating data modernization to enable mission leaders to access and act on information faster. This panel will examine how the military services are connecting disparate networks, improving data quality, enabling interoperability, and leveraging AI and analytics to transform decision-making across defense operations.

Pentagon IT leadership briefs what’s ahead for defense IT and cybersecurity modernization priorities.