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| Air, Space & Cyber Conference | |
|---|---|
| Name | Air, Space & Cyber Conference |
| Genre | Conference |
| Venue | Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center |
| Location | National Harbor, Maryland |
| Country | United States |
| First | 2012 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Organizer | Air & Space Forces Association |
| Attendance | 10,000+ |
Air, Space & Cyber Conference is an annual professional conference focused on aerospace, space operations, and cyber operations that convenes military, industry, and policy leaders. The conference brings together senior officials from the United States Department of Defense, United States Air Force, United States Space Force, and allied defense establishments alongside representatives from Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, and other defense contractors. It serves as a forum for discussions involving policymakers from the United States Congress, senior officers from NATO, and executives from technology firms such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Google, and Palantir Technologies.
The conference emphasizes interoperability among United States Strategic Command, United States Cyber Command, Air Combat Command, Space Systems Command, and allied units including RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, and French Air and Space Force. Panels often feature analyses from think tanks like the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Brookings Institution, RAND Corporation, and Heritage Foundation while legal perspectives are offered by experts tied to the Department of Justice, NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, and the International Court of Justice. Corporate briefings highlight programs involving the F-35 Lightning II, B-21 Raider, KC-46 Pegasus, MQ-9 Reaper, and satellite constellations such as Starlink and OneWeb.
The event evolved from predecessor gatherings hosted by the Air Force Association and expanded after the establishment of the United States Space Force and the elevation of cyber operations in defense planning. Notable years featured appearances by officials from the Pentagon, secretaries from the Department of the Air Force, and committee chairs from the House Armed Services Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee. Historical panels have referenced operations and campaigns including Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Kosovo War, and strategic discussions informed by lessons from the Gulf War and the Cold War. Industry announcements at the conference have paralleled milestones such as procurement decisions related to the Joint Strike Fighter program and initiatives like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency projects.
Typical tracks cover topics connecting Space Development Agency architectures, National Reconnaissance Office requirements, and Defense Information Systems Agency cyber infrastructure with sessions addressing resilience, deterrence, and acquisition reform. Workshops feature leaders from United States Strategic Command, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Aviation Administration, and representatives of the European Defence Agency discussing airspace integration, satellite rendezvous, and offensive cyber capabilities. Panels include participation from academics affiliated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Naval Postgraduate School, and Georgetown University focusing on doctrine, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and autonomy for systems like the X-37B and RQ-4 Global Hawk.
Keynotes have been delivered by senior figures including secretaries from the Department of Defense, chiefs from the United States Air Force, commanders from United States Space Command, and directors from the National Reconnaissance Office. Other notable participants include members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, leaders from European Command, officials from the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), and corporate CEOs from BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Thales Group, and Leonardo S.p.A.. Distinguished scholars and former officials such as those associated with the Carter Center, Aspen Institute, and former chairs of the Armed Services Committees frequently join debates on strategy and ethics.
Exhibits showcase prototypes and deployed platforms from Sikorsky Aircraft, General Atomics, L3Harris Technologies, and small satellite vendors participating in rideshare programs tied to NASA launches and commercial launch providers like SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and Rocket Lab. Live demonstrations may feature unmanned aerial systems, cyber defense tools from vendors such as CrowdStrike and FireEye, and secure communications solutions from firms like Harris Corporation and Inmarsat. The exhibition hall also brings suppliers of mission planning systems used by units operating E-3 Sentry, C-17 Globemaster III, and space control assets derived from SBIRS and other infrared surveillance programs.
The conference influences procurement priorities, fosters bilateral and multilateral relationships among militaries including those from Japan Self-Defense Forces, Republic of Korea Armed Forces, and German Air Force, and accelerates collaboration between defense firms, startups from Y Combinator, and research centers such as Lincoln Laboratory. Policy statements and demonstration results announced at the conference have affected budgets debated in the United States Congress and shaped alliance postures within NATO and partners in the Indo-Pacific Command. Thought leadership from the event contributes to doctrine in areas tied to deterrence by denial, resilience of space architectures, and cyber norms discussed at forums like the United Nations General Assembly.
The event is organized by the Air & Space Forces Association with sponsorship from major defense primes including Lockheed Martin, Boeing Defense, Space & Security, Northrop Grumman Corporation, and Raytheon Technologies Corporation. Supporting partners have included technology firms such as IBM, Cisco Systems, Oracle Corporation, and cloud providers like Amazon Web Services. Academic partners and institutional supporters have included United States Air Force Academy, Air University, and professional societies such as the Association of Old Crows and National Defense Industrial Association.
Category:Conferences Category:Aerospace events Category:Defense industry