News
October 05, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. Autonomy, uncrewed systems, command and control (C2), artificial intelligence (AI), directed energy, long-range fires, and defense manufacturing are set to feature prominently during the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition, scheduled for Oct. 12-14 in Washington.
Autonomous and uncrewed systems will be one of the most visible technology threads running through the three-day conference. Tuesday’s program includes sessions examining the distinction between launched effects and loitering munitions, the integration of autonomy into warfighting, and cooperation with allied partners on uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and counter-uncrewed aircraft systems (C-UAS). Wednesday will continue the discussion with a session focused on aviation manned-unmanned teaming and launched effects.
The agenda also places considerable emphasis on the networks and data architectures needed to connect those systems. Sessions will address data-centric multidomain operations, scaling C2 for the joint fight, interoperability, and an Army C2 acquisition blueprint aimed at accelerating readiness. Another session, Project Flytrap, will examine the use of a data-centric kill web to support offensive maneuver, highlighting the Army’s interest in moving information among sensors, commanders, and weapons more quickly.
Artificial intelligence and cyber operations will also be part of the technology discussion. A Monday session on AI-enabled cyber defense and critical-infrastructure resilience is set to examine how increasingly automated tools could be applied to defensive cyber operations. Other sessions will look at intelligence support to counter-C2 effects and the broader challenge of integrating information from distributed systems across the battlefield.
Weapons and effects are another major area of focus. The conference will include discussions on combining directed-energy and kinetic effects, expanding long-range precision fires, distinguishing different classes of autonomous and semi-autonomous weapons, and increasing the production capacity needed to supply future operations. A separate forum will examine how the Army can transform munitions production and industrial partnerships to expand the arsenal.
The agenda also connects those operational technologies with the industrial and acquisition systems behind them. Sessions on advanced manufacturing, supply-chain risk management, acquisition reform, and interoperability suggest that AUSA 2026 will focus not only on new platforms and weapons but also on how the Army develops, integrates, upgrades, produces, and sustains the electronics, software, sensors, communications systems, and autonomous capabilities that increasingly underpin them.
Source: militaryembedded.com
