AAAA Cribbins Futures Forum 2026

The workshop typically covers research and development work on state-of-the-art aerospace battery technologies, flight and ground test data, on-orbit operation and problem resolution efforts, and related issues. It is open to governments, industry, and academia.

The summit brings together the Army Aviation community for professional sessions, leadership panels, project manager program updates, open-mic workshops, and an exhibit hall. Program topics include increasing Army combat power; the Army in transition; future combat; driving innovation; sustaining combat power; special operations aviation; Cheyenne capabilities and opportunities; cavalry heritage and combined-arms, all-domain maneuver; evolving the combat aviation brigade for joint all-domain maneuver; allied-nation defense; airspace management; next-generation command and control; joint targeting; and contested logistics. Project updates cover Attack, AMSA, Utility, Cargo, and FLRAA-Cheyenne programs. The program also includes aviation warrant officer readiness and an enlisted branch update. The opening professional session features a keynote on increasing Army combat power. The exhibit hall and professional sessions are listed as free for attendees; separately ticketed meals and events have additional prices.

The forum focuses on Army Aviation Maintenance & Sustainment and the Organic Industrial Base, including opportunities for Corpus Christi Army Depot and industry to partner on business opportunities and improve awareness and efficiency. Program topics include global aviation supply-chain depth and preparing for peace and war; advanced manufacturing; the Army Materiel Command Organic Industrial Base Integration Office; public-private partnerships; shared challenges and opportunities in the Defense Industrial Base; Army Materiel Command priorities; and the risks and rewards of artificial intelligence in the Defense Industrial Base.

The program focuses on weapon-system maintenance and sustainment, readiness, and defense industrial base revitalization. Plenary and breakout sessions examine acquisition authorities and faster capability delivery; domestic manufacturing, industrial-base investment, and workforce capacity; contested logistics and forward maintenance; munitions lifecycle management; resilient supply chains; and the application of AI, advanced manufacturing, software, and digital engineering to sustainment. Specific discussions include the Portfolio Acquisition Executive authorities under the Warfighting Acquisition System; the Major Weapon Systems and Critical Munitions Readiness Campaign Plan; EO 14415 supply-chain mapping and illumination; and public-private co-production, technical data and right to repair, intellectual property, and capital requirements for industrial-base expansion. The Weapon Systems Software Summit covers applied AI and autonomous systems, DevSecOps and software factories, cybersecurity and Zero Trust, digital engineering, data and cloud architecture, acquisition policy, and workforce and talent management. Associated forums address corrosion prevention, provisioning and cataloging, defense working-capital funds, depot capabilities, allied co-sustainment, and supply-chain risk management. The program also includes a Maintenance Innovation Challenge and a co-located Maintenance and Logistics Exhibition with a Maintenance Yard.

Brings government and industry together for strategic insights, direct engagement, and updates shaping future requirements and procurement priorities. The forum offers focused access to Air Force procurement officials responsible for training and simulation products and services. Topics include program updates from the Simulators Program Office and Simulator Branch; requirements and priorities involving 19th AF, ACC, AETC, AFGSC, AFNG, AFRL, AFSOC, HAF A3T, AMC, and PACAF; and emerging capability gaps, modernization priorities, and funding direction.

The symposium focuses on Army materiel readiness, sustainment, logistics, acquisition, modernization, and the defense industrial base. Its stated themes include logistics, maintenance, supply, and lifecycle management; accelerating capability development and integrating emerging technologies; and partnerships among Army organizations, government, industry, and academia. Programming is described as strategic discussions and professional development centered on acquisition, experimentation, readiness, and modernization. The event is open to interested parties, subject to AUSA’s stated identifiable-relationship criteria and its right to deny admission or cancel registration.

The 2027 forum theme, “Resilience in a Changing World,” examines tools, approaches, and breakthroughs intended to strengthen resilience across aerospace, defense, and the broader engineering enterprise amid rapid technological and global change. The program combines technical sessions focused on research and technologies addressing specific problems with plenary and Forum 360 sessions on issues affecting aerospace. It serves civil, commercial, and national security sectors and connects academic, industry, and government professionals. Featured speakers include James Kenyon, Associate Administrator of NASA’s Research and Technology Mission Directorate; Daniel Hettema, Director of Digital Engineering, Modeling & Simulation at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering; and Sha-Chelle Devlin Manning, Chief of Commercial Strategy at DARPA.

The 2026 conference marks NTSA’s 60th anniversary and centers on the U.S. Army lead-service theme, “Beyond the Battlefield: Training Readiness and Lethality for All-Domain Dominance!” The program combines executive presentations, technical papers, tutorials, professional development workshops, special events, and Next Big Thing talks focused on modeling, simulation, training, education, AI, autonomous systems, synthetic environments, operational test and evaluation, acquisition modernization, digital engineering, digital twins, cyber and information warfare, and the defense industrial base. Featured content includes an Industry Keynote by Brandon Tseng, President & Co-Founder, Shield AI; a Featured Government Keynote by Amy Henninger, SES, Ph.D., Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E), DoW; and senior-leader discussions involving LTGEN Austin, USMC; MAJ GEN Cropsey, USAF; and MAJ GEN Smith, USSF. Special events include the Congressional M&S Caucus; Digital First discussions on defense acquisition through AI, digital engineering, simulation, and digital twins; Building an AI Ready Military Force; a Naval Aviation Flag Officer Panel; NATO mission-space digital twins; Air Force maintenance training; cyber, electromagnetic, wargaming, and information warfare; and program briefs on training acquisition and the All-Domain Marine. The program also includes perspectives from government, industry, academia, and international partners.

A B2B event focused on aerospace and defense supply chains, manufacturing capabilities, services, and technologies. Suppliers, service providers, engineering, supply chain, procurement, and product development teams connect through pre-arranged one-to-one meetings; attendance is reserved for vetted professionals. The first day features presentations by executives and leaders covering commercial and military programs at Collins, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. Topics include market-segment trends, challenges and opportunities, supplier expectations, manufacturing automation, and information integration.

A premier aerospace R&D forum exploring the science, technologies, and capabilities transforming aerospace. The 2027 theme, “Resilience in a Changing World,” focuses on adaptation and innovation across aerospace, defense, and the broader engineering enterprise. Featured speakers include Tim Costa, Vice President and General Manager for Industrial and Computational Engineering at NVIDIA; Kerri Phillips, Technical Director for Missiles at Hanwha Defense USA; Will Roper, Founder and CEO of Istari Digital; and Brig. Gen. Douglas P. Wickert, USAF, Commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory.