AIAA SciTech Forum 2028

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.

A Secret/NOFORN forum for aerospace and defense leaders addressing strategic, programmatic, and technical challenges, as well as policy issues affecting the aerospace and national security communities. The forum requires attendees to hold final U.S. SECRET or higher clearance.

A professional development event for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, and the aerospace and defense industry, focused on critical concerns and challenges of joint warfare. The symposium draws speakers from the Air Force, Space Force, combatant commands, industry, and the joint force, and includes dynamic exhibits. A 2027 agenda and named speakers were not listed on the event pages reviewed.

The summit gathers Air Force and Space Force modeling, simulation, and analytics experts to learn about new initiatives and techniques and consider how modeling and simulation can move more training from the real world to digital. It provides a forum for shared information and connection across military services, the Department of War, industry, academia, and international partners. Focus areas include AI, machine learning and cloud; augmented, mixed, extended and virtual reality; analytics; digital engineering; healthcare simulations; joint coalition; multi-domain environments; and test evaluation and experimentation. Panel themes include senior leadership, Digital Space Range, NCO, Resilient, Ready & Responsive Airmen and Guardians, and Partner to Win. The summit also includes an industry exhibition and classified briefings.

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.

Focuses on moving Indo-Pacific strategy into implementation through operational readiness, deterrence, forward force posture, alliances and partnerships, defense industrial capacity, and regional economic resilience. Themes include delivering combat power forward through speed, scale, and sustainment; coalition integration and networked deterrence; mobilizing industrial capacity; decision advantage through AI, data, and the information domain; and securing supply chains and strategic resources. Discussion topics include distributed logistics and sustainment, forward maintenance and repair, space-enabled sensing and missile defense, information-sharing and interoperability, integration of Pacific Island nations, production and repair acceleration, acquisition and contracting authorities, allied industrial capacity, private investment, operational uses of AI and data, and manufacturing and energy investments that reduce strategic vulnerabilities. The forum emphasizes operational examples, identifying barriers to execution, connecting industry and venture capital with government needs, and developing actionable recommendations for policymakers, planners, and industry.

The technical program includes a joint AeroMat symposium on advanced coatings for aerospace and industrial gas turbines, including thermal and environmental barrier coatings, turbine clearance control, load-bearing and tribological coatings, component repair, and cold spray for aerospace applications. Research and development topics include AI and machine learning for materials and process informatics; modeling and simulation; carbon neutrality, environmental impacts, and life-cycle analysis; characterization methods; cold-spray fundamentals and particle impact; aerosol deposition; novel coatings and feedstock materials; and hybrid, laser, and additive manufacturing processes. Application areas include automotive and medical uses; battery and sustainable-energy applications; electronics and semiconductor manufacturing equipment; thermal-spray additive manufacturing; equipment, powders, consumables, and economics; circular-economy repair and remanufacturing; and wear and corrosion protection across energy, oil and gas, marine, manufacturing, construction, and food processing. The conference also includes oral and poster presentations, panel discussions, keynote presentations, and an industrial forum. The co-located exposition features thermal-spray equipment, advanced surface solutions, additive manufacturing technologies, consumables, and applied research.

The forum focuses on the Army Aviation Roadmap and the industrial base, sustainment, and acquisition. Its program includes discussion of Army transformation and the organic industrial base, with opportunities for briefings involving project managers, Army aviation transformation and future-capability leaders, original equipment manufacturers, and other industry leaders. Professional sessions address the industrial base, the Army Aviation Roadmap, sustainment and the organic industrial base, acquisition, integration of the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Maneuver Air portfolio, force modernization, the operating environment, the Pentagon landscape, and future warfighting concepts. Exhibit-hall open-mic panels cover cargo; attack and reconnaissance; utility aircraft; uncrewed aircraft systems; next-generation command and control; AMCOM sustainment; counter-drone systems; aviation mission systems and architecture; tactical aviation and ground munitions; and MV-75 Cheyenne opportunities.

Technical programming covers aerospace materials and applications, including additive manufacturing; advanced forming and thermomechanical processing; aerospace coatings; AI and integrated computational materials engineering; composite materials and structures; emerging materials and processes; extreme-environment and gas-turbine materials; light alloy technology; low-cost manufacturing and affordable structures; materials characterization and failure analysis; modeling and simulation of manufacturing processes; multifunctional materials; residual stress for aerospace components; space and cryogenic applications; sustainable and enabling materials and processes; titanium alloys and manufacturing technologies; tribology and wear of aerospace materials; and welding and joining. The conference also includes keynote presentations, panel discussions, an exposition, and professional development opportunities. The detailed schedule and keynote lineup have not yet been published.