ODIA Defense Briefing - Built to Sustain - Preparing Oklahoma for the Future of Defense Readiness w/ Mr. Jeff Carter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Product Support (Acquisition)

The briefing explores evolving Navy priorities and how Oklahoma capabilities can contribute in strategic deterrence, aviation sustainment, advanced manufacturing, autonomy, emerging technology, and the broader defense industrial base. It is intended to help industry, military, academic, and government partners understand the challenges the Navy is working to solve and align Oklahoma’s people, infrastructure, and capabilities with future mission needs. The program includes a fireside chat.

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.

The meeting brings together leaders from the Department of War, industry, manufacturing institutes, and academia to address the future of American defense manufacturing. Program themes include industrial surge and production capacity, supply-chain resilience, advanced manufacturing, manufacturing modernization, and priorities for strengthening the Defense Industrial Base. The format includes high-level briefings, panel discussions, and fireside chats with senior leaders.

The briefing recounts the HIDE program at North American Aviation in Tulsa and the engineers who worked on low-observable systems for aircraft, missiles, and submarines. Topics include structural radar absorbers used on the AGM-28 Hound Dog missile; radar-absorbing systems on the B-1B; and the HIDE-descended B-1B and Tomahawk programs. The discussion also connects Oklahoma’s aerospace talent development and Tinker modernization to Guard and industry responses to emerging threats such as drone defense. The engineers will share the story publicly together in the city where they built the program.

The discussion traces the HIDE group’s early stealth work in Tulsa, beginning with efforts to reduce the detectability of the AGM-28 Hound Dog cruise missile using structural radar absorbers. The program’s work later touched stealth drones flown in Vietnam, stealth-related submarine technology, and the B-1B bomber. The event connects that history to Oklahoma’s defense industry.

The program aligns U.S. military priorities, executive-order implementation, congressional funding, acquisition pathways, industrial-base capacity, and operational requirements for uncrewed systems. Sessions address defense acquisition reform; FY27 funding and investment signals; the Drone Dominance Program; domestic manufacturing capacity and supply-chain resilience; small-business pathways into defense markets; and export markets, financing, and export controls. Other themes include Army and Air Force autonomy fielding, congressional oversight, lessons from Ukraine, maritime security, undersea infrastructure, and scaling uncrewed surface and undersea systems. The program identifies Executive Orders 14265, 14268, 14307, 14372, and 14415 among the policy frameworks discussed. Featured speakers include Admiral Thomas Allan, Jr., Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard; William Kimmitt, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade; and Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering and Department of War Chief Technology Officer. Registration is restricted to U.S. citizens and citizens of allied or partner nations; the event is closed to media.

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 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.

Theme: “Winning on the Factory Floor: Rebuilding the Arsenal of Freedom.” The conference focuses on logistics, sustainment, and supply chain excellence, including industry partnerships, innovation, and operational efficiency aimed at delivering capabilities to warfighters. Discussions address challenges and solutions driving defense readiness across logistics and acquisition, aviation, and land and maritime sectors.