ODIA Defense Briefing - Hidden No More: Oklahoma’s Untold Role in American Stealth

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 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 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 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.

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.

The showcase focuses on manufacturing solutions for aerospace, mobility, and defense applications, with an emphasis on flexibility, speed, and adaptability. APEX Accelerators will host small-group Knowledge Bar sessions on conducting business safely and securely in the defense industry and other federal departments. The AeroDef Strategic Advisory Council curates the aerospace and defense tracks of the colocated RAPID + TCT Conference. Those tracks cover additive manufacturing applications and supporting technologies, including AI, automation, advanced materials, digital manufacturing, qualification, and inspection.

Theme: “Shared Deterrence: Delivering Asymmetric Depth through Collaborative Autonomy.” The symposium focuses on using autonomous systems as sensory and jamming nodes to extend electronic warfare effects into the battlespace, reduce physical risk to warfighters, preserve kinetic magazines, and strengthen spectrum dominance. Topics include collaborative autonomy and uncrewed delivery; next-generation EW payloads and cognitive algorithms; open architecture and coalition interoperability; and deploying non-kinetic capabilities through integration and interoperability. The AOC and Mugu Crows Chapter hold the symposium under a co-sponsorship agreement with NAWCWD. Sessions require security clearance: the first two days are US Secret, releasable to Australia and the United Kingdom; the final day is US Secret only. Attendance is open to appropriately cleared citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.

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 program addresses Executive Order implementation, the FAA Reauthorization Act, secure supply chains and the FCC Covered List, aircraft certification, and airspace coordination. Featured officials include Steven Haines, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry & Analysis; Congresswoman Dina Titus; and Senator Peter Welch. Sessions examine NASA’s plans for future air transportation; federal agency UAS operations and procurement; FAA EIPP progress; state and local pathways for advanced air mobility; vertiports, corridors, grid integration, and spectrum allocation; large-UAS operational approvals; collision avoidance and detect-and-avoid; FCC enforcement; automated flight rules; retail and commercial drone markets; and the policy agenda for drones and AAM. Further program topics include counter-UAS policy for major events, Part 146 certification, industry responses to NPRM 2209, air traffic control investment, coordination between first-responder and commercial drone operations, UAS supply-chain security and domestic manufacturing, cellular integration and spectrum access, U.S. export opportunities, EU certifications and cybersecurity regulations, and state, local, and tribal drone operations.

The summit brings together military, government, industry, and academic leaders to examine current and emerging capabilities in air and missile defense. Discussion will address operational challenges, evolving threats, and future requirements shaping surface-to-air missile systems.