AUVSI Defense 2026

About AUVSI Defense

AUVSI Defense is a defence uncrewed-systems leadership summit scheduled for 9 November–10 November 2026 at Nationals Park, Washington, DC, United States. What distinguishes the event is that it gives manufacturing capacity, supply chains, procurement and workforce development equal weight with vehicle technology. The published format uses off-the-record leadership conversations and programme sessions centred on capability integration, industrial scale and acquisition. This structure lets participants follow the relationship between military uncrewed systems and robotics and artificial intelligence, while also seeing how multi-domain integration affects real systems and programmes. AUVSI Defense is relevant to space and aerospace organisations because defence space and aerospace programmes face similar autonomy, rapid-integration, resilient-supply-chain and acquisition challenges. The defence autonomy summit should therefore be read through its primary technical identity, not described as a generic space conference. The current AUVSI Defense programme remains the authority for individual sessions, contributors and access arrangements. For the 2026 AUVSI Defense edition, the venue and dates establish the practical context, while the subject matter determines whether the meeting fits a particular team.

Event history and organiser

AUVSI developed the summit as a focused meeting for defence leaders working across uncrewed systems, robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomy. Current information for this defence autonomy summit is published by Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). The 2026 meeting at Nationals Park, Washington, DC, United States gives this defence autonomy summit a specific setting; it does not imply that every earlier programme, contributor or participation condition will repeat. Its continuing identity rests on military uncrewed systems, robotics and artificial intelligence and the specialist community working across those areas. The development of this defence autonomy summit also reflects a wider shift towards multi-domain integration in aerospace and adjacent technical sectors. For AUVSI Defense 2026, Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is the authority for current edition facts, while the linked institutional source provides context for the event family and organising relationship.

Topics and themes

The 2026 programme connects its central subjects through the event’s defence uncrewed-systems leadership summit format, giving each theme a clear relationship to the wider technical purpose.

• Military uncrewed systems: the programme connects robotics and artificial intelligence with the methods, constraints and decisions faced by defence technology leaders.
• Robotics and artificial intelligence: the programme connects multi-domain integration with the methods, constraints and decisions faced by uncrewed-system companies.
• Multi-domain integration: the programme connects manufacturing and supply chains with the methods, constraints and decisions faced by government acquisition teams.
• Manufacturing and supply chains: the programme connects acquisition and workforce development with the methods, constraints and decisions faced by autonomy engineers.
• Acquisition and workforce development: the programme connects military uncrewed systems with the methods, constraints and decisions faced by manufacturing and supply-chain executives.

Who should attend?

The defence autonomy summit is principally for defence technology leaders, uncrewed-system companies and government acquisition teams. These groups can use its programme to compare work on military uncrewed systems with developments in robotics and artificial intelligence, identify relevant research or suppliers and understand the constraints shaping implementation. Autonomy engineers bring a complementary perspective where the programme reaches multi-domain integration, while manufacturing and supply-chain executives may find value in sessions closest to their current responsibilities. The defence autonomy summit is less suitable for unrelated general-interest visits because its usefulness depends on a defined technical or professional connection. Prospective attendees should check the current programme before registering. For AUVSI Defense 2026, a direct match between programme and professional role matters more than broad sector interest alone.

Practical information

The defence autonomy summit is scheduled for 9 November–10 November 2026 at Nationals Park, Washington, DC, United States. Before travelling to AUVSI Defense 2026, confirm the current programme, registration status, venue access and event-specific conditions through the official information. Anyone attending AUVSI Defense 2026 in Washington, DC, United States should also recheck local transport, accommodation and arrival instructions before making bookings.