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DIA TECHINT 2026

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Tuesday, July 28, 2026 to Wednesday, July 29, 2026

National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Chantilly, VA

Conference

Homeland Security

Agenda

Racing Against the Beam: Technical Response to Directed Energy Threats

Day 1 - Tuesday, July 28

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.	REGISTRATION AND NETWORKING BREAKFAST
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.	ADMINISTRATIVE REMARKS & SECURITY BRIEFING Speaker Mr. Ray Cross Vice President of Intelligence, AFCEA International
8:30 a.m. – 8:55 a.m.	OPENING REMARKS Speaker Lt. Gen. James Adams, USMC Director, Defense Intelligence Agency
8:55 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.	KEYNOTE This keynote will provide an operational perspective on directive energy threats and the Air Force’s approach to counter-DEW capabilities. Drawing from the unique vantage point of Air Force, the address will examine how DEW threats are evolving and the strategic imperatives for developing effective countermeasures. Speaker Maj. Gen. Brian Sidari, USSF Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Intelligence, U.S. Space Force
9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.	NATIONAL MASINT OFFICE Speaker Mr. Joselyn Lloyd Bell, Jr Chief, MASINT Office Chair, National MASINT Committee
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.	NETWORKING BREAK
10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.	DEW THREAT ASSESSMENT Speaker Mr. Jesse Morgan Vice Chair, WSSIC Committee
11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.	C-DEW BLUE FORCE PROTECTION R&D Speaker Dr. Jen DeCerbo Chief of Photonic Materials Branch, Air Force Research Lab
11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.	NETWORKING LUNCH
12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.	FIRESIDE CHAT: DEW/C-DEW WARFIGHTER & IC PERSPECTIVES This interactive discussion brings together senior operational and intelligence leaders to examine DEW threats from multiple vantage points. The conversation will explore real-world warfighter concerns and strategies for maintaining a competitive advantage against adversary directed energy systems. Moderator Dr. John Huth Former Chief of Space Counter Space, Defense Intelligence Agency Speakers Dr. John Matyjas, SES Chief Scientist, Air Combat Command Mr. Kent Breedlove Deputy Director for Intelligence, U.S. Indo Pacific Command, J2
1:45 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.	TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE: USAF
2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.	TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE: NASIC Speaker Col. Shaun Easley, USAF Deputy Commander National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), U.S. Air Force
2:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.	TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE: SPACE COUNTER SPACE Speaker Dr. Dan Berdine Space/Counterspace, MASINT Development for DEW, Defense Intelligence Agency
3:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.	SIGINT CONTRIBUTIONS TO DEW Speaker Mr. Forrest Boone Lead, Mission Systems Engineering, National Reconnaissance Office
3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.	TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE: PED (COLLECTION & PHASE 0/1) Speakers Mr. Jesse Morgan Vice Chair, WSSIC Committee Mr. Paul S.
4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.	DAY ONE CLOSING COMMENTS

Day 2 - Wednesday, July 29

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.	REGISTRATION AND NETWORKING BREAKFAST
8:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.	ADMINISTRATIVE REMARKS Speaker Mr. Ray Cross Vice President for Intelligence, AFCEA International
8:15 a.m. – 8:40 a.m.	KEYNOTE A senior NRO representative will present the national reconnaissance perspective on Counter-DEW concerns, with particular emphasis on protecting space-based assets. This session will highlight current NRO initiatives for asset protection and resilience, while identifying critical technology to maintain operational advantages in an increasingly contested environment. Speaker Mr. Russ Jeffries Director, Missions Integration Office, National Reconnaissance Office
8:40 a.m. – 9:25 a.m.	TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE: PANEL DISCUSSION This expert panel convenes senior leaders from across the intelligence community to address detecting, characterizing, and analyzing directed energy weapons. Representatives from multiple intelligence agencies will examine the full intelligence cycle, from initial collection through the final dissemination and identify opportunities for enhanced collaboration. Moderator Dr. Eric Hildebrand Co-Founder of the U.S. MASINT Foundation Speakers Dr. Carl Brenner Technical Advisor of Geospatial & Signatures Intelligence Group, National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) Mr. Patrick Mclnerney Deputy Chief Architect, National Reconnaissance Office
9:25 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.	NETWORKING BREAK
9:55 a.m. – 10:55 a.m.	C-DEW COMMUNITY EFFORTS NRO RESILIENCY Speaker Mr. Dave Adams Senior Technical Director for Survivable Assurance Officer, National Reconnaissance Office AFRL NEW SENSOR DEVELOPMENT Speaker Dr. John Gibson Senior Electronics Engineer, Air Force Research Lab AFRL MATERIALS: HOMELANDER Speaker Dr. Leo Gonzales C-DEW Space Direction Lead, Air Force Research Lab SOLSTICE Speaker Dr. Brian Borak Program Manager, Intelligence Advance Research Project Activities
10:55 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.	U.S. MASINT FOUNDATION Speaker Dr. Eric Hildebrand Co-Founder, U.S. MASINT Foundation
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.	NETWORKING LUNCH
12:30 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.	OFFICE OF THE UNDERSECRETARY OF WAR R&E KEYNOTE Speaker Dr. Peter Highnam Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E))
12:45 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.	OUSW (R&E) PANEL DISCUSSION Moderator Dr. Peter Highnam Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)) Speakers Dr. Byran Dorland Principal Director, Space Technologies, OUSW(R&E)/Critical Technologies Mr. Duane Neal Deputy Senior Official, Scaled Directed Energy, OUSW(R&E)/Critical Technologies Dr. Kerri Dugan Senior Advisor to the Principal Deputy Secretary of War for Critical Technologies Dr. Susanne Miller Subject Matter Expert for Detection, OUSW(R&E)
1:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.	LIGHTNING TALKS This rapid-fire session showcases cutting-edge research and emerging technologies from industry, academia, and research organizations across the technology readiness spectrum. Each 15-miute presentation will highlight innovative approaches. The lightning talks provide a dynamic forum for R&D partners to present novel concepts and prototypes, fostering dialogue on potential transitions and collaborations. Moderator Dr. Theresa Watson Chief Operating Officer, KEGMAN Inc. Laser Dazzling for Countering Autonomous Vision Systems Speaker Dr. Luke Johnson Optical Engineering Group Lead, MITRE New Modeling Capabilities in HARDSHELL Speaker Ms. Erin Tomlinson Technical Staff, MIT Lincoln Laboratory Cold Salsa Speaker Mr. Sean Keller Systems Engineer, Raytheon Quantum RF/Optical Sensor Speaker Mr. Michael Dehring VP of Program Execution, Infleqtion Machine Controlled Processing/Analysis Speaker Mr. Ben Richardson Chief Commercial Officer, Gambit Signal Analysis for cDEW Speaker Dr. Ty Miller Senior Director of Government Programs, KEGMAN Inc. Automating Complex, High-Speed Decision-Making Speaker Mr. Charles Faulkner Principal, Jaxon AI Single Photon Detection and Satellite Tracking Speaker Ms. Kim Katko Los Alamos National Laboratory Iris Speaker Mr. Joe Godwin Technical Staff, MIT Lincoln Laboratory
3:00 p.m. – 3:30p.m.	NETWORKING BREAK
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.	PANEL: C-DEW 20 YEAR PERSPECTIVE This forward-looking panel convenes experts from Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, industry, and leading academic institutions to explore the future trajectory of directed energy weapons and counter-DEW capabilities. The discussion will examine how emerging technologies–particularly artificial intelligence and quantum sensing–may transform MASINT and directed energy detection over the next two decades. Panel members will address anticipated DEW capability evolution, potential countermeasure approaches, and the integration of next-generation technologies into operational systems. This session provides strategic insights for long-term planning and investment decisions, helping stakeholders understand how to position their organizations and capabilities for future C-DEW challenges. Moderator Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick Chief Executive Officer, Nonlinear Solutions, LLC Speakers Dr. Nicholas Morley Senior Scientist for High Power Photonics, Directed Energy Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory Dr. Byron Knight Chief Scientist, Advanced Systems and Technology Directorate, National Reconnaissance Office Mr. Jimmy Comfort Director, Survivability and Assurance Office, National Reconnaissance Office
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.	MASINT AWARD PRESENTATION AND CLOSING REMARKS