IDGA H1 Recap: Leading Defense Conversations in a Year of Unprecedented Change

For over two decades, IDGA has served as a non-partisan events and thought leadership organization connecting the Defense and Security communities interested in solving high-level challenges.

Given the variability that exists across the U.S. federal government in the first half of 2025, IDGA events have become more critical than ever in enabling government and industry to navigate change together.

Through the first half of 2025, IDGA has hosted nine events that cover a wide range of themes in the defense space, including air dominance, homeland security, and more.

Even with new leadership in Washington, IDGA events have continued their year-over-year growth by ensuring each conference provides the industry with what it requires. Meaning diverse speaker rosters, session rooms full of key decision makers and leaders, and networking opportunities that provide spaces for defense industry and government personnel to connect.

This article will highlight the successes of each event, providing an overview of attendance metrics, notable speakers, and key insights.

If you are interested in learning how to partner with IDGA for an upcoming event, email info@idga.org. To view a calendar of upcoming events, click here. 

Future Indirect Fires

IDGA’s year kicked off with the Future Indirect Fires Summit in Austin, Texas. From January 24-25, attendees gathered in the Downright Hotel for two days of important discussions on indirect fire systems, support systems, munitions, and challenges presented by the current conflict in Ukraine. On top of dialogue geared towards emerging technologies, including the new Self-Propelled Howitzer, the Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment Two, and Project LASSO, among others.  

The event totaled over 200 attendees representing 35+ military organizations and 55+ solutions providers. 
Of the 20 presenters at this year's conference, some notable speakers included: 

• Major General Glenn A. Dean, Program Executive Officer Ground Combat Systems, US Army
• Mr. Gary Bishop, Deputy Director, Operational Test & Evaluation, Land and Expeditionary Warfare, US Department of Defense
• Brigadier General Rory Crooks, Former Director of the Long Range Precision Fires Cross Functional Team, Army Futures Command, US Army
• Mr. Nathan E. Hawley, Director for the Munitions & Logistics Readiness Center, Joint Munitions Command, US Army 

Operational Energy Summit

When Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, one of its first tactics was to decimate Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, specifically its energy system. Over the first year of the conflict, roughly half of Ukraine’s power generation capacity was either occupied by Russian forces, destroyed, or damaged, and approximately half of the large network substations were damaged by missiles and drones.

As the importance of secure energy infrastructures has become evident, IDGA’s Operational Energy Summit has become critical to the U.S. DoD and defense industrial base's ability to communicate existing challenges in America’s readiness to face an energy crisis.

The two-day event that took place February 25-26 in Bethesda, Maryland, hosted key discussions on topics such as energy storage, alternative energy sources, including nuclear and solar power, along with microgrids and technologies for enhancing grid security.

In total, the event hosted over 280 attendees on-site, and featured a roster of 20 speakers representing organizations such as the Department of Energy, Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Innovation Unit, and more. 

Some notable presenters at this year’s summit included:

• Rebecca Isacowitz, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy Resilience & Optimization (DASD(ERO)), Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment (ASD(EI&E))
• Mr. Michael R. Keller, Assistant Commander, Public Works Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, (NAVFAC), US Navy
• Rear Admiral George Bresnihan, Commander, Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Energy
• Dr. Kimberly Spangler, Executive Director, SERDP & ESTCP, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy Resilience & Optimization 

In February 2026, the conference is scheduled to return, this time in Reston, Virginia, as the Military Energy Summit.

Military Simulation Training

At the same time as the Operational Energy Summit, IDGA hosted the Military Simulation Training Summit in Orlando, Florida. This year’s conference was an expanded version of the former Land Forces Training Summit.

The new and improved conference mirrored the DoD’s focus on leveraging advanced technologies to improve training and readiness for the armed forces. This year’s conference proved to be a showcase of the evolution of military simulation environments and simulated training across the military branches and NATO nations.

The two-day summit broached topics such as synthetic training and Live Virtual Constructive training, and whether or not the current depth of training meets the needs of the U.S. military and its allies.

With just under 150 attendees, some of the top speakers at this year’s conference included:

• Brigadier General Christine Beeler, Program Executive Officer for Simulation Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI), US Army
• Marwane Bahbaz, Chief Technology Officer, PEO STRI, US Army
• Colonel Marcus Reynolds, Program Manager for Training Systems, US Marine Corps
• Lieutenant General Carlo Lamanna, Head of the Training and Doctrine Command, Italian Army 

Homeland Security Week

The first half of 2025 has been defined by change for those in the federal government and defense/security community. Amidst a shifting federal workforce and new directives for its employees, IDGA managed to host it’s largest event of the year to-date at Homeland Security Week.

Hosted March 24-25 in Arlington, Virginia Homeland Security Week was IDGA’s largest event of the first half of 2025, with over 500 attendees representing federal law enforcement, local law enforcement, DoD, and the security industry.

This year marked the 19th iteration of the conference, and to satisfy attendees representing all forms of the homeland security space, hosted discussions on a variety of topics. Those subjects included advancing AI, cloud and cybersecurity efforts, adopting new biometric technologies, optimizing border security strategies, maximizing counter-UAS capabilities, enhancing infrastructure resilience, supporting security strategies for local law enforcement, and more.

On top of welcoming over 500 guests, the 2025 agenda for Homeland Security Week was one of the most expansive yet with a speaker roster of over 40 individuals. Some of the key presenters at the conference include:

• Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Texas’ 28th Congressional District, US House of Representatives
• Paul Courtney SES, Chief Procurement Officer, Department of Homeland Security
• Pamela A. Smith, Chief of Police, DC Metropolitan Police Department
• Robert Costello, Chief Information Officer, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
• Susan Thomas, (a) Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Trade, US Customs and Border Protection

The agenda for this year’s Homeland Security Week wasn’t the only aspect of the conference to provide a diversity of ideas. The expo hall at the conference was filled with 21 sponsors whose products and services ranged from emergency medical equipment to counter-UAS solutions, cloud security platforms, and everything in between that contributes to protecting American citizens, borders, and intelligence. 

Wildfire Technology

In a year where wildfires have devastated parts of southern California, Oklahoma, and Texas, IDGA’s Wildfire Technology Summit provided a forum for leading wildfire experts across the U.S. to discuss advance solutions for the prediction, prevention, detection, suppression, and mitigation of destructive wildfires.

On April 15-16, industry leaders, wildfire agencies, academia, and representatives from utilities and power companies convened in Long Beach, California for the 6th iteration of the conference.

The 30 speakers in attendance represented key organizations in the wildfire technology space, including: US Forest Service, the Department of Interior, CAL FIRE, the Nevada Department of Forestry, Orange County Fire Authority, and the Idaho Department of Lands. 

Air Dominance Summit

Just two months after the Air Force awarded Boeing a contract to deliver a sixth-generation fighter aircraft, IDGA hosted its fourth-ever Air Dominance Summit alongside Boeing, the event’s four-star sponsor.

From May 13-14, attendees representing the US Air Force, allied air forces, and the aerospace industry gathered in Henderson, Nevada, for two days of thought leadership presentations and networking opportunities. 

Discussions at this year’s conference went beyond the NGAD announcement. Industry and government leaders also discussed loyal wingman programs like the Collaborative Combat Aircraft the Navy's FAXX, as well as international programs like FCAS and GCAP. On top of program overviews, speakers also covered sustainment of current systems including the F-35, reflected on current conflicts, and explored innovation in air supremacy.

The event’s networking breaks also gave the aerospace industry the opportunity to connect with leaders from Boeing to learn more about the impending sixth-generation fighter.  

In total, the 2025 iteration of the Air Dominance Summit welcomed over 300 attendees, and 29 speakers. The keynote speakers at this year’s air dominance summit included:

• Admiral Sam Paparo, Commander, INDOPACOM, US Navy
• General (Ret.) Mark Kelly, Former Commander, Air Combat Command, US Air Force
• Major General Paul Fast, Mobilization Asst to Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, Integration & Requirements, US Air Force
• Brigadier General Douglas P. Wickert, Commander, 412th Test Wing, Edwards AFB, US Air Force 

AI For Defense Transformation

The topic that has dominated conversation in business, medicine, and the arts, is also a top focus for militaries around the world. AI has entrenched itself in a range of military operations from intelligence gathering and battlefield analysis to logistics and decision-making support.

Given the increased focus on AI capabilities in the defense and security space, IDGA launched the AI for Defense Transformation Summit on May 20-21 in Austin, Texas. The two-day summit explored the latest advancements in AI and their applications in defense. Discussions also highlighted key DoD initiatives such as Advana, Project Linchpin, Replicator 2, and Project Maven, providing insight into how these programs are shaping the future of military AI.

In its first year, the AI conference proved to be a wild success with 140 attendees representing the DoD, leading AI companies, academia, and allied nations. The two-day summit also hosted 27 speakers from across the armed forces and industry. Some key speakers included:

• Dr. Alex Miller, Chief Technology Officer & Senior Advisor for S&T Chief of Staff of the Army, US Army
• Brigadier General Ryan Gunst, Military Intelligence Readiness Command Commanding General, Department Of Defense
• John Osborne, Senior Science and Technology Advisor, HQDA, G-2, Department Of Defense
• Todd Johanesen, Director, Foundation GEOINT Group, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency 

Armored Vehicles

Armored Vehicle USA took place this June in Detroit, Michigan. The return to the Detroit metro area after years in Austin, Texas, proved to be a great success as the event was well represented by Detroit-based army and USMC groups such as PEO GCS, PEO CS&CSS, TACOM, GVSC and PEO Land.

Another benefit of this year’s summit was the timing. Taking place six months into the new Trump administration, the conference allowed speakers to share how defense priorities are changing, and their expectations for upcoming budget allocations.

This year’s conference welcomed nearly 400 attendees and 20+ speakers representing important DoD units such as TACOM, Army Futures Command, the U.S. Marines, and more. Some of the keynote speakers included:

• Lieutenant General Miles Brown, Deputy Commanding General (DCG), Army Futures Command (AFC), US Army
• Lieutenant General (Ret.) Antonio Aguto, Former Commanding General, Security Assistance Group Ukraine (SAGU)
• Major General Michael Lalor, Commanding General, Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM), US Army

Armored Vehicle USA Conference is the American counterpart to Defence IQ’s International Armored Vehicle Conference that takes place every January. If you are interested in learning more about the international version of Armored Vehicle USA, click here. 

Advanced Manufacturing

At the same time as Armored Vehicle USA, IDGA was also hosting its Advanced Manufacturing for Defense Summit in Culver City, California.  

This year’s event, hosted in collaboration with ASTM International, featured a range of discussions that touched on topics such as qualifications and certifications, supply chain resilience, and aerospace manufacturing. New to the 2025 conference was an increased focus on submarine manufacturing, autonomous weapons innovation, and DoD tech investments.

The event welcomed over 100 attendees and included a diverse speaking roster that included advanced manufacturing experts from industry leaders such as Boeing and Northrup Gruman, as well as DoD representatives from the Navy, Air Force, and more.

Some featured speakers at this year's conference included:

• Nicholas Mule, Director - Additive Manufacturing Intelligence Center, The Boeing Company
• Brig Gen Ryan Gunst, Military Intelligence Readiness Command Commanding General, Department of Defense
• Dr. Cindy Waters, Senior Science & Technology Manager for Advanced Manufacturing and Materials, US Navy
• Steve Fournier, Additive Manufacturing Manager, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems