Announcing Defense Strategies Institute’s 8th Annual Directed Energy Symposium

National Harbor, MD, July 16, 2025 --(PR.com)-- The Department of Defense (DoD) is investing approximately $1 billion annually across more than 30 active programs to develop and test directed energy weapons, including high-energy lasers and high-power microwave systems. To this end, DSI's 8th Annual Directed Energy Symposium will convene leading experts, senior policymakers, industry innovators, and defense stakeholders from across the directed energy community to explore the most recent breakthroughs in DE systems, weapons, and technologies.

The 2025 Symposium will highlight how DoD and the Military Services are working to develop directed energy systems and integrate them into offensive and defensive capabilities for a decisive warfighting advantage. Attendees will gain insights into the evolving landscape of directed energy warfare—including operational deployments, integration challenges, and emerging opportunities that are shaping the future of military power.

2025 Topics of Discussion Include:

Leading Development and Implementation of DE Capabilities for the Defense of the United States
Electromagnetic Dominance: High Powered Microwaves in Modern Defense
Directed Energy and Survivability: Adapting to Emerging Threat Vectors
Conquering Group 3 UAS Threats Using Rapidly Developing HEL Systems
Autonomy and Lethality: The Future of AI-Driven Directed Energy Warfare
Operationalizing Directed Energy Weapons Through Thermal and Optic Innovations

2025 Confirmed Speakers Include:

Lt Gen Heath Collins, USAF, Director, Missile Defense Agency
Mark Spencer, Acting Principal Director, Directed Energy, OUSD R&E
Dr. Amy Sunshine Smith-Carroll, SES Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Platform and Weapon Portfolio Management, OUSD A&S
COL Steven Gutierrez, USA Program Manager DE M-SHORAD, Army RCCTO
COL Matt Johnson, USA, Commander, White Sands Test Center
Col Andrew Konicki, USMC, Program Manager, Ground Based Air Defense, PEO Land Systems
Dr. Neset Akӧzbek, Senior Research Scientist, Technical Center, Army Space and Missile Defense Command
Dr. Neil Thurgood, Senior Strategy Advisor, Anduril
Peter A. Morrison, Program Officer, Directed Energy Weapons Counter Directed Energy Weapons and High Energy Lasers, Office of Naval Research
Dr. Steve T Fiorino, Director, Center for Directed Energy, Air Force Institute of Technology
Dr. Yongendra Joshi, Thermal Management Project Manager, DARPA
Douglas Werner, Director, Center of Excellence in Directed Energy, Penn State
Martin Richardson, Director, Center for Directed Energy, UCF
Thomas Karr, Chief Scientist, Sensors and Directed Energy, MITRE
J. Dana Teague, Power, Thermal, and Energy Storage Lead, AFRL
Jon Ludwigson, Director, Contracting and National Security Acquisitions, US GAO

DSI is now welcoming Sponsors and Exhibitors for the forum. To learn more please contact Amanda Delgado at adelgado@dsigroup.org or (201) 940-6680.

Active US military and government and state personnel attend complimentary. Those interested in participating in the Directed Energy Symposium can visit Defense Strategies Institute’s website at https://directedenergy.dsigroup.org/. Anyone interested in learning more or sending questions please contact Jessica Joaquim at jjoaquim@dsigroup.org or (201) 824-0077.