SAN DIEGO - TelAve -- As unmanned and autonomous systems rapidly reshape military operations across air, land, sea and undersea domains, senior U.S. defense leaders will convene at the 5th Annual Unmanned Systems West, taking place September 8–9, 2026, in San Diego, California.

Hosted by the American Conference Institute (ACI), the conference will bring together military, government, defense industry and technology leaders to examine the operational lessons, emerging capabilities and strategic priorities driving the next generation of unmanned and autonomous systems.

Featured speakers include RDML David Cox, Director of Maritime Headquarters, U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT), U.S. Navy, and Brigadier General Nick I. Brown, Commanding General, Marine Corps Installations West–Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, U.S. Marine Corps.

They will be joined by senior representatives from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force and the wider defense and technology community.

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Recent conflicts have demonstrated the growing impact of unmanned systems on the modern battlefield, increasing the urgency for the United States and its allies to rapidly develop, deploy, integrate and counter these technologies.

Against this backdrop, Unmanned Systems West 2026 will examine how lessons from current operations are influencing future U.S. capabilities and requirements.

Key discussions will address scaling unmanned systems at speed, lessons from Ukraine and the Red Sea, maritime and undersea autonomy, counter-UAS strategy, AI-driven sensing and ISR, operations in GPS-denied and contested environments, and strengthening defense industrial base resiliency.

With autonomy, artificial intelligence and uncrewed platforms becoming increasingly central to military operations, the conference provides a timely forum for the leaders responsible for developing, acquiring and deploying these capabilities to exchange lessons, identify capability gaps and examine the technologies shaping the future force.

Unmanned Systems West takes place September 8–9, 2026, in San Diego, California.

For program details and registration, visit www.americanconference.com/unmanned-systems-west/.

About American Conference Institute

American Conference Institute (ACI), part of the C5 Group of Companies, provides conferences and executive forums that connect senior decision-makers with leading experts across highly specialized industries and sectors.