SOF & Irregular Warfare Symposium 2026
The 15th Annual SOF & Irregular Warfare Symposium will bring together senior leaders, experts, and strategic decision makers from the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community, regional combatant commands, the DoW, industry, and academia.
The 2026 symposium will focus on the operational and technological requirements affecting special operations in unconventional and hybrid warfare environments. Discussions will cover force modernization, capability development, acquisition, AI, autonomy, cyber, space, and technology integration, alongside the strategies required to address emerging threats.
The program will also consider the impact of evolving global conflicts, operational challenges facing the SOF enterprise, and the relationship between capability development, policy, and regional geopolitics.
When is the SOF & Irregular Warfare Symposium?
The SOF & Irregular Warfare Symposium 2026 will take place December 9–10, 2026, in Tampa, Florida.
Themes
Key areas of discussion will include asymmetric deterrence and special operations readiness in contested environments, maintaining technological and operational capabilities in a changing threat landscape, and the role of SOF AT&L in providing new technologies through strategic acquisition.
The program will also address operations in the information domain, AI and autonomy at the tactical edge, acceleration of technology for special operations forces, and the integration of cyber, space, and special warfare.
Additional sessions will examine the connection between strategy, policy, SOF capabilities, and regional geopolitics, as well as lessons from past and current conflicts for future irregular warfare.
What’s On?
Sessions will examine modernization priorities, operational challenges, emerging technologies, irregular warfare strategies, and capability requirements affecting the SOF enterprise.
Senior speakers from military, federal government, industry, academia, and related organizations will provide perspectives on the challenges facing the special operations community. Interactive sessions will also allow attendees to raise questions and discuss operational and technology priorities with speakers and other participants.
The symposium is intended to provide government officials with a forum for communicating capability requirements to industry, hearing from partner organizations, and discussing initiatives relevant to their missions.
Attendance and Access
Attendance is complimentary for DoW and Federal employees. Industry and academia attendees are charged an admission fee.
The event operates under the Chatham House Rule, and press and recordings are not permitted.
Speakers
Featured government and military speakers include HON Derrick M. Anderson, Assistant Secretary of War for Special Operations & Low-Intensity Conflict; HON Daniel Zimmerman, Assistant Secretary of War for International Security Affairs, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Policy; and Col Ian Fletcher, USMC, SOUTHCOM Autonomous Warfare Command.
The program also includes COL Anthony Whitfield, USA, Military Deputy, SOF AT&L, U.S. Special Operations Command; COL Leilani Tydingco-Amarante, USA, PEO SOF Digital Applications; Col Lane Haubelt, USAF, PEO Fixed Wing; Jennifer Powers, PEO Tactical Information Systems; and Col Sasha Kuhlow, USMC, Commanding Officer, II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group.
Additional featured speakers include Lisa Sanders, former Director, Science & Technology, SOF AT&L, U.S. Special Operations Command; Leslie Babich, Director, SOFWERX; Jonathan Schroden, Chief Research Officer, CNA; and David Spirk, Senior Counselor, Palantir and former Department of War & U.S. Special Operations Command CDO.
Where is the SOF & Irregular Warfare Symposium 2026?
The event will take place at:
Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation
124 South Franklin Street
Tampa, Florida 33602
To learn more about SOF & Irregular Warfare Symposium 2026, to register to attend or exhibit, please click below .
