• Perspective on developments in 6th generation aircraft, and how cutting-edge technologies will support the Italian Air Force’s future capabilities

• Demonstrating the F-35 fleet’s Joint Air Power capabilities and growing proficiency with large-scale and international exercises

• Instilling a fifth-generation mindset with advanced training to achieve operational success

• Gap analysis on NATO Air Power Developments against Russia

• Importance of rapidly increasing airborne electromagnetic warfare capabilities in Europe to bolster Western airpower

• Key observations from the conflict in Ukraine as allies offer air suppor

• How the Chinese Air Force are combining speed, power and agility to enhance performance and combat capabilities

• Strategic implications of Chinese 6th Generation aircraft development on NATO and the Indo-Pacific

• Keeping pace with advancements in AI-powered drones and loyal wingman to enhance force flexibility

Douglas Barrie

Senior Fellow for Military Aerospsace
IISS

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• Overview of Canada’s Air Forces’ defense strategy for the air domain and how a next-generation fighter would fit in

• Updates on Canadian Air Force’s current initiatives, program status, and anticipated timelines for implementation

• Adopting common operational and communication strategies and standards for effective collaboration with allies

Major General Jeff Smyth

Chief Air & Space Force Development
Royal Canadian Air Force

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Crista-lynn Ferguson

Director General Fighter Capability
Royal Canadian Air Force

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• Do the principles of airpower (Flexibility, Range, Payload, Spectrum, Speed, Survivability) still hold true and how do we balance these against the need to be affordable and in greater numbers?
• Does the world need 6th Generation technology?
• Do to lessons from WWII inform current/future requirement?
• Should we wait for 'requirements' or should industry 'push' more cutting edge technology?
• Next Gen drivers are needed to pace technological development. Just because it's possible should it still be pursued, and is it probable? What about uncrewed/affordable mass, manpower, and ethical questions?
• How do you manage rebalancing/refilling current capabilities while developing future capabilities in an era where budgets aren’t always aligned?
• What are the core beliefs we should hold to in the changing character of airpower technology?

• Increasing Air Combat mass, lethality, and survivability with increased force size, and supplementing squadrons with autonomous aircraft

• Challenges of integrating CCAs with the existing combat air fleet

• Enhancing combat readiness to respond to new and evolving threats 

Air Commodore Pete Robinson

Commander, Air Combat Group
Royal Australian Air Force

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- How will the successful integration of combat air autonomy fundamentally affect the employment of air power and help deliver air superiority?

- What missions and roles do air forces foresee Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACPs) and CCAs undertaking? How will they alter the risk calculus for combat air operations and develop novel combat air operational concepts and tactics?

- How will the successful integration of ACPs / CCAs drive the future combat air force mix between crewed and uncrewed capabilities?

- How do we ensure that AI agents flying ACPs/CCAs stay competitive?

- What’s the biggest challenge to moving autonomous platforms from the laboratory to real-world environments? What are the technical and human challenges that need to be considered?

- What policies, ethical frameworks, or guardrails are most urgently needed to ensure autonomy is harnessed responsibly without slowing down innovation?

- As we field autonomous uncrewed systems across different domains and with allied forces, how do we ensure interoperability, common standards, and effective command-and-control integration?

• How can industry support the needs of operators to balance capabilities with affordability? 
• What do industry see as the requirements for achieving future air dominance and how will these requirements translate to capability for sixth generation platforms? 
• With the need to rapidly expand production capacity for weapon systems, how can the customer support this process? How have assessments of necessary stockpiles changed? 
• From an industry perspective, does there need to be a shift in training priorities towards essential mission sets and what rapid support can industry provide? 
• How do industry experts view the future of autonomous capabilities for fighter platforms?