2026 UAS Summit & Expo Announces Expanded Agenda for Landmark 20th Annual Event

August 12, 2026

UAS Magazine announced the preliminary agenda for the UAS Summit & Expo, scheduled for Oct. 13-14 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The UAS Summit & Expo brings together industry leaders, innovators and decision-makers from across the commercial, defense, government and research sectors to examine the technologies, policies and partnerships shaping the future of unmanned aviation.

Now in its 20th year, the UAS Summit & Expo is set to deliver a record amount of content, continuing its expanded format with two full days of concurrent sessions across two rooms. Tuesday’s agenda will spotlight military and government drone operations, counter-UAS and Infrastructure. Wednesday’s sessions will shift focus to BVLOS, commercialization, advanced operations and autonomy.

“Year after year, we receive more abstract submissions resulting in an expanded program,” said Danielle Piekarski, program manager for the UAS Summit & Expo. “This year, we received an overwhelming number of timely and relevant abstract submissions, resulting in two full days of programming. We recommend blocking off both days to take advantage of the high-quality content the Summit has to offer!”

Among the many industry leaders presenting at the Summit, a few distinguished speakers include:

• U.S. Sen. John Hoeven
• U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer
• Andrew Armacost, President, University of North Dakota
• Mason Sisk, Director, Government Affairs, AUVSI
• Stan Zipper, RQ-4 Enterprise Director, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems
• Zachary Krevor, President & CEO, Stratolaunch

“The value of the UAS Summit has always been bringing the right people together in one place,” said John Nelson, chief operating officer of the UAS Summit & Expo. “Attendees will hear directly from the people advancing autonomous systems, strengthening national security, expanding commercial operations and shaping the policies that will define the next generation of aviation. No matter where you fit within the UAS ecosystem, you’ll find practical insights and opportunities to connect.”

The conference begins on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 a.m. CDT and will be open to all registered attendees.

To view the online agenda for the UAS Summit & Expo, click here.