Frontline Futures: How War is Being Rewritten in Real Time | SRI Deep Tech Security Accelerator
Frontline Futures: How War is Being Rewritten in Real Time
As the nature of warfare shifts at unprecedented speed, Ukraine has emerged as the world’s most important proving ground for modern defense innovation.
Frontline Futures is a special closing forum of the DTSA 2026 program—bringing together public leaders, defense innovators, and frontline builders for a timely, high-level conversation on how war is already changing, and what comes next.
Hosted at SRI International, this beach-day gathering offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from those shaping and experiencing these transformations in real time.
Why This Matters
From rapid iteration in UAVs and drones to the evolving role of electronic warfare and AI-enabled decision-making, Ukraine is not a distant case study—it is a live signal of where defense is headed.
This session explores how battlefield-driven innovation is redefining:
Speed and scale of military adaptation
The role of startups in national security
The future of high-intensity conflict
What democratic nations must do now to keep pace
Featured Speakers
Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (NATO), French Navy
Dmytro Kushneruk, Ukraine's Consul General in San Francisco
David Parekh, CEO, SRI International
Iryna Shupilo, Chief of Detection & Additional Reconnaissance Section, Special Operations Department, Intelligence Control Center
Kateryna Chernohorenko, Former Deputy Minister of Defense for Digital Development, Digital Transformations, and Digitalization of Ukraine
Startup Panel: Battlefield Innovation in Real Time: A moderated discussion with leading Ukrainian defense & dual-use startups from the DTSA 2nd Cohort: Dark River, Deftak, Moodro, and Zaruba.
Women in Defense Panel: On the Frontlines and Beyond: Women Defining Ukraine’s Defense Future
Additional Speaker (TBC)
What to Expect
Firsthand insights from senior leaders shaping defense, technology, and international cooperation.
A dynamic startup panel featuring DTSA 2nd Cohort companies showcasing battlefield-tested innovations in real time.
A focused Women in Defense panel exploring leadership, operational experience, and the evolving role of women in modern warfare.
Who Should Attend
This event is designed for:
Defense and national security professionals
Investors and builders in frontier and dual-use technologies
Policymakers and public sector leaders
Anyone seeking a clear-eyed view of where modern warfare is going
Event Details
🗓️ April 24, 2026
⏰ 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
📍 SRI International
Frontline Futures is both a closing moment and an opening challenge: to understand where defense already is, where it is going next, and what must be done to meet it.
For additional details, please contact: [email protected].