As the global special operations community prepares to converge on SOF Week 2026 in Tampa next week, National Defense Lab will be on the ground throughout the week engaging with strategic partners, operators, innovators, researchers, and national security leaders helping shape the future of modern defense and irregular warfare.
Hosted annually in partnership with United States Special Operations Command and the Global SOF Foundation, SOF Week has rapidly become one of the most important gatherings in the world for defense technology, operational strategy, emerging capabilities, and cross-sector collaboration. This year’s agenda spans artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, information warfare, cognitive resilience, next-generation operational technology, and the evolving realities of global conflict.
NDL leadership and associates will attend meetings, strategic discussions, industry events, and private partner engagements throughout the week while continuing ongoing conversations on national resilience, cognitive security, information integrity, and advanced defense technologies.
The event represents more than a conference. It is a convergence point for many of the organizations and individuals actively working to solve some of the most difficult challenges facing the United States and its allies. From tactical innovation to strategic deterrence, the discussions taking place during SOF Week increasingly reflect the reality that modern conflict now extends far beyond traditional battlefields.
Opportunities and Context Agendas:
Several themes from this year’s agenda strongly align with ongoing work and research initiatives at NDL, including:
- Artificial intelligence and operational decision support
- Cognitive warfare and influence operations
- Information environment resilience