As cooler temperatures settle over the Washington, D.C. region, the Air, Space, and Cyber conference at National Harbor, Maryland, entered its second day with heightened momentum. In his keynote address, Chief of Space Operations General Doug Schiess informed attendees that roughly 10 percent of the Space Force’s upcoming operational initiatives cannot move forward without either a new appropriations bill or a specific congressional exemption.
Pratt & Whitney’s PW500 engine is seen on the show floor at the Air, Space and Cyber conference on Sept. 14, 2026. (Breaking Defense)AeroVironment’s Locust X3 directed-energy counter-drone system on the show floor at the 2026 Air, Space and Cyber trade show. (Breaking Defense)The Havoc missile system from defense firm Ursa Major at the 2026 Air, Space and Cyber conference. (Breaking Defense)A 1:7 scale model of the Ramjet-X from Hermeus is seen on display at the 2026 Air, Space and Cyber expo. (Breaking Defense)Anduril showed off its FQ-44 Fury unmanned fighter aircraft on the show floor of AFA 2026. (Breaking Defense)A pilot training system from Tactical Air Support is one several trainers brought to the show floor at the 2026 Air, Space and Cyber conference. (Breaking Defense)The firm Unit Solutions brought their Unit4 rifle (an M4 replica) for attendees at the 2026 Air, Space and Cyber conference. (Breaking Defense)
