Military battlefields more and more are dominated by the use of uncrewed aerial systems (UASs), uncrewed aerial systems (UASs), uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs), uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), and uncrewed undersea vehicles (UUVs) to engage with adversarial threats that grow ever more complex. These platforms not only deliver lethality in wartime but also feed the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) thirst for sensor data, collecting critical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) during peacetime. Performance and capability requirements flowing out of the DoD are driving innovation at the payload, sensor, avionics, and communications levels.
Powered by Military Embedded Systems, the Uncrewed Systems Virtual Conference is designed to drive awareness and thought leadership around embedded electronics technology for autonomous systems from artificial intelligence (AI) to data security to sensor processing to avionics safety certification; it will also examine strategies for applying a modular open systems approach (MOSA) in such designs.
Tue, Apr. 15, 2025 · 8:00 am (PDT)
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Uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) technology is evolving rapidly as is the use of UAS on the battlefield. Testing of the various technology and platforms for areas such as beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight operations for all classes of UAS from Class 1 through Class 5 is critical. This keynote session of UAS technology and test leaders details the regulatory hurdles, testing challenges, and efforts to leverage innovative commercial technology in all classes of UAS platforms.
Uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) technology is evolving rapidly as is the use of UAS on the battlefield. Testing of the various technology and platforms for areas such as beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight operations for all classes of UAS from Class 1 through Class 5 is critical. This keynote session of UAS technology and test leaders details the regulatory hurdles, testing challenges, and efforts to leverage innovative commercial technology in all classes of UAS platforms.
CEO P3 Tech Consulting and Publisher at Autonomy Global
Dawn M.K. Zoldi (Colonel, USAF, Retired) is a licensed attorney with 28 years of combined active duty military and federal civil service to the U.S. Air Force and a Part 107 certified drone pilot. She is the CEO & Founder of P3 Tech Consulting, Publisher of Autonomy Global and an internationally recognized expert on uncrewed aircraft system law and policy, featured on Fox News, CNN, Forbes and Newsweek and on the PBS television network (show host Emmy-nominated series). Her Dawn of Autonomy podcast was recognized as one of the “Top 7 Drone Podcasts 2024 (The Drone Girl) and the “Best Drone Podcast of the Year 2023” (The Droning Company). She has also been recognized by FDI Insider as the Tech Advocacy Champion of the Year - USA 2024, Great Companies in the Consulting Category for the 6th International Women Entrepreneur 2024 Awards and has been listed as one of the Top Women in Aerospace & Aviation to Follow on LinkedIn for several years. Ms. Zoldi is the author of the book Unmanned Aircraft Systems Legal and Business Considerations: A Modern Primer for U.S. Drone Programs. For more information, follow her on social media and visit her websites at: https://www.p3techconsulting.com and https://www.autonomyglobal.co.
Deputy Executive Director, Northern Plains UAS Test Site
Erin is a seasoned UAS professional and currently serves as the Deputy Executive Director at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS), 1 of only 7 federal UAS test sites. Erin plays an influential role in the operationalization of Vantis as the Program Executive, North Dakota’s beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) initiative. She develops and synchronizes advanced UAS operations; coordinates regulatory and operational approvals with the FAA and controlling agencies; and supervises, leads and grows the flight operations team and capabilities. Holding a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology, she brings both technical knowledge and instructional expertise to her role. Erin led the FAA UAS BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee – Air & Ground Risk working group. She has served in leadership of industry standard bodies, including ASTM, RTCA, and ANSI UAS Standardization Collaborative. She is a former adjunct lecturer for the University of North Dakota Department of Aerospace and developed UAS training curriculum for Boeing Insitu ScanEagle, AFRL PRINCE MQ-1/9 RPA Simulator, and various sUAS.
Tue, Apr. 15, 2025 · 8:45 am (PDT)
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As the U.S. military across the services and in Special Operations looks to deploy autonomous systems more quickly to the battlefield, pressure is being placed on the Department of Defense (DoD) and suppliers to speed up acquisition and leverage a modular open systems approach (MOSA) to more quickly adapt commercial technology. The fast deployment of autonomous technology to Ukraine is encouraging investment in faster deployment of uncrewed system technology to the warfighter. Open architecture initiatives such as the Sensor Open Systems Architecture, or SOSA, and the Future Airborne Capability Environment, or FACE, are enabling faster acquisition and adoption of commercial innovation in flight controls, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) payloads, communications, and other hardware and software designs. This session covers how open architectures and plug-and-play solutions are driving autonomous system designs.
As the U.S. military across the services and in Special Operations looks to deploy autonomous systems more quickly to the battlefield, pressure is being placed on the Department of Defense (DoD) and suppliers to speed up acquisition and leverage a modular open systems approach (MOSA) to more quickly adapt commercial technology. The fast deployment of autonomous technology to Ukraine is encouraging investment in faster deployment of uncrewed system technology to the warfighter. Open architecture initiatives such as the Sensor Open Systems Architecture, or SOSA, and the Future Airborne Capability Environment, or FACE, are enabling faster acquisition and adoption of commercial innovation in flight controls, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) payloads, communications, and other hardware and software designs. This session covers how open architectures and plug-and-play solutions are driving autonomous system designs.
Director Aerospace & Defense Markets, RTI
John Breitenbach is Director of Aerospace & Defense Markets for Real-Time Innovations. He has over 30 years of experience designing software for intelligent machines. He’s worked on industrial, medical, consumer and military products - everything from artificial hearts to autonomous vehicles to elevators.
Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems
Dan Taylor has covered the defense industry in depth for more than 15 years. He started covering the industry with Inside Defense in 2007 and has been published in USA Today, C4ISR Journal, Seapower Magazine, and many other outlets. He is a veteran of Capitol Hill and defense industry trade shows, and he brings that experience to Military Embedded Systems.
Tue, Apr. 15, 2025 · 10:00 am (PDT)
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For military applications, the edge can be defined as where the enemy is engaged — air, land, sea, spectrum, cyber — and also where the sensor collects the data. The latter point is critical to understanding the value of autonomous operations to the military. Securely analyzing and disseminating the tremendous amounts of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data and electronic warfare/signals intelligence (EW/SIGINT) data collected by the sensors on these strategic uncrewed platforms is a herculean task. Sensor data management requires sophisticated signal processing and the latest in artificial intelligence (AI) solutions as well as robust and secure data frameworks with strong cyber protection. This session details how secure embedded AI and commercial technology innovations enable users to gather faster and more accurate intelligence from autonomous ISR platforms.
For military applications, the edge can be defined as where the enemy is engaged — air, land, sea, spectrum, cyber — and also where the sensor collects the data. The latter point is critical to understanding the value of autonomous operations to the military. Securely analyzing and disseminating the tremendous amounts of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data and electronic warfare/signals intelligence (EW/SIGINT) data collected by the sensors on these strategic uncrewed platforms is a herculean task. Sensor data management requires sophisticated signal processing and the latest in artificial intelligence (AI) solutions as well as robust and secure data frameworks with strong cyber protection. This session details how secure embedded AI and commercial technology innovations enable users to gather faster and more accurate intelligence from autonomous ISR platforms.
VP, Advanced Technology, Crystal Group
Cale joined the Crystal Group team in November 2024 as VP, Advanced Technology. In Cale’s previous roles, he seamlessly led large international technology teams tasked with identifying, exploring and maturing advanced technologies to transition to product development teams, product and system design and development for embedded electronics and systems, engineering process and tools transformation, and product lifecycle management solutions for alignment across enterprises, system modernization, support, and sustainment. He has worked with acquisition and end customers in the commercial and defense industries across the globe. Cale holds a Master of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Iowa and a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University.
Senior Embedded Software Engineer, Star Lab
Matthew Fahrenkrug is a Senior Embedded Software Engineer with over 7 years of experience building security solutions for embedded systems to provide cybersecurity and technology protection. This includes developing secure boot solutions, protecting virtualized systems, and securing Linux based systems on x86 and ARM.
Prior to working at Star Lab, Matthew graduated from the University of Virginia with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Outside of work, he enjoys long-distance hiking and has thruhiked the Appalachian Trail and the Colorado Trail.
Prior to working at Star Lab, Matthew graduated from the University of Virginia with a BS in Electrical Engineering. Outside of work, he enjoys long-distance hiking and has thruhiked the Appalachian Trail and the Colorado Trail.
Tue, Apr. 15, 2025 · 11:15 am (PDT)
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Uncrewed aerial system (UAS) platforms are critical to battlefield success for the U.S. military and its allies – as demonstrated in the war in Ukraine -- as they can accomplish tasks that crewed platforms cannot. In the civilian world, autonomous flight vehicles – in the same way as crewed platforms – are a fact of everyday life. Safety certification of UAS avionics hardware, avionics software, collision-avoidance systems, navigation systems, and the like carry with them unique design challenges, however, as each system must meet complex certification standards such as DO-178C and DO-254. This session will cover how to navigate these safety-certification challenges in UAS platforms.
Uncrewed aerial system (UAS) platforms are critical to battlefield success for the U.S. military and its allies – as demonstrated in the war in Ukraine -- as they can accomplish tasks that crewed platforms cannot. In the civilian world, autonomous flight vehicles – in the same way as crewed platforms – are a fact of everyday life. Safety certification of UAS avionics hardware, avionics software, collision-avoidance systems, navigation systems, and the like carry with them unique design challenges, however, as each system must meet complex certification standards such as DO-178C and DO-254. This session will cover how to navigate these safety-certification challenges in UAS platforms.
Vice President of Marketing, DDC-I
Gary Gilliland has over 30 years of experience in the development and marketing of hardware and software solutions for embedded systems, with extensive experience in both military and commercial avionics. A graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, with a degree in electrical engineering, Gary was previously Technical Marketing Manager at DDC-I, where he has been responsible for product development, technical marketing, partner relationships and customer facing technical support with special expertise integrating Deos in avionics systems.
Prior to joining DDC-I, Gary was responsible for business development at LynuxWorks for the DO-178 product, managed Technical Marketing and field sales engineers. Prior to LynuxWorks Gary held engineering management and engineering positions developing commercial and military embedded systems for aerospace and defense applications at Honeywell, Lockheed Missiles and Space and LTV Aerospace and Defense.
Prior to joining DDC-I, Gary was responsible for business development at LynuxWorks for the DO-178 product, managed Technical Marketing and field sales engineers. Prior to LynuxWorks Gary held engineering management and engineering positions developing commercial and military embedded systems for aerospace and defense applications at Honeywell, Lockheed Missiles and Space and LTV Aerospace and Defense.
EVP & Group Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems
