US Defense Leadership Forum

In its 11th consecutive year, the U.S. Defense Leadership Forum (USDLF) once again organized the 2024 Air Force Contracting Summit in Orlando, Florida, from February 22 to 23, 2024, as a commitment to advancing national defense interests and building collaboration within the government contracting community.

2024 Air Force Contracting Summit

This summit convenes diverse participants, including Air Force command & base officials, subcontractors, contracting officers and experts, financing sources, and business leaders from across the nation who join in person and virtually to engage in the Air Force Contracting Summit. Over the years, USDLF’s Summit organizers have successfully brought together more than 10,000 stakeholders, with over 1,000 speakers participating.

As a leading organization dedicated to promoting dialogue and cooperation among stakeholders in the defense sector, the USDLF aims to address critical challenges facing national security while supporting the defense industry. Its goal is to organize esteemed educational forums and conferences that provide the latest information on the Department of Defense budgets and the mission and contracting priorities of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marine Corps. Additionally, USDLF focuses on specific military commands and bases, offering insights into new military contracts across various procurement areas, including ships, aircraft, tanks, missiles, and more.

This year’s Air Force Contracting Summit excels as one of the top national defense contracting events of 2024. This Summit provided attendees with the latest information on:

• Air Force FY2024 Budget – Major Procurement Developments
• Air Force Mission & Contracting Priorities for Special Operations, Aircraft, Air Warfare, Armaments, Avionics, Logistics, Facilities, Energy, Construction, Engineering, Technology, Cyber, Space, and more
• Latest on New Contracts from the Missile Defense Agency’s $10.9 Billion 2024 Budget
• Air Force ‘Base of the Future’ and Energy Resilience Opportunities
• Air Force Command Mission & Contracting Priorities
• Air Force and Department of Defense Contracting Priorities
• Multi-Year Contract Vehicles – Prime Contractor & Small Business Tracks
• New Contracting Opportunities with Foreign Military Sales (FMS)
• OTA’s and Other Innovation Acquisition Strategies and Programs
• New Contracting Opportunities for Prime Defense Contractors & Subcontractors
• New Pentagon and Air Force Cyber Protection/CMMC Strategies
• U.S. Space Force Developments & Contracting Priorities
• Teaming, Subcontracting & Mentor Protégé Opportunities
• Public and Private Financing Sources
• Small Business Resources
• Matchmaking Sessions featuring Government Agencies and Prime Contractors

Day 1 Keynote Addresses and Highlights

The two-day summit kicked off with engaging sessions led by esteemed speakers and experts in the field. Day one began with welcoming remarks from Summit Moderator Charles F. Sills, setting the stage for insightful discussions to follow. Attendees had the opportunity to hear Representative Rob Wittman (R-VA), Vice Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and Chairman of Tactical Air and Land Forces, deliver a congressional keynote address that provided valuable insights into current defense priorities. 

Throughout the day, attendees participated in sessions covering various topics, including Acceleration Innovation in Air Force Acquisitions, USSOCOM contracting, and Air Force cyber challenges. Moreover, keynote addresses at the Summit have showcased a range of best practices aligned with the USDLF’s objectives.

• Kristiane Smith, Principal Sales Engineer at UNANET, shed light on Forecasting (and Achieving) Growth in 2024
• Wesley J. Jefferies, Industry Liaison, OUSD (A&S) Office of Industrial Base Policy, Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program, Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office, U.S. Department of Defense discussed Defense Department – Defense Industrial Base (DIB) Policy
• Brian Liesveld, CEO of DEFENSEWERX, delved into Air Force ‘Innovation Hub’ Opportunities
• Dr. Rupak Doshi, CEO of OmniSync Incorporated, provided insights into Streamlining Contracting & the SBIR Process 
• Dr. David G. Smith, Director of the Air Force Production and Flight Test Facility, spoke about Empowering the Military Industrial Base – The ‘Why’ Behind the Work 
• Steven Truitt, the Principal Program Manager, Office of the CTO, Strategic Missions and Technologies at Microsoft, discussed the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Defense Acquisition 
• Anna Wheeler, CISA Campaign Lead at Homeland and Force Protection, addressed Air Force Cyber Challenges
• Debbie Goode, Partner atCarr, Riggs & Ingram LLC, also gave her insights
• Sameer Somal, CFA, CFP, CAIA, CEO & Co-Founder of Blue Ocean Global Technology & Christie Jackson, Vice President, Regulation & Compliance at USFCR spoke on Best Practices for Digital Reputation in Government Contracting, where they offered invaluable insights focusing on actionable strategies on the System for Award Management (SAM) and the General Services Administration (GSA).

These sessions facilitated meaningful discussions and knowledge-sharing among attendees. 

Day 2 Speakers and Activities

Day Two of the Summit continued the momentum with prime contractor briefings, Air Force Acquisition updates, and discussions centered around Accelerating Innovation Through Targeted Air Force Acquisitions. 

Industry experts also provided valuable insights during the event on a variety of topics, including:

• “Is CMMC For Me?” addressed by Michael Dempsey, Managing Partner, at CISEVE – Gold Sponsor 
• A comprehensive GSA Brief on Air Force Contracting delivered by Phil Lowther, DoD Account Executive/National Account Manager, U.S. Air Force & U.S. Space Force, Office of Customer and Stakeholder Engagement (CASE), Federal Acquisition Service, and the U.S. General Services Administration and Javier Piquero, a Senior National Account Manager, U.S. Air Force & U.S. Space Force, Office of Customer and Stakeholder Engagement (CASE), Federal Acquisition Service, and U.S. General Services Administration
• Insights into Space Defense Acquisition provided by a panel consisting of David Hutchins, Senior Industry Analyst at Forecast International; Julia Barney, Director of Fundraising and Events, The Astronauts Memorial Foundation and The Center for Space Education; Laura DiBella, a Government Affairs Advisor, Adams and Reese LLP and Chair, for The Aerospace Alliance, and formerly President of Business Development, FloridaCommerce; and Alexandra Sanchez, the Economic Development Manager, Aviation & Aerospace, Select Florida, and FloridaCommerce 

USDLF Future Events

Looking ahead, the USDLF announced upcoming events aimed at furthering its mission, including the American Small Business Contracting Summit in April 2024, the Navy Contracting Summit in June 2024, the Atlantic Defense Contracting Summit in July 2024, and the Pacific Defense Contracting Summit in October 2024. 

“The Air Force Contracting Summit serves as a critical platform where industry leaders, government officials, and experts converge to collaboratively address our nation’s defense priorities. Fostering such dialogue and knowledge sharing is paramount to cultivating unique and transparent relationships within the government contracting community. Through events like these, we are equipped to effectively navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and ultimately fulfill the needs of our nation with agility and innovation.” – William Loiry, Chairman of USDLF

These events will continue to provide valuable opportunities for stakeholders to collaborate, share expertise, and address pressing issues in defense contracting and national security. 

For more information about the US Defense Leadership Forum and upcoming events, please visit www.usdlf.org.