Unmanned systems increasingly pose concerns to defense and security across the globe with their rapidly evolving, diverse range of platform, sensor, sensing, command and control, autonomy, and attack technologies; mass-production; and widespread adoption. While beneficial for civilian, commercial, military, intelligence, and law enforcement entities alike across air, land, and sea, their asymmetrically disruptive use toward unauthorized, offensive, or hostile goals is revolutionizing approaches to modern conflict; surveillance and privacy protection; facility, critical infrastructure, and border protection; public safety; counterterrorism; and public policy. Counter-unmanned system cross-over technologies range from optical/electro-optical, radiofrequency, and acoustic sensor systems to detect, track, and identify potential threats to jamming, cyber takeover, mechanical capture, and kinetic or directed energy targeting to neutralize the threat. Complex concepts of employment involve not only standalone systems, but multi-sensor systems, swarms, and drone on drone engagements. Emerging topics such as satellite communications, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality are also evolving the state-of-the-art. Please join our illustrious panelists and moderator as we discuss existing and future challenges, opportunities, and crossover technologies to counter unmanned systems at this symposium-wide panel.
Moderator
Houston Cantwell Senior Resident Fellow Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies (United States)
Houston Cantwell is a senior resident fellow for the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. During his 30-year Air Force career he served as a combat pilot, commander, and planner, flew the F-16, MQ-9, and RQ-4 drone aircraft, and eventually retired as a brigadier general. His multiple overseas deployments afforded him the opportunity to shape operational plans in the European, Pacific, and Middle East areas of operation. He’s a recognized national security expert having written numerous articles for defense journals focused on unmanned aviation and national security.
Panelists
Ganesh Balakrishnan Professor and Associate Director University of New Mexico (United States)
Ganesh Balakrishnan is a Professor and Regents’ Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of New Mexico. He currently serves as Director of New Mexico EPSCoR and its NSF E-CORE Center, and as Associate Director of the UNM Directed Energy Center.
His research focuses on the development of advanced semiconductor electronic and optoelectronic devices through molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). His group specializes in the epitaxial growth and device development of high-power semiconductor lasers, including photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers (PCSELs) and vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSELs). He has more than two decades of experience in the development of metamorphic buffer technologies, particularly antimonide-based structures grown on GaAs and Silicon substrates.
Over the past decade, Dr. Balakrishnan has secured more than $20 million in research funding for his laboratory and contributed to over $30 million in multi-institutional center awards. His work has been supported by agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Army Research Office (ARO), ARPA-E, joint directed energy transition office (JDETO), and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
Dr. Balakrishnan has authored approximately 150 peer-reviewed journal publications and has delivered more than 200 conference presentations.
Imraan A. Faruque Director, Autonomous Physics Group Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (United States)
Imraan A. Faruque develops end-to-end aerospace autonomy in defense science and technology, particularly aerial swarming methods. Dr. Faruque’s science-to-implementation methods translated the feedback control of flying insects into engineered flight capabilities on unmanned aerial vehicles, resulting in numerous best paper awards, patents, and a small business focused on GPS-denied swarming. He is a recipient of five distinguished early career awards, including the ONR Young Investigator Award. He co-founded multiple FAA-designated UAS test sites before supporting Oklahoma’s Counter-UAS Center of Excellence. Dr. Faruque builds on an Associate Professor role at Oklahoma State University to strengthen national security as Senior Professional Staff at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.
Chris Schwalm Vice President, Intelligence and Security BAE Systems, Inc. (United States)
Chris Schwalm is a Vice President within BAE Systems' Intelligence and Security business area, where he plays a key role in developing the company's C-UAS strategy and capabilities within the federal civilian market. With a background spanning IT, engineering, and business development, he has driven mission focused growth and program delivery supporting customers including the Department of Homeland Security, Justice, and State. His work focuses on advancing AI-enabled and digital capabilities that help customers stay ahead of rapidly evolving security challenges.
Mark F. Spencer Robert M. Edmund Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences and Professor of Optical Sciences
University of Arizona, Wyant College of Optical Sciences (United States)
Mark F. Spencer is the inaugural Robert M. Edmund Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences and a Professor of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona’s Wyant College of Optical Sciences. An internationally recognized expert in directed energy and beam control, Dr. Spencer leads the Beam Control and Propagation (BC&P) Laboratory, focusing on high-energy laser systems, unconventional imaging, and adaptive optics. Prior to joining the University of Arizona, he served as the Principal Director for Directed Energy at the Pentagon and Director of the Joint Directed Energy Transition Office. A Fellow of SPIE and the Directed Energy Professional Society (DEPS), as well as a Senior Member of Optica, Dr. Spencer has authored over 150 technical publications and holds a PhD in Optical Sciences and Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
An (Mike) Tran Director of Prototyping
Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Prototyping and Experimentation (ODASW/P&E) (United States)
An (Mike) Tran is the Director of Prototyping within the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Prototyping and Experimentation (ODASW/P&E). He leads efforts to accelerate the integration of emerging technologies, including multi-domain unmanned systems, AI, and autonomous technologies into operational environments.
To bridge the acquisition "valley of death," Dr. Tran previously directed the Technology Readiness Experimentation (T-REX) event series, providing realistic operational environments to rapidly validate emerging tech. He champions agile acquisition pathways, leveraging the One Nation Innovation (ONI) Other Transaction Authority (OTA) to foster partnerships across traditional defense contractors and the commercial technology sector. Dr. Tran’s strategic vision focuses on delivering affordable mass through initiatives like the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), advancing Low-Cost Short Range Air Defense (L-SHORAD) capabilities, and fielding multi-domain collaborative autonomy.
Beyond his core portfolio, Dr. Tran’s leadership extends to international collaboration through AUKUS maritime initiatives. His diverse background includes previously managing a dedicated Assessments Team of over 40 National Guard members and leading international programs and rapid prototyping efforts at NAVAIR and NAWCAD. He holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University.
Event Details
FORMAT: General session with live audience Q&A to follow each presentation.
MENU: Coffee, decaf, and tea will be available at the coffee service stations during published times.
SETUP: Theater style seating.
