LAWTON - The third annual Counter- Unmanned Aerial Systems Forum, held Feb. 24-25 at FISTA Innovation Park, brought Army leadership, defense industry innovators, academic partners and thought leaders together to collaborate on one of the most pressing challenges in modern defense – countering evolving drone threats.
Air Defense Artillery Association President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Randall McIntire and Lawton Mayor Stan Booker welcoming attendees and emphasizing the importance of Southwest Oklahoma as a growing hub for defense innovation.
Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, Commanding General of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, spoke on the Army Transformation Initiative and the organizational evolution required to counter emerging aerial threats.
The Army Senior Leader Panel featured Brig. Gen. Henke, Commandant of the Air Defense Artillery Branch, and Col. Green, Director of the Joint Counter-Small UAS Office, provided an in-depth discussion on the Army Counter- UAS Framework. The panel focused on modernization efforts, operational integration, and the synchronization of doctrine, training, and materiel development.
Industry leaders also provided key perspectives throughout the forum. Chris Brough of Warfighting System Solutions discussed defense partnership opportunities and technological integration; Platinum Sponsor AeroVironment, represented by Jimmy Jenkins, highlighted advancements in unmanned systems and counter-drone technologies and Camgian, represented by Taron Epps, presented insights into AI-driven threat detection and decision-support capabilities.
The ADA Association continues to lead efforts in connecting soldiers, veterans, innovators, and researchers to accelerate counter-UAS capability development.
Hosted at FISTA, the 2026 C-UAS Forum reinforced the park’s role as a national platform for collaboration between Army leadership, industry and academia.