Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Connor Burns | NEWPORT, R.I. — Panelists hold a discussion at the U.S. Naval War College (NWC)...... read more read more
NEWPORT, R.I. — The U.S. Naval War College (NWC) held its ninth annual Future Warfighting Symposium (FWS) focused on innovation and the future of joint warfare, onboard Naval Station Newport, Aug. 6-7.
FWS 2025 welcomed 447 in-resident students, including officers from all branches of the U.S. armed forces, U.S. federal government agencies and more than 42 partner and Allied nations. The symposium also brought together a broad group of subject matter experts to address topics identified by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as special areas of emphasis, including cyber warfare, space, artificial intelligence and data analysis, and strategic deterrence.
NWC President Rear Adm. Darryl Walker provided opening remarks for the symposium, remarking to students that they will soon face the challenges posed by the evolving character of war, especially as adversaries exploit cyberspace, test boundaries in the space domain and harness AI.
“We find ourselves in an era where the boundaries between peace and conflict, civil and military, physical and digital are increasingly blurred.” Walker said. “The questions before us are no longer hypothetical; they're operational, strategic and deeply consequential.”
Students participated in four panel discussions supported by 18 speakers, examining the role of autonomous systems and AI in the future battlespace, conflict and competition in cyberspace, competition in the space domain and deterrence across domains.
Speakers and panelists represented the China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI), Space Policy Institute at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, Latvian Institute of International Affairs, Brown University and additional U.S. federal government, military, academic and industry organizations.
FWS 2025 also featured keynote remarks by Max Brooks, author of “World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War”, who discussed the increasing impact and effectiveness of asymmetric threats on the modern battlefield, such as economic, information and biological warfare.
Brooks has participated in numerous think tanks and speaking engagements at military institutions, sharing his knowledge on crisis management and emphasizing adaptability, resilience and innovative thinking in preparing for future conflicts.
Discussions during the symposium will continue throughout the academic year via NWC’s Perspectives on Modern War (PMW) course. PMW combines theoretical analysis of war with the development of practical solutions to mitigate current and future global security challenges.
PMW course learning objectives include:
· Analyze trends, opportunities, and challenges joint, combined and interagency leaders face in warfighting and across the continuum of competition.
· Analyze the ethical and cultural considerations of leadership in a complex and dynamic national security environment.
· Synthesize the contribution of joint and combined operations, national security and strategic principles, and leadership attributes to mastering the challenges of the emerging international security environment.
Initiated in 2017 by Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) mandate, FWS gives NWC the opportunity to further its training and education on new emerging forms of war. The symposium supports Navy and Department of Defense priorities by challenging leaders to think innovatively about capabilities and threats in space; the global information grid and emerging technologies such as nanotechnologies, biological agents, robotics and artificial intelligence.
Established in 1884, NWC is the oldest institution of its kind in the world. The college delivers excellence in education, research, and outreach, informing today’s decision makers, educating tomorrow’s leaders, and engaging partners and Allies on all matters of naval power in order to preserve the peace, respond in crisis, and win decisively in war.
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2025 14:20 |
| Story ID: | 545033 |
| Location: | NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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