# Washington Defense Leaders Discuss Autonomous Warfare

At the AUSA Annual Meeting in Washington, Secretary Pete Hegseth and senior defense leaders were scheduled to discuss autonomous warfare on October 14, 2026, including the Pentagon’s efforts to accelerate unmanned and autonomous capabilities. The signals report no solicitation, contract award, funding amount, new requirement, or procurement contact, so the panel is strategic context rather than a near-term bid opportunity.

- Contractors in autonomy, robotics, and unmanned systems can use the discussion to understand the defense leadership’s stated priorities for these capabilities.
- Procurement professionals should distinguish strategic discussion from an acquisition action: the signals identify no specific program, requirement, or contracting timeline.
- The event date has passed; businesses can use any remarks they have access to when assessing alignment with defense autonomy priorities, without treating them as a confirmed procurement forecast.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Artificial Intelligence
**Published:** October 14, 2026

### Government Entities
- Department of War (DOW)
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- U.S. Army (Army)
- U.S. Air Force (USAF)
- U.S. Navy (USN)

### Sources
- [Watch live: Hegseth speaks on autonomous warfare panel at AUSA Annual 2026](https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2026/10/14/watch-live-hegseth-speaks-on-autonomous-warfare-panel-at-ausa-annual-2026) - Defense News
- [Pete Hegseth to discuss autonomous warfare at AUSA Annual 2026 on Oct 14 at 10am EST](https://www.defensenews.com/breaking-news/2026/10/14/pete-hegseth-to-discuss-autonomous-warfare-at-ausa-annual-2026-on-oct-14-at-10am-est) - Defense News