SOF & Irregular Warfare Symposium

The 2025 symposium will gather senior leaders and decision-makers from across USSOCOM, the military services, regional combatant commands, international partners, government agencies, industry innovators, and academic experts to address the rapidly evolving nature of global conflict.

As state and non-state adversaries increasingly leverage disinformation, asymmetric threats, and emerging technologies, the need for agile, interoperable, and forward-thinking special operations forces has never been more critical. Featured sessions will highlight current SOF deployments, lessons learned from today’s irregular warfare environments, and the role of elite SOF units in countering global adversaries and supporting national security objectives. This symposium will emphasize the importance of equipping SOF with next-generation capabilities through strategic acquisition, innovation acceleration, and integration of transformational technologies.

Attendees will explore the convergence of SOF with space, cyber, and strategic commands, and how these domains are reshaping future operational requirements. Panels will examine how acquisition is promoting the next-generation of SOF capabilities, the learning lessons of irregular warfare in the Indo-Pacific theater, and the future of SOF convergence of commands. Interoperability and joint-force coordination remain central themes, with discussions on asymmetric warfare, coalition building, information operations, and civil affairs operations. Together, these conversations will reinforce the vital role of SOF in enabling unified action across contested domains and preparing for the next era of irregular conflict.

DSI’s research-driven, non-partisan approach guarantees that the event will bring together the most respected minds in special operations, fostering an open and informed dialogue. Whether you’re a military professional, policy maker, or industry leader, this Symposium is an essential platform for staying ahead of the ever-changing demands of irregular warfare and securing the future of global defense.

Gain Education & Insight: Walk away with knowledge gained from our senior level speakers on some of the complex challenges facing the SOF community.

Build Partnerships: The agenda is designed to allow for ample networking opportunities and the ability to engage in constructive dialogue among all in attendance.

Influence: Help foster ideas! Share your own insight and knowledge during our interactive sessions. All attendees are encouraged to address our speaker faculty and each other with their questions, comments, or ideas.

DSI’s Symposium directly supports DoD and Federal Government priorities by providing a conduit for officials to efficiently reach audiences outside of their respective offices that directly impact their department’s mission success, at no charge to the government, and in an efficient expenditure of time.

DSI’s Symposium will provide a forum to address and improve internal and external initiatives, meet with and hear from partner organizations, disseminate vital capability requirements to industry, increase visibility within the larger community, and generally support their mission.

The Symposium is open and complimentary to all DoD and Federal employees, is considered an educational training forum, and is a widely attended gathering.

(Industry and academia members are charged a fee for admission.)

Symposium is CLOSED TO PRESS / NO RECORDINGS