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The International Conference on Air Defense and Security (ICDS-26)


The International Conference on Air Defense and Security (ICDS-26) aims to be a premier interdisciplinary forum for researchers, technologists, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to present and exchange cutting-edge advances, challenges, and solutions in the evolving landscape of defense and security. The theme is “Intelligent Defense: Securing the Future with AI, Cyber Resilience, and Next-Gen Warfare.”
The inaugural edition of ICDS will be held from January 9–10, 2026, at NIST University, bringing together stakeholders from academia, government, policy makers, and industry to foster collaboration, inform policy, and accelerate innovation.
We invite original, unpublished research contributions that advance the theory, design, implementation, or application of technologies and systems across all dimensions of defense and security. Submissions may address foundational science, applied research, emerging technologies, operational frameworks, or user-centric perspectives.


Strategic Environment and Geopolitical Shifts
  • Evolution of warfare: from conventional to hybrid and algorithmic models

  • Strategic deterrence and geopolitical alignments

  • Defense diplomacy and multilateral security frameworks

  • Civil-military coordination in national emergencies

2. Technological Innovations & Future Security
  • Artificial Intelligence and machine learning in defense applications

  • Autonomous systems: drones, robotics, and unmanned platforms (aerial, ground, underwater)

  • Supersonic and hypersonic weapon systems

  • Smart sensor networks and battlefield intelligence

  • Quantum technologies in defense systems

  • Electronic warfare and electromagnetic spectrum dominance

3. Human Factors and Policies
  • Psychological resilience in modern warfare

  • National and global defense policies in the 21st century

  • Simulation, AR/VR, and gamified defense training

  • Human-machine teaming in combat

  • Leadership in high-stress, uncertain environments

4. Cyber and Information Warfare
  • Cybersecurity strategies and threat intelligence

  • Offensive and defensive cyber operations

  • Social media manipulation and psychological operations

  • Data-driven decision support and information superiority

  • Cognitive warfare and narrative shaping

5. Specialized Defense Domains
  • Space security and counter-space operations

  • Maritime domain awareness and naval innovations

  • Underwater warfare and surveillance systems

  • Integrated air and missile defense systems

  • Tactical edge computing and real-time analytics

6. Sustainability, Ethics, and Future Readiness
  • Defense sustainability and energy resilience

  • Ethics of autonomous weapons and AI use in combat

  • Disaster response and humanitarian assistance

  • Future soldier technologies and wearable systems


Proposals for Special Topic Sessions and Tutorials:
There will be special sessions or tutorials in some focused areas. Interested organizers are requested to submit a 1 or 2-page proposal to the program chairs as soon as possible.


Paper Submissions:
Authors are requested to submit electronic versions of the full manuscript, preferably in PDF or Microsoft Word, to the submission site (or four printed copies to a program chair). The size of the submissions is limited to 8 pages (single-sided). Conference proceedings will be published by a reputable publisher such as IEEE Xplore.

The Microsoft CMT service was used for managing the peer-reviewing process for this conference. This service was provided for free by Microsoft and they bore all expenses, including costs for Azure cloud services as well as for software development and support.

Date and Venue

January 9–10, 2026
NIST University, India

Important Dates

  • Full Paper & Tutorial Submission: 15th October 2025

  • Author Notification: 15th November 2025

  • Camera-ready copies: 30th November 2025

  • Registration: 15th December 2025

  • Conference: 9-10th January 2026