Naval War College Explores Cutting-Edge Innovations Shaping Future Warfare at Premier Symposium

“Innovation: The Future of Joint Warfare,” the 2024 Future War Symposium (FWS), has commenced with 462 students from the U.S. armed forces, U.S. government agencies, and over 70 partner nations attending. The event gathered experts on groundbreaking technologies such as artificial intelligence, cyber warfare, and space operations.

“My charge to you this day and in future events—participate. Fully invest in the program,” said Rear Adm. Pete Garvin, president of the Naval War College (NWC). “This race we’re about to run is not for you individually, but for the future of the international rules-based order we’ve enjoyed since World War II.”

Panel discussions spanning conflict in cyberspace, space domain competition, and 21st-century deterrence were supported by 20 expert speakers. These topics have been identified as high-priority areas by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) for professional military education.

“We support the National Defense Strategy and CJCS Officer Professional Military Education Program by challenging NWC students to think innovatively,” Garvin remarked.

Contributors included representatives from the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), Northeastern University, The Brookings Institution, Tufts University, MIT, and other institutions.

Continuing throughout the academic year, discussions from the symposium will be integrated into NWC’s new Perspectives on Modern War (PMW) course. PMW merges theoretical war analysis with practical solutions to contemporary and future security challenges.

Max Brooks, author of “World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War,” delivered opening remarks emphasizing adaptability and innovative thinking for future conflicts. “Have the courage to champion great ideas, listen to those who have good, creative ideas,” Brooks urged. “Building partnerships is an overwhelming asymmetric force.”

Brooks stressed the importance of collaboration. “An American-led world is a partnership. We are here as partners, for we are all working together for common goals. If we double down on our alliances and collaborate, these alliances can hold the line.”

Rear Adm. Heidi Berg highlighted the importance of understanding cyber and space as warfighting domains. “Cyberspace is a warfighting domain. You must understand cyberspace and space to detect threats and employ weapons for command and control over the horizon,” she stated.

The event concluded with Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro applauding NWC’s role in developing the Nation’s maritime strategy. “The Naval War College is a national treasure,” Del Toro affirmed. “Extraordinary thought leadership here in Newport made the nation a global power at the dawn of the 20th Century.”

Initiated in 2017 by Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), FWS aims to further education on emerging forms of warfare. The symposium aligns with Navy and Department of Defense priorities by inspiring leaders to think innovatively about space capabilities, the global information grid, and technologies like nanotechnologies and artificial intelligence.

Established in 1884, NWC is the oldest institution of its kind, delivering premier education and research. The college informs today’s decision makers, educates future leaders, and engages global partners on naval power to preserve peace, respond in crises, and win wars decisively.