Dan Caine delivers keynote at defense tech conference

Dan Caine delivered the keynote at the National Defense Industrial Association’s Tech 2026 Emerging Technology for Defense Conference on Sept. 9, addressing attendees about industry-government collaboration.

In remarks carried live by C-SPAN, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff outlined priorities for accelerating fielding of advanced capabilities and reducing friction between military buyers and commercial suppliers.

Reporting from the conference, DefenseScoop wrote that Caine “called on government buyers and commercial sellers to deliberately meet in the middle on cost, speed, and experimentation” as a way to move new technologies to warfighters faster.

Wide shot of an anonymous conference hall stage with a lone lectern, large blank projection screen behind it, rows of empty chairs in the foreground and a few silhouetted, anonymous attendees milling in the aisles

The National Defense Industrial Association had listed Gen. Caine as a featured speaker in advance, and livestreams and recordings of his remarks were posted during the event.

Observers at the conference noted Caine’s emphasis on shared risk and faster experimentation as part of a push to close the gap between commercial tech cycles and Pentagon acquisition timelines.

Close view of an anonymous attendee taking notes at a table with a conference badge turned face-down, a pen, and a tablet screen showing a generic slide titled "Emerging Tech" blurred out

This event follows other public appearances by Caine this year, including testimony and briefings on defense posture and budgets that have framed the Pentagon’s acquisition priorities, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff readout pages.

For readers tracking defense-industry relations, the conference remarks provide a clear signal of what military leaders are pressing industry to change — speed, shared cost, and space for disciplined experimentation.

Sources

C-SPAN — confirmation that Gen. Dan Caine delivered remarks at the NDIA Tech 2026 conference and livestream details.
DefenseScoop — reporting that Caine urged industry and government to “meet in the middle on cost, speed, and experimentation.”
National Defense Industrial Association (LinkedIn / announcements) — event speaker listing announcing Gen. Caine as a featured keynote.
Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS.mil) — contextual readouts and related public appearances and testimony this year.

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