ITEA and DEPS combined two long running events and focused on the joint theme of how Test
and Evaluation can support the emerging DoD trend to focus significant energy on prototyping
and experimentation.
A recent Department of Defense Report to Congress noted the need to
“increasingly leverage prototyping, experimentation and other developmental activities
to retire technical risk." Our Joint Conference leverages that DoD vision and the recent
significant increases in prototyping and experimentation efforts to explore the role of T&E in
"prototyping, experimentation and other developmental activities." This Conference will discuss
the practical implications of T&E support to accelerate delivery of "game changing" technologies
to the Warfighter.
Key plenary speakers, panel discussions, and technical sessions will be part of the program
to identify challenges, solutions, innovations and a future state; all contributing to moving
us closer to creation of an infrastructure and principles, conducive to testing and training
in a more operationally realistic environment.
Come Join Us!
The 2026 DE Test & Evaluation Joint Conference will take place from May 18-21 in Albuquerque,
NM, focusing on "T&E Support to Prototyping and Experimentation." The theme of this conference is
Rapid Development and Deployment of Directed Energy Technology. This event will explore the practical
impact of test and evaluation (T&E) in supporting prototyping, experimentation, and other developmental activities.
This Call for Papers invites submissions for Public Release,
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), SECRET, and SECRET/NOFORN papers and presentations
on the following topics:
High Energy Laser (HEL) Sensors and Sources
High Power Microwave (HPM) Sensors and Sources
Atmospheric Characterization and Effects
Department of War(DoW) and Service Experimentation and Prototyping Campaigns and Test Results
Measurement and Calibration (METCAL)
Modeling and Simulation Guiding Design from Experimentation to Deployment
Instrumentation and Target Requirements for Breakthrough Technologies
Targets and Instrumentation for HEL and HPM Testing and Experimentation
Testing Considerations for AI/ML Integration in Prototype Systems
T&E's Role Across the Kill Chain in Experimentation
T&E Capabilities for Directed Energy Systems
Operational Security (OPSEC) Implications on Testing and Experimentation
Bio-effects
Manufacturing, Metrology, and Testing for Transition from Prototype to Fielded Systems
Airborne Laser Systems
Note that all persons wishing to present at the DE T&E Joint Conference will be required to
submit an abstract.
(See Submission Instructions section below.) Important dates for presenters are listed in the table below.
Submission Instructions
Important Dates for Presenters
Abstracts due:
NOW 10 April 2026
Authors notified of acceptance:
17 April 2026
Preliminary agenda published:
20 April 2026
ALL presentations/release forms due:
8 May 2026
DE T & E Joint Conference:
18-21 May 2026
Papers/paper release forms due:
21 May 2026
General information on the submission of abstracts, presentations, papers and release forms is provided here. Specific
information on sending presentations and papers will be provided below soon. Presentations and papers will be considered
for acceptance at an open, public release level, CUI Distribution C/D, as well as Classified Secret.
Note that it is the responsibility of the lead author to obtain all approvals and releases for
submitted abstracts, presentations, and papers. All submitted materials including unclassified presentations
must be appropriately marked for any distribution restrictions.
Abstracts
All persons wishing to present at the 2026 DE T&E Joint Conference must submit an abstract for consideration.
Abstracts must be unclassified and will be due on or before 10 April 2026.
Unclassified, Public Release abstracts should be submitted in their entirety online. Authors nearing the submission deadline who do not yet have
release approval should submit a place-holder abstract prior to the deadline and then add the abstract body once release approval is obtained. Only enter
public release material online.
Authors with CUI or Classified abstracts should submit a place-holder abstract (including title, expected classification/distribution of
the presentation, and contact info) so that an Abstract ID can be assigned, and then make arrangements with the technical program coordinator
for providing their restricted material. Only enter public release material online.
During the online submission process, authors may choose whether or not to display their abstract title on the DEPS website. Access to the full abstract content is
limited to those abstracts for which the author has submitted a simple, online abstract release form which will be available from their MyAccount page after the abstract
is submitted.
Authors will be notified on or before 17 April of acceptance of their paper for presentation and/or publication.
Authors may choose whether to release either the title or the abstract online.
Those who do not yet have public release approval are encouraged to submit the abstract before the deadline and select the
appropriate options on the submission form to keep the details off the Website listing. Authors may also make arrangements
to submit classified or limited distribution material. To do so, authors should submit a place-holder title and abstract
through the online submission form and follow the instructions there that are suitable for their material.
Please contact webmaster@deps.org with any technical issues regarding
abstract submission. Subject matter questions regarding abstracts should be directed to
Devona Valdez.
Note: While an automated email is sent confirming receipt of your abstract, some military
domains may block delivery of such an email. If you do not receive email confirmation, you may check this
online listing of submitted abstracts, which will be available here soon.
View an online listing of submitted abstracts.
This listing is dynamically generated based on
abstracts received at the time the page is displayed and author permission (granted when submitted.) If the abstract ID assigned
to your abstract is contained in this listing, it has been received by DEPS.
Presentations and Papers
Click to expand and see instructions below.
For organizational purposes, please label your presentation file name using your LAST NAME and your ASSIGNED ABSTRACT NUMBER.
For example: Smith_26-DETE-XXX.
Unclassified, public release (Distribution A) presentations and papers that are less than 5MB in size must be sent electronically
to Devona Valdez at devona@deps.org.
CUI Distribution C and D presentations and papers that are less than 5MB in size can be emailed. Files must be password protected and sent in an encrypted email to
Devona Valdez at devona@deps.org. Note that password must be emailed separately, and emails must be encrypted.
CUI Distribution C and D presentations and papers over 5MB: Users with .mil email addresses and CACs holders
should use DoD SAFE https://safe.apps.mil/ and drop off files for Devona at
devona@deps.org.
Using DoD Safe is preferable; however, if you need to send a CD, please mail it to:
DEPS Graphics
7770 Jefferson St. NE
Suite 440
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Unclassified / CUI presentations and papers must be received by 8 May.
*NOTE: No presentations will be accepted for upload onsite. Any updates made to presentations after the submission
deadline must be submitted digitally to Devona at devona@deps.org or otherwise arranged.
Note that all submitted materials, including unclassified presentations, must be appropriately
marked for security classification as well as identification of any distribution restrictions.
See Security Markings below.
Authors are encouraged to submit papers as well as presentations. Submitted papers may, upon author
approval, be forwarded for consideration by editors of the Journal of Directed Energy,
a peer-reviewed publication.
Papers are due on or before 21 May and should be submitted in either Microsoft
Word format, which is preferred, or Adobe Acrobat format (pdf file). Specific format
instructions can be found on the following link: Journal Author
Instructions with the following exceptions: no page limit, single space paragraphs, double space between paragraphs
and integrated figures and tables. Include full information (including address, phone,
fax, and email) for corresponding author. It is the authors' responsibility to ensure that
the paper has not been published, nor under consideration, elsewhere.
Release forms are required for all papers and presentations (oral or poster) submitted to the
2026 DE Test and Evaluation Joint Conference.
These PDF release forms can be completed electronically with a digital signature, or printed for signature and submission.
It is the responsibility of the lead author to obtain all approvals and releases for
submitted presentations and papers. Submission instructions are provided on the form itself.
Release forms, as well as questions, should be submitted to devona@deps.org.
Security Markings
Classified materials must be marked In Accordance With DoD 5200.1-R, Sections 5.2,
5.3 and 5.4, and Executive Orders 12958 and 13526 "Classified National Security
Information." All classified presentations must include the classified by or derived from information, as
well as the "declassify on" date.
CUI materials must be marked in accordance with DoD Instruction 5200.48, "Controlled Unclassified
Information (CUI)," issued in March 2020. This marking
guide can be used as an example.
Distribution
Distribution statements of technical documents must be identified in accordance with
DoD Directive 5230.24, dated 23 AUG 2012, Enclosure 4 (page 14). Only presentations and papers with
distribution statements A, C, and D will be presented.
All presentations must have an authorized distribution statement on the first page.
Presentations containing Distribution Statements B and E will not be presented at the
DE Systems Symposium.
All papers must have an authorized distribution statement on the first page. Papers
can be Distribution A, C, or D only. Distribution Statements B, E and F will not be accepted.
