Pentagon Turns to Detroit as NDIA Michigan Convenes Nation's Premier Cyber-Physical Systems Security Summit June 16-17

U.S. Navy, FBI Cyber Task Force, Ford, and General Dynamics among leaders converging on Rochester, Michigan for the 11th Annual CPS3

ROCHESTER, Mich., June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Pentagon looks to Detroit to rebuild America's defense industrial base, the National Defense Industrial Association Michigan Chapter will convene the 11th Annual Cyber-Physical Systems Security Summit (CPS3) on June 16–17, 2026, at Oakland University's Oakland Center, 312 Meadow Brook Rd., Rochester, Michigan 48309.

The timing is no coincidence. The Wall Street Journal reported in April that senior Pentagon officials have approached General Motors and Ford CEOs about expanding military production capacity, re-activating Detroit's role as the Arsenal of Democracy. But modern defense production cannot be separated from cybersecurity. The systems being asked to build, move, and sustain America's military are networked, software-driven, and actively targeted.

CPS3 brings together the leaders responsible for securing those systems. Now in its 11th year, the summit has established itself as the nation's premier forum at the intersection of military platforms, automotive technology, advanced manufacturing, and cyber-physical defense.

The 2026 program features an unprecedented cross-sector lineup:
Dr. Ryan Hilger, Principal Program Manager, U.S. Navy, opens as Day 1 keynote, drawing on doctoral research in cyber resilience and direct experience acquiring unmanned systems in contested environments. John Doyle, Director of CTI Services, Palo Alto Networks Unit 42, presents on Iranian state-sponsored cyberattacks against U.S. critical infrastructure. Andy Sczygielski, Special Agent, Detroit FBI Cyber Task Force, joins a panel on foreign proximity threats to military and civilian assets. Rachelle Putnam, VP and CIO, General Dynamics Land Systems, joins the AI-driven warfare panel. Dan Zajac, Product Security, Ford Motor Company, examines COTS-first policy risks for cyber-physical infrastructure.

Additional sessions cover post-quantum cryptography for ground vehicle systems, firmware vulnerability testing, CMMC compliance, Army Research Office funding pathways, and a live Capture-the-Flag competition. More than 200 hyper-focused defense, automotive, government, and industry professionals are expected across two days.

"Michigan sits at the center of automotive, defense, and advanced manufacturing in ways no other state can claim," said Dr. Dariusz Mikulski, CPS3 Co-Chair and Lead Research Scientist, U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center. "If this nation is serious about protecting connected systems, this is the room its leaders need to be in."

"The people building these systems and the people defending them have never needed to be in the same room more urgently than right now," said Jennifer Tisdale, CPS3 Co-Chair and Director, NDIA Michigan. "CPS3 is that room."

CPS3 2026 is sponsored by General Dynamics Land Systems, BAE Systems, Nightwing, Southwest Research Institute, Dataspeed, Metalware, NAMC, IQM, VES, and Oakland University School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Registration is now open. Seats are limited. Visit www.ndia-mich.org/event/cyber-physical-systems-security-summit or contact [email protected].

About NDIA Michigan:

The National Defense Industrial Association Michigan Chapter connects government, military, and industry to advance America's national security through Michigan's defense and mobility ecosystem.

Media Contact:
Axel Cooley | Metallon
[email protected] | 248.574.1466

SOURCE National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Michigan Chapter