To view the slide deck used in this presentation, please click below:
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
NSF Hybrid Event
In-Person at
Tamarack Casino
13101 S. Virginia St, Reno, NV
(Park and enter using the Banquet Hall door on the north side of the building)
Breakfast served 8:00-9:00 am, Forum 9:00-10:15 am
$30 members/$35 guests
Virtual on Zoom
Forum 9:00-10:15am PST
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_V0VbqfGjRqqyJDSMWM9NmA
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
SPEAKER:
Lt Col David C. Zesinger
(United States Space Force, U.S. Army War College Department of Military Strategy, Plans, and Operations)
Warfare and Defense in Space
Welcome back to the National Security Forum fall series on the Future of Warfare. NSF soldiers on even if the US Government remains shuttered. Unfortunately, the government shutdown did mean we had to postpone our tour of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) hosted by our partners at MSTS. We plan to reschedule this event for early in 2026. The NSF Las Vegas trip also included an NSF forum and Meet the National Security Scientists event at Desert Research Institute in Las Vegas, the day prior to our NNSS tour, which is also postponed and will be rescheduled along with the NNSS tour.
Breaking News! We now may have competition on the race to NNSS since the President directed the Pentagon to return to nuclear testing last week. As of today, we don’t know much about what that may mean for the NNSS, the country, or the world. We promise to return to this topic as soon as we know more. No one expected our NNSS trip to be quite so timely and important.
“President Donald Trump’s announcement of resuming nuclear testing has stirred questions about the type, such as live testing of warheads, and whether the United States has entered a new era of nuclear competition with China and Russia.” (30Oct25,
Erin Dumbacher, Council on Foreign Relations, CFR on Nuclear Testing)
While we are endeavoring to get more details about the President’s cryptic remarks on social media, I recommend everyone watch an even more timely and important interview with Dr. Kimberly Budil (Director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, LLNL) conducted by Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov of NTI on Sep 17th. Dr. Budil speaks candidly and eloquently about the need for the US to modernize and maintain our nuclear arsenal and the role that the national laboratories and NNSS play in keeping America safe. She provides amazing insight into today’s threats and defenses and how US national security science and technology is rapidly evolving to counter new and emerging threats.
We had intended to show this interview during our visit to DRI in October. It is now so timely that I strongly encourage you to pour a second cup of coffee and listen to Dr. Budil’s wise and encouraging words. You can access it on the NTI FutureSafe Innovation Forum webpage at: NTI FutureSafe Innovation Forum with Kim Budil or on the video resources page of the NSF website at: NSF Video Library
The Space Domain: A New Frontier for Deterrence and Conflict
Space is no longer a sanctuary. It has become a contested domain where the next battles for technological and strategic dominance may be fought. As Brookings Institution analyst Timothy Lea writes, “It is clear that a new era, in which the United States organizes, trains, and equips for space combat, has arrived.” Adversaries are fielding systems that can jam, blind, or destroy U.S. satellites — the invisible backbone of everything from GPS and banking to missile warning and secure communications. (T. Lea, 05May25, Brookings Institute Blog, Lea Brookings Blog)
Lt Col David C. Zesinger of the U.S. Space Force brings this high-stakes world into sharp focus. Drawing on his operational experience commanding satellite networks that link more than 200 critical spacecraft, and his current research at the U.S. Army War College, Zesinger will explore how the Space Force is building the capability to “secure our Nation’s interests in, from, and to space.”
He will address why the United States must be ready to “contest and control … to fight and win in the space domain,” as Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman has argued, and how this new reality reshapes global deterrence. As Lea warns, failing to prepare could leave America’s air, sea, and land forces blind and vulnerable in a crisis.
From orbital debris and anti-satellite weapons to the race for lunar resources and the rise of mega-constellations, this session will connect the dots between technological innovation, economic competition, and national defense. It’s a conversation not just about rockets and satellites — but about power, resilience, and the future of American security.
This forum continues NSF’s Fall 2025 series on The Future of Warfare, spotlighting how AI, hypersonics, and space deterrence are redefining modern conflict.
Launching NSF’s Fall Series on the Future of Warfare
This forum continues NSF’s fall series on the future of warfare. Over the coming months, we will explore how rapidly advancing technologies are reshaping conflict and deterrence. Upcoming sessions will examine the role of drones and anti-drone systems, the emergence of AI-enabled weaponry, the next generation of nuclear weapons, and the potential for both defensive and offensive weapons in space. Together, these discussions will offer a wide-ranging look at how the character of war is evolving and what it means for U.S. security and global stability.
About the Speaker
Lt Col David C. Zesinger is the first U.S. Space Force officer to serve as a faculty member at the U.S. Army War College, where he teaches in the Department of Military Strategy, Plans, and Operations. Commissioned from the Air Force Academy in 2005 with a B.S. in
Geography, he has served in ICBM, satellite, and command assignments at Malmstrom, Schriever, Peterson, and the Pentagon. He commanded the 23rd Space Operations Squadron at New Boston Space Force Station, NH, overseeing half the Satellite Control Network. A graduate of the U.S. Army War College (2024), Lt Col Zesinger teaches and writes on space strategy and warfighting operations.
Don’t Miss This Forum
In his recent presentations, LtCol Zesinger presents a compelling case for space as the final frontier for US national security. Whether you join us in Reno for breakfast or online from anywhere in the world, we look forward to your participation in what promises to be one of an enlightening and informative NSF forum.
Seats at Tamarack are limited—reserve your place today.
The National Security Forum is a non-partisan, educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering civil discourse and informed discussion about timely and important national security topics. We bring expert speakers from around the U.S. to talk about national and international security, domestic and foreign terrorism, economic and financial threats, the safety of our food and water supply, energy policy, electrical grid stability, and a variety of other topics that affect all Americans. The National Security Forum partners with the Washoe County School District to host an annual Youth Security Forum to encourage future generations of national security leaders.
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