Session 2.4d Update: Decision Advantage: Operational Context, Agentic AI and the Future of Military Decision Advantage in MPEs
Tracks
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| Wednesday, November 18, 2026 |
| 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM |
| Nicholls Theatre |
Presentation Outline
Military operations are entering a new era in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) is moving beyond information retrieval toward autonomous analysis, recommendation, and task execution. As Defence organizations begin integrating Agentic AI into command-and-control, cyber defence, intelligence, logistics, and Mission Partner Environments (MPEs), a fundamental question emerges: How do we accelerate military decision-making while preserving commander intent, operational trust, legal authorities, and human accountability?
For decades, Defence organizations have invested in collecting and sharing information across coalition networks. Today, the challenge is no longer a lack of data—it is creating shared operational understanding. AI can process vast quantities of information in seconds, but without rich operational context it cannot reliably distinguish mission-critical activity from routine events, assess operational risk, or provide recommendations commanders can trust.
This presentation examines how contextual data—including identity, network, communications, cloud, mission systems, threat intelligence, and operational dependencies—forms the foundation for trusted AI within Mission Partner Environments. It explores how contextual awareness enables AI to accelerate portions of the Observe–Orient–Decide–Act (OODA) Loop, reducing decision latency while preserving human judgment and command responsibility.
The session will examine the emerging role of Agentic AI in Defence operations: where autonomous systems can responsibly assist decision-making and execution, where command authority and legal responsibilities must remain with military leaders, and how coalition partners establish trust in AI-enabled operations.
We'll examine the evolution from information sharing to shared operational understanding and why operational context is the decisive layer enabling trusted AI to enable the delivery of decision advantage for the modern warfighter.
Speaker
COL (R'td), United States Air Force Sarah Cleveland
Senior Director of Federal Strategy
Extrahop Networks
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Biography
Sarah Cleveland has more than 26 years of experience as a United States Air Force Cyber Operations Officer and over three years developing cyber strategy for industry. She retired as a Colonel following her command of the 709th Support Group at the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC), where she led cyber operations, software maintenance, logistics, remote sensor support, emergency management, and communications supporting the United States' global nuclear treaty monitoring mission. As part of this mission she had 7 global detachments, one of which is in Alice Springs.
During her command, she oversaw more than $1.6 billion in global infrastructure and the sustainment of 14 mission-critical networks supporting worldwide operations. Throughout her Air Force career, she held leadership positions in cyber operations, communications, command and control, and enterprise information technology. Deploying for a total of 5 years to the middle east, Sarah supported Australia in the early 2000's as General James Molan's communications officer. Sarah currently serves as Senior Director of Federal Strategy at ExtraHop, advising government organizations on cyber resilience, Zero Trust, AI-enabled security operations, and the role of network-derived intelligence in supporting mission outcomes.
During her command, she oversaw more than $1.6 billion in global infrastructure and the sustainment of 14 mission-critical networks supporting worldwide operations. Throughout her Air Force career, she held leadership positions in cyber operations, communications, command and control, and enterprise information technology. Deploying for a total of 5 years to the middle east, Sarah supported Australia in the early 2000's as General James Molan's communications officer. Sarah currently serves as Senior Director of Federal Strategy at ExtraHop, advising government organizations on cyber resilience, Zero Trust, AI-enabled security operations, and the role of network-derived intelligence in supporting mission outcomes.
