Armen Melikian is an operations analyst at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory detailed to US European Command. Previously he served as an engineer in the Laboratory’s Air and Missile Defense mission area, where he supported tactics development, test and evaluation, and future concepts assessments for multiple United States Navy combat systems. He holds a Master of Science in Systems and Information Engineering from the University of Virginia, and a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

Scott H. Vlachos is the Executive Director of the Council for Emerging National Security Affairs, an American think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and national security. His research focuses on the evolving intersection of irregular warfare, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and operations in the information environment. His work has informed Department of Defense strategies for countering foreign disinformation, training U.S. information operators, and combating hybrid influence campaigns that blend cyber and psychological tactics. He has published analyses on how terrorist groups exploit social media algorithms, how extremists use disinformation to legitimize violence, and how governments can strengthen their resilience against cyberattacks. He regularly briefs U.S. and allied government officials on election integrity, emerging threats from generative AI, and the growing risks posed by an array of cybersecurity vulnerabilities. He holds an M.A. in International Relations from New York University.

Raina Davis serves as a Director for Research and Analysis for the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI), exploring how the Department of Defense and other government agencies can invest in, integrate, and scale AI for national security. Within this context, she primarily studies the role of industry in developing future defense capabilities. Raina has conducted primary research in Tunisia, Jordan, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, and worked for several years as a research coordinator at Columbia University’s Global Center in Amman, Jordan. She holds a BA from Stanford University and MPP from Harvard Kennedy School.