Wednesday, 10 December
12:30 PM – 5:00 PM
International Spy Museum
700 L’Enfant Plaza SW
Washington, DC 20024
In its 19th year, Defense Forum Washington brought together senior military, government officials, Members of Congress, industry executives, and academia to address the nation’s most pressing defense issues.
Defense Forum Washington 2025 examined how the United States can sustain maritime dominance by accelerating shipbuilding capacity to meet urgent operational demands. Speakers will share perspectives on strengthening the industrial base, securing necessary resources, and the increasing speed and scale at which ships can be designed, built, and delivered.
A featured panel discussion–the final installment of the U.S. Naval Institute’s four-part Correcting Course series–explored the opportunities, challenges, and implications of forging joint shipbuilding and repair ventures with leading Indo-Pacific nations and considered how to better incorporate allies and partners into solving the shipbuilding problem.
PROGRAM AGENDA
12:30pm – 12:55pm | Registration and Coffee Service
12:55pm – 1:00pm | Welcome Remarks
RADM Ray Spicer, USN (Ret.), CEO & Publisher, U.S. Naval Institute
1:00pm – 1:45pm | Featured Speaker
Mr. Jason Potter, Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Research, Development, and Acquisition (Confirmed)
1:45pm – 2:15pm | Featured Speaker
Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Member, Senate Armed Services Committee (Confirmed)
2:15pm – 2:45pm | Featured Speaker
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Member, Senate Armed Services Committee (Confirmed)
2:45pm – 3:00pm | Break
3:00pm – 4:00pm | Panel Discussion: Allied Shipyards, American Seapower
Moderator: Dr. Cynthia R. Cook, Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department, Center for Strategic and International Studies (Confirmed)
- Michael Coulter, CEO, Hanwha Global Defense (Confirmed)
- Glen Kim, Director, Naval Affairs and Strategy Development, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (Confirmed)
- William Toti, Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of War (Confirmed)
4:00pm – 4:50pm | Featured Speaker
VADM John B. Skillman, USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources, N8 (Confirmed)
4:50pm – 5:00pm | Closing Remarks
RADM Ray Spicer, USN (Ret.), CEO & Publisher, U.S. Naval Institute
5:00pm – 6:30pm | Networking Reception
