2025 Reagan National Defense Forum Features Defense Leaders, Keynote Speech by War Secretary Hegseth (Air Force On
U.S. government officials and defense leaders attend the 2025 Reagan National Defense Forum on Dec. 6 at two sites in the Reagan Center, California. (Video courtesy of Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.)
Schedule (Air Force One Pavilion):
7:45 a.m.–9:00 a.m. PST - Panel 1 & Breakfast
Opening Plenary: The Nation’s Voices on National Defense: Shaping Public Perspectives
Panelists:
Mike Gallagher, Head of Defense at Palantir Technologies
Katie Pavlich, contributor at Fox News
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.)
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ranking Member on the House Armed Services Committee
Moderator: Tom Bevan, RealClearPolitics
9:00 a.m.–9:30 a.m. PST - Morning break
10:10 a.m.–11:05 a.m. PST - Reindustrializing Defense: Recapitalizing and Revitalizing the Industrial Base
Panelists:
Adm. Daryl Caudle, chief of Naval Operations at the U.S. Navy
Michael Duffey, U.S. under secretary of war for acquisition and sustainment
Steve Parker, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space, and Security
Chris Power, CEO of Hadrian
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.)
Moderator: Mike Stone, Reuters News
11:15 a.m.–11:50 a.m. PST - Recruitment and Readiness: Restoring Confidence in the US Military
Panelists:
Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.)
Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.)
Gen. Eric Smith, Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps
Anthony Tata, U.S. Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness
Moderator: Leo Shane, Politico
11:50 a.m.–1:35 p.m. PST - Keynote Address & Luncheon
Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of War
Moderator: Lucas Tomlinson, Fox News
2:20 p.m.–2:55 p.m. PST - CENTCOM after Midnight Hammer: Iran and the Evolving Security Landscape in the Middle East
Panelists:
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.)
H.R. McMaster, 25th U.S. national security adviser
Moderator: Oren Liebermann, CNN
3:05 p.m.–4:00 p.m. PST - Defending the Homeland: Establishing Superiority in Space and Missile Defense
Panelists:
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)
Gen. Michael Guetlein, director of Golden Dome
Troy Meink, U.S. secretary of the Air Force
Kathy Warden, Chair, CEO, and president of Northrop Grumman
Moderator: Kristin Fisher, Endless Void Media
4:10 p.m.– 4:45 p.m. PST - Harnessing Innovation to Enable Lethality: Modernizing Business Systems and Overcoming Contested Logistics
Panelists:
Tara Murphy Dougherty, CEO of Govini
John Phelan, U.S. secretary of the Navy
Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, chief of staff for the U.S. Air Force
Moderator: Colin Demarest, Axios