2025 GSF: Defense Modernization and Innovation: A Conversation with Congressional National Security Leaders

As global competition intensifies, Congress plays a pivotal role in shaping a resilient and forward-leaning defense ecosystem. Bipartisan momentum has grown in recent months around increasing domestic munitions production, investing in emerging technologies like AI and hypersonics and addressing supply chain vulnerabilities as exacerbated by the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. In this panel, Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chair, Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, and Chair, Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities; Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ranking Member, Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland, and Co-chair, Senate Defense Modernization Caucus; and Congressman Pat Ryan (D-NY), Member, House Armed Services Committee, and Co-chair, House Defense Modernization Caucus, will join moderator Roger Zakheim, Washington Director, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, to share Congressional perspectives on how to restore our industrial strength, accelerate defense innovation, and equip our military for the challenges ahead. 

To view the full forum, please visit: 2025 Global Security Forum, Strength Through the Storm: Industry, Innovation, and the Future of U.S. Military Power | CSIS Events.

This event is made possible by the generous support of Leonardo DRS.