The Hill & Valley Forum Podcast Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Sierra Nevada Corporation CEO Fatih Ozmen | Winning the Decisive Decade: Tech, Resolve, and the Arsenal of Democracy
In this session from the Hill & Valley Forum 2025, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH) and Fatih Ozmen (CEO, Sierra Nevada Corporation) discuss America's strategy for winning the decisive decade in great power competition with China. They examine the critical challenges facing America's industrial base, from supply chain vulnerabilities and consolidation among defense contractors to budget uncertainty caused by Congressional dysfunction. They advocate for expanding the defense industrial base through open architectures, public-private partnerships, and reforms to how the government articulates requirements and approaches life-cycle costs.
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Fatih Ozmen emphasizes how expanding America's industrial base helps the entire country
(00:28) Introduction to the panel on winning the decisive decade in great power competition
(01:28) Fatih Ozmen on the need to expand America's defense industrial base and increase competition
(04:47) Senator Shaheen's concerns about the first 100 days of the administration and cuts to key programs
(07:55) Discussion of how American foreign assistance cuts have created openings for Chinese influence
(12:00) Fatih on creating a "whole of nation" approach and the importance of open architectures
(16:16) The NASA model of public-private partnerships that enables new companies to enter the market
(18:55) How American leadership in space promotes our values and inspires future generations
(19:16) Senator Shaheen on how Congressional budget uncertainty undermines national security
(22:20) Fatih's proposal for accountability in government through stronger incentive structures
(24:18) Recommendations for government to share capability requirements earlier and focus on life-cycle costs