WEBVTT

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Subcommittee will come to order .

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Yeah , he panned out great , yeah ,

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jeez . Today the subcommittee will

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receive testimony from the Honorable

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Hung Kao , acting Secretary of the Navy ,

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Admiral Darryl Cadell , Chief of the

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Naval Operations , and General Eric

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Smith , Commandant of the United States

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Marine Corps . This hearing comes at a

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consequential time for the Navy and the

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Marine Corps . Since last fall , our

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naval forces have operated at high

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operation tempo in support of

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counter-narcotic efforts in the Western

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Hemisphere . Today in the Middle East ,

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our sailors and Marines continue to

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demonstrate their unmatched ability to

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project power , deter aggression , and

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protect American interests in one of

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the world's most complex and

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consequential theaters . It is critical

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that the Iranian government never

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possess the ability to produce nuclear

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weapons and have profound respect for

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the bravery and professionalism of our

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sailors and mariners and marines .

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However , these operations are not

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without cost . Our munition supply

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stockpiles are depleted . Our fleet has

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deferred maintenance , critical

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maintenance , and our service members

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have been operating on an extended

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deployment schedule . Despite our focus

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in the Middle East and elsewhere around

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the globe , China still remains our

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pacing threat . Today , China surpasses

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the US Navy in total number of warships

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in their fleet , and its shipbuilding

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capability and capacity is estimated to

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be over 200 times greater than our own .

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By most assessments , China now holds a

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considerable advantage over the United

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States in munitions stockpiles and

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production capability and capacity . It

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is against this backdrop we will

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discuss the Navy's FY-27 budget request

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today . The Navy's FY 27 request

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totals $377.5 billion which represents

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a 23% increase over FY 26 .

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The request is split between $338.7

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billion in discretionary funding . And

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$38.8 billion in mandatory . I think

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it's worth noting that the mandatory

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funding is subject to legislative

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dynamics outside the departments and

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the subcommittee's control . I'm

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concerned that many priority programs

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are funded on the Navy's mandatory side

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of the ledger . The Navy's FY-27

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request makes a significant down

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payment toward growing the fleet

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through the department's ambitious

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Golden Fleet initiative , including

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over $60 billion in discretionary

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funding for shipbuilding . This is kind

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of historic investment that required to

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reinvigorate our US shipbuilding

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capability . However , funding alone

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does not guarantee on-time delivery and

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is no substitute for sound program

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management and rigorous oversight .

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Speed without accountability is how

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programs go sideways . The Navy's cost

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to complete request for shipbuilding

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totals $2.6 billion in FY 27 . Delayed

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contracts now rival the cost of the

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ships themselves . Despite significant

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investment in submarine programs and

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industrial base , Columbia class and

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Virginia class programs are delayed by

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as much as 18 to 42 months ,

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respectfully . Carriers , destroyers ,

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AMIBs all face growing delays to future

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ship deliveries . Shipyards that will

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be essential to delivering the Navy's

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Golden Fleet are plagued by workforce

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challenges and high attrition rates .

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I'm concerned that significant funding

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for the maritime industrial base has

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been requested in the mandatory funding

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side of the ledger . It's not enough to

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add ships to the budget . We must .

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Appropriately invest in the growing

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workforce , increasing capacity and

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supporting innovation for the

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industrial base to support production .

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The budget proposes $22.6 billion for

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Navy weapons procurement , of which

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$11.8 billion is requested in

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discretionary funding . Critical

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munitions such as the Tomahawk ,

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standard missile , and other air launch

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weapons are mostly budgeted for in the

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mandatory budget process . Procurement

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dollars for low-cost hypersonic weapons

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are funded exclusively in mandatory .

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Once again , I'm concerned by this

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approach . I have long advocated for

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supplemental funding to address the

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munitions shortfalls and hope we can

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receive a request from the department

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soon , real soon . Naval aviation

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remains America's most powerful and

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responsive strike instrument .

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Operations in the Middle East have once

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again demonstrated what carrier-based

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airpower can accomplish when properly

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resourced and led . The Navy's request

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makes critical investment in aviation ,

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proposing to procure 123 aircraft in FY

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27 , including 6 additional

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E-2Ds , a platform that has proved

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indispensable in Citcom operations .

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I'm concerned , however , that the

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significant funding for the F-35

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program , our only 5th generation

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fighter in production , is heavily

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budgeted once again and mandatory .

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That said , I'm happy to see that your

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budget documents note the Navy's

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commitment to a 6th generation fighter .

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I understand that the department

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intends to make a long awaited down

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select for the Navy's FAXX program this

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summer . My support for this capability

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and its fleet's requirements for a 6th

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generation fighter remains unwavering .

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I look forward to see this program move

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forward . Finally , turning to the

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Marine Corps , the FY 27 request

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reflects continued force design

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transformation with priorities centered

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on fielding Marine rhetoral regiments ,

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accelerating the medium landing ship ,

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modernizing long-range precision fires ,

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and anti-ship capabilities to operate

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inside contested maritime spaces . The

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request also includes investments in

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marine aviation , barrack modernization ,

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and counter drone capabilities . As the

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Marine Corps seeks to field new

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capabilities under force design , it is

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critical that the acquisition programs

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are built on sound requirements and

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realistic schedules . Before we hear

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from our witness , I'd like to

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witnesses , I'd like to recognize the

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distinguished ranking member Ms .

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McCollum for any opening comments .

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Thank you , Mr . Chair . Um , Mr .

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Secretary , Mr . Acting Secretary ,

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good to see you . Uh , Admiral , good

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to see you again . This is your first

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hearing to the committee , so very

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welcome , and General Smith , it's

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always a pleasure to see you . Look

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forward to working with all of you . I

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am pleased that this year we have uh

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comprehensive conversations with the

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Navy and the Marine Corps on the budget

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and once again shout out to the Marine

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Corps for the audit . Good job . Thank

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you . Waiting for everybody else's . Um ,

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so we do have your justification

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documents and the staff has received

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several briefings on your request , but

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to be clear , the size of the overall

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request for the defense spending is

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shocking . In a base budget , the

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Department of Defense requests over

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$200 billion over last year's enacted

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level , and when combined with the

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mandatory funding for defense requested

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through reconciliation , it's an

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increase of over $400 billion . That's

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nearly a 44% increase in spending over

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the last two years , and this request

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does not include the cost to cover the

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war in Iran . In essence , along with

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the upcoming supplemental , we will see

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the department's request approaching

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$1.6 trillion . We reviewed the Navy's

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budget amongst the ongoing war in Iran

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now , and I understand the USS Gerald

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Ford is finally on her way home , but

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the Lincoln and the George HW Bush are

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still deployed with their groups in

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CENTCOM , and at least 5000 Marines are

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also deployed on amphibious assault

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ships in the region . In addition to

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the threats that our sailors and

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marines face , I'm concerned about the

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broader cost of the war . The

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skyrocketing cost of fuel , uh , will

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limit the Navy and the Marine Corps'

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ability to conduct exercises for the

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rest of the year . We just had a

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hearing with Secretary of Defense Hag ,

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and , uh , we pointed out to him that

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the standard fuel price for the

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services has increased from 154 . Uh ,

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Dollars to $195 a barrel . The

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Department of the Navy is also facing

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fiscal holes in their military

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personnel budgets , and these holes

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require a reprogramming request that

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will leave other programs without the

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necessary funds for them to be

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successful . Clearly this war has been

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very costly , and we need to , and it

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needs to come to an end . Our navy and

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marine assets need to return home and

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train for the peer to peer threats we

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face . Mr . Secretary , I continue to

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be concerned about the ability of the

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Navy and the and the industry to

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provide the ships and submarines we

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purchase on time and importantly on

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budget . I know the administration has

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uh uh designated Admiral Gattar uh to

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oversight the first submarine director

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reporting , uh , portfolio manager ,

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but as secretary this challenge now

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falls to you , and I look forward to

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hearing for your plans on this subject .

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I'd also like to understand better the

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request for the guided missile

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battleship . $16 billion for the first

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ship and approximately $43 billion for

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a total of three ships over the next

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five years . That's another

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extraordinary cost for the navy and

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frankly it seems unaffordable with the

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issues 1 point um . Almost as I said ,

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$6 trillion budget is a high water mark

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for the next few years . But in the

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next year we will also have another pay

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raise for the troops which they deserve ,

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but I wanna add that I hopefully hope

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that there's a pay raise for civilian

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personnel which also deserve increased

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costs for their inflation and possibly

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fuel that they and their families are

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facing . You can see that cost for

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personnel , exercise and exercises and

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maintenance do not decrease . Large

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procurement bills for the Navy cannot

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come at the cost of the health and

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safety of our personnel . Mr .

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Secretary , I know that health and

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safety of sailors and marines under

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your watch is important to you , and I

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know that you're going to prioritize it .

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So , once again , I look forward to

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working with you all to ensure that

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everyone has what they need to execute

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their mission successfully and return

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home safely . Again , welcome you all

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to the committee . I look forward to

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your testimony . I yield back , Mr .

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Chair , thank you . I thank you ,

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gentle lady . Uh , gentlemen , your

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full written testimony will be placed

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on the record . Uh , please give a

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brief summary of your statements , uh ,

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Secretary Cow , uh , the floor is yours .

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Good afternoon , Chairman Calvert , uh ,

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Ranking Member Delano DeLauro , um ,

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Ranking Member McCollum , ladies and

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gentlemen of the House Appropriations

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Committee , thank you for allowing me

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to testify before you today . American

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sailors and marines are currently on

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the front lines of freedom in

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operations to protect our republic .

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Lincoln and Bush carrier strike groups

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in Tripoli amphibious Ready Group .

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With the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit

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are in the Arabian Sea protecting

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merchant ships and stopping illicit

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shipping by a terrorist regime ,

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destroyers Arley Burke , Bulley , Oscar

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Austin , and Gonzalez are protecting

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our allies in the Mediterranean against

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cruise missile attacks from Iran . In

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the Caribbean , Iwo Jima Argmu is

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stopping narco-terrorists from

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poisoning Americans with illegal drugs .

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In the Pacific , Boxer RU and Destroyer

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Squadron 7 are enforcing the freedom of

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navigation in the South China Sea . At

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home we're preparing Macon Island AGMU

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and USS Dwight D . Eisenhower , a

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49-year-old nuclear powered aircraft

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carrier , for deployment . And on the

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southern border , our sailors and

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marines are standing watch tonight

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saying nothing will hurt you , not on

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my watch . 3 weeks ago I was tasked by

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President Trump to lead the United

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States Navy and the United States

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Marine Corps . My 3 priorities are to

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take care of our sailors and marines ,

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build ships , and protect our homeland .

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120 years ago , the Great White Fleet

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extended America's reach across the

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globe . We're currently at the

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forefront of history with a budget that

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will create the Golden Fleet , which

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renews that maritime dominance . We

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have an obligation to give our sailors

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and marines the very best equipment to

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do their jobs . In our historic budget

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of $377.5 billion we're adding 34 new

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ships varying from small to large

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combatants , 123 new aircrafts , along

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with 5 unmanned ships . In 5 years we

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will add 122 manned and 63 unmanned

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ships . We're funding the readiness of

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our fleet to 95% . We're procuring

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exquisite munitions to keep our forces

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outside the weapons engagement zone .

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While investing in research and

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development for the fight of the future .

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More importantly , we're increasing the

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service member pays , investing in

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family and unaccompanied housing ,

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child development centers so that our

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sailors and marines have a safe , clean ,

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and comfortable place to live and not

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have to worry about their families when

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deployed in harm's way . We've greatly

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exceeded recruiting and retention goals ,

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and that is due solely to the sheer

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leadership of President Trump and

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Secretary Hegseth . Last week I was

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aboard USS Gerald R . Ford , USS

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Winston Churchill , and USS Bainbridge

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as they returned from 11 month combat

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deployment in two theaters . Do not

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believe the fake news that claims food

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shortages , backed up toilets , and low

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morale . What I witnessed were

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motivated and young , young , happy

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Americans pushing the boundaries of

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performance for their country . It is

13:52.030 --> 13:54.141
imperative that we pass this budget .

13:54.190 --> 13:56.246
Ship construction and readiness were

13:56.246 --> 13:58.301
built pairs for Iraq and Afghanistan

13:58.301 --> 14:00.301
for 20 years . While our industrial

14:00.301 --> 14:02.079
base atrophied . America's peer

14:02.079 --> 14:03.746
competitors grew stronger and

14:03.746 --> 14:05.912
threatened our sovereignty . Their 100

14:05.912 --> 14:08.280
year plan had one goal total global

14:08.280 --> 14:10.520
domination . Only one thing stands in

14:10.520 --> 14:12.631
their way , that is the United States

14:12.631 --> 14:14.798
of America . The Navy Marine Corps are

14:14.798 --> 14:17.080
America's 911 force capable of being

14:17.080 --> 14:19.191
anywhere as a carrier strike group or

14:19.191 --> 14:21.080
marine air-ground task force with

14:21.080 --> 14:23.080
overwhelming firepower as we saw an

14:23.080 --> 14:25.950
absolute resolve and epic fury . A year

14:25.950 --> 14:27.894
ago I testified in my confirmation

14:27.894 --> 14:29.950
hearing that I would create the most

14:29.950 --> 14:31.950
lethal Navy Marine Corps team . The

14:31.950 --> 14:34.270
world has ever seen I will keep that

14:34.270 --> 14:36.437
promise , having worn the cloth of our

14:36.437 --> 14:38.659
nation for 32 years , most of which was

14:38.659 --> 14:41.159
in combat . I also do this because I

14:41.159 --> 14:43.381
will not allow my oldest son , who will

14:43.381 --> 14:45.548
be commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in

14:45.548 --> 14:45.440
the United States Marine Corps in 10

14:45.440 --> 14:48.179
days , to go to war the way I did

14:48.479 --> 14:50.646
without the equipment that we needed .

14:50.760 --> 14:52.927
I will not allow this to happen to any

14:52.927 --> 14:55.570
of America's sons or daughters . They

14:55.570 --> 14:57.737
signed a blank check to this nation up

14:57.737 --> 14:59.903
to including their lives and we owe it

14:59.903 --> 15:02.126
to them to do our due diligence to fund

15:02.126 --> 15:04.292
the historic budget that will care for

15:04.292 --> 15:06.348
them and their families while giving

15:06.348 --> 15:08.348
them the tools to answer the call .

15:08.348 --> 15:10.859
I've seen firsthand what communism and

15:10.859 --> 15:12.900
authoritarian regimes have done to

15:12.900 --> 15:15.299
thriving nations . Members of my family

15:15.299 --> 15:18.179
were murdered by communists in 1975 .

15:18.260 --> 15:20.204
We had no flag to stand under or a

15:20.204 --> 15:22.093
country to call our own , but the

15:22.093 --> 15:24.260
United States gave us a home . It gave

15:24.260 --> 15:26.482
us hope and a future . I have dedicated

15:26.482 --> 15:28.659
my entire adult life . To defend this

15:28.659 --> 15:30.940
nation under God so this would never

15:30.940 --> 15:33.162
happen to my children , your children ,

15:33.299 --> 15:35.466
or grandchildren . Thank you again for

15:35.466 --> 15:37.688
the opportunity to testify before you .

15:37.688 --> 15:39.743
I'm ready to answer your questions .

15:39.743 --> 15:41.688
Thank you , Mr . Secretary . I now

15:41.688 --> 15:43.577
recognize Admiral Cadell for your

15:43.577 --> 15:46.039
remarks . Chairman Calvert , Ranking

15:46.039 --> 15:47.872
Member McCollum , Ranking Member

15:47.872 --> 15:50.119
DeLauro , and distinguished members of

15:50.119 --> 15:52.119
the committee , good afternoon and

15:52.119 --> 15:53.952
thank you for the opportunity to

15:53.952 --> 15:56.200
testify on the posture of the United

15:56.200 --> 15:58.700
States Navy . I'm honored to be joined

15:58.919 --> 16:01.219
by Acting Secretary of the Navy CAL ,

16:01.330 --> 16:03.840
my good friend General Smith . We

16:03.840 --> 16:05.896
appreciate the committee's steadfast

16:05.896 --> 16:07.896
support for our sailors , marines ,

16:07.896 --> 16:10.118
civilian workforce , and their families

16:10.118 --> 16:12.820
as well for the resources you provide

16:12.820 --> 16:15.650
to defend our nation . This past year ,

16:15.659 --> 16:18.940
our Navy celebrated 250 years of

16:18.940 --> 16:21.039
America's sea power . Today our

16:21.039 --> 16:22.940
founding fathers would scarcely

16:22.940 --> 16:25.340
recognize the modern fleet , ballistic

16:25.340 --> 16:27.507
missile submarines deterring strategic

16:27.507 --> 16:29.659
attack , nuclear powered aircraft

16:29.659 --> 16:31.780
carriers projecting power across the

16:31.780 --> 16:34.539
globe , and an all domain naval force

16:34.539 --> 16:37.159
delivering precision lethality at scale .

16:37.580 --> 16:39.747
And while the platforms have changed ,

16:39.747 --> 16:42.340
one truth has not . The sailors remains

16:42.340 --> 16:44.140
the sailor remains our greatest

16:44.140 --> 16:46.362
competitive advantage and the heartbeat

16:46.362 --> 16:48.780
of our fleet . This July , on our

16:48.780 --> 16:51.289
nation's 250th birthday , our sailors

16:51.289 --> 16:53.900
will carry that legacy forward wherever

16:53.900 --> 16:57.309
our nation requires presence , power ,

16:57.409 --> 17:00.200
and resolve . Since assuming the duties

17:00.200 --> 17:02.311
of Chief of Naval Operations , I have

17:02.311 --> 17:04.859
been focused on one central objective

17:05.069 --> 17:06.959
ensuring the Navy never loses its

17:06.959 --> 17:09.800
differentiated value . In February , we

17:09.800 --> 17:11.578
released the United States Navy

17:11.578 --> 17:13.479
fighting instructions , which is

17:13.479 --> 17:15.146
designed to operationalize my

17:15.146 --> 17:17.146
priorities of foundry , fleet , and

17:17.146 --> 17:19.400
fight and to provide clear guidance on

17:19.400 --> 17:21.456
how we build , generate , and employ

17:21.456 --> 17:24.079
naval combat power for conflicts we

17:24.079 --> 17:26.448
must be prepared to win . These

17:26.448 --> 17:28.670
instructions reflect a simple reality .

17:28.859 --> 17:31.081
The Navy's value lies in our ability to

17:31.081 --> 17:33.303
generate decisive combat power from the

17:33.303 --> 17:35.578
sea with tailorable formations ,

17:35.838 --> 17:37.782
sustain them forward , and deliver

17:37.782 --> 17:40.098
lethal effects across every domain at

17:40.098 --> 17:42.259
the time and place of our choosing

17:42.259 --> 17:45.050
globally . Operation Epic Fury is

17:45.050 --> 17:47.219
proving in real time what the Navy

17:47.219 --> 17:50.060
delivers forward , persistent combat

17:50.060 --> 17:53.079
power from the sea , sovereign options ,

17:53.540 --> 17:55.762
independent of basing , resilient under

17:55.762 --> 17:57.429
pressure , and able to strike

17:57.429 --> 17:59.689
decisively . That is our differentiated

17:59.689 --> 18:02.339
value on full display . To preserve

18:02.339 --> 18:04.339
that advantage , we are executing a

18:04.339 --> 18:06.660
hedge strategy to ensure the fleet we

18:06.660 --> 18:08.771
built today is ready for the fight we

18:08.771 --> 18:10.938
face now and adaptable and scalable to

18:10.938 --> 18:13.040
the one we will face tomorrow . That

18:13.040 --> 18:15.262
strategy is realized through the Golden

18:15.262 --> 18:17.640
Fleet Initiative , a fleet design that

18:17.640 --> 18:19.880
blends high and lower-end combatants ,

18:20.160 --> 18:22.049
integrates robotic and autonomous

18:22.049 --> 18:23.790
systems , and enables scalable

18:23.790 --> 18:26.949
formations to outpace emerging threats .

18:27.479 --> 18:29.646
This approach increases our ability to

18:29.646 --> 18:32.229
scale combat mass , distribute risk ,

18:32.239 --> 18:34.180
and maintain escalation dominance

18:34.540 --> 18:36.707
against the operational challenges our

18:36.707 --> 18:39.349
combatant commanders face globally . It

18:39.349 --> 18:41.516
also requires integrating technologies

18:41.516 --> 18:43.469
like artificial intelligence and

18:43.469 --> 18:45.750
advanced manufacturing , directed

18:45.750 --> 18:48.390
energy , and containerized systems as

18:48.390 --> 18:50.469
operational capabilities that expand

18:50.469 --> 18:52.709
reach , persistence , and lethality

18:52.709 --> 18:54.876
across our kill chains and kill webs .

18:55.489 --> 18:58.489
Our FY 27 budget request is strategy

18:58.489 --> 19:00.711
driven and aligned to the Department of

19:00.711 --> 19:02.378
the Navy's priorities and the

19:02.378 --> 19:04.322
objectives of the national defense

19:04.322 --> 19:06.267
strategy , leveraging the concepts

19:06.267 --> 19:08.211
outlined in the United States Navy

19:08.211 --> 19:10.211
fighting instructions to ensure our

19:10.211 --> 19:12.211
investments directly strengthen the

19:12.211 --> 19:14.267
foundry , the fleet , and the way we

19:14.267 --> 19:16.489
fight . It reflects disciplined choices

19:16.489 --> 19:18.609
to ensure we first always build a

19:18.609 --> 19:20.890
credible and highly effective sea-based

19:20.890 --> 19:23.290
strategic deterrent , and second , we

19:23.290 --> 19:25.401
invest in the right capabilities that

19:25.401 --> 19:27.623
preserve our warfighting advantage . To

19:27.623 --> 19:29.869
do that , we focus on four priorities

19:30.000 --> 19:32.489
sailors first . Quality of service is

19:32.489 --> 19:34.680
not a luxury . It underwrites combat

19:34.680 --> 19:36.847
readiness and must always be our first

19:36.847 --> 19:38.958
priority . Second , the foundry . The

19:38.958 --> 19:41.291
foundry is where combat power is forged ,

19:41.291 --> 19:43.569
and we must not use it as a bill payer .

19:43.569 --> 19:45.880
A hollow foundry results in a hollow

19:45.880 --> 19:48.599
navy . Third , the fleet . The fleet is

19:48.599 --> 19:50.710
the most flexible , decisive military

19:50.710 --> 19:52.432
instrument in national power .

19:52.432 --> 19:54.655
Therefore , we must build the right mix

19:54.655 --> 19:56.877
of forces to realize the Golden Fleet's

19:56.877 --> 19:58.599
full potential through a smart

19:58.599 --> 20:00.710
application of the HED strategy . And

20:00.710 --> 20:02.821
forth the fight . Winning will depend

20:02.821 --> 20:05.043
on the strength and adaptability of our

20:05.043 --> 20:07.266
kill chains and kill webs . From robust

20:07.266 --> 20:09.266
counter-targeting to leveraging new

20:09.266 --> 20:11.377
stealth technology to an abundance of

20:11.377 --> 20:13.321
longer range munitions to enhanced

20:13.321 --> 20:15.543
mission command , we must integrate and

20:15.543 --> 20:17.766
synchronize our capabilities seamlessly

20:17.766 --> 20:19.821
with our joint force teammates , our

20:19.821 --> 20:22.209
partners , and our allies . It is the

20:22.209 --> 20:24.469
honor of my lifetime to serve as your

20:24.469 --> 20:26.729
Chief of Naval Operations . With your

20:26.729 --> 20:28.896
continued partnership , we will ensure

20:28.896 --> 20:31.118
the United States Navy remains the most

20:31.118 --> 20:33.285
capable , most ready , and most lethal

20:33.285 --> 20:35.530
maritime force in the world . I look

20:35.530 --> 20:37.752
forward to your questions . Thank you .

20:37.752 --> 20:39.863
Thank you , Admiral , uh , Commandant

20:39.863 --> 20:41.808
Smith . You're recognized for your

20:41.808 --> 20:45.729
remarks . Good afternoon , Chairman

20:45.729 --> 20:47.939
Calvert , Ranking Member McCollum ,

20:48.689 --> 20:51.609
Ranking Member DeLauro . I'm honored to

20:51.609 --> 20:53.498
appear before you today alongside

20:53.498 --> 20:55.720
Acting Secretary Cow and Admiral Caudle

20:55.720 --> 20:58.359
to represent your Marine Corps . I

20:58.359 --> 21:00.470
would like to focus on answering your

21:00.470 --> 21:02.470
questions , so I'm going to keep my

21:02.470 --> 21:04.637
comments very brief . First , I'd like

21:04.637 --> 21:06.748
to emphasize the significance of this

21:06.748 --> 21:08.748
year's president's budget . It is a

21:08.748 --> 21:10.859
generational investment that supports

21:10.859 --> 21:13.026
the Marine Corps' top four focus areas

21:13.026 --> 21:15.192
one , restoring a 3.0 amphibious ready

21:15.192 --> 21:16.970
Group Marine Expeditionary unit

21:16.970 --> 21:19.026
presence . Two , setting the theater

21:19.026 --> 21:21.248
for potential future conflict . Three ,

21:21.469 --> 21:23.191
accelerating modernization and

21:23.191 --> 21:25.349
lethality . And four , building and

21:25.349 --> 21:28.859
sustaining a lethal force . Restoring a

21:28.859 --> 21:30.780
3.0 amphibious Ready Group Marine

21:30.780 --> 21:32.724
Expeditionary unit presence is our

21:32.724 --> 21:34.920
North Star . It consists of 3

21:34.920 --> 21:37.400
contingency contingency 4 deployed

21:37.400 --> 21:39.233
amphibious ready groups , marine

21:39.233 --> 21:41.479
expeditionary unit teams , 1 source

21:41.479 --> 21:43.590
from the East Coast , 1 from the West

21:43.590 --> 21:45.590
Coast , and 1 episodically deployed

21:45.590 --> 21:47.812
from Okinawa , Japan , each embarked on

21:47.812 --> 21:49.979
3 amphibious warships , 1 big deck and

21:49.979 --> 21:51.979
2 small boys . The amphibious Ready

21:51.979 --> 21:53.979
Group with the Marine Expeditionary

21:53.979 --> 21:56.035
unit is the most agile , versatile ,

21:56.035 --> 21:58.146
and responsive formation of the joint

21:58.146 --> 22:00.257
force . It's how our nation's leaders

22:00.257 --> 22:02.180
sustain forward posture , deter

22:02.180 --> 22:04.291
aggression , and respond to crisis or

22:04.291 --> 22:06.859
conflict across the globe . Today we

22:06.859 --> 22:08.915
have 3 amphibious Ready Group Marine

22:08.915 --> 22:11.026
Expeditionary unit presence . It is a

22:11.026 --> 22:13.180
strategic value , and its strategic

22:13.180 --> 22:16.020
value is clear . The 22nd Marine

22:16.020 --> 22:17.798
Expeditionary Unit is combating

22:17.798 --> 22:19.687
narco-terrorism operations in the

22:19.687 --> 22:21.576
Caribbean , while the 31st Marine

22:21.576 --> 22:23.742
Expeditionary Unit and the 11th Marine

22:23.742 --> 22:25.576
Expeditionary Unit are providing

22:25.576 --> 22:27.576
operational flexibility to maintain

22:27.576 --> 22:29.631
security and stability in the Middle

22:29.631 --> 22:31.853
East , but this is not something we can

22:31.853 --> 22:33.687
sustain . We need to enhance our

22:33.687 --> 22:35.520
amphibious warship readiness and

22:35.520 --> 22:35.260
increase the size of our amphibious

22:35.260 --> 22:37.650
force . I want to extend my sincere

22:37.650 --> 22:39.817
appreciation to the Secretary of War ,

22:39.817 --> 22:41.817
the Department of the Navy , and my

22:41.817 --> 22:43.650
shipmate Darryl Caudle for their

22:43.650 --> 22:45.761
unwavering support towards our shared

22:45.761 --> 22:47.706
goal of restoring a 3.0 amphibious

22:47.706 --> 22:49.817
Ready Group Marine Expeditionary Unit

22:49.817 --> 22:51.817
presence . Our second focus area is

22:51.817 --> 22:53.928
setting the theater . We're committed

22:53.928 --> 22:56.150
to protecting our interests , deterring

22:56.150 --> 22:58.261
adversaries , reassuring allies , and

22:58.261 --> 23:00.261
creating a more agile and resilient

23:00.261 --> 23:02.372
global sustainment network , one that

23:02.372 --> 23:04.428
seamlessly integrates with the joint

23:04.428 --> 23:06.206
force . To achieve this , we're

23:06.206 --> 23:08.206
ensuring an optimized force posture

23:08.369 --> 23:10.202
while also investing in littoral

23:10.202 --> 23:12.849
mobility , prepositioned equipment and

23:12.849 --> 23:15.599
supplies , digital manufacturing and

23:15.599 --> 23:17.710
additive manufacturing , and enhanced

23:17.710 --> 23:20.010
installation resilience . We're

23:20.010 --> 23:22.066
refining our approach to logistics ,

23:22.150 --> 23:24.261
prioritizing resilience , speed , and

23:24.261 --> 23:26.540
adaptability to generate and sustain

23:26.540 --> 23:29.140
forces . Our third area of focus is

23:29.140 --> 23:30.862
accelerating modernization and

23:30.862 --> 23:33.760
lethality . Force design underpins

23:33.760 --> 23:36.500
everything we do . We remain committed

23:36.500 --> 23:38.444
to modernizing everything from our

23:38.444 --> 23:40.333
marine expeditionary units to our

23:40.333 --> 23:42.579
marine expeditionary forces , focusing

23:42.579 --> 23:45.209
on precision fires , air defense ,

23:45.660 --> 23:47.819
unmanned systems , resilient command

23:47.819 --> 23:49.780
and control , and electromagnetic

23:49.780 --> 23:52.689
warfare . We're gaining momentum , but

23:52.689 --> 23:54.689
we have to accelerate to ensure our

23:54.689 --> 23:56.856
marines are more lethal , survivable ,

23:56.856 --> 23:59.078
and resilient the day before a conflict

23:59.078 --> 24:01.530
starts . And finally , we're building

24:01.530 --> 24:03.819
and sustaining a lethal force . The

24:03.819 --> 24:05.875
quality of life of Marines and their

24:05.875 --> 24:07.986
families directly impacts readiness ,

24:07.986 --> 24:10.329
retention , and lethality . We are

24:10.329 --> 24:12.440
deliberately investing in Marines and

24:12.440 --> 24:14.273
their families to improve living

24:14.273 --> 24:16.329
conditions , institutionalize Marine

24:16.329 --> 24:18.420
Corps total fitness . And to ensure

24:18.420 --> 24:20.476
support for family resources because

24:20.476 --> 24:22.587
they say you recruit the Marine , but

24:22.587 --> 24:24.476
you retain the family , and I can

24:24.476 --> 24:26.587
guarantee you that is true in my case

24:26.587 --> 24:28.587
anyway . Before I close , I want to

24:28.587 --> 24:30.753
take a moment to recognize the members

24:30.753 --> 24:30.079
of this committee and other committees

24:30.079 --> 24:32.079
with jurisdiction over our national

24:32.079 --> 24:33.968
defense who will be retiring . On

24:33.968 --> 24:35.968
behalf of all Marines , thank you ,

24:35.968 --> 24:38.190
thank you for your dedicated service to

24:38.190 --> 24:39.968
our nation . Thank you for your

24:39.968 --> 24:42.079
leadership and for your partnership .

24:42.079 --> 24:44.301
Your constant and steadfast support has

24:44.301 --> 24:46.301
ensured the readiness of our Marine

24:46.301 --> 24:48.523
Corps , your Marine Corps . We wish you

24:48.523 --> 24:50.579
the very best in the next chapter of

24:50.579 --> 24:52.579
your service . I'd like to close by

24:52.579 --> 24:54.690
stating your Marines are ready . Your

24:54.690 --> 24:56.801
corps is a globally responsive lethal

24:56.801 --> 24:59.023
combined arms naval expeditionary force

24:59.023 --> 25:01.199
that is capable of projecting power

25:01.199 --> 25:04.290
from sea to land and from land to sea

25:04.540 --> 25:06.910
and maneuvering across multiple domains

25:07.089 --> 25:09.145
in contested environments to deter ,

25:09.329 --> 25:11.729
deny , and defeat adversaries . Thank

25:11.729 --> 25:13.896
you again for your trust and support ,

25:13.896 --> 25:16.062
and I look forward to your questions .

25:16.062 --> 25:18.285
Thank you , Commandant . We'll go on to

25:18.285 --> 25:21.680
questions . I'll start out . The FY 27

25:21.680 --> 25:24.199
budget request includes $38.8 billion

25:24.199 --> 25:26.479
of the Department of the Navy's

25:26.479 --> 25:30.469
$377.5 billion requests in mandatory

25:30.469 --> 25:33.359
funding , including 39 of the 47

25:33.359 --> 25:37.199
requested F-35s , $1.5 billion out of

25:37.199 --> 25:39.979
2.4 billion requested for F-35

25:39.979 --> 25:43.000
modernization , all the radars required

25:43.000 --> 25:46.329
for the F-35 program . 2 billion out of

25:46.329 --> 25:48.385
3 billion requested for the Tomahawk

25:48.385 --> 25:51.180
missile procurement . 3.6 billion out

25:51.180 --> 25:54.660
of 4.3 billion or nearly 85% requested

25:54.660 --> 25:57.339
for the standard missile . $1.9 billion

25:57.339 --> 25:59.619
for six medium landing ships for the

25:59.619 --> 26:02.849
Marines . And $9.7 billion for

26:02.849 --> 26:05.016
facilities sustainment , restoration ,

26:05.050 --> 26:07.760
and modernization . The Navy has

26:07.760 --> 26:09.649
significant budget shortfalls and

26:09.649 --> 26:11.760
critical programs that this committee

26:11.760 --> 26:13.704
had to fix in FY 26 because of the

26:13.704 --> 26:15.871
department's pursuit of reconciliation

26:15.871 --> 26:19.109
funding . Mr . Secretary , many high

26:19.109 --> 26:22.349
ranking or high priority items are

26:22.349 --> 26:24.238
included in the Department of the

26:24.238 --> 26:26.182
Navy's mandatory request . We know

26:26.182 --> 26:28.349
reconciliation funding isn't exactly a

26:28.349 --> 26:30.599
slam dunk around here . So what is the

26:30.599 --> 26:32.766
risk of long-term health and stability

26:32.766 --> 26:34.766
of these programs from this funding

26:34.766 --> 26:37.130
strategy ? We've been beating the drum

26:37.130 --> 26:39.650
for industry to ramp up production and

26:39.650 --> 26:41.706
talking about the need to revive the

26:41.706 --> 26:44.410
defense industrial base . What kind of

26:44.410 --> 26:46.632
message do you think this approach will

26:46.632 --> 26:49.010
send to the industry where more than

26:49.010 --> 26:52.160
half of the F-35 budget and nearly $11

26:52.160 --> 26:54.489
billion in critical navy munitions is

26:54.489 --> 26:56.322
requested in mandatory funding ?

26:59.930 --> 27:02.410
Chairman Calvin , we need all of this .

27:02.939 --> 27:05.161
Uh , there's , it's really hard to uh ,

27:05.161 --> 27:07.439
to differentiate between mandatory and ,

27:07.439 --> 27:09.495
and discretionary because we need it

27:09.495 --> 27:11.383
all in order to , to make these .

27:11.383 --> 27:13.606
Changes for the Navy . We , we've taken

27:13.606 --> 27:15.661
such a hit over all the years , uh ,

27:15.661 --> 27:17.717
fighting in Iraq , Afghanistan . All

27:17.717 --> 27:19.939
that money was going to fund the Army ,

27:19.939 --> 27:22.050
and we took , we bow waved everything

27:22.050 --> 27:24.272
from , from ship , uh , repair to , you

27:24.272 --> 27:26.383
know , where we went from 6 years for

27:26.383 --> 27:28.606
dry docking all the way to 10 years for

27:28.606 --> 27:30.717
dry docking , and that took a toll on

27:30.717 --> 27:32.828
our , our ships which takes a toll on

27:32.828 --> 27:34.995
our sailors and our family . So we had

27:34.995 --> 27:37.217
to write a budget that includes both of

27:37.217 --> 27:39.217
those because we , we need all $1.5

27:39.217 --> 27:42.979
trillion . Yes , I understand

27:42.979 --> 27:44.868
that , and I haven't got into the

27:44.868 --> 27:47.146
supplemental , which we'd love to have ,

27:47.146 --> 27:49.257
but if the department needs to submit

27:49.257 --> 27:51.090
that to the committee as soon as

27:51.090 --> 27:53.312
possible because we need to get to work

27:53.312 --> 27:55.368
on that , but . Because it seems the

27:55.368 --> 27:57.368
appropriations process is broken up

27:57.368 --> 27:59.257
into three chunks , obviously the

27:59.257 --> 28:00.979
baseline budgeting process . A

28:00.979 --> 28:03.201
supplemental that that I understand you

28:03.201 --> 28:05.201
guys are going to come up here with

28:05.201 --> 28:07.310
pretty soon . And lastly , the

28:07.310 --> 28:11.300
reconciliation bill . Admiral , I think

28:11.300 --> 28:13.939
Cattle and General Smith asked you the

28:13.939 --> 28:16.161
same question . Are you concerned about

28:16.161 --> 28:18.328
the amount of funding for munitions in

28:18.328 --> 28:20.495
reconciliation ? Chairman , I mean , I

28:20.495 --> 28:22.550
am concerned . I mean , uh , I think

28:22.550 --> 28:24.717
acting secretary put it well . We need

28:24.717 --> 28:26.939
both bills passed , and I think we need

28:26.939 --> 28:28.939
a supplemental as well . And , uh ,

28:28.939 --> 28:30.717
because the , the discretionary

28:30.717 --> 28:32.939
mandatory bills were not done with epic

28:32.939 --> 28:34.717
fury in mind , so all three are

28:34.717 --> 28:36.883
important . Uh , I do have concerns in

28:36.883 --> 28:39.510
the mandatory lines with munitions F-35

28:39.510 --> 28:42.140
and FISRM . And uh those three would be

28:42.140 --> 28:44.084
the concern areas for me . I think

28:44.084 --> 28:46.251
there's some ships that concern me too

28:46.251 --> 28:48.418
with LSM being there , hospital ship ,

28:48.418 --> 28:50.251
and some other ships that are in

28:50.251 --> 28:52.196
mandatory . So , uh , without both

28:52.196 --> 28:54.362
being passed , I am deeply concerned .

28:55.560 --> 28:59.410
Well , a number of us are in favor of

28:59.410 --> 29:03.050
obviously increasing the top line , and

29:03.050 --> 29:04.939
we're obviously interested in the

29:04.939 --> 29:07.660
supplemental . It's needed . We've been

29:08.010 --> 29:10.177
going through a number of conflicts of

29:10.177 --> 29:12.369
late , and I know we've eaten up a lot

29:12.369 --> 29:14.369
of our OM accounts in order to fund

29:14.369 --> 29:16.536
this , and we need to get this done as

29:16.536 --> 29:18.536
quickly as possible . That's why we

29:18.536 --> 29:20.702
need a supplemental . And lastly , the

29:20.702 --> 29:22.813
reconciliation part of this , and you

29:22.813 --> 29:24.813
know we haven't done reconciliation

29:24.813 --> 29:27.036
part two yet . So , uh , we need to get

29:27.036 --> 29:29.202
through that before we get to the part

29:29.202 --> 29:31.313
three , but , uh , the sooner you get

29:31.313 --> 29:33.258
information to us , the better the

29:33.258 --> 29:35.258
potential outcome will be on this .

29:35.258 --> 29:37.591
With that , Ms . McCollum . Think of it .

29:39.290 --> 29:41.619
I think at our , if I'll take a second ,

29:41.719 --> 29:44.410
at our meeting , we as a committee made

29:44.410 --> 29:47.650
it very clear to the secretary that

29:47.650 --> 29:51.390
doing um budgeting for you

29:51.849 --> 29:54.089
for our services . Through

29:54.089 --> 29:57.040
reconciliation is , is , is not , it ,

29:57.130 --> 29:59.209
it , it just doesn't work . The

29:59.209 --> 30:02.060
authorizers authorize it , um , and

30:02.060 --> 30:04.609
then , uh , then there's the navy went

30:04.609 --> 30:06.720
through all this broken glass as they

30:06.720 --> 30:08.831
called it last year , and then we had

30:08.831 --> 30:10.776
to go in and we had to open up our

30:10.776 --> 30:13.109
budget again and , and cut other things .

30:13.109 --> 30:15.220
And um you know I know the Senate has

30:15.220 --> 30:17.109
its rules in the way that it does

30:17.109 --> 30:19.053
things but it is not in my opinion

30:19.053 --> 30:21.165
sustainable or anything that I have a

30:21.165 --> 30:23.220
lot of confidence in after it passes

30:23.220 --> 30:25.387
that it's really gonna serve the needs

30:25.387 --> 30:27.498
of what you need to have done because

30:27.498 --> 30:29.442
we have to go back in and readjust

30:29.442 --> 30:31.665
everything else that doesn't get funded

30:31.989 --> 30:33.656
because it's mandatory versus

30:33.656 --> 30:35.822
discretionary and it needs to be built

30:35.822 --> 30:39.739
into your base . So , um , just we ,

30:39.890 --> 30:41.890
I just want you to know that we had

30:41.890 --> 30:44.001
that very serious conversation with ,

30:44.001 --> 30:46.112
uh , the , the Secretary of Defense .

30:46.112 --> 30:48.334
Uh , the administration has requested a

30:48.334 --> 30:51.930
total of 4 $43 billion over future

30:51.930 --> 30:53.986
years of defense programming for its

30:53.986 --> 30:56.097
new guided missile battleship . Which

30:56.097 --> 30:58.097
is part of President Trump's Golden

30:58.097 --> 31:00.097
Fleet . This includes $1 billion in

31:00.097 --> 31:02.430
procurement for long leads for physical ,

31:02.430 --> 31:05.550
uh , for fiscal year , uh , 2027 .

31:05.890 --> 31:08.729
However , the concept design is still

31:08.729 --> 31:12.089
underway in this year , 2006 , and

31:12.089 --> 31:14.530
right now we have no idea the length of

31:14.530 --> 31:17.189
the ship , how it will be fueled , what

31:17.189 --> 31:19.699
munitions it will carry . And it's

31:19.699 --> 31:21.643
concerning that the Navy is asking

31:21.643 --> 31:23.810
committee for funding without the full

31:23.810 --> 31:26.032
understanding of what the final concept

31:26.032 --> 31:28.255
or true construction schedule will look

31:28.255 --> 31:30.421
like . So , Mr . Secretary , given the

31:30.421 --> 31:32.255
cost of this new fleet , which I

31:32.255 --> 31:35.219
believe may be between 10 and 25 ships ,

31:35.300 --> 31:37.550
we don't even know that yet . What is

31:37.550 --> 31:39.959
the plan for how they will be used and

31:39.959 --> 31:42.181
also if you would please , how will the

31:42.181 --> 31:44.829
navy absorb the cost of this new fleet

31:44.829 --> 31:47.670
with with its overall budget for

31:47.670 --> 31:50.430
defense expected to decrease after the

31:50.430 --> 31:52.374
coming year ? In other words , the

31:52.374 --> 31:55.150
tails that go with these ships , given

31:55.150 --> 31:57.319
the delays we've seen in the submarine

31:57.319 --> 31:59.989
and destroyer and frigates , what is

31:59.989 --> 32:02.430
this new methodology that's going to be

32:02.430 --> 32:04.597
used with the navy to ensure that this

32:04.597 --> 32:07.849
ship comes in on time . And on budget ,

32:08.130 --> 32:10.352
but before we do that , we have to know

32:10.352 --> 32:14.280
what the ship is . F Ranking member , I ,

32:14.439 --> 32:16.383
I , uh , understand your concern .

32:16.810 --> 32:18.921
We've always had a requirement for as

32:18.921 --> 32:21.130
long as I was in uniform for a large

32:21.130 --> 32:23.369
combatant , what we call the CGX back

32:23.369 --> 32:25.369
in the days , but we need something

32:25.369 --> 32:28.010
with high capacity , 200 VLS cells that

32:28.010 --> 32:30.232
includes conventional prompt strike and

32:30.232 --> 32:32.399
something that can move fast even with

32:32.399 --> 32:34.454
nuclear power . I mean , we saw when

32:34.454 --> 32:36.510
Ford , the USS Ford was able to move

32:36.510 --> 32:39.140
from Venezuela to . Uh , the

32:39.140 --> 32:42.020
Mediterranean in 5 days that you can't

32:42.020 --> 32:44.076
do that on , uh , on gas turbine . I

32:44.076 --> 32:46.298
mean this is what we need nuclear power

32:46.298 --> 32:48.409
and that's why we're investigating on

32:48.409 --> 32:50.739
the , uh , power for the battleship . I

32:50.739 --> 32:52.795
understand that , but you don't have

32:52.795 --> 32:55.128
the plans completed for these ships yet ,

32:55.128 --> 32:57.183
correct ? Or am I , am I incorrect ?

32:57.183 --> 32:56.859
You , you know how long they're gonna

32:56.859 --> 32:58.859
be , you know , what , what kind of

32:58.859 --> 33:01.026
payload they're gonna carry . You know

33:01.026 --> 33:03.192
all that ? Well , we , we have an idea

33:03.192 --> 33:02.900
of what , what it is because of , uh ,

33:03.060 --> 33:05.219
again , the CGX design again I will

33:05.219 --> 33:08.329
refer to , uh . Admiral Cottle for the

33:08.329 --> 33:10.551
requirements that the fleet has , but ,

33:10.551 --> 33:12.718
uh , like I said , as long as I was in

33:12.718 --> 33:14.885
uniform , we needed a CGX , which is a

33:14.885 --> 33:17.051
large combatant , and this , this ship

33:17.051 --> 33:16.750
would be a lot larger than the , uh ,

33:16.760 --> 33:18.871
the CGX , and that's why we call it a

33:18.871 --> 33:21.589
battleship . Uh , Ranking Member

33:21.589 --> 33:23.900
McCollum , the , the need for a large

33:23.900 --> 33:26.750
combatant is , is pretty clear . We

33:26.750 --> 33:29.270
need significant payload volume for all

33:29.270 --> 33:31.410
future fights . We need that payload

33:31.989 --> 33:34.310
payload volume to scale not only with

33:34.310 --> 33:36.643
the munitions we're going to have today ,

33:36.643 --> 33:38.866
but future munitions we don't know . We

33:38.866 --> 33:41.390
need high electrical power density for

33:41.390 --> 33:43.209
directed energy , rail gun type

33:43.209 --> 33:45.829
technologies that only that ship can

33:45.829 --> 33:47.996
produce . I'm thrilled that we finally

33:47.996 --> 33:50.107
landed on the fact that it's going to

33:50.107 --> 33:52.385
be nuclear . That was the initial idea ,

33:52.385 --> 33:54.329
and we batted around to deliver it

33:54.329 --> 33:56.551
sooner to make it conventional , and we

33:56.551 --> 33:56.444
came back around full circle to make it

33:56.444 --> 33:58.500
nuclear , and that's the exact right

33:58.500 --> 34:00.714
answer . As a command and control ship

34:00.714 --> 34:02.775
that I can forward posture and run

34:02.775 --> 34:05.444
surface action groups out of , this is

34:05.444 --> 34:07.655
exactly the high end of a capital ship

34:07.655 --> 34:09.599
in the high low mix that my flight

34:09.599 --> 34:11.544
instructions call out for . Well ,

34:11.614 --> 34:14.935
thank you . I don't doubt for a minute

34:14.935 --> 34:18.110
your need . I don't , but here's what I

34:18.110 --> 34:20.530
need . a billion dollars in

34:20.530 --> 34:23.888
procurements for long lean items . We

34:23.888 --> 34:26.398
have no idea what the ship design is ,

34:26.938 --> 34:29.105
how it will be now we know how it will

34:29.105 --> 34:30.938
be fueled nuclear , right ? What

34:30.938 --> 34:33.329
munitions will it , it , it carry ? How

34:33.329 --> 34:35.440
many people are gonna be , you know ,

34:35.440 --> 34:37.618
crewed on it , all , all the things

34:37.618 --> 34:39.674
that you're gonna have to put on the

34:39.674 --> 34:43.639
ship , and so . I don't

34:43.639 --> 34:46.939
doubt that you don't need it , but I ,

34:47.159 --> 34:49.199
as the fiduciary person that I'm

34:49.199 --> 34:51.143
supposed to be on this committee ,

34:51.143 --> 34:53.477
that's my constitutional responsibility .

34:53.477 --> 34:56.120
I need to know what I'm buying . Um ,

34:56.479 --> 34:59.479
because I don't , I , I don't know what

34:59.479 --> 35:01.479
it is yet . We haven't , we haven't

35:01.479 --> 35:03.646
seen it , you know . Is it gonna , can

35:03.646 --> 35:05.919
we buy 10 ? Can we buy 25 with all the

35:05.919 --> 35:08.141
cost overruns with everything else he's

35:08.141 --> 35:10.639
said ? So it's a concept . I don't deny

35:10.639 --> 35:12.806
that that you don't need it , but with

35:12.806 --> 35:15.028
a budget this large and with what we're

35:15.028 --> 35:17.139
facing in shipbuilding , which I know

35:17.139 --> 35:19.306
you're all working on correcting , not

35:19.306 --> 35:19.199
taking that away from you , you're all

35:19.199 --> 35:21.379
working on correcting it . It's just a

35:21.379 --> 35:23.500
lot of money to put out there . When

35:23.500 --> 35:25.979
the inflation increase came out today

35:25.979 --> 35:29.260
it's 3.8%. Gasoline at , at , you know ,

35:29.330 --> 35:31.497
the pumps is really high . People back

35:31.497 --> 35:33.860
home are gonna ask me , show me the

35:33.860 --> 35:36.300
design , show me the product , show me

35:36.300 --> 35:38.578
what you're buying with my tax dollars .

35:38.578 --> 35:40.689
So any additional information you can

35:40.689 --> 35:42.856
give the committee between now and the

35:42.856 --> 35:45.500
11th of June would be very , very

35:45.500 --> 35:49.479
helpful . Thank you . Just a point

35:49.479 --> 35:51.479
what the general lady is making , I

35:51.479 --> 35:53.646
think one of the issues that we'd like

35:53.646 --> 35:56.959
to understand . Is why large combatant

35:56.959 --> 35:59.679
ships versus more , say , a new

35:59.679 --> 36:02.199
destroyer design that they've been

36:02.199 --> 36:05.149
talking about for some time , as people

36:05.159 --> 36:07.270
say around here , you know , quantity

36:07.270 --> 36:09.492
is a quality all of its own . So , uh ,

36:09.600 --> 36:11.433
if we're going to be these large

36:11.433 --> 36:13.433
combatants , like , you know , I've

36:13.433 --> 36:15.211
been down the line on these new

36:15.211 --> 36:17.267
programs , they end up costing a lot

36:17.267 --> 36:19.489
more than we expect . So we need to get

36:19.489 --> 36:21.600
a better understanding of this before

36:21.600 --> 36:23.822
we dive into this because we don't want

36:23.822 --> 36:26.044
to get into this and then 23 years from

36:26.044 --> 36:28.267
now it gets canceled out and we waste a

36:28.267 --> 36:30.267
lot of money . So we want to get to

36:30.267 --> 36:30.139
understand this process a little bit

36:30.139 --> 36:33.879
better , Mr . Womack . Oh , Mr . Laurel ,

36:34.629 --> 36:36.979
sorry , do you want to go ahead ? I'm

36:36.979 --> 36:39.146
happy to go up to Mr . Womack . That's

36:39.146 --> 36:41.035
nice . He's going to you . He's a

36:41.035 --> 36:43.257
gentleman . He's letting you go first .

36:43.257 --> 36:45.479
That he is . Thank you . Thank you very

36:45.479 --> 36:47.646
much , AdmiralConnell . Um , you and I

36:47.646 --> 36:49.812
had the opportunity , uh , to tour the

36:49.812 --> 36:52.035
submarine , uh , production facility at

36:52.035 --> 36:54.035
Groton , and it was a , a , a great

36:54.035 --> 36:55.923
trip . I enjoyed the trip a lot ,

36:55.923 --> 36:58.257
enjoyed being with you . What was clear .

36:58.257 --> 37:00.479
For me from the visit is that submarine

37:00.479 --> 37:02.590
delivery depends on people as much as

37:02.590 --> 37:05.100
funding . We have welders , pipe

37:05.100 --> 37:07.169
fitters , electricians , engineers ,

37:07.540 --> 37:09.979
planners , supervisors . What is your

37:09.979 --> 37:11.979
assessment of whether the submarine

37:11.979 --> 37:14.459
industrial base has the workforce it

37:14.459 --> 37:17.320
needs to meet Columbia and Virginia

37:17.320 --> 37:20.750
class production requirements ? Oh ,

37:20.909 --> 37:23.076
Ranking Member , uh , DeLauro , thanks

37:23.076 --> 37:25.076
again . It was a great visit . It's

37:25.076 --> 37:27.187
good seeing you . Uh , I enjoyed it a

37:27.187 --> 37:29.298
lot , um , and thanks for what you do

37:29.298 --> 37:29.189
for this committee and the Navy ,

37:29.469 --> 37:31.636
especially for our submarine program .

37:31.636 --> 37:33.969
Um , you've hit on a point that matters .

37:33.969 --> 37:36.191
I mean , everything ties to workforce .

37:36.191 --> 37:38.709
It is extremely important . And uh so

37:38.709 --> 37:40.820
there is not an initiative that we're

37:40.820 --> 37:42.765
trying to do that going forward in

37:42.765 --> 37:44.876
which the workforce is not a key part

37:44.876 --> 37:46.653
of that workforce development ,

37:46.653 --> 37:49.030
recruiting , retention . We see these

37:49.030 --> 37:51.252
briefs at our shipyards you've attended

37:51.252 --> 37:53.252
some where we talk about how are we

37:53.252 --> 37:55.308
actually getting after the number of

37:55.308 --> 37:57.363
people we need to do this , what are

37:57.363 --> 37:59.363
the new initiatives of how we train

37:59.363 --> 38:01.586
them , how we do co op with local , you

38:01.586 --> 38:03.419
know , vocational schools and uh

38:03.419 --> 38:05.252
expanding . Some of the training

38:05.252 --> 38:07.474
pipeline , uh , things like in Danville

38:07.474 --> 38:07.294
and some of the things in Connecticut

38:07.604 --> 38:09.685
and expand on those , those ideas to

38:09.685 --> 38:11.518
actually develop and create more

38:11.518 --> 38:13.844
workforce . So you've hit on it . Um ,

38:13.975 --> 38:16.086
I think , you know , Electric Boat in

38:16.086 --> 38:18.253
particular , you know , on our visit ,

38:18.253 --> 38:20.308
I'm seeing great efforts there where

38:20.308 --> 38:22.419
they're going to hit their recruiting

38:22.419 --> 38:24.364
mark and with the retention levels

38:24.364 --> 38:26.308
improving because compensation has

38:26.308 --> 38:28.419
improved much from the work that this

38:28.419 --> 38:30.531
committee has done . And then some of

38:30.531 --> 38:32.586
the ways that we're actually able to

38:32.586 --> 38:34.808
train using virtual technologies and uh

38:34.808 --> 38:36.808
and actually matching that with the

38:36.808 --> 38:38.975
capabilities of modern times , I think

38:38.975 --> 38:38.860
we're going to hit the mark on that

38:38.860 --> 38:40.916
much better . Thank you that gets me

38:40.916 --> 38:43.060
into wanting to get um .

38:44.820 --> 38:47.100
In in that workforce , what are the

38:47.100 --> 38:49.419
gaps that are having the greatest

38:49.419 --> 38:51.475
effect on submarine delivery today ?

38:51.780 --> 38:53.891
How does the Navy measure whether its

38:53.891 --> 38:56.113
workforce investments are improving the

38:56.113 --> 38:58.113
schedule performance ? You know , I

38:58.113 --> 39:00.113
think it's easy to think it's we're

39:00.113 --> 39:02.058
short on vocation and it's easy to

39:02.058 --> 39:04.280
think it's short on welding . And short

39:04.280 --> 39:06.447
on , you know , maybe pipe fitting and

39:06.447 --> 39:08.502
that type of work . But what I found

39:08.502 --> 39:10.669
actually when I talk to the leadership

39:10.669 --> 39:12.780
of the yards , it's really the , uh ,

39:12.780 --> 39:14.947
the 1st year , 2nd year type engineers

39:14.947 --> 39:17.002
that actually oversee work that do a

39:17.002 --> 39:19.224
lot of the planning and design work and

39:19.224 --> 39:20.947
actually convert drawings into

39:20.947 --> 39:23.113
production drawings , do the technical

39:23.113 --> 39:25.280
work documents , and because of that ,

39:25.280 --> 39:27.002
I don't think we're leveraging

39:27.002 --> 39:28.891
artificial intelligence and large

39:28.891 --> 39:31.058
language models to compensate for that

39:31.058 --> 39:33.113
effectively . And I think that's the

39:33.113 --> 39:35.169
workforce I'm most concerned with is

39:35.169 --> 39:37.336
retaining that level of talent . And ,

39:37.336 --> 39:39.391
uh , I actually think the vocational

39:39.391 --> 39:41.669
side is actually seeing an upswing . I ,

39:41.669 --> 39:43.724
I , I , I thank you for that , and I

39:43.724 --> 39:45.780
think that that leads us to where we

39:45.780 --> 39:45.544
need to go with investments is what ,

39:45.665 --> 39:47.998
what , what we are trying to do to have ,

39:48.225 --> 39:50.225
um , you , you know , the workforce

39:50.225 --> 39:52.392
that is necessary to look at how we're

39:52.392 --> 39:54.669
improving schedule and , and , uh , uh ,

39:54.669 --> 39:56.503
you know , performance and , and

39:56.503 --> 39:58.503
getting us to where we need to be .

39:58.503 --> 40:00.669
Thank you . Uh , Secretary Coal , um ,

40:00.669 --> 40:02.850
the , uh , 2027 request includes major

40:02.850 --> 40:05.072
funding for Columbia and Virginia class

40:05.072 --> 40:06.961
submarines . Congress has already

40:06.961 --> 40:09.090
provided significant submarine and

40:09.090 --> 40:11.149
industrial-based funding , uh , in

40:11.149 --> 40:13.590
prior years . The programs are central

40:14.080 --> 40:16.024
to strategic deterrence and attack

40:16.024 --> 40:18.209
submarine availability , but funding

40:18.209 --> 40:21.209
alone does not deliver . Submarines .

40:21.590 --> 40:24.340
Um , I , I was disappointed to learn

40:24.489 --> 40:27.449
that there is a proposal to include

40:27.449 --> 40:30.330
language in the Block 6 contract for

40:30.330 --> 40:32.552
Virginia Columbia class submarines that

40:32.552 --> 40:35.409
would enable the government to remove 2

40:35.409 --> 40:39.389
submarines for underperformance . There

40:39.389 --> 40:42.669
are many factors that have increased

40:42.669 --> 40:45.590
the delays to the provision of the subs

40:45.590 --> 40:49.030
to the fleet . Most are really being

40:49.030 --> 40:51.197
addressed , which we've heard about by

40:51.197 --> 40:54.989
both the Navy and by the industry . Mr .

40:55.149 --> 40:59.110
Secretary , how does language like the

40:59.110 --> 41:01.360
proposal stimulate the submarine

41:01.360 --> 41:03.360
industrial base and not create more

41:03.360 --> 41:06.989
delays ? Ranking member , I ,

41:07.110 --> 41:09.669
I hear your concerns . We , we need

41:09.669 --> 41:11.780
leverage points , but again , we have

41:11.780 --> 41:13.750
this amazing , uh , Admiral , Vice

41:13.750 --> 41:15.861
Admiral , uh , Rob Goucher , who I've

41:15.861 --> 41:17.750
known for 36 years , who is laser

41:17.750 --> 41:19.861
focused on submarine building , whose

41:19.861 --> 41:22.340
whole job is as a direct report program

41:22.340 --> 41:24.870
manager for submarines that oversees

41:24.870 --> 41:26.669
all of these , uh , the , the

41:26.669 --> 41:28.669
construction all the way . I mean ,

41:28.669 --> 41:30.891
he's also , uh , dual hatted to me as a

41:30.891 --> 41:33.620
portfolio acquisitions , uh , um . Uh ,

41:33.699 --> 41:36.020
uh , executive that will help move

41:36.020 --> 41:38.242
forward the submarine building , he's ,

41:38.242 --> 41:40.464
he's found a lot of , uh , efficiencies

41:40.464 --> 41:42.687
that he's able to move the , the , uh ,

41:42.687 --> 41:44.909
timeline to the left , uh , a lot too .

41:45.300 --> 41:47.379
Well , it's of concern to me that

41:47.379 --> 41:51.120
language , um . Language is out

41:51.120 --> 41:54.530
there . What kind of a negative effect

41:54.530 --> 41:57.350
may it have on moving forward and not

41:57.350 --> 41:59.639
create more delays if we're saying ,

41:59.709 --> 42:02.060
you know , you've got the government

42:02.060 --> 42:03.969
can remove two submarines for

42:03.969 --> 42:07.590
underperformance , that just sounds

42:07.590 --> 42:10.050
like a threat level

42:10.909 --> 42:14.810
that really creates .

42:17.550 --> 42:19.909
More of a reticence , uh , and , and ,

42:19.989 --> 42:23.290
and the , you know , or , or a , a , um ,

42:23.830 --> 42:26.590
an incentive to try to , to , you know ,

42:26.790 --> 42:29.012
to , to move forward . Um , and I , I ,

42:29.012 --> 42:31.012
I just think we need to take a hard

42:31.012 --> 42:33.012
look at this language and see , you

42:33.012 --> 42:35.234
know , um , what kind of an effect this

42:35.234 --> 42:37.401
will have overall , and I , and I hope

42:37.401 --> 42:39.623
we'll , uh , that'll look at it that we

42:39.623 --> 42:41.623
do that . Uh , will you provide the

42:41.623 --> 42:45.159
committee . With a spend plan for prior

42:45.379 --> 42:48.899
year and 2027 submarine industrial

42:48.899 --> 42:52.300
based funding including obligation

42:52.300 --> 42:55.219
rates , major project categories ,

42:55.340 --> 42:58.379
timelines , performance metrics tied to

42:58.379 --> 43:01.620
supplier performance , uh , shipyard

43:01.620 --> 43:03.731
throughput , and submarine delivery .

43:03.860 --> 43:05.471
Can you provide us with that

43:05.471 --> 43:07.416
information ? We , we will provide

43:07.416 --> 43:09.582
whatever you need . OK , that would be

43:09.582 --> 43:09.580
very , very helpful , I think , to , to

43:09.580 --> 43:11.747
the committee . Let me just say , um .

43:12.709 --> 43:15.070
The 2027 request makes major

43:15.070 --> 43:17.126
investments in submarine procurement

43:17.310 --> 43:19.310
and the submarine industrial base .

43:19.639 --> 43:21.806
Congress , in my view , should support

43:21.806 --> 43:23.528
the undersea mission , but the

43:23.528 --> 43:25.583
department has got to show that this

43:25.583 --> 43:29.330
funding is executable . The

43:29.330 --> 43:31.370
committee needs clear answers on

43:31.370 --> 43:34.169
workforce gaps , supplier capacity ,

43:34.330 --> 43:36.909
obligation rates , schedule performance ,

43:37.020 --> 43:39.610
so that the investments will result in

43:39.610 --> 43:42.560
delivered submarines and not just

43:42.560 --> 43:45.550
larger budget lines . So ,

43:46.729 --> 43:48.785
We , we are obligating again . I , I

43:48.785 --> 43:50.951
don't know if you're talking about the

43:50.951 --> 43:53.285
FY 26 . We , I know right now we're 23% ,

43:53.285 --> 43:55.562
uh , execution , and , uh , I , I just ,

43:55.562 --> 43:57.507
uh , funded two destroyers and one

43:57.507 --> 44:00.209
oiler so by July we will be at 64%

44:00.209 --> 44:03.229
obligation and , and with the FAXX down

44:03.229 --> 44:06.060
select in the end of summer we will be

44:06.060 --> 44:08.270
at 98% by . The beginning of , uh ,

44:08.360 --> 44:10.620
September . Mhm . Well , if , if , uh ,

44:10.639 --> 44:13.399
if , if you , what we need to do is to ,

44:13.479 --> 44:15.909
uh , you know , to provide us with this ,

44:16.030 --> 44:18.030
with the spend plan that's gonna be

44:18.030 --> 44:20.252
very , very important for us as we move

44:20.252 --> 44:22.550
forward as , uh , both the chair and

44:22.550 --> 44:25.100
ranking member have mentioned , uh , uh ,

44:25.250 --> 44:27.760
June June 11th , um , I thank you , Mr .

44:27.770 --> 44:29.937
Chairman . I thank you , gentle lady ,

44:29.937 --> 44:32.048
and I agree with you . We need to get

44:32.048 --> 44:34.103
the Virginia class submarine program

44:34.103 --> 44:36.159
back up to at least 2 Virginia class

44:36.159 --> 44:38.214
submarines per year very quickly , I

44:38.214 --> 44:40.548
would hope that Mr . Womack , thank you ,

44:40.548 --> 44:42.603
Mr . Chairman , and my thanks to the

44:42.603 --> 44:44.770
gentlemen appearing before us today in

44:44.770 --> 44:46.610
your testimony . Uh , but more

44:46.610 --> 44:48.554
importantly , your service to your

44:48.554 --> 44:50.777
country and you , Secretary , um , your

44:50.777 --> 44:52.850
family's story is a pretty special

44:52.850 --> 44:55.570
story and , um , it should inspire all

44:55.570 --> 44:57.810
of us , uh , for the work that , uh ,

44:57.889 --> 44:59.889
that we do . And I know it's been a

45:00.129 --> 45:03.840
quick transition for you , uh , but I

45:03.840 --> 45:06.007
admire the work that you're putting in

45:06.007 --> 45:07.896
and , um , and the command of the

45:07.896 --> 45:10.118
subject that , that we're talking about

45:10.118 --> 45:12.284
here today . Admiral , I want to begin

45:12.284 --> 45:14.507
my line of questioning . Uh , regarding

45:14.507 --> 45:16.840
our ongoing conversations on priorities ,

45:16.840 --> 45:16.699
particularly when it comes to

45:16.699 --> 45:18.780
shipbuilding , I'm a fiscal

45:18.780 --> 45:20.979
conservative , firm supporter of our

45:20.979 --> 45:23.719
armed forces . Trouble sometimes

45:23.719 --> 45:26.000
reconciling our shipbuilding issues .

45:26.399 --> 45:29.040
We've seen extensive delays in battle

45:29.040 --> 45:31.929
force ships under construction . And

45:32.489 --> 45:35.300
our 27 budget requests , $150 billion

45:35.300 --> 45:37.979
in procurement , that's a 42.5%

45:37.979 --> 45:40.659
increase from last year , procuring 18

45:40.659 --> 45:42.669
battle force ships . This year , 75

45:42.669 --> 45:44.780
over the fight . That's , that's an

45:44.780 --> 45:48.320
enormous commitment for the taxpayers .

45:49.139 --> 45:51.306
There seems to be a significant amount

45:51.306 --> 45:53.800
of requirement creep , as I call it ,

45:54.110 --> 45:57.360
that emerges between the drawing board

45:57.689 --> 46:00.179
and delivery . All the good ideas

46:00.179 --> 46:02.500
people seem to get in the way , and

46:02.500 --> 46:05.729
when that happens , costs escalate .

46:06.260 --> 46:08.500
What is your concrete enforceable plan

46:08.500 --> 46:10.444
to ensure that requirements remain

46:10.444 --> 46:13.179
stable during this acquisition cycle ?

46:16.000 --> 46:18.120
Congressman , I , I can think back to

46:18.120 --> 46:20.287
that movie , The Pentagon Wars , where

46:20.287 --> 46:22.287
they're building the M3 and it just

46:22.287 --> 46:24.342
keeps moving and moving . These guys

46:24.342 --> 46:26.620
start as 06s and by the time it's over ,

46:26.620 --> 46:28.787
you know , it's , uh , they're 4 stars

46:28.787 --> 46:28.760
and the requirements creeps keep coming

46:28.760 --> 46:30.760
along and some of us are in nursing

46:30.760 --> 46:33.360
homes . Yeah , yes sir . Well , we need

46:33.360 --> 46:35.582
to stop snap the chalk line and just go

46:35.582 --> 46:37.804
with the design the way we did in World

46:37.804 --> 46:39.916
War II where , you know , the , the ,

46:39.916 --> 46:41.971
the what the Ford industry was doing

46:41.971 --> 46:44.138
with being building the B-24 , we need

46:44.138 --> 46:46.360
to snap the chalk line , build it , and

46:46.360 --> 46:48.527
if we have to do modifications , we'll

46:48.527 --> 46:50.527
do it later and this is , these are

46:50.527 --> 46:50.159
things we need to lock ourselves into

46:50.159 --> 46:52.103
the design plan , Admiral Caudle .

46:54.080 --> 46:56.302
Yeah , you know , I think it comes down

46:56.302 --> 46:58.302
to several items . One , we need to

46:58.302 --> 47:00.358
expand our industrial base on this ,

47:00.358 --> 47:02.691
and so we'll get more yards in the game ,

47:02.691 --> 47:05.024
and that's going to come through a , um ,

47:05.024 --> 47:07.247
a modular approach to shipbuilding that

47:07.247 --> 47:09.469
this country , quite frankly , has been

47:09.469 --> 47:11.524
way behind in doing . When I can get

47:11.524 --> 47:13.858
more yards in the , in the construction ,

47:13.858 --> 47:15.858
then what I turn the primes into is

47:15.858 --> 47:17.913
more of an assembly yard , and I can

47:17.913 --> 47:20.080
actually , I think , get up on a plane

47:20.080 --> 47:22.247
if I do that . We've already discussed

47:22.247 --> 47:21.679
the workforce development piece that's

47:21.679 --> 47:23.790
got to be essential to this . I think

47:23.790 --> 47:25.846
our shipyards have to invest more in

47:25.846 --> 47:28.570
robotics . There's too many welds in

47:28.570 --> 47:30.570
that type of production still being

47:30.570 --> 47:32.626
done manually . We're behind there .

47:32.626 --> 47:34.403
We're not leveraging artificial

47:34.403 --> 47:36.626
intelligence enough as I've mentioned ,

47:36.626 --> 47:38.737
and the modularity piece is , is also

47:38.737 --> 47:40.737
part of that . And I would tell you

47:40.737 --> 47:42.903
acquisition reform has to be essential

47:42.903 --> 47:45.070
to this . Our PAE structure is part of

47:45.070 --> 47:47.014
this , upgunning what we do at our

47:47.014 --> 47:49.014
supervisor of shipbuilding , giving

47:49.014 --> 47:51.070
them more authority and how invasive

47:51.070 --> 47:53.292
they can be with the defense industrial

47:53.292 --> 47:55.514
base , how we hold accountability , and

47:55.514 --> 47:57.403
then as the secretary mentioned ,

47:57.403 --> 47:59.514
design maturity . We have for far too

47:59.514 --> 48:01.570
long gone into the shipbuilding with

48:01.570 --> 48:03.681
not only creep being part of it , the

48:03.681 --> 48:06.090
design not being mature enough at the

48:06.090 --> 48:08.257
start . And so that's why that's baked

48:08.257 --> 48:10.423
into all of this and some of the money

48:10.423 --> 48:12.534
even going into the battleship and of

48:12.534 --> 48:14.757
course the new frigate is to get to the

48:14.757 --> 48:16.701
design maturity before we start to

48:16.701 --> 48:18.868
build . I have a question about , um ,

48:18.868 --> 48:21.090
aircraft carriers , but I know my buddy

48:21.090 --> 48:23.350
Jake Elsie is going to be asking that

48:23.350 --> 48:25.572
question , so I'm going to pass on it ,

48:25.572 --> 48:27.739
um , and give him the ability to throw

48:27.739 --> 48:30.017
a softball at you . Uh , General Smith ,

48:30.017 --> 48:32.128
um , I want to commend you for making

48:32.128 --> 48:34.294
the following statement to your recent

48:34.294 --> 48:36.239
letter to the House Armed Services

48:36.239 --> 48:38.128
Committee . I believe this budget

48:38.128 --> 48:40.017
aligned with the national defense

48:40.017 --> 48:42.239
strategy represents the best balance of

48:42.239 --> 48:42.229
resources to support these critical

48:42.229 --> 48:44.285
efforts . Therefore , at this time ,

48:44.290 --> 48:46.729
The Marine Corps unfunded priority list

48:46.729 --> 48:50.290
has no items to report . That is an

48:50.290 --> 48:52.550
extraordinary statement . And I want to

48:52.550 --> 48:54.217
assure me , make sure that my

48:54.217 --> 48:56.272
colleagues on this committee and the

48:56.272 --> 48:58.383
American people understand why that's

48:58.383 --> 49:00.383
your message . As I understand it .

49:00.383 --> 49:02.328
Your belief is if the Marine Corps

49:02.328 --> 49:03.828
receives all the requested

49:03.828 --> 49:05.939
discretionary and mandatory funding ,

49:05.939 --> 49:08.106
and maybe that's still a big if , then

49:08.106 --> 49:10.050
there are no unfunded priorities .

49:10.110 --> 49:12.221
Would that be correct , sir ? That is

49:12.221 --> 49:14.443
correct if we receive them both . Yes ,

49:14.443 --> 49:16.610
sir . That's fantastic to hear , and I

49:16.610 --> 49:18.570
would hope that the other services

49:18.989 --> 49:22.409
would listen carefully and follow suit .

49:22.550 --> 49:24.717
And I know I'm about out of time , and

49:24.717 --> 49:26.661
I'll yield back . Thank you , Mr .

49:26.661 --> 49:28.883
Chairman . Thank you , gentlemen , Mr .

49:28.883 --> 49:31.979
Queer . Thank you Mr . Chairman , uh ,

49:32.020 --> 49:35.139
ranking member , uh , Mr . Secretary ,

49:35.179 --> 49:37.290
and all of y'all , thank you for your

49:37.290 --> 49:39.401
service and your men and women that ,

49:39.401 --> 49:41.568
uh , serve our country as a student of

49:41.568 --> 49:43.568
Latin America we've seen the , uh ,

49:43.568 --> 49:47.520
presence of China growing south of , um .

49:48.159 --> 49:50.381
Uh , south of the border , and it's not

49:50.381 --> 49:53.080
only economic , we're also seeing signs

49:53.080 --> 49:56.000
of a broader strategic and military

49:56.000 --> 49:58.270
posture in that region . Earlier this

49:58.270 --> 50:00.360
year , the Chinese , a Chinese Navy

50:00.360 --> 50:02.679
ship , uh , docked in , uh , Rio de

50:02.679 --> 50:04.790
Janeiro under the banner of a medical

50:04.790 --> 50:07.320
mission , uh , but there were some

50:07.320 --> 50:09.264
serious questions that were raised

50:09.264 --> 50:11.560
about the scope of that visit and what

50:11.560 --> 50:14.600
it signaled . Uh , and in late , uh ,

50:14.629 --> 50:17.469
2025 , China issued its third policy

50:17.469 --> 50:19.709
paper on Latin America and the

50:19.709 --> 50:22.750
Caribbean that outlined a deeper

50:22.750 --> 50:25.010
engagement across the region ,

50:25.030 --> 50:28.350
including security related areas . Uh ,

50:28.399 --> 50:31.229
this concern is reflected by this

50:31.229 --> 50:33.590
committee , and we've taken certain

50:33.590 --> 50:35.830
steps , uh , on , on that particular

50:35.830 --> 50:39.429
area . Uh , I think just showing up is

50:39.429 --> 50:42.010
part of the . Uh , uh , the , uh , you

50:42.010 --> 50:44.750
know , the game that we need to do . Um ,

50:44.850 --> 50:47.010
so my question is , what is the Navy

50:47.010 --> 50:49.770
doing to strengthen our position and

50:49.770 --> 50:52.129
push back against China's growing

50:52.129 --> 50:54.530
military presence and influence in

50:54.530 --> 50:57.459
Latin America ? And how are we using

50:57.459 --> 50:59.860
military education and training

50:59.860 --> 51:02.060
programs to bring Latin American

51:02.060 --> 51:04.171
officers here to build those stronger

51:04.171 --> 51:06.750
relationships , uh , and ensure that

51:06.750 --> 51:08.972
the next generation of regional leaders

51:09.219 --> 51:11.699
see the United States as their partner

51:11.699 --> 51:14.379
of choice . And finally , uh , how many

51:14.379 --> 51:16.101
Latin American officers are we

51:16.101 --> 51:18.760
currently are currently participating

51:19.260 --> 51:21.659
in the US Navy training programs ?

51:23.510 --> 51:25.732
Thank you , Congressman . Uh , that's a

51:25.732 --> 51:27.954
wonderful question because , uh , right

51:27.954 --> 51:30.399
now we have a true warrior in this

51:30.399 --> 51:32.566
Southcom . I mean , uh , Frank General

51:32.566 --> 51:34.621
Frank Donovan is , is a true hero to

51:34.621 --> 51:36.955
this country , and he's taken the , the ,

51:36.955 --> 51:39.679
uh , the , uh , down there , the Iwo

51:39.679 --> 51:41.679
Jima , uh , amphibious rarity group

51:41.679 --> 51:43.735
down there , uh , and doing a lot of

51:43.735 --> 51:45.846
great things against narcoterrorism .

51:45.846 --> 51:48.068
Uh , I know , I share your concern also

51:48.068 --> 51:50.012
the Chinese controlling the Panama

51:50.012 --> 51:52.012
Canal for all these years , a canal

51:52.012 --> 51:51.989
that we built , uh , with American

51:51.989 --> 51:53.989
blood . Down there and , and , uh ,

51:54.169 --> 51:56.449
that is quite discerning . We have a

51:56.449 --> 51:59.090
lot of uh exercises , UNAS that's going

51:59.090 --> 52:00.979
on down there as well as a lot of

52:00.979 --> 52:03.201
exchange programs and I'll defer to the

52:03.201 --> 52:05.312
the chief of naval operations and the

52:05.312 --> 52:07.479
commandant to share with you what they

52:07.479 --> 52:09.479
do at the Naval War College and the

52:09.479 --> 52:11.701
Marine Corps University as well . Sir ,

52:11.701 --> 52:13.923
I can tell you I just , uh , attended a

52:13.923 --> 52:16.090
graduation . Uh , my own son graduated

52:16.090 --> 52:17.979
barely from the , uh , amphibious

52:17.979 --> 52:19.868
warfare school . He didn't really

52:19.868 --> 52:22.090
graduate , barely , he graduated . Um ,

52:22.090 --> 52:23.868
we have multiple South American

52:23.868 --> 52:26.034
partners . I'm a Latin Americanhao . I

52:26.034 --> 52:27.923
spent 2 years living in Caracas ,

52:27.923 --> 52:29.868
Venezuela , uh , for , uh , well ,

52:29.868 --> 52:32.034
during the Chavez epoca , uh , epoch ,

52:32.034 --> 52:34.146
and , uh , and after . Um , so we are

52:34.146 --> 52:36.257
fully engaged in SOHCOM . We're fully

52:36.257 --> 52:38.368
supporting Frank Donovan and SOHCOM .

52:38.368 --> 52:40.479
Um , the only thing we need is , is ,

52:40.479 --> 52:42.701
is additional funding to make sure that

52:42.701 --> 52:44.757
uh what we do , that we actually can

52:44.757 --> 52:46.979
pay for it , that we actually , because

52:46.979 --> 52:49.146
we actually have the Marines , we have

52:49.146 --> 52:48.919
the shipping to get down there to do

52:48.919 --> 52:51.000
the exercises , we can fly our B-22s

52:51.000 --> 52:53.222
down there . Um , we are working very ,

52:53.280 --> 52:55.336
very hard to do exchanges with the ,

52:55.399 --> 52:57.232
with our Latin American partners

52:57.232 --> 52:59.455
through Central and South America , and

52:59.455 --> 53:01.677
we really start with our schools . When

53:01.677 --> 53:03.788
you , when you have an individual who

53:03.788 --> 53:05.955
you went to school with , you can pick

53:05.955 --> 53:05.800
up the phone and call them , and these

53:05.800 --> 53:07.800
individuals who are coming to us as

53:07.800 --> 53:09.967
lieutenant commanders and , and majors

53:09.967 --> 53:11.911
are gonna grow up to be 4 stars in

53:11.911 --> 53:13.911
Latin America , and that's the real

53:13.911 --> 53:16.133
secret sauce to our schools program . I

53:16.133 --> 53:18.244
graduated from the Navy War College ,

53:18.244 --> 53:20.300
uh , last year and I saw some of the

53:20.300 --> 53:22.467
Mexican officers and some of the Latin

53:22.467 --> 53:24.800
America , but if we can do more of that ,

53:24.800 --> 53:27.022
that would be good . Uh , I got about a

53:27.022 --> 53:30.699
minute left . Um , um , Mexico for the

53:30.699 --> 53:32.810
first time , and we mentioned this to

53:32.810 --> 53:34.699
the secretary has allowed special

53:34.699 --> 53:37.320
forces and I believe SEALs to actually

53:37.580 --> 53:40.510
go to Mexico , be stationed there . Uh ,

53:40.590 --> 53:43.270
do training , uh , and maybe do some

53:43.270 --> 53:45.389
joint operations , uh , I mean , not

53:45.389 --> 53:47.611
joint operations . I wish they would do

53:47.611 --> 53:49.556
joint operations , but , uh , do a

53:49.556 --> 53:51.722
little bit more . The more you can get

53:51.722 --> 53:54.979
our Mexican , uh , folks to engage , uh ,

53:54.989 --> 53:57.110
will be very , very important to not

53:57.110 --> 53:59.510
only for drugs but just the , the , the

53:59.510 --> 54:01.629
fact that China is right across the

54:01.629 --> 54:03.629
border , literally right across the

54:03.629 --> 54:05.685
border , uh , from , um , you know ,

54:05.685 --> 54:07.796
from the US , so we really appreciate

54:07.796 --> 54:10.280
if y'all can push that more and . Let

54:10.280 --> 54:12.336
us know what funding in particular I

54:12.336 --> 54:14.224
have an idea , but it's up to the

54:14.224 --> 54:16.447
committee over here to work on that but

54:16.447 --> 54:18.919
I really appreciate the work that y'all

54:18.919 --> 54:21.310
doing in Latin American . Uh , keep

54:21.310 --> 54:24.419
doing more on that . Thank you . uh ,

54:24.469 --> 54:27.020
you're back , Chuck . Thank you .

54:28.100 --> 54:30.156
Speaking of General Donovan , I just

54:30.156 --> 54:32.267
wanted to make a point that last time

54:32.267 --> 54:34.156
he testified to us he mentioned a

54:34.156 --> 54:37.070
number . The revenue from the major

54:37.070 --> 54:40.860
cartels in that area is over

54:40.860 --> 54:44.500
$400 billion a year . Um , drugs ,

54:44.780 --> 54:47.219
human trafficking , illegal fishing , a

54:47.219 --> 54:50.199
lot of other activities . Uh , so , uh ,

54:50.469 --> 54:53.989
that , that's uh . That's a , that's a

54:53.989 --> 54:56.156
big chunk of money , so we need to get

54:56.156 --> 54:57.822
after it , uh , Mr . Carter .

55:01.760 --> 55:05.439
Thank you , Mr . Chairman . Helion

55:05.449 --> 55:08.360
carno generator technology has

55:08.360 --> 55:10.620
progressed from early development into

55:11.360 --> 55:13.520
operational navy testing and will be

55:13.520 --> 55:16.679
integrated into unmanned vessel program .

55:17.629 --> 55:19.851
Given the demonstrated ability of Carno

55:20.510 --> 55:23.449
to operate on Navy standard marine

55:23.449 --> 55:27.129
diesel fuel even under harsh maritime

55:27.739 --> 55:29.795
conditions , does the department see

55:29.795 --> 55:32.709
this type of fuel flexible , low

55:32.709 --> 55:35.090
maintenance powered generation

55:35.090 --> 55:38.449
technology as a potential for enabling

55:39.110 --> 55:41.510
capability for the Navy's future

55:41.510 --> 55:45.350
unmanned fleet ? You

55:45.350 --> 55:47.870
know , um , on that question , I , I

55:47.870 --> 55:49.703
literally slept in a Holiday Inn

55:49.703 --> 55:51.537
Express , and learned about this

55:51.537 --> 55:53.899
company in preparation for this hearing ,

55:54.510 --> 55:56.732
but , uh , you know , when I read about

55:56.732 --> 55:59.066
it , it reminded me of Bloom Technology ,

55:59.066 --> 56:00.954
which uses , you know , kind of a

56:00.954 --> 56:02.954
catalytic approach that can use any

56:02.954 --> 56:05.121
type of fuel , diesel fuel , methane ,

56:05.121 --> 56:07.121
natural gas , and actually generate

56:07.121 --> 56:09.232
electrical power from that using that

56:09.232 --> 56:11.350
type of technology . So I think it

56:11.350 --> 56:13.406
looks promising , and we need things

56:13.406 --> 56:15.406
that can sustain our unmanned . And

56:15.406 --> 56:18.439
uncrewed and robotic fleet for longer

56:18.439 --> 56:20.606
term . I mean , the whole problem with

56:20.606 --> 56:22.661
it today in the concept of operation

56:22.661 --> 56:24.883
from the navy perspective is how long I

56:24.883 --> 56:27.120
can keep it at sea before it itself has

56:27.120 --> 56:29.229
to be replenished . So anything that

56:29.229 --> 56:31.659
can increase the endurance and the legs

56:31.879 --> 56:33.768
on robotic and autonomous systems

56:33.768 --> 56:36.159
afloat , I'm game for . So you have my

56:36.159 --> 56:38.381
commitment to look into this technology

56:38.381 --> 56:40.603
and understand it more and how it could

56:40.603 --> 56:44.320
be applied . Thank you , uh , Recent

56:44.320 --> 56:46.469
attacks in the Middle East , uh ,

56:46.879 --> 56:49.639
highlighted how vulnerable military

56:49.639 --> 56:52.320
installations and data centers are to

56:52.320 --> 56:55.780
modern warfare . As digital

56:56.199 --> 56:58.679
infrastructure becomes a frontline

56:58.679 --> 57:02.080
target . What steps is the Navy

57:02.080 --> 57:05.959
taking in FY 27 to modernize and

57:05.959 --> 57:08.409
protect Tier One and Tier One data

57:08.409 --> 57:11.790
centers to ensure mission critical

57:11.790 --> 57:14.120
operations and readiness remain

57:14.120 --> 57:17.000
resilient , uh , in the contested

57:17.000 --> 57:20.939
environments . Um , you know ,

57:21.870 --> 57:23.959
uh , a lot , uh , it's been a

57:23.959 --> 57:25.903
vulnerability that we have had for

57:25.903 --> 57:28.126
quite a while to get our house in order

57:28.126 --> 57:30.181
to counter , uh , UAS technologies ,

57:30.479 --> 57:32.646
and so the Navy is actively , I'm very

57:32.646 --> 57:34.757
much a part of the GAA 401 task force

57:34.757 --> 57:36.812
that's been stood up and the work to

57:36.812 --> 57:39.199
try to get a joint approach to how we

57:39.199 --> 57:42.679
do base protection . Um , we have a

57:42.679 --> 57:44.790
Navy component commander that focuses

57:44.790 --> 57:46.790
on this , uh , uh , US Fleet Forces

57:46.790 --> 57:49.120
every single day . Um , I think we have

57:49.120 --> 57:51.120
not done a good job historically to

57:51.120 --> 57:53.120
find the best of breed and then buy

57:53.120 --> 57:55.287
that and scale that across all bases .

57:55.360 --> 57:57.471
So if any place we could do something

57:57.471 --> 57:59.527
in a joint way , this is certainly a

57:59.527 --> 58:01.749
place to do that . So I think there's a

58:01.749 --> 58:01.560
lot of work that can go into to

58:01.560 --> 58:03.671
actually get these systems in place .

58:03.671 --> 58:05.838
You know , we had some events there at

58:05.838 --> 58:07.838
Langley and some in New Jersey that

58:07.838 --> 58:10.060
really exposed how vulnerable we are to

58:10.060 --> 58:11.782
critical infrastructure , uh ,

58:11.782 --> 58:13.949
vulnerabilities from , you know , from

58:13.949 --> 58:16.171
UAS's and uh when we did that , we kind

58:16.171 --> 58:18.171
of got the ball off top dead center

58:18.171 --> 58:20.227
here and I know NorthCom is . Highly

58:20.227 --> 58:22.449
focused on this . I know the department

58:22.449 --> 58:24.393
is as well , but there's work that

58:24.393 --> 58:26.449
still needs to be done to fill these

58:26.449 --> 58:28.560
across all of our bases and something

58:28.560 --> 58:30.727
that really does work . And so most of

58:30.727 --> 58:32.949
this stuff , you know , it doesn't work

58:32.949 --> 58:32.344
that great , and we'd actually need to

58:32.344 --> 58:35.989
get systems that do . Uh , are there

58:35.989 --> 58:38.211
multiple people working on this issue ?

58:38.211 --> 58:40.433
Yes , there are , because I mean that's

58:40.433 --> 58:43.530
going to shut us down if In the future ,

58:43.629 --> 58:45.518
I've got an entire team to do the

58:45.518 --> 58:47.685
capabilities assessment of that and of

58:47.685 --> 58:49.573
course we look for how we do this

58:49.573 --> 58:51.796
through the joint processes that are in

58:51.796 --> 58:53.407
place to actually fill joint

58:53.407 --> 58:55.573
capabilities . And I know that General

58:55.573 --> 58:57.685
Smith and I are , you know , locked ,

58:57.685 --> 58:59.851
you know , hand in hand here on making

58:59.851 --> 59:01.740
sure that we provide robust force

59:01.740 --> 59:03.907
protection for our bases . Electricity

59:03.907 --> 59:05.629
is getting to be more and more

59:05.629 --> 59:07.851
important . I mean , it's a challenge .

59:07.851 --> 59:09.962
It's a challenge overseas . We saw in

59:09.962 --> 59:12.073
this conflict to have the capacity to

59:12.073 --> 59:14.129
actually protect against things like

59:14.129 --> 59:16.296
one-way attack , UAVs and that type of

59:16.296 --> 59:16.149
thing , but it's a whole different game

59:16.149 --> 59:18.669
in colonists because the FCC gets

59:18.669 --> 59:20.613
involved , the FAA gets involved ,

59:20.613 --> 59:22.725
different agencies get involved , and

59:22.725 --> 59:24.613
so when you , fortunately , we've

59:24.613 --> 59:26.780
gotten . Some reprieve from the uh the

59:26.780 --> 59:30.645
130,130 I actual protection of

59:30.645 --> 59:32.756
covered assets to basically designate

59:32.756 --> 59:34.867
all of our bases covered . And so I'm

59:34.867 --> 59:37.314
not , I'm not restricted really in my

59:37.314 --> 59:39.592
application of the , of the technology ,

59:39.592 --> 59:41.536
but I just , I'm restricted in the

59:41.536 --> 59:43.814
fielding and proving of the technology .

59:44.129 --> 59:46.129
Well , I'm glad you're on top of it

59:46.129 --> 59:49.189
because it's , it's a future problem .

59:49.780 --> 59:51.613
The Marine Corps has significant

59:51.613 --> 59:54.889
strides . Uh , in employing commercial

59:54.889 --> 59:58.090
autonomy , software in support of

59:58.090 --> 01:00:01.850
Nemesis , is the Marine Corps properly

01:00:01.850 --> 01:00:04.530
planning and programming and budgeting

01:00:04.530 --> 01:00:07.510
for the The continued sustainment of

01:00:07.510 --> 01:00:10.709
the software . Sir , I believe we are .

01:00:10.870 --> 01:00:12.703
Our issue really with Nemesis is

01:00:12.703 --> 01:00:14.759
building the missile battery depth .

01:00:14.759 --> 01:00:16.870
That is what we really need , but the

01:00:16.870 --> 01:00:19.092
software is rock solid . The autonomous

01:00:19.092 --> 01:00:21.709
movement of that vehicle , uh , it's

01:00:21.709 --> 01:00:23.765
called a rogue or remote operational

01:00:23.765 --> 01:00:25.598
ground unit expeditionary . It's

01:00:25.598 --> 01:00:27.598
capable of independent maneuver and

01:00:27.598 --> 01:00:29.765
operation . It is , it is rock solid .

01:00:29.765 --> 01:00:31.709
What we really need is the missile

01:00:31.709 --> 01:00:33.765
depth . Thank you . Thank you , Mr .

01:00:33.765 --> 01:00:35.987
Chairman . Thank you , gentlemen . Mr .

01:00:35.987 --> 01:00:39.949
Aguilar . Thank you , Mr . Chairman .

01:00:40.209 --> 01:00:43.810
Thank you , ranking member . Um Mr .

01:00:43.820 --> 01:00:45.931
Secretary , I wanted to talk a little

01:00:45.931 --> 01:00:49.060
bit about the cost of the war . Earlier

01:00:49.060 --> 01:00:51.780
today , Undersecret Hearst , um , gave

01:00:51.780 --> 01:00:54.959
us an updated figure of $29 billion

01:00:56.260 --> 01:00:58.482
and that was the number he cited , uh ,

01:00:58.482 --> 01:01:00.649
to this committee as the total cost of

01:01:00.649 --> 01:01:03.219
the operation . Can you describe within

01:01:03.219 --> 01:01:05.459
your portfolio on the Navy and Marine

01:01:05.459 --> 01:01:07.459
Corps side what the funding impacts

01:01:07.459 --> 01:01:09.560
have been , uh , within that $29

01:01:09.560 --> 01:01:12.830
billion ? Congressman , uh , that

01:01:13.360 --> 01:01:14.971
includes obviously operation

01:01:14.971 --> 01:01:16.971
maintenance of our , uh , ships out

01:01:16.971 --> 01:01:19.193
there and aircraft as well as munitions

01:01:19.570 --> 01:01:21.489
that we've expended during this

01:01:21.489 --> 01:01:23.545
operation . But , uh , again , these

01:01:23.545 --> 01:01:25.711
are numbers that , uh , OSW has been ,

01:01:25.711 --> 01:01:28.649
uh , keeping tally on in order to , to

01:01:28.649 --> 01:01:31.050
give , uh , this committee a very

01:01:31.050 --> 01:01:33.229
strong , uh , supplemental request .

01:01:34.330 --> 01:01:36.760
You don't have any more . Any more

01:01:36.760 --> 01:01:38.649
detail other than that to share .

01:01:41.459 --> 01:01:43.792
I'll defer to the , you know , and , uh ,

01:01:43.792 --> 01:01:45.903
they're coming on if they , they have

01:01:45.903 --> 01:01:48.015
any other requests , but I mean a lot

01:01:48.015 --> 01:01:50.237
of this is for munitions , sir . Uh , I

01:01:50.237 --> 01:01:52.570
mean we we've expend a lot of munitions ,

01:01:52.570 --> 01:01:52.419
but again it , it's not all of it . I ,

01:01:52.459 --> 01:01:54.515
I know there's some , some things in

01:01:54.515 --> 01:01:56.570
the news about people testifying and

01:01:56.570 --> 01:01:58.681
saying things that , that , um . That

01:01:58.681 --> 01:02:00.737
we've expanded , but I'm telling you

01:02:00.737 --> 01:02:02.737
right now our munitions are looking

01:02:02.737 --> 01:02:02.570
good , and I'll , I'll be more than

01:02:02.570 --> 01:02:04.570
happy to come in in a , uh , closed

01:02:04.570 --> 01:02:06.737
session in order to tell you exactly ,

01:02:06.737 --> 01:02:09.070
uh , what our , our munitions , uh , uh ,

01:02:09.070 --> 01:02:11.479
our combat usable , uh , allowances .

01:02:12.300 --> 01:02:16.239
OK . Um , I wanted to follow up on

01:02:16.239 --> 01:02:18.406
Ranking Member McCollum's questions on

01:02:18.406 --> 01:02:19.961
the Golden Fleet . Uh , the

01:02:19.961 --> 01:02:22.199
Congressional Budget Office , uh , in

01:02:22.199 --> 01:02:26.060
2025 reported DDG spent 20 to 100% more

01:02:26.060 --> 01:02:28.227
time in the yards for maintenance than

01:02:28.227 --> 01:02:30.479
scheduled , and that , uh , DDG will

01:02:30.479 --> 01:02:33.040
spend 9 years on average , a quarter of

01:02:33.040 --> 01:02:36.030
its service life in the yard . Spending

01:02:36.030 --> 01:02:38.252
billions of dollars on a new , new ship

01:02:38.252 --> 01:02:40.270
without a specified mission while

01:02:40.270 --> 01:02:42.437
you're stretched thin with the current

01:02:42.437 --> 01:02:45.030
assets , uh , seems like it tests our

01:02:45.030 --> 01:02:48.129
operability . Uh , how do we justify ,

01:02:48.429 --> 01:02:50.510
uh , millions of dollars and

01:02:50.510 --> 01:02:52.719
potentially more than that , uh , on a

01:02:53.030 --> 01:02:55.086
battleship when the current fleet is

01:02:55.086 --> 01:02:56.697
suffering from maintenance ?

01:02:58.620 --> 01:03:00.842
Congressman , as we said before , a lot

01:03:00.842 --> 01:03:03.120
of the maintenance was bow wave during ,

01:03:03.120 --> 01:03:03.090
uh , the wars in Iraq , Afghanistan ,

01:03:03.169 --> 01:03:05.336
and we're just now catching up . A lot

01:03:05.336 --> 01:03:07.558
of ships should not be in the yards for

01:03:07.558 --> 01:03:09.669
as long as they have been . However ,

01:03:09.669 --> 01:03:11.780
without the dry docking they needed ,

01:03:11.780 --> 01:03:14.002
uh , you know , moving out from 6 years

01:03:14.002 --> 01:03:16.113
to 10 years had a huge impact on us .

01:03:16.113 --> 01:03:18.169
But this Golden Fleet doesn't , uh ,

01:03:18.169 --> 01:03:20.336
you know , this includes smaller ships

01:03:20.336 --> 01:03:22.447
like . Uh , the frigates that we need

01:03:22.447 --> 01:03:24.502
because right now we have destroyers

01:03:24.502 --> 01:03:26.780
going out there doing counter drug ops .

01:03:26.780 --> 01:03:29.058
That's like having a , a brain surgeon ,

01:03:29.058 --> 01:03:31.336
uh , you , you know , suturing up your ,

01:03:31.336 --> 01:03:30.899
your wounds or something like that . We

01:03:30.899 --> 01:03:33.121
don't need that and the destroyer has a

01:03:33.121 --> 01:03:35.232
very specific mission . That's why we

01:03:35.232 --> 01:03:37.399
have a mix between low and high , uh ,

01:03:37.399 --> 01:03:39.621
and ships as well as autonomous vessels

01:03:39.621 --> 01:03:42.770
for , for these missions as well . If

01:03:42.770 --> 01:03:46.639
it's uh , how will . How will the

01:03:46.639 --> 01:03:48.919
extended deployments that we're seeing

01:03:48.919 --> 01:03:51.141
affect the future maintenance schedules

01:03:51.141 --> 01:03:54.320
for these ships ? For every 30 days

01:03:54.320 --> 01:03:56.209
that the uh a ship is extended on

01:03:56.209 --> 01:03:58.487
deployment , it adds 6% of maintenance .

01:03:58.719 --> 01:04:01.800
So over 55 months extra would add 30%

01:04:01.800 --> 01:04:04.010
for maintenance . What would that mean

01:04:04.010 --> 01:04:06.270
for something like the Ford that given

01:04:06.270 --> 01:04:08.381
the mission set that uh you mentioned

01:04:08.381 --> 01:04:12.129
earlier ? Again that that would add

01:04:12.129 --> 01:04:14.209
30-30% more for the maintenance and

01:04:14.209 --> 01:04:17.129
again we we uh are working to uh have a

01:04:17.129 --> 01:04:19.489
dry dock that would uh be able to bring

01:04:19.489 --> 01:04:21.489
in the fort also I mean it's a much

01:04:21.489 --> 01:04:23.378
larger and heavier ship as well .

01:04:24.090 --> 01:04:26.257
Sticking with the the theme of ships ,

01:04:26.257 --> 01:04:28.479
the Navy also has plans to purchase two

01:04:28.479 --> 01:04:30.330
foreign ships through research ,

01:04:30.469 --> 01:04:32.469
development , test and evaluation ,

01:04:32.469 --> 01:04:35.570
RDTNE funding , uh , to assess how they

01:04:35.570 --> 01:04:38.209
would need to be modified and if they

01:04:38.209 --> 01:04:40.570
fit with our force structure . Uh , how

01:04:40.570 --> 01:04:42.850
long do you expect testing to take and ,

01:04:42.969 --> 01:04:44.747
and can you explain some of the

01:04:44.747 --> 01:04:46.858
rationale behind using RDT&E money to

01:04:46.858 --> 01:04:48.969
accomplish this ? Congressman , we're

01:04:48.969 --> 01:04:50.913
not buying foreign ships . We're ,

01:04:50.913 --> 01:04:52.913
we're studying the foreign ships so

01:04:52.913 --> 01:04:55.025
that we can eventually move the whole

01:04:55.025 --> 01:04:57.191
production line to the United States .

01:04:57.191 --> 01:04:59.469
Uh , the Korean shipyards and the , uh ,

01:04:59.469 --> 01:05:01.413
the Japanese shipyards , all these

01:05:01.413 --> 01:05:01.030
foreign shipyards have been able to

01:05:01.409 --> 01:05:03.790
develop warships very quickly in , uh ,

01:05:03.889 --> 01:05:05.929
in about 2 years , whereas our

01:05:05.929 --> 01:05:08.096
shipyards are taking 6 to 8 years . So

01:05:08.096 --> 01:05:09.929
we're trying to . Bring American

01:05:09.929 --> 01:05:12.040
workers over there to learn how their

01:05:12.040 --> 01:05:14.262
tech uh techniques and their procedures

01:05:14.262 --> 01:05:16.318
and see how they can we can expedite

01:05:16.318 --> 01:05:18.485
our , our , uh , building of ships . I

01:05:18.485 --> 01:05:20.429
mean right now we have 80 ships on

01:05:20.429 --> 01:05:22.540
contract , 59 are in production right

01:05:22.540 --> 01:05:25.084
now and you know we're not moving any

01:05:25.084 --> 01:05:27.362
time , uh , faster than we were before .

01:05:27.435 --> 01:05:29.435
Uh , I mean the way I see it's like

01:05:29.435 --> 01:05:31.546
going to a , um . Oh , is that , am I

01:05:31.546 --> 01:05:33.768
blowing up ? I'm , I'm an EOD tech , so

01:05:33.768 --> 01:05:35.879
I'm , I'm always worried about things

01:05:35.879 --> 01:05:38.102
buzzing and timer going down . But it's

01:05:38.102 --> 01:05:40.157
just , just , just do what we do and

01:05:40.157 --> 01:05:42.324
just ignore it . No , but again , it's

01:05:42.324 --> 01:05:44.491
like going to the candy machine . Your

01:05:44.491 --> 01:05:44.270
candy , your Snickers bar gets stuck .

01:05:44.590 --> 01:05:46.534
Putting more money in there is not

01:05:46.534 --> 01:05:48.479
gonna get more Snickers bars out ,

01:05:48.479 --> 01:05:48.469
right ? We have to find a way to get

01:05:48.469 --> 01:05:50.525
around that , and this is what we're

01:05:50.525 --> 01:05:52.580
doing is we're , we're export , uh ,

01:05:52.580 --> 01:05:54.136
importing , you know , uh ,

01:05:54.136 --> 01:05:56.302
capabilities into the United States in

01:05:56.302 --> 01:05:58.413
order to , to accelerate and energize

01:05:58.413 --> 01:06:00.080
the industrial base , sir . I

01:06:00.080 --> 01:06:02.302
appreciate it . Thank you . Thank you ,

01:06:02.302 --> 01:06:04.136
Mr . Chairman . Uh , thank you ,

01:06:04.136 --> 01:06:06.358
gentlemen . A point Mr . Aguilar brings

01:06:06.358 --> 01:06:08.413
up , and I , and I think that that's

01:06:08.413 --> 01:06:10.580
important is obviously we're burning a

01:06:10.580 --> 01:06:10.560
lot of cash right now in these

01:06:10.560 --> 01:06:13.699
operations and And that's being pulled

01:06:13.699 --> 01:06:15.810
out of the ONM accounts . Pretty soon

01:06:15.810 --> 01:06:17.866
you get , you run out of cash . Uh ,

01:06:17.866 --> 01:06:19.921
and that's why we , you know , quite

01:06:19.921 --> 01:06:21.699
frankly , I , I think we need a

01:06:21.699 --> 01:06:23.866
supplemental like today because , uh ,

01:06:23.866 --> 01:06:25.810
you know , we're gonna have to pay

01:06:25.810 --> 01:06:27.810
these bills . You , you mentioned .

01:06:27.810 --> 01:06:29.977
Sustainment and these , you know , the

01:06:29.977 --> 01:06:32.088
existing operating costs , it's , you

01:06:32.088 --> 01:06:33.810
know , uh , we got to get this

01:06:33.810 --> 01:06:35.977
supplemental before we can get to work

01:06:35.977 --> 01:06:38.143
on it right away . So please make that

01:06:38.143 --> 01:06:39.977
point . I made the same point to

01:06:39.977 --> 01:06:39.959
Secretary Hecket this morning . So if

01:06:39.959 --> 01:06:42.159
you could send that message out ,

01:06:42.239 --> 01:06:44.909
that'd be great . Uh , Mr . Diaz

01:06:44.909 --> 01:06:46.965
Ballard , thank you very much , Mr .

01:06:46.969 --> 01:06:49.330
Chairman and , uh , Secretary Admiral

01:06:49.330 --> 01:06:51.330
Command , uh , coming up , what a ,

01:06:51.330 --> 01:06:53.850
what a privilege to be with you . Uh ,

01:06:54.290 --> 01:06:56.346
my colleagues have heard me say this

01:06:56.346 --> 01:06:58.401
before . I'm gonna do it again . I'm

01:06:58.401 --> 01:06:57.649
gonna focus a little bit on , on

01:06:57.649 --> 01:06:59.371
SouthCO , by the way , you all

01:06:59.371 --> 01:07:01.550
mentioned . Um , the outstanding job

01:07:01.550 --> 01:07:03.717
that , uh , General Donovan is doing ,

01:07:03.717 --> 01:07:06.149
you know , we've had great commanders

01:07:06.149 --> 01:07:08.482
at SouthHCOM , uh , time and time again ,

01:07:08.482 --> 01:07:10.649
but I'll tell you , he has impressed .

01:07:10.649 --> 01:07:12.705
General , uh , Donovan has impressed

01:07:12.705 --> 01:07:14.816
the heck out of me , and then hearing

01:07:14.816 --> 01:07:16.927
it from you all , uh , is , is , uh ,

01:07:16.927 --> 01:07:19.510
is frankly , uh , you know , reassuring ,

01:07:19.550 --> 01:07:21.772
even though I'll , I'll tell you he's ,

01:07:21.772 --> 01:07:23.772
he's incredibly impressive and he's

01:07:23.772 --> 01:07:25.994
doing an admirable job . Uh , but let ,

01:07:25.994 --> 01:07:28.050
let me , let me talk to you a little

01:07:28.050 --> 01:07:30.106
bit about Operation Southern Spear .

01:07:30.106 --> 01:07:32.217
Chairman Calvert has been really good

01:07:32.217 --> 01:07:34.217
at not having SouthCom as kind of a

01:07:34.217 --> 01:07:36.439
stepchild that gets the crumbs , but in

01:07:36.439 --> 01:07:38.383
actually focusing on it . Uh , and

01:07:38.383 --> 01:07:40.494
we're seeing the results of , of , of

01:07:40.494 --> 01:07:42.449
focusing on SOUTHCOM with , with

01:07:42.449 --> 01:07:44.671
Operation , uh , Southern Spiel SPEEA ,

01:07:45.370 --> 01:07:47.592
and , and you see it by just a decrease

01:07:47.592 --> 01:07:49.759
in maritime trafficking taking place .

01:07:49.759 --> 01:07:51.981
You don't have to be a mathematician to

01:07:51.981 --> 01:07:54.350
understand that it's working . But Are

01:07:54.350 --> 01:07:56.183
we gonna be shifting from just a

01:07:56.183 --> 01:07:58.183
temporary surge to a more permanent

01:07:58.183 --> 01:08:00.350
posture ? I hope so , uh , because the

01:08:00.350 --> 01:08:02.572
need is there and because it's actually

01:08:02.572 --> 01:08:04.683
saving American lives directly but if

01:08:04.683 --> 01:08:08.030
so , um , how do you intend to fully

01:08:08.030 --> 01:08:10.030
resource that effort , uh , and not

01:08:10.030 --> 01:08:12.850
just now but hopefully for the future .

01:08:13.719 --> 01:08:16.060
And I don't know , uh , who wants to .

01:08:17.569 --> 01:08:19.569
Speak about that . Yeah , I'll take

01:08:19.569 --> 01:08:21.513
that because it's , uh , it's tied

01:08:21.513 --> 01:08:23.625
really to um what I was talking about

01:08:23.625 --> 01:08:23.259
in my opening about the fighting

01:08:23.259 --> 01:08:25.129
instructions and tailoring force

01:08:25.129 --> 01:08:27.419
packages . I'm working with uh General

01:08:27.419 --> 01:08:29.740
Donovan as we speak on what a

01:08:29.740 --> 01:08:31.573
persistent force package for his

01:08:31.573 --> 01:08:33.620
theater would look like to meet his

01:08:33.620 --> 01:08:35.564
needs . You know , things where we

01:08:35.564 --> 01:08:38.080
would tie together a , an expeditionary

01:08:38.080 --> 01:08:40.640
staging base , an ESB tied with some

01:08:40.640 --> 01:08:43.399
MUSB tied to some maritime domain

01:08:43.399 --> 01:08:45.288
awareness , tied to some littoral

01:08:45.288 --> 01:08:48.540
combat ships . And so by giving him in ,

01:08:48.549 --> 01:08:50.660
in conjunction with the Coast Guard ,

01:08:50.660 --> 01:08:52.827
actually that's a force package that I

01:08:52.827 --> 01:08:55.409
can produce reliably . He can ask for

01:08:55.409 --> 01:08:57.076
that through the global force

01:08:57.076 --> 01:08:59.369
management structure . The , the ESB

01:08:59.369 --> 01:09:01.849
can be a staging , uh , base for not

01:09:01.849 --> 01:09:04.127
only all types of different manned air ,

01:09:04.127 --> 01:09:07.449
but also unmanned air , soft , and so

01:09:07.449 --> 01:09:09.782
that type of package is what I envision ,

01:09:09.782 --> 01:09:11.782
and he agrees is what the future of

01:09:11.782 --> 01:09:13.782
SouthCom looks like . So I'm pretty

01:09:13.782 --> 01:09:15.893
optimistic about that . And how about

01:09:15.893 --> 01:09:18.060
ISR ? That's always a scarce commodity

01:09:18.060 --> 01:09:20.005
all over the planet , all over the

01:09:20.005 --> 01:09:22.108
world , uh , ISR , but , but , uh .

01:09:22.689 --> 01:09:25.399
Possibility of having an increase in

01:09:25.399 --> 01:09:27.560
capability for Southern Command . One

01:09:27.560 --> 01:09:29.671
of the things the budget does is that

01:09:29.671 --> 01:09:31.838
it's fundamentally restarts the line ,

01:09:31.838 --> 01:09:33.671
increases P8 . So you know , our

01:09:33.671 --> 01:09:35.671
maritime patrol aircraft is heavily

01:09:35.671 --> 01:09:37.893
needed . Triton , our MQ-4 is of course

01:09:37.893 --> 01:09:39.949
needed . The smaller UAS that can be

01:09:39.949 --> 01:09:41.893
launched from some of the unmanned

01:09:41.893 --> 01:09:43.949
systems that we're talking about and

01:09:43.949 --> 01:09:46.919
manned systems to give temporal ISR for ,

01:09:46.970 --> 01:09:48.914
you know , targets of interest and

01:09:48.914 --> 01:09:51.137
areas of interest has got to be part of

01:09:51.137 --> 01:09:53.248
that scheme of maneuver as well . And

01:09:53.248 --> 01:09:55.137
again , so , so you're looking at

01:09:55.137 --> 01:09:57.414
potentially a more permanent structure .

01:09:57.414 --> 01:09:59.637
Absolutely , yeah . I mean , defense of

01:09:59.637 --> 01:10:01.859
the homeland is the number one priority

01:10:01.859 --> 01:10:03.970
in the national security strategy and

01:10:03.970 --> 01:10:05.803
defense strategy . So countering

01:10:05.803 --> 01:10:07.748
illicit trafficking and monitoring

01:10:07.748 --> 01:10:09.914
those waters as the southern flanks of

01:10:09.914 --> 01:10:12.026
our country is a persistent mission .

01:10:12.026 --> 01:10:11.345
Well , one of the things that has

01:10:11.345 --> 01:10:13.865
frustrated a lot of us is , uh , while

01:10:13.865 --> 01:10:16.265
Jada South has been able to see a lot

01:10:16.265 --> 01:10:19.464
of drugs coming over that we know are

01:10:19.464 --> 01:10:21.915
directly causing the death of Americans .

01:10:22.290 --> 01:10:24.512
Uh , we haven't just because of lack of

01:10:24.512 --> 01:10:26.790
assets , right , have not been able to ,

01:10:26.790 --> 01:10:29.068
to , to , to , to , to target . And so ,

01:10:29.068 --> 01:10:31.123
uh , I just , I'm gonna tell you how

01:10:31.123 --> 01:10:33.346
grateful I am for all of you , uh , for

01:10:33.346 --> 01:10:35.512
your focus , uh , and , and I would be

01:10:35.512 --> 01:10:37.846
remiss if I didn't once again thank you ,

01:10:37.846 --> 01:10:40.068
Mr . Chairman , because for many , many

01:10:40.068 --> 01:10:42.346
years it was basically just , you know ,

01:10:42.346 --> 01:10:44.512
no matter what I said , I didn't get a

01:10:44.512 --> 01:10:44.379
lot of attention , but you have been

01:10:44.379 --> 01:10:46.268
great and , uh , we're seeing the

01:10:46.268 --> 01:10:49.479
results , Americans . Are dying less

01:10:49.479 --> 01:10:51.312
and less numbers because of your

01:10:51.312 --> 01:10:53.479
efforts but obviously more importantly

01:10:53.479 --> 01:10:55.423
because of the job that you're all

01:10:55.423 --> 01:10:57.590
doing and I'm actually gonna return 52

01:10:57.590 --> 01:10:59.812
seconds , Mr . Chairman and I'll use it

01:10:59.812 --> 01:11:01.979
up . Thank you . Uh , you , you , uh ,

01:11:01.979 --> 01:11:04.035
mentioned ESB's , uh , Admiral , and

01:11:04.035 --> 01:11:06.035
I'm just happy with that , not just

01:11:06.035 --> 01:11:08.146
because they're built in San Diego by

01:11:08.146 --> 01:11:10.257
NASCO , a great shipyard , but uh , I

01:11:10.257 --> 01:11:12.423
understand you have two of them parked

01:11:12.423 --> 01:11:14.423
right now because of crewing , uh ,

01:11:14.423 --> 01:11:16.646
crew problems , and they can't , we got

01:11:16.646 --> 01:11:18.868
to get more sailors and , uh , get that

01:11:18.868 --> 01:11:18.660
out to General Donovan as soon as

01:11:18.660 --> 01:11:20.569
possible . Can you commit to the

01:11:20.569 --> 01:11:22.625
committee that these ESBs that we've

01:11:22.625 --> 01:11:24.736
spent a lot of money on building that

01:11:24.979 --> 01:11:27.146
you'll get them out . I know that Acom

01:11:27.146 --> 01:11:29.540
would like to have an ESB in Africa

01:11:29.540 --> 01:11:32.500
right now , so we built them . Let's

01:11:32.500 --> 01:11:34.722
use them . Yes , Chairman , you have my

01:11:34.722 --> 01:11:36.889
full commitment on that across all MSC

01:11:36.889 --> 01:11:40.479
fleet ships . Mr .

01:11:41.270 --> 01:11:44.910
Case Thank you , Chair . Um , for all

01:11:44.910 --> 01:11:47.021
of you and for your colleagues in the

01:11:47.021 --> 01:11:48.854
other services and for Secretary

01:11:48.854 --> 01:11:51.140
Hicketh . I'm having a heck of a time

01:11:51.359 --> 01:11:54.160
trying to figure out why you allocate

01:11:54.160 --> 01:11:56.259
between mandatory and discretionary

01:11:56.259 --> 01:11:58.399
throughout your budget in all of the

01:11:58.399 --> 01:12:00.479
services , and this is obviously

01:12:00.479 --> 01:12:02.257
important because there are two

01:12:02.257 --> 01:12:04.312
separate means of funding and you've

01:12:04.312 --> 01:12:06.479
heard the concerns of Congress already

01:12:06.479 --> 01:12:08.423
about the utilization of mandatory

01:12:08.423 --> 01:12:10.423
overtime and I can't figure out why

01:12:10.423 --> 01:12:12.535
you're putting certain things in some

01:12:12.535 --> 01:12:12.310
buckets and not putting them in other

01:12:12.310 --> 01:12:14.339
buckets and why it seems to differ

01:12:14.339 --> 01:12:16.520
differ between the services . So to

01:12:16.520 --> 01:12:18.576
give you an example , this morning ,

01:12:18.576 --> 01:12:20.464
Secretary Hague Seth and his team

01:12:20.464 --> 01:12:22.520
testified , and I'm just gonna stick

01:12:22.520 --> 01:12:24.742
with procurement , uh , because I think

01:12:24.742 --> 01:12:24.439
we all agree that's really , really a

01:12:24.439 --> 01:12:26.399
critical part of the budget , both

01:12:26.399 --> 01:12:29.160
mandatory and discretionary . So this

01:12:29.160 --> 01:12:31.049
morning the testimony was that in

01:12:31.049 --> 01:12:33.279
procurement about 36% , is my

01:12:33.279 --> 01:12:36.279
recollection , uh , in the DOD writ

01:12:36.279 --> 01:12:39.790
large was in the mandatory , uh ,

01:12:39.799 --> 01:12:43.169
bucket . Uh , for the FY 27 budget and

01:12:43.169 --> 01:12:45.225
yet your bucket for Navy has that at

01:12:45.225 --> 01:12:48.250
16% , so obviously other services are

01:12:48.250 --> 01:12:50.529
disproportionately in the other side in

01:12:50.529 --> 01:12:52.696
the mandatory . Then you get down into

01:12:52.696 --> 01:12:55.890
the details of your budget , um , as to

01:12:55.890 --> 01:12:58.112
what's over on the mandatory side . I'm

01:12:58.112 --> 01:13:00.279
just looking at Navy here aircraft 22%

01:13:00.279 --> 01:13:04.129
in mandatory , weapons 48% in mandatory .

01:13:04.669 --> 01:13:06.729
Ammunition , navy and Marines

01:13:06.890 --> 01:13:08.589
negligible , actually at 0 .

01:13:08.910 --> 01:13:12.859
Shipbuilding at 9% . Um ,

01:13:13.399 --> 01:13:15.479
I , I have no idea what that means .

01:13:15.600 --> 01:13:17.544
Does that mean a prioritization of

01:13:17.544 --> 01:13:19.879
those areas ? Does that mean why , why

01:13:19.879 --> 01:13:21.990
are you putting , and I'll just go to

01:13:21.990 --> 01:13:24.323
you , Admiral , because , um , you know ,

01:13:24.323 --> 01:13:26.379
these are your numbers , why are you

01:13:26.379 --> 01:13:28.268
putting stuff in some buckets and

01:13:28.268 --> 01:13:30.435
putting them in other ? I mean , who's

01:13:30.435 --> 01:13:32.490
making that decision and why are you

01:13:32.490 --> 01:13:32.319
making that decision ? Well , I mean ,

01:13:32.430 --> 01:13:34.430
as I know , you know , as a service

01:13:34.430 --> 01:13:36.879
chief that it's my job to lay out the

01:13:36.879 --> 01:13:39.560
requirements for the capabilities we

01:13:39.560 --> 01:13:41.671
need to fill the best navy possible .

01:13:41.850 --> 01:13:45.200
The design of how that occurs in the

01:13:45.200 --> 01:13:46.700
two types of budgets , the

01:13:46.700 --> 01:13:48.756
discretionary and the mandatory , is

01:13:48.756 --> 01:13:50.978
not really a call that I make . Now . I

01:13:50.978 --> 01:13:53.033
am in discussion's making it . Who's

01:13:53.033 --> 01:13:55.256
making it ? You're just saying what you

01:13:55.256 --> 01:13:57.478
need and somebody is deciding I'm gonna

01:13:57.478 --> 01:13:56.930
put this in mandatory . I'm gonna put

01:13:56.930 --> 01:13:59.097
it in discretionary , but I don't know

01:13:59.097 --> 01:14:01.208
what their rules of engagement are in

01:14:01.208 --> 01:14:03.319
terms of what they're doing . Is it a

01:14:03.319 --> 01:14:05.486
political ? I mean , Secretary Hicketh

01:14:05.486 --> 01:14:07.486
was very , very candid this morning

01:14:07.486 --> 01:14:09.879
about why . Uh , reconciliation was

01:14:09.879 --> 01:14:11.823
important and it was all about the

01:14:11.823 --> 01:14:13.879
politics , not about the substance ,

01:14:13.879 --> 01:14:16.046
not about the policy , the politics of

01:14:16.046 --> 01:14:18.157
how to pass Congress . That's not the

01:14:18.157 --> 01:14:20.323
case for me . I'm happy to have a $1.5

01:14:20.323 --> 01:14:22.540
trillion just , you know , uh ,

01:14:22.640 --> 01:14:25.720
discretionary bill . So Mr . Calvert is

01:14:25.720 --> 01:14:27.664
happy to hear you say that because

01:14:27.664 --> 01:14:29.831
that's where I mean that's where so as

01:14:29.831 --> 01:14:32.053
a service chief , I just need the whole

01:14:32.053 --> 01:14:33.998
bill funded and the scheme and the

01:14:33.998 --> 01:14:36.164
actual method by which those things is

01:14:36.164 --> 01:14:38.331
collaborative , but finally the uh OMB

01:14:38.331 --> 01:14:40.498
makes the final call on that , not the

01:14:40.498 --> 01:14:42.776
Department of the Navy , but you don't ,

01:14:42.776 --> 01:14:44.887
you don't know what you don't . WB is

01:14:44.887 --> 01:14:47.109
putting certain things , I don't , I've

01:14:47.109 --> 01:14:47.075
tried to articulate the risk . If one

01:14:47.075 --> 01:14:49.242
does not , if it does not get funded ,

01:14:49.242 --> 01:14:51.353
what that risk is . I understand that

01:14:51.353 --> 01:14:53.575
it's just that you're asking us to fund

01:14:53.575 --> 01:14:55.631
things in two different buckets that

01:14:55.631 --> 01:14:55.515
we're uncomfortable doing . So I'm

01:14:55.515 --> 01:14:57.875
trying to extract from that what that

01:14:57.875 --> 01:15:00.194
means . Is it a prioritization ? Is it

01:15:00.194 --> 01:15:03.379
a Is it a political approach where you

01:15:03.379 --> 01:15:05.379
think some things are better funded

01:15:05.379 --> 01:15:07.379
politically through reconciliation

01:15:07.379 --> 01:15:09.770
versus discretionary anyway it's uh ,

01:15:09.779 --> 01:15:11.890
I'm just gonna let that question hang

01:15:11.890 --> 01:15:14.057
and go to go to General Smith somewhat

01:15:14.057 --> 01:15:16.168
because you have a different approach

01:15:16.168 --> 01:15:18.335
if I'm not mistaken , um , the Marines

01:15:18.335 --> 01:15:20.660
in your line items virtually have

01:15:20.660 --> 01:15:22.779
virtually nothing . In reconciliation

01:15:22.779 --> 01:15:24.223
you haven't gone into the

01:15:24.223 --> 01:15:26.223
reconciliation bucket very much . I

01:15:26.223 --> 01:15:28.446
mean you got some in ONM as I if I if I

01:15:28.446 --> 01:15:30.168
have that correct , but to use

01:15:30.168 --> 01:15:32.390
procurement as an example , I don't see

01:15:32.390 --> 01:15:34.700
any of your money in in procurement in

01:15:34.700 --> 01:15:36.819
reconciliation , is that right ? And

01:15:36.819 --> 01:15:40.569
why ? Um ,

01:15:42.069 --> 01:15:44.402
Sir , what I would say on discretionary ,

01:15:44.589 --> 01:15:46.811
you know , the annual approach bill and

01:15:46.811 --> 01:15:49.779
mandatory reconciliation . We , we are

01:15:49.779 --> 01:15:51.835
trying to put things in the best bin

01:15:51.835 --> 01:15:53.946
that we think we can get . Uh , we're

01:15:53.946 --> 01:15:56.168
trying to put them in the best bin that

01:15:56.168 --> 01:15:58.335
we think will be passed by this body .

01:15:58.335 --> 01:16:00.279
We're trying to maximize every tax

01:16:00.279 --> 01:16:02.501
dollar that's used , so I'm agnostic as

01:16:02.501 --> 01:16:04.390
to whether it's reconciliation or

01:16:04.390 --> 01:16:06.390
whether it's mandatory . But do you

01:16:06.390 --> 01:16:08.612
know why none of your procurement is in

01:16:08.612 --> 01:16:10.835
reconciliation at all , where , whereas

01:16:10.835 --> 01:16:12.835
the overall department , department

01:16:12.835 --> 01:16:15.057
budget has 36% of their procurement and

01:16:15.057 --> 01:16:17.223
reconciliation , but not the Marines .

01:16:17.223 --> 01:16:19.446
Do you know why that is ? Yeah , I'll ,

01:16:19.446 --> 01:16:21.557
I'll have to take that for the record

01:16:21.557 --> 01:16:21.040
and come back to you , sir . And then

01:16:21.040 --> 01:16:23.151
this somewhat goes to Mr . Womack's ,

01:16:23.151 --> 01:16:25.484
uh , comment because it is related , uh ,

01:16:25.484 --> 01:16:27.373
your U-pole , you come in with no

01:16:27.373 --> 01:16:29.373
U-pole , which actually is the same

01:16:29.373 --> 01:16:31.484
thing we've gotten , as I recall from

01:16:31.484 --> 01:16:33.540
Army , Air Force , and Space Force .

01:16:33.540 --> 01:16:35.762
Navy is the only one has a U-Pole , but

01:16:35.762 --> 01:16:38.000
all of yours is MLCO . So what , in my

01:16:38.000 --> 01:16:40.111
view , what you're doing is you , you

01:16:40.111 --> 01:16:42.167
have a purely discretionary budget .

01:16:42.167 --> 01:16:44.278
You're coming in with no U-Pole , not

01:16:44.278 --> 01:16:46.278
too much in reconciliation . You're

01:16:46.278 --> 01:16:48.444
saying . You're gonna live or die by ,

01:16:48.444 --> 01:16:50.444
by , by your discretionary budget .

01:16:50.444 --> 01:16:52.779
It's , it's does that . That's what my

01:16:52.779 --> 01:16:54.835
conclusion is . Does that resonate ?

01:16:56.020 --> 01:16:58.242
Well , sir , I wouldn't say we're going

01:16:58.242 --> 01:17:00.353
to live or die by it . I mean , we're

01:17:00.353 --> 01:17:00.129
dependent upon it . That is for sure .

01:17:00.540 --> 01:17:02.651
But again , I , I have requirements .

01:17:02.709 --> 01:17:04.820
I'm agnostic as to the methodology by

01:17:04.820 --> 01:17:06.987
which they're fulfilled . OK . And you

01:17:06.987 --> 01:17:09.153
didn't , you didn't make that decision

01:17:09.153 --> 01:17:11.265
as to what goes in what bucket ? No ,

01:17:11.265 --> 01:17:14.060
sir . OK , thank you . Mr . Elsey .

01:17:16.640 --> 01:17:18.473
Thank you , Mr . Chairman . Mr .

01:17:18.473 --> 01:17:20.529
Secretary , Admiral Cadell , General

01:17:20.529 --> 01:17:22.696
Smith , thank you all for being here .

01:17:22.696 --> 01:17:24.862
Hung . Man , you've been drinking from

01:17:24.862 --> 01:17:27.140
the fire hose for the last 3 weeks and ,

01:17:27.140 --> 01:17:29.084
and you've done an outstanding job

01:17:29.084 --> 01:17:31.196
taking this up and , and rolling with

01:17:31.196 --> 01:17:33.418
it . And , um , you know , I think it's

01:17:33.418 --> 01:17:35.640
fantastic that we've got 3 members here

01:17:35.640 --> 01:17:37.751
who are all combat veterans . Most of

01:17:37.751 --> 01:17:39.862
what Admiral Caudle did , nobody will

01:17:39.862 --> 01:17:42.029
ever know about and some of the , uh ,

01:17:42.029 --> 01:17:43.862
you were in , you were in , uh ,

01:17:43.862 --> 01:17:46.084
command of the Topeka , I think when it

01:17:46.084 --> 01:17:48.196
did some things that we'll never know

01:17:48.196 --> 01:17:50.307
about . And so . You all have members

01:17:50.307 --> 01:17:52.251
of your family who are active duty

01:17:52.251 --> 01:17:54.509
right now . Your son is about to go

01:17:54.509 --> 01:17:56.620
into the Marine Corps . There's a tie

01:17:56.620 --> 01:17:58.842
here between all three of you . They're

01:17:58.842 --> 01:18:00.898
all going to be Marines . You have a

01:18:00.898 --> 01:18:00.709
son-in-law who's a Marine . You have a

01:18:00.709 --> 01:18:02.931
son who's going to be a Marine , and so

01:18:02.931 --> 01:18:05.209
do you . So you have stake in the game .

01:18:05.529 --> 01:18:07.819
And so I just want for anybody

01:18:07.819 --> 01:18:10.041
listening , everybody on this committee

01:18:10.041 --> 01:18:12.208
knows that , but for anybody who might

01:18:12.208 --> 01:18:14.319
be watching this , wondering what the

01:18:14.319 --> 01:18:16.263
four stars care about , you have a

01:18:16.263 --> 01:18:18.486
personal vested interest in the success

01:18:18.486 --> 01:18:20.430
of what we're doing with this $1.5

01:18:20.430 --> 01:18:22.486
trillion because it depends on you .

01:18:22.486 --> 01:18:24.319
That is not without precedent in

01:18:24.319 --> 01:18:26.669
history , of 4 stars , 3 stars , uh ,

01:18:26.740 --> 01:18:29.740
and the like who have young family

01:18:29.740 --> 01:18:32.419
members in the military . So I know

01:18:32.419 --> 01:18:34.530
you've put a lot of thought to this .

01:18:34.530 --> 01:18:36.586
Uh , I'd also like to point out that

01:18:36.586 --> 01:18:38.697
General Smith is an Aggie , so for my

01:18:38.697 --> 01:18:40.863
friends back in Texas , uh , and the ,

01:18:40.863 --> 01:18:42.808
the Marine Corps passed 2 audits .

01:18:42.808 --> 01:18:46.319
That's , is that right ? 2 audits ? 33 ,

01:18:46.399 --> 01:18:48.759
I'm so sorry I shorted you . So anyway ,

01:18:48.839 --> 01:18:50.895
you guys are a phenomenal team , and

01:18:50.895 --> 01:18:53.117
it's , and it's fun to watch you , um ,

01:18:53.399 --> 01:18:55.455
today with Strait of Hormuz closed ,

01:18:55.455 --> 01:18:57.232
many of my fellow Americans are

01:18:57.232 --> 01:18:59.232
learning the importance of , of the

01:18:59.232 --> 01:19:01.399
Navy again . And its fleet of aircraft

01:19:01.399 --> 01:19:04.080
carriers . Um , you , you really

01:19:04.080 --> 01:19:07.009
couldn't enforce a blockade with , uh ,

01:19:07.120 --> 01:19:09.064
with autonomous platforms . You're

01:19:09.064 --> 01:19:11.176
gonna need H-60s . All Rose is gone .

01:19:11.200 --> 01:19:13.311
You're gonna need 860s , you're gonna

01:19:13.311 --> 01:19:15.311
need F-18 . I , I wish I could have

01:19:15.311 --> 01:19:17.533
been in the debrief on the carrier when

01:19:17.533 --> 01:19:19.700
that F-18 pilot came in and showed the

01:19:19.700 --> 01:19:22.330
tape of him strafing a rudder . That ,

01:19:22.640 --> 01:19:24.807
my friends , is real professionalism .

01:19:24.839 --> 01:19:27.700
Whoever got to do that , awesome . And

01:19:28.000 --> 01:19:30.167
the , the fact that he pulled , pulled

01:19:30.167 --> 01:19:32.167
it off without loss of life on that

01:19:32.167 --> 01:19:34.000
ship , almost incredible with an

01:19:34.000 --> 01:19:36.111
unguided munition like a 20 Mike Mike

01:19:36.520 --> 01:19:38.879
bullet . So our , our team , our

01:19:38.879 --> 01:19:41.200
military is performing in an , in an

01:19:41.200 --> 01:19:45.169
incredible way . Um . The aircraft

01:19:45.169 --> 01:19:47.280
carriers , we have 4 that are ready .

01:19:47.280 --> 01:19:49.502
So I'd also like to point out for those

01:19:49.502 --> 01:19:51.280
listening , we have 11 aircraft

01:19:51.280 --> 01:19:53.502
carriers . We're funded for 11 aircraft

01:19:53.502 --> 01:19:55.836
carriers . 4 of them are up and running ,

01:19:55.836 --> 01:19:58.058
and one of them , we just doubled his ,

01:19:58.058 --> 01:20:00.002
it , it's , uh , it's deployment .

01:20:00.002 --> 01:20:02.336
That's gonna be a real cost . And , and ,

01:20:02.336 --> 01:20:04.447
uh , Pete , I'm really glad you asked

01:20:04.447 --> 01:20:06.558
that question about what it does to a

01:20:06.558 --> 01:20:08.391
carrier when it extends 6 months

01:20:08.391 --> 01:20:10.669
because it's , it's , it's a real cost .

01:20:10.669 --> 01:20:12.780
Um . This morning , I spoke about the

01:20:12.780 --> 01:20:14.700
LSM and the KC 130J as important

01:20:14.700 --> 01:20:16.811
enablers . We split that up . I don't

01:20:16.811 --> 01:20:18.922
know why , but it's kind of a shame .

01:20:18.922 --> 01:20:21.799
Um , But also the Chairman of the Joint

01:20:21.799 --> 01:20:23.799
Chiefs shared with his subcommittee

01:20:23.799 --> 01:20:25.910
about the importance of the Air Force

01:20:25.910 --> 01:20:25.879
and Navy 6th generation fighters ,

01:20:25.890 --> 01:20:28.270
which I appreciate you guys being in

01:20:28.270 --> 01:20:30.709
favor of . Um , my question is this ,

01:20:30.750 --> 01:20:33.709
as my son Jack here is , he says he's

01:20:33.709 --> 01:20:35.709
gonna be a pilot , but I think he's

01:20:35.709 --> 01:20:37.820
gonna be a marine like everybody else

01:20:37.820 --> 01:20:39.931
seems to be going right now . Can you

01:20:39.931 --> 01:20:42.153
tell me how you're changing the way the

01:20:42.153 --> 01:20:44.320
Navy and Marine Corps does business to

01:20:44.320 --> 01:20:46.542
produce capability faster and with less

01:20:46.542 --> 01:20:48.598
friction , and specifically , can we

01:20:48.598 --> 01:20:50.653
make the Naval Air Systems Command ,

01:20:50.653 --> 01:20:52.653
Navy Sea Systems Command better and

01:20:52.653 --> 01:20:55.149
potentially and hopefully eliminate the

01:20:55.149 --> 01:20:57.310
Navy facility's Engineering command ?

01:20:57.390 --> 01:20:59.950
We'll start with you , um . I'm sorry ,

01:21:00.029 --> 01:21:02.439
Mr . Secretary . It's quite fine , uh ,

01:21:02.720 --> 01:21:05.560
Congressman . First of all , let me go

01:21:05.560 --> 01:21:07.616
back to the aircraft carrier , how ,

01:21:07.616 --> 01:21:09.838
how amazing it is . I was on the Ford .

01:21:09.838 --> 01:21:11.782
I mean , those young men and women

01:21:11.782 --> 01:21:14.004
fought a fire and got that ship back in

01:21:14.004 --> 01:21:16.116
action , launching aircrafts within 3

01:21:16.116 --> 01:21:18.520
days . And when I came aboard they were

01:21:18.620 --> 01:21:20.787
all happy . They were , they worked as

01:21:20.787 --> 01:21:23.009
a team and it was amazing . I mean this

01:21:23.009 --> 01:21:26.279
is 110 , uh , 100,000 pound tons of

01:21:26.660 --> 01:21:28.493
pure American diplomacy with the

01:21:28.493 --> 01:21:30.660
seventh largest air force in the world

01:21:30.660 --> 01:21:32.827
being able to go anywhere in the world

01:21:32.827 --> 01:21:35.049
and that's the American . Might and but

01:21:35.049 --> 01:21:36.993
you're right , sir . The we when I

01:21:36.993 --> 01:21:39.160
invaded Iraq , we had 5 carrier strike

01:21:39.160 --> 01:21:41.049
groups out there and right now we

01:21:41.049 --> 01:21:42.938
barely have 4 and that's that's a

01:21:42.938 --> 01:21:45.049
detriment to what what we're bringing

01:21:45.049 --> 01:21:47.216
to the country . That's why we need to

01:21:47.216 --> 01:21:49.382
make sure that we pass this bill to to

01:21:49.382 --> 01:21:51.549
inject energy into the shipyards so we

01:21:51.549 --> 01:21:53.604
can get these ships out of dry docks

01:21:53.604 --> 01:21:55.827
and out of maintenance faster . Uh , in

01:21:55.827 --> 01:21:57.938
terms of , uh , how we build better ,

01:21:57.938 --> 01:22:00.104
uh , mar marines and sailors this year

01:22:00.104 --> 01:22:02.830
we brought in 8600 more sailors than we

01:22:02.830 --> 01:22:05.100
did in previous years in recruiting ,

01:22:05.350 --> 01:22:07.406
and this , uh , and I'm sorry , that

01:22:07.406 --> 01:22:09.183
was last year . This year we're

01:22:09.183 --> 01:22:11.790
bringing more than 11,000 more and so

01:22:11.790 --> 01:22:13.770
with this we're able to ramp up

01:22:14.109 --> 01:22:16.331
training and make it harder and tougher

01:22:16.331 --> 01:22:18.220
because we want tough sailors and

01:22:18.220 --> 01:22:20.470
marines because look , ships and .

01:22:20.549 --> 01:22:22.549
Aircraft are gonna rust and they're

01:22:22.549 --> 01:22:24.771
gonna go down at some point in terms of

01:22:24.771 --> 01:22:26.938
maintenance , but it's our sailors and

01:22:26.938 --> 01:22:28.993
marines that make it happen . That's

01:22:28.993 --> 01:22:31.105
the American spirit within each one ,

01:22:31.105 --> 01:22:33.327
every single one of these young men and

01:22:33.327 --> 01:22:32.790
women . They're gonna make do with what

01:22:32.790 --> 01:22:35.069
we have , so we owe it to them to give

01:22:35.069 --> 01:22:37.180
them the best equipment , but they're

01:22:37.180 --> 01:22:39.347
gonna , no matter what you give them ,

01:22:39.347 --> 01:22:39.109
they're gonna make it work , sir . And

01:22:39.109 --> 01:22:41.331
that's why I'm so proud of our Navy and

01:22:41.331 --> 01:22:43.387
Marine Corps . Thank you . My time's

01:22:43.387 --> 01:22:45.609
expired . Sorry , Mr . Chairman , I , I

01:22:45.609 --> 01:22:47.720
pulled a Mike Garcia and just kept on

01:22:47.720 --> 01:22:49.665
going . So I apologize . Yeah , we

01:22:49.665 --> 01:22:51.831
still remember . It's all right . Ms .

01:22:51.831 --> 01:22:54.149
Lee , uh , thank you , Mr . Chairman .

01:22:54.410 --> 01:22:56.632
Great to see all of you . Thank you for

01:22:56.632 --> 01:22:58.950
your service . Uh , Admiral , I , uh ,

01:22:59.049 --> 01:23:01.216
you know , we've all been aware of the

01:23:01.216 --> 01:23:03.216
freedom of navigation that has been

01:23:03.216 --> 01:23:05.438
significantly hindered in recent months

01:23:05.438 --> 01:23:07.279
in the Strait of Hormuz , uh ,

01:23:07.609 --> 01:23:09.850
including from the laying of mines in

01:23:09.850 --> 01:23:12.209
the Strait . Uh , Congress and the

01:23:12.209 --> 01:23:14.529
American people have not been given a

01:23:14.529 --> 01:23:17.470
clear , uh . Indication of the extent

01:23:17.470 --> 01:23:19.740
of Iran's mining activities and the

01:23:19.740 --> 01:23:21.796
ability of the United States to deal

01:23:21.796 --> 01:23:24.549
with this , and recent reporting by the

01:23:24.549 --> 01:23:26.660
Wall Street Journal indicated that it

01:23:26.660 --> 01:23:28.993
would take 6 months to clear the strait ,

01:23:28.993 --> 01:23:30.938
uh , but the Department of Defense

01:23:30.938 --> 01:23:33.029
publicly disagreed , uh , with that

01:23:33.029 --> 01:23:35.259
reporting . Can you provide us with an

01:23:35.259 --> 01:23:38.109
assessment of how long after the

01:23:38.109 --> 01:23:40.990
conclusion of Operation Epic Fury , uh ,

01:23:41.069 --> 01:23:43.029
it will take for these mines to be

01:23:43.029 --> 01:23:46.680
removed and why the discrepancy ? It is

01:23:46.680 --> 01:23:48.779
hard to give you an exact answer on

01:23:48.779 --> 01:23:51.399
that . Mine countermeasure operations

01:23:51.399 --> 01:23:53.566
are tedious . They're slow . There's a

01:23:53.566 --> 01:23:57.209
lot of area to cover . Uh , it is based

01:23:57.209 --> 01:23:59.265
a lot on our intelligence of what we

01:23:59.265 --> 01:24:01.320
monitor , so it's hard to talk about

01:24:01.320 --> 01:24:03.509
that in an unclassified setting , uh ,

01:24:03.529 --> 01:24:05.850
and so that helps us like narrow down

01:24:05.850 --> 01:24:08.169
in the areas we need to search by using

01:24:08.169 --> 01:24:10.990
our , our intelligence apparatus . We

01:24:10.990 --> 01:24:13.229
do have quite a lot of mine

01:24:13.229 --> 01:24:15.729
countermeasure capability at the ready ,

01:24:15.950 --> 01:24:17.894
uh , that we have brought into the

01:24:17.894 --> 01:24:20.061
theater . So , uh , when it's time and

01:24:20.061 --> 01:24:22.229
it has to be done in an uncontested

01:24:22.229 --> 01:24:24.229
environment , it's a very something

01:24:24.229 --> 01:24:26.285
just can't be done when you're under

01:24:26.285 --> 01:24:28.340
fire . I mean , we watched the , the

01:24:28.340 --> 01:24:30.673
transit of our three destroyers go over ,

01:24:30.910 --> 01:24:32.966
uh , to the Persian Gulf and back to

01:24:32.966 --> 01:24:35.188
the Gulf of Oman , and you see the type

01:24:35.188 --> 01:24:37.466
of environment that still exists there .

01:24:37.466 --> 01:24:39.632
So that's not an environment where you

01:24:39.632 --> 01:24:41.577
can do counter mine countermeasure

01:24:41.577 --> 01:24:43.354
operations . Uh , we do have an

01:24:43.354 --> 01:24:45.521
exquisite set of capabilities to go do

01:24:45.521 --> 01:24:47.743
it though , uh , and so once everything

01:24:47.743 --> 01:24:49.910
gets in a condition in which we can do

01:24:49.910 --> 01:24:52.021
that , we'd have a much better way to

01:24:52.021 --> 01:24:54.021
give you an estimate on that . OK ,

01:24:54.021 --> 01:24:53.430
thank you . I'm not trying to skirt it .

01:24:53.479 --> 01:24:56.080
It's just a very complex question , and

01:24:56.080 --> 01:24:58.413
it's a , and it's an important question .

01:24:58.430 --> 01:25:00.839
Uh , I wanna talk about lithium battery

01:25:00.839 --> 01:25:02.950
research , um , as you know , has the

01:25:02.950 --> 01:25:05.359
potential for , uh , great benefits ,

01:25:05.759 --> 01:25:08.520
uh , to the Navy , um , including

01:25:08.520 --> 01:25:10.631
supporting high energy applications ,

01:25:11.240 --> 01:25:13.359
uh , directed energy weapons , long

01:25:13.359 --> 01:25:15.759
duration , etc . uh , but there's

01:25:15.759 --> 01:25:18.129
obviously concerns about potential fire ,

01:25:18.359 --> 01:25:21.160
uh , fires , um , on board ships and

01:25:21.160 --> 01:25:24.560
submarines caused by . Uh , thermal

01:25:24.560 --> 01:25:26.839
runway , poor performance , uh , low

01:25:26.839 --> 01:25:28.979
temperature , and , um , apparently

01:25:28.979 --> 01:25:30.923
have , have slowed the adoption of

01:25:30.923 --> 01:25:33.680
these batteries . The , uh , the budget

01:25:33.680 --> 01:25:35.847
request does not include a request for

01:25:35.847 --> 01:25:38.069
funding for continued research into the

01:25:38.069 --> 01:25:40.240
development of high performance , uh ,

01:25:40.439 --> 01:25:42.759
safe lithium batteries , and I just was

01:25:42.759 --> 01:25:46.279
curious why , uh , is there a

01:25:46.279 --> 01:25:49.669
shift away or change of priorities and ,

01:25:49.759 --> 01:25:51.759
and what's the plan with respect to

01:25:51.759 --> 01:25:54.720
that . You know , that , that omission

01:25:54.720 --> 01:25:56.776
is not something that , you know , I

01:25:56.776 --> 01:25:58.776
could speak to because of the , the

01:25:58.776 --> 01:26:00.887
level of detail that's at . Uh , I do

01:26:00.887 --> 01:26:03.109
value research and development material

01:26:03.109 --> 01:26:05.509
science , uh , of course , on battery

01:26:05.509 --> 01:26:07.287
technology and the endurance of

01:26:07.287 --> 01:26:09.287
batteries . You know , we've come a

01:26:09.287 --> 01:26:11.065
long way on some of our initial

01:26:11.065 --> 01:26:13.287
learning of why these fires occurred in

01:26:13.287 --> 01:26:15.065
some of our instantiations from

01:26:15.065 --> 01:26:17.231
unmanned vessels and manned vessels on

01:26:17.231 --> 01:26:19.453
using lithium . Technologies is how you

01:26:19.453 --> 01:26:21.565
decouple those . Cells and shunt some

01:26:21.565 --> 01:26:23.731
of those grounds to different paths to

01:26:23.731 --> 01:26:25.620
keep it from going high order and

01:26:25.620 --> 01:26:27.676
getting very hot and then we've made

01:26:27.676 --> 01:26:29.787
great strides in that . A lot of that

01:26:29.787 --> 01:26:31.731
due , quite frankly , to Tesla and

01:26:31.731 --> 01:26:33.898
other companies like that have figured

01:26:33.898 --> 01:26:33.879
this out , uh , from the commercial

01:26:33.879 --> 01:26:36.160
sector . So I do need to look into what

01:26:36.160 --> 01:26:38.200
we are doing to ensure that we're

01:26:38.200 --> 01:26:40.279
promoting the longevity of lithium

01:26:40.279 --> 01:26:42.479
batteries since that's at the heart of

01:26:42.479 --> 01:26:44.423
almost everything I do in unmanned

01:26:44.423 --> 01:26:47.120
space . Absolutely , thank you . Uh ,

01:26:47.270 --> 01:26:50.330
Secretary Cow and , uh , General Smith ,

01:26:50.709 --> 01:26:53.042
um , I wanna make sure I have some time .

01:26:53.042 --> 01:26:54.876
We , uh , have made , um , great

01:26:54.876 --> 01:26:57.069
strides in trying to understand the

01:26:57.069 --> 01:26:59.729
physical and cognical cognitive effects

01:26:59.729 --> 01:27:02.899
of blast overpressure exposure . Uh ,

01:27:02.950 --> 01:27:05.310
I'm worried that much of the attention

01:27:05.310 --> 01:27:07.549
has been on measuring impacts on land

01:27:07.549 --> 01:27:10.549
or in the air with less attention

01:27:10.549 --> 01:27:12.979
placed underwater and . I know

01:27:12.979 --> 01:27:15.201
Secretary , you can speak personally to

01:27:15.201 --> 01:27:17.423
this as you've had uh careers worthy of

01:27:17.423 --> 01:27:19.660
that experience um for our Navy

01:27:19.660 --> 01:27:22.259
technicians who are uh operating

01:27:22.259 --> 01:27:24.979
underwater , what are we doing to

01:27:24.979 --> 01:27:27.020
ensure that we're protecting our

01:27:27.020 --> 01:27:28.910
service members from , uh ,

01:27:29.100 --> 01:27:31.100
overpressure , blast overpressure .

01:27:32.600 --> 01:27:34.822
Congresswoman , uh , again , we usually

01:27:34.822 --> 01:27:37.044
don't have the divers in the water when

01:27:37.044 --> 01:27:39.322
we're , we're blowing things up . They ,

01:27:39.322 --> 01:27:39.299
they're out of the water , but again ,

01:27:39.500 --> 01:27:41.667
uh , we are , we are measuring their ,

01:27:41.720 --> 01:27:43.839
uh , cognitive skills before they go

01:27:43.839 --> 01:27:45.617
into training so that we have a

01:27:45.617 --> 01:27:47.617
baseline and so we can monitor them

01:27:47.617 --> 01:27:49.561
over the , uh , the , their entire

01:27:49.561 --> 01:27:51.728
careers . Now I'd love to come discuss

01:27:51.728 --> 01:27:53.895
with you also the mine countermeasures

01:27:53.895 --> 01:27:56.006
since this is what I used to do for a

01:27:56.006 --> 01:27:58.172
living , uh , if , if when you have an

01:27:58.172 --> 01:27:58.140
opportunity , ma'am . Great , thank you ,

01:27:58.279 --> 01:28:01.589
but that I , I . Thank you gentle lady ,

01:28:01.689 --> 01:28:03.689
Mr . Fleischmann . Thank you , Mr .

01:28:03.689 --> 01:28:05.800
Chairman , Mr . Secretary , General ,

01:28:05.800 --> 01:28:08.509
Admiral , uh , just I'm awestruck by

01:28:08.770 --> 01:28:10.937
the way that you've conducted yourself

01:28:10.937 --> 01:28:14.049
today . Uh , thank you . Um , this

01:28:14.049 --> 01:28:16.216
committee , uh , these Republicans and

01:28:16.216 --> 01:28:18.327
Democrats , we're all Americans , and

01:28:18.327 --> 01:28:20.549
you all make us proud every day . Thank

01:28:20.549 --> 01:28:24.180
you . Um , as most of you all may know ,

01:28:24.330 --> 01:28:26.930
um , I chair the Energy and water

01:28:26.930 --> 01:28:29.720
subcommittee of this , uh , full

01:28:29.720 --> 01:28:32.009
committee , and that is responsible for

01:28:32.009 --> 01:28:34.330
our great nuclear navy and all that it

01:28:34.330 --> 01:28:36.441
does , and it just hearkens me to see

01:28:36.540 --> 01:28:38.818
that we're actually going to be having ,

01:28:38.818 --> 01:28:41.040
I guess , battleships that are going to

01:28:41.040 --> 01:28:42.873
be have nuclear propulsion . Our

01:28:42.873 --> 01:28:44.984
carriers and our submarines have done

01:28:44.984 --> 01:28:47.096
that for years . It's just been truly

01:28:47.096 --> 01:28:49.040
incredible , so . I'm gonna talk a

01:28:49.040 --> 01:28:50.818
little bit about that and ask a

01:28:50.818 --> 01:28:52.984
question . Fuel logistics is a growing

01:28:52.984 --> 01:28:54.818
vulnerability , particularly for

01:28:54.818 --> 01:28:56.540
conventionally powered surface

01:28:56.540 --> 01:28:58.290
combatants operating far from

01:28:58.290 --> 01:29:00.890
established shore infrastructure , and

01:29:00.890 --> 01:29:02.946
this is magnified by an increasingly

01:29:02.946 --> 01:29:05.168
strained and vulnerable support fleet .

01:29:05.529 --> 01:29:07.529
I'm thrilled again that the Navy is

01:29:07.529 --> 01:29:09.529
returning to nuclear propulsion for

01:29:09.529 --> 01:29:11.473
large surface combatants . Nuclear

01:29:11.473 --> 01:29:13.585
propulsion has long provided the Navy

01:29:13.585 --> 01:29:15.918
with significant operational advantages ,

01:29:15.918 --> 01:29:17.807
including endurance , speed , and

01:29:17.807 --> 01:29:19.759
sustained presence in contested

01:29:19.759 --> 01:29:23.229
environments . My question . Is given

01:29:23.229 --> 01:29:26.149
our nuclear shipyard constraints , how

01:29:26.149 --> 01:29:28.149
is the Navy planning to quickly and

01:29:28.149 --> 01:29:29.927
efficiently incorporate nuclear

01:29:29.927 --> 01:29:32.660
propulsion into large surface combatant

01:29:32.660 --> 01:29:35.029
shipbuilding from an operational and

01:29:35.029 --> 01:29:37.729
sustainment perspective , what benefits

01:29:37.990 --> 01:29:40.259
would nuclear powered surface ships

01:29:40.270 --> 01:29:42.326
provide that fleet , particularly in

01:29:42.326 --> 01:29:44.548
the context in the Indo-Pacific ? And I

01:29:44.548 --> 01:29:46.770
would also say it's been a privilege to

01:29:46.770 --> 01:29:48.881
work with Admiral Houston . I want to

01:29:48.881 --> 01:29:51.990
make sure I get that in . Well , first

01:29:51.990 --> 01:29:54.212
of all , we're going to use an existing

01:29:54.212 --> 01:29:56.434
design . We're going to use the forward

01:29:56.434 --> 01:29:58.434
reactor , the A1B reactor , and the

01:29:58.434 --> 01:30:00.434
components to support that from the

01:30:00.434 --> 01:30:00.229
vessel , the steam generator ,

01:30:00.459 --> 01:30:02.681
pressurizer , loop components , reactor

01:30:02.681 --> 01:30:04.681
coolant pump components . So all of

01:30:04.681 --> 01:30:06.830
that technology that's going into the

01:30:06.830 --> 01:30:08.997
design of the battleship , the nuclear

01:30:08.997 --> 01:30:11.163
battleship , from the reactor . Rector

01:30:11.163 --> 01:30:13.386
plant perspective is all pulled through

01:30:13.386 --> 01:30:15.497
technology from from the Ford class ,

01:30:15.497 --> 01:30:17.441
as are most of the combat system ,

01:30:18.145 --> 01:30:20.475
radar system , missile system . So on

01:30:20.475 --> 01:30:22.531
the earlier question on what can you

01:30:22.531 --> 01:30:24.697
really procure and design , all that's

01:30:24.697 --> 01:30:26.808
pulled through . So what's new is the

01:30:26.808 --> 01:30:28.919
hull form and so and how that's going

01:30:28.919 --> 01:30:31.142
to be tied to the propulsion system and

01:30:31.142 --> 01:30:33.364
you know , in the electrical system and

01:30:33.364 --> 01:30:33.035
distribution system . So there's some

01:30:33.035 --> 01:30:35.313
research that needs to be done on that .

01:30:35.313 --> 01:30:37.424
But the fact it's nuclear is going to

01:30:37.424 --> 01:30:39.535
give it the sustainment it needs , in

01:30:39.535 --> 01:30:41.702
particular in the Pacific , you know ,

01:30:41.702 --> 01:30:43.924
an ocean that's 3 times the size of the

01:30:43.924 --> 01:30:46.035
Atlantic . I need those types of legs

01:30:46.035 --> 01:30:48.035
and endurance to serve as a capital

01:30:48.035 --> 01:30:50.202
ship . It comes with that firepower to

01:30:50.202 --> 01:30:49.930
be able to deliver that combat .

01:30:50.095 --> 01:30:52.317
Payload . You can see just trying to do

01:30:52.317 --> 01:30:54.365
the , the rearming in US Central

01:30:54.365 --> 01:30:57.104
Command today is the lime fact of , of

01:30:57.104 --> 01:30:59.326
the , of the , of the Navy . Getting to

01:30:59.326 --> 01:31:01.548
a place where I can actually rearm is a

01:31:01.548 --> 01:31:03.326
challenge . So the more payload

01:31:03.326 --> 01:31:05.493
capacity a ship has , the less times I

01:31:05.493 --> 01:31:07.548
have to do that . Thank you . Anyone

01:31:07.548 --> 01:31:09.660
else like to , well , sorry , I don't

01:31:09.660 --> 01:31:11.493
want to take away from the , the

01:31:11.493 --> 01:31:13.604
admiral . He knows more about nuclear

01:31:13.604 --> 01:31:13.279
power than I do , but I'm telling you

01:31:13.279 --> 01:31:15.501
right now , if we can even just look at

01:31:15.501 --> 01:31:17.668
powering our shore infrastructure with

01:31:17.668 --> 01:31:19.779
nuclear power , imagine what that can

01:31:19.779 --> 01:31:21.668
do . Also , I mean , you guys are

01:31:21.668 --> 01:31:23.890
appropriators , and it's about energy .

01:31:23.890 --> 01:31:23.330
If we can export energy to the

01:31:23.330 --> 01:31:25.089
surrounding area that could be

01:31:25.089 --> 01:31:27.430
eventually become a working . Capital

01:31:27.430 --> 01:31:29.899
fund to to fix the infrastructure on

01:31:29.899 --> 01:31:32.066
the basis and if you put an evaporator

01:31:32.066 --> 01:31:34.232
system a four stage distiller , we can

01:31:34.232 --> 01:31:36.288
actually export water also to places

01:31:36.288 --> 01:31:38.288
like California so you don't have a

01:31:38.288 --> 01:31:40.510
drought . I mean there's so many things

01:31:40.510 --> 01:31:42.621
with nuclear power that uh that would

01:31:42.621 --> 01:31:44.843
would help our our country . It's clean

01:31:44.843 --> 01:31:47.010
and again we've been proving it in the

01:31:47.010 --> 01:31:49.232
United States Navy for 75 years . Thank

01:31:49.232 --> 01:31:51.830
you . Um , quick question on tactical

01:31:51.830 --> 01:31:53.941
nuclear weapons and deterrence in the

01:31:53.941 --> 01:31:56.990
Indo-Pacific . Uh , can you help us

01:31:56.990 --> 01:31:59.046
understand how the Navy assesses the

01:31:59.046 --> 01:32:00.879
current outlook and its need for

01:32:00.879 --> 01:32:02.990
non-strategic nuclear capabilities in

01:32:02.990 --> 01:32:05.046
the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere , and

01:32:05.046 --> 01:32:07.101
what additional options can the Navy

01:32:07.101 --> 01:32:09.212
provide , such as tactical weapons on

01:32:09.212 --> 01:32:11.379
carriers that would be most useful for

01:32:11.379 --> 01:32:12.990
reassuring allies during our

01:32:12.990 --> 01:32:14.990
adversaries and providing combatant

01:32:14.990 --> 01:32:17.046
commands useful options in the worst

01:32:17.046 --> 01:32:20.759
case scenario . Well , Congressman , uh ,

01:32:20.799 --> 01:32:22.743
the one thing we have is the slick

01:32:22.743 --> 01:32:24.743
amend right now . We have 14 , uh ,

01:32:24.743 --> 01:32:26.966
SSBNs , uh , uh , the ballistic missile

01:32:26.966 --> 01:32:29.243
submarines , but imagine if these , uh ,

01:32:29.243 --> 01:32:31.521
slick commands can go on a fast attack .

01:32:31.521 --> 01:32:33.688
So that's 48 more submarines out there

01:32:33.688 --> 01:32:36.021
that are carrying tactical nuclear , uh ,

01:32:36.021 --> 01:32:38.299
weapons . That would be a game changer .

01:32:38.299 --> 01:32:38.270
Uh , I mean , even if we , let's just

01:32:38.270 --> 01:32:40.214
say we don't load all of the , the

01:32:40.214 --> 01:32:42.381
tubes with , uh , slick men , let them

01:32:42.399 --> 01:32:44.620
guess which one of our submarines have

01:32:44.750 --> 01:32:46.972
tackled nukes . But let me turn over to

01:32:46.972 --> 01:32:49.279
the CNO2 . The secretary's got it

01:32:49.279 --> 01:32:51.501
exactly right . This is another measure

01:32:51.501 --> 01:32:53.501
in our escalation management , OK .

01:32:53.501 --> 01:32:55.990
This is something that we see our peer

01:32:55.990 --> 01:32:58.560
adversaries doing . It adds complexity

01:32:58.560 --> 01:33:00.399
to the calculus . It gives us a

01:33:00.399 --> 01:33:02.455
non-strategic level nuclear weapon ,

01:33:03.029 --> 01:33:05.029
that , that , that I can field with

01:33:05.029 --> 01:33:07.029
uncertainty to actually be a strong

01:33:07.029 --> 01:33:08.696
deterrent , especially in the

01:33:08.696 --> 01:33:10.751
Indo-Pacific . Thank you . Excellent

01:33:10.751 --> 01:33:12.585
answers . I get back . Thank you

01:33:12.585 --> 01:33:16.540
gentlemen , Mr . Morelli . Thank you ,

01:33:16.589 --> 01:33:18.811
uh , Mr . Chairman and thank you , Mr .

01:33:18.811 --> 01:33:21.689
Secretary , Admiral , uh . Uh ,

01:33:21.850 --> 01:33:23.906
Commandant for being here and thanks

01:33:23.906 --> 01:33:26.128
for your service . Um , I wanna , I , I

01:33:26.128 --> 01:33:28.128
hate to beat a dead horse , but I'm

01:33:28.128 --> 01:33:30.500
gonna a little bit , um , And uh follow

01:33:30.500 --> 01:33:33.660
up to Mr . Case's question relative to

01:33:33.979 --> 01:33:36.290
mandatory versus discretionary spending

01:33:36.779 --> 01:33:39.089
and of course the challenges , and I ,

01:33:39.149 --> 01:33:40.982
I don't wanna repeat what I said

01:33:40.982 --> 01:33:42.927
earlier this morning , but when it

01:33:42.927 --> 01:33:45.093
comes to transparency and oversight of

01:33:45.093 --> 01:33:46.816
this committee , since we have

01:33:46.816 --> 01:33:48.871
responsibility for discretionary but

01:33:48.871 --> 01:33:51.038
non-mandatory spending , it's a little

01:33:51.038 --> 01:33:50.729
hard to make a determination on what

01:33:50.729 --> 01:33:53.500
ought to go in to the discretionary pot

01:33:53.500 --> 01:33:55.759
versus mandatory . I , I just wanna ,

01:33:55.910 --> 01:33:58.580
uh , just for clarity's sake , um .

01:33:59.410 --> 01:34:01.299
Neither you , Admiral , nor you ,

01:34:01.299 --> 01:34:05.189
general , um , We consulted

01:34:05.189 --> 01:34:07.078
about which part of your spending

01:34:07.078 --> 01:34:08.911
request was discretionary versus

01:34:08.911 --> 01:34:10.800
mandatory . Did I understand that

01:34:10.800 --> 01:34:13.359
correctly ? I wouldn't say it wasn't

01:34:13.359 --> 01:34:15.569
consulted . I mean , we gave our

01:34:15.569 --> 01:34:17.919
numbers and our requirements , and then ,

01:34:18.250 --> 01:34:20.472
you know , there is some back and forth

01:34:20.472 --> 01:34:22.639
and deliberation and , uh , on how you

01:34:22.639 --> 01:34:24.806
do those types of divides , but at the

01:34:24.806 --> 01:34:26.750
end I was not part of the decision

01:34:26.750 --> 01:34:29.040
making process . Is that , and you have

01:34:29.040 --> 01:34:31.373
largely discretionary , is that correct ,

01:34:31.399 --> 01:34:34.609
uh , Commandant ? That is correct , sir .

01:34:35.589 --> 01:34:37.910
So , so you're involved in the I'm

01:34:37.910 --> 01:34:40.132
sorry , Secretary , did you want to add

01:34:40.132 --> 01:34:42.132
something to that , sir ? No , no ,

01:34:42.132 --> 01:34:44.354
Congressman , please go ahead . Um , so

01:34:44.354 --> 01:34:44.229
I'm trying to understand . So , uh ,

01:34:44.430 --> 01:34:46.990
OMB does the , makes the decision in

01:34:46.990 --> 01:34:49.310
consultation with you , but then you're

01:34:49.310 --> 01:34:50.754
appearing in front of the

01:34:50.754 --> 01:34:52.977
Appropriations Committee . I assume you

01:34:52.977 --> 01:34:52.899
knew these questions would be asked .

01:34:53.229 --> 01:34:55.340
Do they then say , well , look , when

01:34:55.340 --> 01:34:57.451
it comes to answering this question ,

01:34:57.451 --> 01:35:00.149
here's the rationale we OMB , um , made

01:35:00.149 --> 01:35:02.290
so that . It falls in this bucket

01:35:02.290 --> 01:35:04.290
versus that and that's what you can

01:35:04.290 --> 01:35:06.457
tell appropriators . They , is there a

01:35:06.457 --> 01:35:09.399
conversation like that ? Um , no , not

01:35:09.399 --> 01:35:11.566
with me . No , there's no conversation

01:35:11.566 --> 01:35:13.399
like that , uh . You know , as a

01:35:13.399 --> 01:35:15.566
service chief , I look at the totality

01:35:15.566 --> 01:35:17.510
of the , of the total budget , and

01:35:17.510 --> 01:35:19.677
that's the only way I can look at it .

01:35:19.677 --> 01:35:21.788
I'm not , I'm not trying to have some

01:35:21.788 --> 01:35:23.843
scheme that from my perspective that

01:35:23.843 --> 01:35:25.899
makes something in one bucket or the

01:35:25.899 --> 01:35:28.121
other more appealing , and I think I'll

01:35:28.121 --> 01:35:30.288
do it as in the totality . Yes , sir ,

01:35:30.288 --> 01:35:32.621
no , I understand that . Um , thank you .

01:35:32.621 --> 01:35:34.343
I , I do think we're trying to

01:35:34.343 --> 01:35:36.510
understand it , at least I'm trying to

01:35:36.510 --> 01:35:35.500
understand . I don't know about other

01:35:35.500 --> 01:35:38.140
folks , why it's in one bucket versus

01:35:38.140 --> 01:35:41.089
another , and I , I respectfully , I'd

01:35:41.089 --> 01:35:43.200
love to have the director of OMB then

01:35:43.200 --> 01:35:45.367
here to explain to us what is and what

01:35:45.367 --> 01:35:47.533
isn't in it because you can understand

01:35:47.533 --> 01:35:49.700
if something doesn't get funded on the

01:35:49.700 --> 01:35:51.867
mandatory side . And we left it out of

01:35:51.867 --> 01:35:53.922
the discretionary side , and I'm not

01:35:53.922 --> 01:35:56.200
sure which order this is going in . It ,

01:35:56.200 --> 01:35:58.422
it's just , it's really difficult to do

01:35:58.422 --> 01:35:59.978
this and to do our job as a

01:35:59.978 --> 01:36:01.533
congressional oversight and

01:36:01.533 --> 01:36:03.645
appropriators into what you're asking

01:36:03.645 --> 01:36:05.867
for . So I would just ask you to , uh ,

01:36:05.867 --> 01:36:08.089
I don't know who , I don't know who I'm

01:36:08.089 --> 01:36:10.256
asking it to , Mr . Chairman . Perhaps

01:36:10.256 --> 01:36:12.422
you could ask him . Maybe OMB would be

01:36:12.422 --> 01:36:14.589
more receptive , uh , to your question

01:36:14.589 --> 01:36:16.700
about this , but it is frustrating to

01:36:16.700 --> 01:36:18.756
say the least . In any case , um . I

01:36:18.756 --> 01:36:20.645
wanted to just ask also , this is

01:36:20.645 --> 01:36:22.700
perhaps a little bit follow-up about

01:36:22.700 --> 01:36:24.811
the um the Golden Fleet and uh do you

01:36:24.811 --> 01:36:27.609
have a sense of how many now BBGN in

01:36:27.609 --> 01:36:29.498
that program , how many ships you

01:36:29.498 --> 01:36:31.665
intend to build ? I've heard different

01:36:31.665 --> 01:36:33.887
ranges . Can , can you , Admiral , tell

01:36:33.887 --> 01:36:36.053
me what you think on the drawing board

01:36:36.053 --> 01:36:38.220
or what the expectation or secretary ?

01:36:38.220 --> 01:36:40.276
Well , you know , the initial , um ,

01:36:40.276 --> 01:36:43.359
thought was at a minimum 10 . And you

01:36:43.359 --> 01:36:45.248
know , and I think there can be a

01:36:45.248 --> 01:36:47.415
number that would grow in , you know ,

01:36:47.415 --> 01:36:49.415
probably twice that , it would be a

01:36:49.415 --> 01:36:51.581
goal . So is 10 necessary as a minimum

01:36:51.581 --> 01:36:53.270
to be able to carry out the

01:36:53.270 --> 01:36:55.159
responsibilities or the strategic

01:36:55.159 --> 01:36:57.381
mission . Of that ship . Well , I think

01:36:57.381 --> 01:36:59.492
it's , you know , when you , when you

01:36:59.492 --> 01:37:01.603
start constructing and starting a new

01:37:01.603 --> 01:37:03.603
ship class , you definitely want to

01:37:03.603 --> 01:37:05.826
understand the , you know , the pace in

01:37:05.826 --> 01:37:07.881
which they can build , make sure you

01:37:07.881 --> 01:37:07.700
validate the assumption , the centers

01:37:07.700 --> 01:37:09.811
on which it's done , have enough that

01:37:09.811 --> 01:37:11.644
you can get an economic order of

01:37:11.644 --> 01:37:13.811
quantity savings as you try to deliver

01:37:13.811 --> 01:37:15.978
more . And then , you know , there's a

01:37:15.978 --> 01:37:18.144
ratio for me to figure out what is the

01:37:18.144 --> 01:37:20.089
final presence numbers that I want

01:37:20.089 --> 01:37:22.256
worldwide and Then , you know , if I ,

01:37:22.256 --> 01:37:24.544
if it takes 4 to make 1 whole , then

01:37:24.544 --> 01:37:26.711
you know , if I got 20 of those , then

01:37:26.711 --> 01:37:28.822
I can deliver 5 of those worldwide at

01:37:28.822 --> 01:37:31.084
any given time . And so those ratios

01:37:31.084 --> 01:37:32.862
you have to be built . And so I

01:37:32.862 --> 01:37:34.751
wouldn't want to give you a final

01:37:34.751 --> 01:37:36.973
number on it , but you can , you know ,

01:37:36.973 --> 01:37:36.444
I'm trying to give you the way the

01:37:36.444 --> 01:37:38.555
thinking process goes on how to build

01:37:38.555 --> 01:37:40.234
out the class . OK , so your

01:37:40.234 --> 01:37:42.234
expectation today , and I recognize

01:37:42.234 --> 01:37:44.290
this is a longer term conversation ,

01:37:44.290 --> 01:37:46.439
but somewhere between 10 and 20 . Of

01:37:46.439 --> 01:37:48.661
the BBGN , that would be a , that would

01:37:48.661 --> 01:37:50.883
be a guess . And can you describe to me

01:37:50.883 --> 01:37:52.828
how they fit into the future fleet

01:37:52.828 --> 01:37:54.717
alongside destroyers , carriers ,

01:37:54.717 --> 01:37:56.910
submarines , and unmanned systems ?

01:37:57.160 --> 01:37:59.327
Absolutely , they would serve as a new

01:37:59.327 --> 01:38:02.220
command ship of , of our navy . And you

01:38:02.220 --> 01:38:04.276
would tie them together with surface

01:38:04.276 --> 01:38:06.276
action groups . They could actually

01:38:06.276 --> 01:38:08.442
also be integrated air missile defense

01:38:08.442 --> 01:38:10.609
ships . They can do every mission that

01:38:10.609 --> 01:38:12.776
a DDG can do just with more capacity .

01:38:12.776 --> 01:38:14.998
You're talking a very high , you know ,

01:38:14.998 --> 01:38:16.998
endurance ship , and then from long

01:38:16.998 --> 01:38:19.164
range . you know , we don't have , you

01:38:19.164 --> 01:38:20.831
know , enough capacities , in

01:38:20.831 --> 01:38:23.390
particular in the Indo-Pacific to force

01:38:23.390 --> 01:38:25.669
flow that entire fleet of those if I

01:38:25.669 --> 01:38:27.870
had to , into that theater where I

01:38:27.870 --> 01:38:30.037
could actually have enough capacity to

01:38:30.037 --> 01:38:32.148
support Admiral Paparo in his fight .

01:38:32.270 --> 01:38:34.326
So the mobility of the navy could be

01:38:34.326 --> 01:38:36.103
used with this fleet as well to

01:38:36.103 --> 01:38:38.159
concentrate that force . And is this

01:38:38.159 --> 01:38:41.299
largely in your mind more appropriate

01:38:41.479 --> 01:38:43.479
for the Indo-Pacific just given the

01:38:43.479 --> 01:38:46.839
size ? Yes . So would these be largely

01:38:46.839 --> 01:38:50.200
deployed in that in the Indo-Pacific ?

01:38:50.479 --> 01:38:52.660
Well , all of our high-end capability

01:38:52.660 --> 01:38:54.629
is what we're doing in the Navy is

01:38:54.629 --> 01:38:57.120
trying to be able to give the option to

01:38:57.120 --> 01:38:58.842
be able to flow our highest in

01:38:58.842 --> 01:39:01.180
capability into the Indo-Pacific . And

01:39:01.180 --> 01:39:03.347
so the more I can lay down in the Indo

01:39:03.347 --> 01:39:05.569
Pacific , the better , and we've always

01:39:05.569 --> 01:39:07.624
had a navy that's been a 60-40 split

01:39:07.624 --> 01:39:09.779
for a long time . And , and so yes ,

01:39:09.899 --> 01:39:12.121
the goal here is in the pressing threat

01:39:12.121 --> 01:39:13.955
of China that I would be able to

01:39:13.955 --> 01:39:15.955
actually put the most capability in

01:39:15.955 --> 01:39:17.899
that theater and then take risk in

01:39:17.899 --> 01:39:20.121
other theaters and that's what the head

01:39:20.121 --> 01:39:22.232
strategy is all about . Um , Thanks ,

01:39:22.232 --> 01:39:24.455
thank you , gentlemen . I , I think I'm

01:39:24.455 --> 01:39:26.455
sorry , I exceeded my time . Oh , I

01:39:26.455 --> 01:39:28.232
apologize . I yield back , Mr .

01:39:28.232 --> 01:39:30.390
Adderall . Oh yeah , yeah .

01:39:33.950 --> 01:39:36.117
Thank you , uh , thank you , uh , Mr .

01:39:36.117 --> 01:39:38.172
Chairman . Uh , thanks everybody for

01:39:38.172 --> 01:39:40.172
being here today . Uh , Miss , Mr .

01:39:40.270 --> 01:39:41.659
Secretary , thank , uh ,

01:39:41.659 --> 01:39:43.826
congratulations on your new job , uh ,

01:39:43.826 --> 01:39:46.048
as acting secretary . Uh , look forward

01:39:46.048 --> 01:39:47.992
to working with you . Um , Hadrian

01:39:47.992 --> 01:39:50.159
Advanced Manufacturing Facility in the

01:39:50.159 --> 01:39:52.381
Muscle Shoals , Alabama that , as you ,

01:39:52.381 --> 01:39:54.350
as you probably well know , a 2.2

01:39:54.350 --> 01:39:56.589
million square foot AI enabled

01:39:56.589 --> 01:39:59.189
manufacturing facility , uh , opened in

01:39:59.189 --> 01:40:02.069
March , uh , of this year . Uh , thanks

01:40:02.069 --> 01:40:04.125
to the Navy working with Hadrian and

01:40:04.125 --> 01:40:07.390
with AE Partners , um , after 6 years ,

01:40:07.470 --> 01:40:09.414
the one big beautiful bill finally

01:40:09.439 --> 01:40:10.970
paved the way for the

01:40:10.970 --> 01:40:14.729
reindustrialization of that plant , and ,

01:40:14.759 --> 01:40:17.189
uh , that is what , uh , reconciliation

01:40:17.189 --> 01:40:19.910
is doing for the Navy's supply chain in

01:40:19.910 --> 01:40:22.021
the district I represent , and , uh ,

01:40:22.021 --> 01:40:24.354
we're very excited about that . Can you ,

01:40:24.354 --> 01:40:26.021
uh , speak to how the Navy is

01:40:26.021 --> 01:40:28.729
partnering with both the traditional .

01:40:29.069 --> 01:40:31.291
And those that are just entering to the

01:40:31.291 --> 01:40:33.660
shipbuilding industrial base to

01:40:33.660 --> 01:40:37.359
increase our output . Yes

01:40:37.359 --> 01:40:39.415
congressman again , Adrian is , uh ,

01:40:39.415 --> 01:40:41.303
with this submarine modules is is

01:40:41.303 --> 01:40:43.359
fantastic what what they're building

01:40:43.359 --> 01:40:45.470
and this is why we're looking for all

01:40:45.470 --> 01:40:47.692
new entrants . We need to find a way to

01:40:47.692 --> 01:40:49.970
energize the industrial base . There's ,

01:40:49.970 --> 01:40:52.192
I think some of the , the . Traditional

01:40:52.192 --> 01:40:54.415
primes have gotten very comfortable and

01:40:54.415 --> 01:40:54.040
like I said earlier it's like going to

01:40:54.040 --> 01:40:56.151
the candy machine to get the Snickers

01:40:56.151 --> 01:40:58.151
bar gets stuck you can you can only

01:40:58.151 --> 01:41:00.262
shake it so much and so that's why we

01:41:00.262 --> 01:41:02.429
need new entrants in order to energize

01:41:02.429 --> 01:41:04.540
the industrial base uh and get things

01:41:04.540 --> 01:41:06.651
going and looking at other uh methods

01:41:06.651 --> 01:41:08.899
too if if AI like the uh CNO has said

01:41:09.240 --> 01:41:12.109
earlier if we're able to to use , uh ,

01:41:12.160 --> 01:41:14.104
artificial intelligence to kind of

01:41:14.160 --> 01:41:16.160
streamline our process . Is make it

01:41:16.160 --> 01:41:18.327
faster and better and we get more than

01:41:18.327 --> 01:41:20.493
2 or 3 hours of work out of a shipyard

01:41:20.493 --> 01:41:22.604
worker a day then that would actually

01:41:22.604 --> 01:41:24.779
uh really improve our our production

01:41:24.779 --> 01:41:26.890
and get ships out there now now now I

01:41:26.890 --> 01:41:28.946
mean we it's not just about warships

01:41:28.946 --> 01:41:31.112
too we're talking about merchant ships

01:41:31.112 --> 01:41:33.819
as well right now in the military uh

01:41:33.819 --> 01:41:37.339
and we have 188 flagged commercial

01:41:37.339 --> 01:41:40.049
ships and 105 military seal of command

01:41:40.049 --> 01:41:43.310
ships . The Chinese have 11,000 ships

01:41:43.310 --> 01:41:45.390
out there . We need more capacity in

01:41:45.390 --> 01:41:47.557
this country , not just warships , but

01:41:47.557 --> 01:41:49.779
also commercial ships , and this is why

01:41:49.779 --> 01:41:51.890
these new entrants are so important ,

01:41:51.890 --> 01:41:53.946
sir . Can , can you speak to how the

01:41:53.946 --> 01:41:56.810
Navy , uh , is doing things differently

01:41:57.310 --> 01:41:59.421
now that from past administrations to

01:41:59.421 --> 01:42:02.140
encourage private companies to invest ,

01:42:02.470 --> 01:42:05.919
uh , their in their own capital ? Again ,

01:42:06.040 --> 01:42:08.379
so with the uh with the entrance of new

01:42:08.379 --> 01:42:10.939
um companies that that are more private

01:42:10.939 --> 01:42:14.479
venture , uh , it's , it allows them to

01:42:14.479 --> 01:42:17.040
put some skin in the game and then with

01:42:17.040 --> 01:42:19.207
again I , I wanna thank this committee

01:42:19.207 --> 01:42:21.318
and also the Congress for allowing us

01:42:21.318 --> 01:42:23.484
to have multi-year procurement because

01:42:23.484 --> 01:42:25.707
then it gives uh the companies a stable

01:42:25.707 --> 01:42:27.762
and rock solid foundation to say hey

01:42:27.762 --> 01:42:29.762
this is what we're gonna need for 7

01:42:29.762 --> 01:42:31.929
years we wouldn't have been able to do

01:42:31.929 --> 01:42:31.149
that in past years without what this ,

01:42:31.759 --> 01:42:33.815
uh , committee and what the Congress

01:42:33.815 --> 01:42:35.926
has done . And uh again that's that's

01:42:35.926 --> 01:42:37.990
what we're giving we're signaling to

01:42:37.990 --> 01:42:40.101
the industry this is what we need and

01:42:40.101 --> 01:42:42.101
they're they're putting forth their

01:42:42.101 --> 01:42:44.268
money they're putting some skin in the

01:42:44.268 --> 01:42:46.212
game in order to get us there . Of

01:42:46.212 --> 01:42:45.899
course , as , as you well know , we're

01:42:45.899 --> 01:42:47.788
entering our 5th year between the

01:42:47.788 --> 01:42:49.899
August partnership between the US and

01:42:49.899 --> 01:42:52.390
the UK , uh , and Australia . Uh , last

01:42:52.390 --> 01:42:54.557
year , the department undertook , uh ,

01:42:54.557 --> 01:42:56.334
a review of the partnership and

01:42:56.334 --> 01:42:58.446
concluded it favorably . Um , can you

01:42:58.446 --> 01:43:00.470
give us a status update on the

01:43:00.470 --> 01:43:02.581
partnership , especially the progress

01:43:02.581 --> 01:43:04.529
and the outlook of getting , uh ,

01:43:04.790 --> 01:43:06.512
Australia's own Virginia class

01:43:06.512 --> 01:43:08.459
submarines ? Yes sir , they , they

01:43:08.459 --> 01:43:10.979
still have a few , uh , milestones to

01:43:10.979 --> 01:43:13.090
meet before we , we get there , but ,

01:43:13.090 --> 01:43:15.312
but they're moving along very quickly ,

01:43:15.312 --> 01:43:17.368
and the beautiful part about Auss is

01:43:17.368 --> 01:43:19.479
the , the enemy will not know if it's

01:43:19.479 --> 01:43:21.423
an American submarine out there or

01:43:21.423 --> 01:43:23.646
Australian submarine because it's gonna

01:43:23.646 --> 01:43:23.500
all be the same . You can't see it .

01:43:23.580 --> 01:43:25.747
You can't , and it's almost like slick

01:43:25.747 --> 01:43:27.858
men . Where you know , let them guess

01:43:27.858 --> 01:43:30.080
what's out there , but I will turn to ,

01:43:30.080 --> 01:43:32.247
uh , Admiral Caudle who's very tied in

01:43:32.247 --> 01:43:34.413
with , uh , Aus as well as , uh , Vice

01:43:34.413 --> 01:43:36.469
Admiral Goucher who's moving forward

01:43:36.469 --> 01:43:38.691
the , uh , submarine . Let me also just

01:43:38.691 --> 01:43:41.024
mention too that I understand the , the ,

01:43:41.024 --> 01:43:43.191
uh , under your new ship building plan

01:43:43.191 --> 01:43:45.524
that , uh , that was released yesterday ,

01:43:45.524 --> 01:43:47.524
uh , it projects procurement of two

01:43:47.524 --> 01:43:49.580
Virginia class submarines every year

01:43:49.580 --> 01:43:51.469
for the next 10 years . I believe

01:43:51.469 --> 01:43:53.580
that's correct . Uh , but when do you

01:43:53.580 --> 01:43:55.524
expect the actual , the actual hit

01:43:55.524 --> 01:43:57.747
production rate ? Let me , uh , I , I ,

01:43:57.747 --> 01:44:00.080
I'll get back to you on , on that , sir ,

01:44:00.080 --> 01:44:02.191
but again , there , it's taken a long

01:44:02.191 --> 01:44:01.680
time for us to build these , uh ,

01:44:01.689 --> 01:44:03.779
submarines , uh , and , uh , again

01:44:03.779 --> 01:44:05.890
that's why we need to push industry ,

01:44:05.890 --> 01:44:08.112
and this is why , like I said , we're ,

01:44:08.112 --> 01:44:10.223
we're signaling to , to industry what

01:44:10.223 --> 01:44:12.390
we need out there , uh , thanks to the

01:44:12.390 --> 01:44:14.279
Congress , uh , allowing us to do

01:44:14.279 --> 01:44:16.501
multi-year procurement . And as well as

01:44:16.580 --> 01:44:18.913
being able to , to say , hey , you know ,

01:44:18.979 --> 01:44:21.090
we're not gonna take no for an answer

01:44:21.090 --> 01:44:23.257
anymore . Let's , let's move forward .

01:44:23.257 --> 01:44:25.257
But , uh , I would say , uh , we're

01:44:25.257 --> 01:44:27.312
gonna be up on step with that around

01:44:27.312 --> 01:44:29.479
2032 based on the things we've done in

01:44:29.479 --> 01:44:31.590
place and the things we have now , we

01:44:31.590 --> 01:44:31.529
should be at the 2 per year in the

01:44:31.529 --> 01:44:34.350
early 2030 , real early 2030s . The

01:44:34.350 --> 01:44:36.350
next big milestone for Aucus is the

01:44:36.350 --> 01:44:38.572
establishment of the submarine squadron

01:44:38.572 --> 01:44:40.294
there as part of the submarine

01:44:40.294 --> 01:44:42.239
rotational Force West initiative .

01:44:42.239 --> 01:44:44.406
They've commit , they've completed two

01:44:44.406 --> 01:44:46.461
availabilities of our Virginia class

01:44:46.461 --> 01:44:48.739
successfully . Uh , Mark Hammond and I ,

01:44:48.739 --> 01:44:50.961
well , first he just got selected to be

01:44:50.961 --> 01:44:50.580
the Chief of Defense Force there ,

01:44:50.700 --> 01:44:52.756
their Chief of Navy , which is great

01:44:52.756 --> 01:44:54.811
news for Aucus . So he's gonna carry

01:44:54.811 --> 01:44:56.978
that forward and we're all ahead flank

01:44:56.978 --> 01:44:59.311
on this . So I just got back from Perth .

01:44:59.311 --> 01:45:01.478
Uh , they're making their milestones .

01:45:01.478 --> 01:45:01.100
There's a couple of things they're

01:45:01.100 --> 01:45:03.156
behind on . I'm frustrated with that

01:45:03.156 --> 01:45:05.322
are part of the support system there .

01:45:05.322 --> 01:45:07.378
Like some of the skiff work and that

01:45:07.378 --> 01:45:09.544
kind of thing , but all the production

01:45:09.544 --> 01:45:11.656
work there on the pier and all that ,

01:45:11.656 --> 01:45:11.470
they're making their mark , and the

01:45:11.470 --> 01:45:13.750
integration of their sailors and

01:45:13.750 --> 01:45:15.861
officers and maintenance personnel at

01:45:15.861 --> 01:45:17.583
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is

01:45:17.583 --> 01:45:20.060
fantastic . So this is working and , uh ,

01:45:20.069 --> 01:45:22.291
we want to support them and it is going

01:45:22.291 --> 01:45:24.513
to turn out really great when we get it

01:45:24.513 --> 01:45:26.736
delivered . Thank you , sir . You bet .

01:45:26.736 --> 01:45:28.902
Thank you . uh , Mr . Anhol brought up

01:45:28.902 --> 01:45:30.958
something that just jogged my , uh ,

01:45:30.958 --> 01:45:33.180
memory on , uh , had a so-called expert

01:45:33.180 --> 01:45:35.347
in to see me the other day and told me

01:45:35.347 --> 01:45:37.513
that the operable ships in the British

01:45:37.513 --> 01:45:39.513
Navy right now is at 15 . Does that

01:45:39.513 --> 01:45:41.625
sound correct to you , General , Army

01:45:41.625 --> 01:45:43.680
Admiral ? I know they're having some

01:45:43.680 --> 01:45:46.450
challenges , sir . 15 . Yes , I won't

01:45:46.450 --> 01:45:48.450
speak to the number because I don't

01:45:48.450 --> 01:45:50.672
know it , but you know , uh , the first

01:45:50.672 --> 01:45:52.894
Sealor and I have conversations on it ,

01:45:52.894 --> 01:45:55.172
and I know he's having some challenges ,

01:45:55.172 --> 01:45:54.770
in particular with maintenance and new

01:45:54.770 --> 01:45:56.937
construction . Is that relative to , I

01:45:56.937 --> 01:45:59.770
mean , does that relative to all of

01:45:59.770 --> 01:46:03.689
NATO as far as their capability that

01:46:03.689 --> 01:46:05.911
they have ? No , I wouldn't extend that

01:46:05.911 --> 01:46:08.133
problem set across all NATO countries .

01:46:08.779 --> 01:46:11.390
Thank God . Uh , Ms . Captor .

01:46:14.069 --> 01:46:15.902
Thank you , uh , Mr . Chairman ,

01:46:15.902 --> 01:46:18.049
Assistant Secretary Cowell , Admiral

01:46:18.049 --> 01:46:20.500
Caudle , and Commandant Smith . Thank

01:46:20.500 --> 01:46:22.611
you for your service to our country .

01:46:22.611 --> 01:46:24.667
Do not misinterpret any question I'm

01:46:24.667 --> 01:46:27.259
going to ask you now . First of all , I

01:46:27.259 --> 01:46:30.589
know you have to follow orders . Um

01:46:32.140 --> 01:46:35.279
This is the order I follow . And this

01:46:35.279 --> 01:46:37.979
order says to me no money shall be

01:46:37.979 --> 01:46:39.701
drawn from the treasury but in

01:46:39.701 --> 01:46:41.812
consequence of appropriations made by

01:46:41.812 --> 01:46:44.259
law and a regular statement and account

01:46:44.439 --> 01:46:46.661
of the receipts and expenditures of all

01:46:46.661 --> 01:46:48.717
public money shall be published from

01:46:48.717 --> 01:46:51.240
time to time . I find your department

01:46:51.240 --> 01:46:53.660
completely negligent in terms of what

01:46:53.660 --> 01:46:56.370
is going on right now . Um ,

01:46:57.500 --> 01:47:00.060
I'm very interested in how we are going

01:47:00.060 --> 01:47:03.500
to pay the bills , not just to , uh ,

01:47:03.509 --> 01:47:06.600
uh , acquire the ships you need . But

01:47:06.600 --> 01:47:09.910
to pay for them And the people that I

01:47:09.910 --> 01:47:13.600
represent . Can't afford to

01:47:13.600 --> 01:47:16.839
pay more . And so I'm asking myself the

01:47:16.839 --> 01:47:18.783
question who will benefit from the

01:47:18.783 --> 01:47:20.839
current engagements and I don't know

01:47:20.839 --> 01:47:22.895
whether you can provide me with this

01:47:22.895 --> 01:47:25.117
information , but I'm interested in the

01:47:25.117 --> 01:47:27.172
amount of money that the nations who

01:47:27.172 --> 01:47:29.395
have not committed troops in the Middle

01:47:29.395 --> 01:47:31.506
East , how much can they contribute ?

01:47:31.609 --> 01:47:33.770
How about Saudi Arabia ? Let's start

01:47:33.770 --> 01:47:36.660
there . Trillions of dollars in

01:47:36.660 --> 01:47:38.827
sovereign wealth funds . We don't know

01:47:38.827 --> 01:47:41.049
where those dollars are invested . What

01:47:41.049 --> 01:47:43.540
about Kuwait ? Have they got naval

01:47:43.540 --> 01:47:46.850
carriers or ? Naval personnel .

01:47:49.600 --> 01:47:52.270
On the Strait of Hormuz ? No . Um ,

01:47:52.370 --> 01:47:55.399
what about Qatar ? What about the UAE ?

01:47:56.240 --> 01:47:58.810
Uh , what about Oman ? I'm looking

01:47:58.810 --> 01:48:01.032
around the world and saying to myself ,

01:48:02.100 --> 01:48:03.959
You're saying you want 1

01:48:03.959 --> 01:48:06.779
trillion500 billion dollars more

01:48:06.779 --> 01:48:10.330
dollars and what's sad is it's

01:48:10.330 --> 01:48:12.520
retroactive . You've already spent it

01:48:12.520 --> 01:48:14.631
we don't know how much you spent . We

01:48:14.631 --> 01:48:16.450
can't get a report from the

01:48:16.450 --> 01:48:18.879
administration . So I don't want to tax

01:48:18.879 --> 01:48:21.160
my citizens , so I'm asking you , you

01:48:21.160 --> 01:48:23.419
don't have to answer me today , go back

01:48:23.640 --> 01:48:25.759
to the secretary . You ask him who he

01:48:25.759 --> 01:48:27.981
wants to tax over in the Middle East or

01:48:27.981 --> 01:48:30.148
what industries will benefit from this

01:48:30.148 --> 01:48:32.037
historic engagement for which the

01:48:32.037 --> 01:48:34.148
Congress of the United States did not

01:48:34.148 --> 01:48:36.259
vote , and 3 of the first individuals

01:48:36.259 --> 01:48:38.426
killed were from the state of Ohio . I

01:48:38.426 --> 01:48:40.648
always say to myself , why is it Ohio ?

01:48:40.648 --> 01:48:42.815
And it was our reservists , OK , in an

01:48:42.815 --> 01:48:45.339
air refueling mission . But you have to

01:48:45.339 --> 01:48:48.060
follow orders . I understand that , but

01:48:48.060 --> 01:48:51.220
I have to follow orders also , and this

01:48:51.220 --> 01:48:53.600
particular request I find objectionable ,

01:48:53.779 --> 01:48:55.668
and I think there are many others

01:48:55.668 --> 01:48:57.835
around the world that can help pay for

01:48:57.835 --> 01:49:00.540
this . So that's my lecture . Uh , my

01:49:00.540 --> 01:49:02.707
question has to do with shipbuilding .

01:49:02.707 --> 01:49:04.873
I care very much about that . I'm from

01:49:04.873 --> 01:49:06.984
the Great Lakes region . I care about

01:49:06.984 --> 01:49:09.096
restoration of the defense industrial

01:49:09.096 --> 01:49:11.096
base . We have something called the

01:49:11.096 --> 01:49:13.096
Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway .

01:49:13.096 --> 01:49:15.373
It's been neglected for about 50 years ,

01:49:15.373 --> 01:49:17.484
and , um , I'm interested , uh , what

01:49:17.484 --> 01:49:19.484
we can do to modernize the well and

01:49:19.484 --> 01:49:21.651
canal , and I'll help you because that

01:49:21.651 --> 01:49:25.450
only has a 26.5 ft draft , and

01:49:25.450 --> 01:49:27.117
that's why , but with modular

01:49:27.117 --> 01:49:29.370
construction we can do a whole lot in

01:49:29.370 --> 01:49:31.481
the Great Lakes region and guess what

01:49:31.481 --> 01:49:33.592
else we do there ? We make steel . We

01:49:33.592 --> 01:49:35.537
make composites . The machine tool

01:49:35.537 --> 01:49:37.703
industry was taken away from us by all

01:49:37.703 --> 01:49:40.310
these trade deals that different

01:49:40.310 --> 01:49:42.366
administrations got us involved in ,

01:49:42.366 --> 01:49:44.477
and our people lost jobs . We want to

01:49:44.477 --> 01:49:46.421
help the Navy . We love the Marine

01:49:46.421 --> 01:49:48.588
Corps . We love the Army . We love the

01:49:48.588 --> 01:49:50.699
Navy . Our people enlist . And so I'm

01:49:50.699 --> 01:49:52.866
just saying to you , uh , help us give

01:49:52.866 --> 01:49:54.921
us a , I invite you out to our , our

01:49:54.921 --> 01:49:56.921
area . How does the Navy assess the

01:49:56.921 --> 01:50:00.410
utility of , um , modular construction ?

01:50:00.569 --> 01:50:02.810
Do you think that's possible across the

01:50:02.810 --> 01:50:04.643
Great Lakes region ? Can we help

01:50:04.643 --> 01:50:05.643
somehow ?

01:50:08.620 --> 01:50:10.787
First of all , um , thank you for your

01:50:10.787 --> 01:50:12.953
passion on that question and thank you

01:50:12.953 --> 01:50:15.620
for your passion on , on , uh , allies

01:50:15.620 --> 01:50:17.898
and partners helping us with Epic Fury .

01:50:17.898 --> 01:50:20.299
I share that , um , yes , this is an

01:50:20.299 --> 01:50:22.410
all hands on deck approach . There is

01:50:22.410 --> 01:50:24.077
no reason I cannot do modular

01:50:24.077 --> 01:50:26.021
construction in Ohio . There is no

01:50:26.021 --> 01:50:28.459
reason we can't , if we so desire , uh ,

01:50:28.779 --> 01:50:30.946
improve the depth of water to actually

01:50:30.946 --> 01:50:32.946
transport barges or ships from that

01:50:32.946 --> 01:50:34.899
area . Not all that's engineering

01:50:34.899 --> 01:50:37.700
possible . And so as we widen the

01:50:37.700 --> 01:50:39.811
defense industrial base and certainly

01:50:39.811 --> 01:50:41.756
the maritime industrial base , and

01:50:41.756 --> 01:50:43.256
actually get into additive

01:50:43.256 --> 01:50:45.422
manufacturing , get into things like ,

01:50:45.422 --> 01:50:47.644
uh , modular construction , all of that

01:50:47.644 --> 01:50:49.644
can be done and uh we need the help

01:50:49.644 --> 01:50:51.811
from all states to do that . Thank you

01:50:51.811 --> 01:50:53.978
so very much , Admiral . Thank you for

01:50:53.978 --> 01:50:56.229
your service to our country . And

01:50:56.229 --> 01:50:58.229
Congressman , I hope you'll be here

01:50:58.229 --> 01:51:00.173
this weekend , uh , when we , uh ,

01:51:00.173 --> 01:51:02.285
commission the USS Cleveland . And uh

01:51:02.285 --> 01:51:04.451
it it'll be amazing . It's it's gosh I

01:51:04.451 --> 01:51:06.618
didn't know it was happening uh but we

01:51:06.618 --> 01:51:08.618
do have other commitments in Ohio .

01:51:08.618 --> 01:51:10.785
Maybe Congressman Joyce will represent

01:51:10.785 --> 01:51:12.785
Ohio . He's an able we co-chair the

01:51:12.785 --> 01:51:15.062
Great Lakes Task Force ma'am and again ,

01:51:15.062 --> 01:51:17.118
like , like the admiral said , I , I

01:51:17.118 --> 01:51:19.340
share your passion about our , the last

01:51:19.340 --> 01:51:21.285
person that wants to go to war are

01:51:21.285 --> 01:51:21.229
warriors like us who've who've seen

01:51:21.229 --> 01:51:23.173
death and destruction in , in this

01:51:23.173 --> 01:51:25.340
country , uh , you know . This is also

01:51:25.340 --> 01:51:27.595
the unseen wounds of war afterwards

01:51:27.975 --> 01:51:30.142
again I've I've had a lot of traumatic

01:51:30.142 --> 01:51:32.308
brain injury and as well as uh uh PTSD

01:51:32.308 --> 01:51:34.197
and I don't want that for for our

01:51:34.197 --> 01:51:36.142
children , but sometimes there's a

01:51:36.142 --> 01:51:38.364
necessity out there . Uh , the Iranians

01:51:38.364 --> 01:51:40.586
have been at war with us for 47 years .

01:51:40.586 --> 01:51:42.642
We just didn't know it . They , they

01:51:42.642 --> 01:51:44.864
killed our Marines in 1983 in Beirut in

01:51:44.864 --> 01:51:46.586
1979 when the Shah of Iran was

01:51:46.586 --> 01:51:48.697
overthrown . The Marines took us into

01:51:48.697 --> 01:51:50.697
their , uh , to the embassy . I was

01:51:50.697 --> 01:51:52.753
living overseas in Africa and they ,

01:51:52.753 --> 01:51:54.919
they , they stood watch over me saying

01:51:54.919 --> 01:51:57.197
nothing's gonna hurt you , not tonight ,

01:51:57.197 --> 01:51:59.419
and I wanna be like them when I grew up

01:51:59.419 --> 01:51:59.229
and that's why I joined the military .

01:51:59.609 --> 01:52:02.279
Uh , and all the EFPs and all the IEDs

01:52:02.279 --> 01:52:04.446
that were that killed and maimed our ,

01:52:04.490 --> 01:52:06.490
uh , soldiers , sailors , sailors ,

01:52:06.490 --> 01:52:08.657
airmen , marines in Iraq , Afghanistan

01:52:08.657 --> 01:52:10.768
were built in , in Iran , ma'am , and

01:52:10.768 --> 01:52:12.879
that's why we had to put a stop to it

01:52:12.879 --> 01:52:14.990
now because history is gonna judge us

01:52:14.990 --> 01:52:17.212
for what we do at this moment . Because

01:52:17.212 --> 01:52:19.434
they were building out such a huge wall

01:52:19.434 --> 01:52:21.379
of drones and cruise missiles , we

01:52:21.379 --> 01:52:23.490
would never be able to penetrate that

01:52:23.490 --> 01:52:23.310
in a year . Well , I think you're

01:52:23.310 --> 01:52:25.532
defending your position very well , but

01:52:25.532 --> 01:52:27.477
this is an undeclared war and it's

01:52:27.477 --> 01:52:29.532
un-American , and that doesn't say I

01:52:29.532 --> 01:52:31.366
don't want to defeat the nuclear

01:52:31.366 --> 01:52:33.199
capabilities of Iran or figure a

01:52:33.199 --> 01:52:35.350
workout , but this wasn't done , and

01:52:35.350 --> 01:52:37.628
it's an un-American war . I yield back .

01:52:37.628 --> 01:52:39.739
Thank you , Mr . Joyce . You can talk

01:52:39.739 --> 01:52:43.299
about the USS Cleveland . Thank you

01:52:43.299 --> 01:52:46.060
very much , uh , uh , Chairman Calvert ,

01:52:46.140 --> 01:52:48.362
uh , you know , we can't talk about the

01:52:48.362 --> 01:52:50.529
Cleveland Browns , so let's talk about

01:52:50.529 --> 01:52:52.751
the USS Cleveland coming to town . No ,

01:52:52.751 --> 01:52:54.640
but I know I'm watching the local

01:52:54.640 --> 01:52:54.540
papers , it's been , people have been

01:52:54.540 --> 01:52:56.707
watching . I thought it was all coming

01:52:56.707 --> 01:52:58.873
in like next Friday and Saturday , but

01:52:58.873 --> 01:53:00.984
it seems like you're already en route

01:53:00.984 --> 01:53:03.040
and it's got a lot of excitement . I

01:53:03.040 --> 01:53:05.262
look forward to it . And I building off

01:53:05.262 --> 01:53:07.207
a little bit off of what my fellow

01:53:07.207 --> 01:53:09.484
Buckeye had brought up . Uh , you know ,

01:53:09.484 --> 01:53:12.770
uh , you seem to be a little more , uh ,

01:53:12.990 --> 01:53:14.990
in tune with , you know , trying to

01:53:14.990 --> 01:53:16.657
modernize the way we go about

01:53:16.657 --> 01:53:18.712
shipbuilding and , and getting those

01:53:18.712 --> 01:53:20.934
things happening , and , you know , the

01:53:20.934 --> 01:53:22.934
shipbuilding delays are significant

01:53:22.934 --> 01:53:25.157
challenges to your readiness . Uh , for

01:53:25.157 --> 01:53:27.212
example , press connect fittings and

01:53:27.212 --> 01:53:27.080
other advancements in production

01:53:27.080 --> 01:53:29.709
technologies already being utilized by

01:53:29.709 --> 01:53:31.876
industry have the potential to improve

01:53:31.876 --> 01:53:33.709
our construction and maintenance

01:53:33.709 --> 01:53:35.709
capabilities . Does the Navy have a

01:53:35.709 --> 01:53:37.653
plan to accelebrate the use of new

01:53:37.653 --> 01:53:37.549
technologies as part of this

01:53:37.549 --> 01:53:40.270
comprehensive strategy to build ships

01:53:40.270 --> 01:53:44.140
faster ? Yes , it's

01:53:44.140 --> 01:53:46.362
a key element . I mean , it , it , it ,

01:53:46.500 --> 01:53:48.111
it's riddled through all the

01:53:48.111 --> 01:53:50.333
investments in the submarine industrial

01:53:50.333 --> 01:53:52.500
based investments . It's , it's in the

01:53:52.500 --> 01:53:54.667
defense industrial based investments .

01:53:54.667 --> 01:53:56.611
It's in the work being done by the

01:53:56.611 --> 01:53:58.889
Deputy Secretary of War to incentivize ,

01:53:58.889 --> 01:54:01.111
as the , as the , uh , acting secretary

01:54:01.111 --> 01:54:02.667
said , to re-facilitize and

01:54:02.667 --> 01:54:04.833
recapitalize , have skin in the game ,

01:54:04.833 --> 01:54:06.500
if you will , from the actual

01:54:06.500 --> 01:54:08.667
manufacturers themselves . Uh , it's ,

01:54:08.667 --> 01:54:10.833
you know , I'm frustrated a bit on the

01:54:10.833 --> 01:54:12.944
pace in which people are bringing new

01:54:12.944 --> 01:54:15.278
technologies in , as I stated . Earlier ,

01:54:15.278 --> 01:54:17.500
in particular robotics and AI into ways

01:54:17.500 --> 01:54:19.500
that I think we can do things a lot

01:54:19.500 --> 01:54:21.556
quicker . And so there needs to be a

01:54:21.556 --> 01:54:23.667
way to get after that . You'll see it

01:54:23.667 --> 01:54:25.833
in psyop . It's actually the O and the

01:54:25.833 --> 01:54:28.056
psyop is how we're actually bringing in

01:54:28.056 --> 01:54:27.935
new equipment and in our own

01:54:27.935 --> 01:54:29.935
re-facilitization of our own public

01:54:29.935 --> 01:54:31.991
yards , bringing in state of the art

01:54:31.991 --> 01:54:33.935
equipment and doing it the same at

01:54:33.935 --> 01:54:36.102
every 4 yards . So we train a shipyard

01:54:36.102 --> 01:54:38.157
worker , they can go do that type of

01:54:38.157 --> 01:54:39.935
milling operation or additive

01:54:39.935 --> 01:54:41.935
manufacturing operation the same in

01:54:41.935 --> 01:54:43.991
each one of those . So it's a lot of

01:54:43.991 --> 01:54:46.229
that going on . Uh , the pace is , I

01:54:46.229 --> 01:54:48.451
think , a bit concerning that we're not

01:54:48.451 --> 01:54:50.451
moving faster on that , but it will

01:54:50.451 --> 01:54:52.507
take some time to see the results of

01:54:52.507 --> 01:54:54.673
that . And so I do , you know , I just

01:54:54.673 --> 01:54:54.490
want to be , you know , very set

01:54:54.490 --> 01:54:56.657
expectation here . There is investment

01:54:56.657 --> 01:54:58.823
going on on that , but it is a new way

01:54:58.823 --> 01:55:00.934
of doing business , and we need it to

01:55:00.934 --> 01:55:02.934
take traction . And I'm with you on

01:55:02.934 --> 01:55:04.990
that , sir . I've , I've heard , you

01:55:04.990 --> 01:55:04.669
know , from people who manufacture

01:55:04.669 --> 01:55:06.613
these systems , lighting systems ,

01:55:06.613 --> 01:55:08.780
other things that we can't get anybody

01:55:08.780 --> 01:55:10.836
at the Navy or any of the people who

01:55:10.836 --> 01:55:12.891
are doing this to , to talk to us or

01:55:12.891 --> 01:55:14.891
even look at these things . And you

01:55:14.891 --> 01:55:16.891
bring up a good point . I tell high

01:55:16.891 --> 01:55:19.113
school kids when you go , you know , AI

01:55:19.113 --> 01:55:21.225
is not coming to fix your AC on a hot

01:55:21.225 --> 01:55:23.225
Sunday or the pipe that's broken in

01:55:23.225 --> 01:55:22.890
your house . It's gonna take humans to

01:55:22.890 --> 01:55:25.001
do those things , and we need to make

01:55:25.001 --> 01:55:27.112
sure that we have the workforce along

01:55:27.112 --> 01:55:29.279
with the AI technology and the ability

01:55:29.279 --> 01:55:31.390
for plug and play type of equipment .

01:55:31.459 --> 01:55:33.570
Well , one of the things I could , is

01:55:33.570 --> 01:55:35.515
like one of the things that's very

01:55:35.515 --> 01:55:37.403
manually intensive is . Taking an

01:55:37.403 --> 01:55:39.459
actual design drawing and turning it

01:55:39.459 --> 01:55:41.681
into a production drawing , that's done

01:55:41.681 --> 01:55:43.903
manually today through like CAD and CAM

01:55:43.903 --> 01:55:45.903
software , but that's still a human

01:55:45.903 --> 01:55:48.070
being edited . All of that can be done

01:55:48.070 --> 01:55:50.015
with artificial intelligence , and

01:55:50.015 --> 01:55:49.774
we're not , that's the type of thing

01:55:49.774 --> 01:55:51.941
I'm talking about leveraging . When it

01:55:51.941 --> 01:55:53.885
comes to production work and , and

01:55:53.885 --> 01:55:56.107
torquing a nut on a , on a , on the end

01:55:56.107 --> 01:55:58.330
of a pipe . Yes , that's , that's still

01:55:58.330 --> 01:56:00.663
going to be a human , sir . No question .

01:56:00.663 --> 01:56:02.885
As long as the humans are in control of

01:56:02.885 --> 01:56:05.009
the actual firing of weapons and we

01:56:05.009 --> 01:56:07.009
don't let AI have the ability to do

01:56:07.009 --> 01:56:09.176
that , I'm with you guys all the way ,

01:56:09.176 --> 01:56:11.231
and I don't want you to feel out the

01:56:11.231 --> 01:56:13.509
commandant , so I have one for you too ,

01:56:13.509 --> 01:56:15.509
um . Can you discuss how the Marine

01:56:15.509 --> 01:56:17.731
Corps is approaching the threat that we

01:56:17.731 --> 01:56:19.953
found in Ukraine now and and since it's

01:56:19.953 --> 01:56:22.065
changed basically the way we do war ,

01:56:22.065 --> 01:56:24.120
the forces relied on everything from

01:56:24.120 --> 01:56:25.953
sophisticated electronic warfare

01:56:25.953 --> 01:56:28.065
systems to shotguns as a last line of

01:56:28.065 --> 01:56:30.231
defense . What are we doing on the way

01:56:30.231 --> 01:56:33.419
to like push , uh , uh , or , or push

01:56:33.419 --> 01:56:35.641
the counter drone capabilities down the

01:56:35.641 --> 01:56:37.752
lowest echelon so that every unit has

01:56:37.752 --> 01:56:39.697
organic means to defend itself and

01:56:39.697 --> 01:56:41.697
would accelerating this integration

01:56:41.697 --> 01:56:43.697
require any additional resources or

01:56:43.697 --> 01:56:45.863
funding ? Well , sir , thanks for that

01:56:45.863 --> 01:56:48.086
question . We're doing quite a bit . We

01:56:48.086 --> 01:56:50.363
have a drone dominance task force , uh ,

01:56:50.363 --> 01:56:50.049
led by Colonel Scotty Cuomo down at

01:56:50.049 --> 01:56:52.930
Quantico who is driven to get a drone

01:56:52.930 --> 01:56:55.290
and a counter drone technology in our

01:56:55.290 --> 01:56:57.890
hands . Primarily the best defense is a

01:56:57.890 --> 01:57:00.001
good offense . So what we're doing is

01:57:00.001 --> 01:57:01.609
we're proliferating small

01:57:01.609 --> 01:57:04.049
manufacturable 3D principle drones ,

01:57:04.200 --> 01:57:06.367
which is mimicking what the Ukrainians

01:57:06.367 --> 01:57:08.533
are doing . Our real issue is going to

01:57:08.533 --> 01:57:10.756
be employment of those drones . What we

01:57:10.756 --> 01:57:12.867
want to make sure we can do is we can

01:57:12.867 --> 01:57:14.922
train with them on our installations

01:57:14.922 --> 01:57:14.589
that they don't have to go to the FAA

01:57:14.589 --> 01:57:16.919
for permission to fly at 500 ft or 400

01:57:16.919 --> 01:57:19.086
ft , but we're doing a pretty good job

01:57:19.086 --> 01:57:20.919
of additive manufacturing and 3D

01:57:20.919 --> 01:57:22.752
printing our own drones that are

01:57:22.752 --> 01:57:24.641
delivering small bombs , which is

01:57:24.641 --> 01:57:24.629
really what's doing most of the killing

01:57:24.629 --> 01:57:27.750
on the battlefield in Ukraine . Well ,

01:57:27.830 --> 01:57:31.779
um , The technology that's necessary

01:57:31.779 --> 01:57:34.001
for that , we are just developing now .

01:57:35.029 --> 01:57:37.140
Well , what I would say , sir , is we

01:57:37.140 --> 01:57:39.085
have that technology . We have the

01:57:39.085 --> 01:57:39.029
technology , we just don't have the

01:57:39.029 --> 01:57:41.580
production rates . I see , so you're

01:57:41.580 --> 01:57:43.691
building up the volume as you speak ,

01:57:43.691 --> 01:57:45.747
building up the volume as we speak ,

01:57:45.747 --> 01:57:49.109
sir . OK , um , lastly , uh , Admiral

01:57:49.109 --> 01:57:51.229
Caro , operations in the Middle East

01:57:51.229 --> 01:57:53.118
have uh reinforced the persistent

01:57:53.118 --> 01:57:55.390
importance of critical choke points to

01:57:55.390 --> 01:57:57.612
maritime security . Looking towards the

01:57:57.612 --> 01:57:59.834
Indo-Pacific , what capabilities should

01:57:59.834 --> 01:58:02.001
Congress invest to ensure the Navy can

01:58:02.001 --> 01:58:04.001
break a maritime blockade and deter

01:58:04.001 --> 01:58:05.890
other gray zone operations by our

01:58:05.890 --> 01:58:07.946
adversaries in that region ? Funding

01:58:07.946 --> 01:58:10.001
the ability to close our kill webs ,

01:58:10.229 --> 01:58:12.340
counter targeting our ability to hold

01:58:12.340 --> 01:58:14.340
high quality track , precision long

01:58:14.340 --> 01:58:17.660
range fires , and um our ability to

01:58:17.660 --> 01:58:19.910
command and control that and contested

01:58:19.910 --> 01:58:23.000
logistics . Great . Thank you all for

01:58:23.000 --> 01:58:25.056
your service . Thank you gentlemen .

01:58:25.056 --> 01:58:27.389
You're back , Mr . Chairman . Thank you .

01:58:27.389 --> 01:58:29.839
Ms . McCollum . Well , thank you , Mr .

01:58:30.180 --> 01:58:32.236
Chair . This has been an interesting

01:58:32.236 --> 01:58:34.291
meeting as you see , we talked a lot

01:58:34.291 --> 01:58:37.149
about . Mandatory versus non-mandatory ,

01:58:37.439 --> 01:58:39.640
what the authorizers authorize and the

01:58:39.640 --> 01:58:41.939
money that we have and everything else .

01:58:42.160 --> 01:58:44.560
So to the questions that will be

01:58:44.560 --> 01:58:46.560
submitted to the questions you were

01:58:46.560 --> 01:58:48.782
asked today , the sooner you can get us

01:58:48.782 --> 01:58:50.838
the answers , the better because the

01:58:50.838 --> 01:58:53.004
chair is gonna start moving on on June

01:58:53.004 --> 01:58:55.439
11th . And we , we get our bills done

01:58:55.439 --> 01:58:57.859
on time , but we can get our bills done

01:58:58.080 --> 01:59:00.069
better on time with the more

01:59:00.069 --> 01:59:02.291
information that we have . So I think ,

01:59:02.319 --> 01:59:04.486
uh , thank the three of you for your ,

01:59:04.486 --> 01:59:06.560
your testimony here today and once

01:59:06.560 --> 01:59:09.000
again please for all those who served

01:59:09.000 --> 01:59:12.080
with you and , and under you , we

01:59:12.080 --> 01:59:14.970
appreciate , um , their . Their

01:59:14.970 --> 01:59:16.748
sacrifice and that includes the

01:59:16.748 --> 01:59:18.970
civilian workforce that works alongside

01:59:18.970 --> 01:59:21.250
of you too who's not getting a raise .

01:59:21.640 --> 01:59:23.696
You got to fix that with that , Mr .

01:59:23.696 --> 01:59:25.919
Chair , I thank you and um I'll submit

01:59:25.919 --> 01:59:28.086
questions for the record . Thank you .

01:59:28.086 --> 01:59:30.308
And I just want to say I agree with the

01:59:30.308 --> 01:59:32.530
gentle lady completely here . We're all

01:59:32.530 --> 01:59:34.308
together on this . We need this

01:59:34.308 --> 01:59:34.209
information quick . I don't want to

01:59:34.209 --> 01:59:36.265
sound like a broken record , but I'm

01:59:36.265 --> 01:59:38.487
just gonna ask one last question , uh ,

01:59:38.487 --> 01:59:42.339
Admiral . On the current rate of

01:59:42.339 --> 01:59:44.506
operations , when do you expect to run

01:59:44.506 --> 01:59:48.120
out of money ? Sir , I will have to

01:59:48.120 --> 01:59:49.959
start making decisions to change

01:59:49.959 --> 01:59:52.080
training , operations , certification

01:59:52.080 --> 01:59:54.191
events , uh , those type of things we

01:59:54.191 --> 01:59:56.720
do to generate our force , uh , in the

01:59:56.720 --> 01:59:58.498
July time frame and the current

01:59:58.498 --> 02:00:01.279
expenditure . So that , that has to

02:00:01.279 --> 02:00:03.279
come out of a supplemental . That's

02:00:03.279 --> 02:00:05.501
correct , sir . That's that's not going

02:00:05.501 --> 02:00:07.723
to come out of reconciliation . We need

02:00:07.723 --> 02:00:09.946
a reconciliation bill immediately , and

02:00:09.946 --> 02:00:12.112
we need it set up here because we need

02:00:12.112 --> 02:00:14.223
to pay the men and women who serve us

02:00:14.223 --> 02:00:16.446
gallantly in the United States military

02:00:16.446 --> 02:00:18.779
and uh . They can't do it without money .

02:00:18.779 --> 02:00:22.109
So please , would you , if I need to

02:00:22.109 --> 02:00:24.165
call Russ this afternoon , I'll call

02:00:24.165 --> 02:00:26.165
him , but I don't know who's making

02:00:26.165 --> 02:00:27.887
this final decision to get the

02:00:27.887 --> 02:00:30.109
supplemental over here , but we need to

02:00:30.109 --> 02:00:32.220
get it over here . Both sides need to

02:00:32.220 --> 02:00:32.169
look at it . Obviously the Senate needs

02:00:32.169 --> 02:00:34.391
to look at it . It's going to take some

02:00:34.391 --> 02:00:36.502
time and at the same time we're going

02:00:36.502 --> 02:00:38.613
to be doing the base bill for defense

02:00:38.613 --> 02:00:40.613
appropriations , but it seems to me

02:00:40.799 --> 02:00:42.799
based on what you just told me that

02:00:42.799 --> 02:00:44.466
we're going to need to do the

02:00:44.466 --> 02:00:46.632
supplemental first and get this funded

02:00:46.632 --> 02:00:48.950
as quickly as possible . Um , but with

02:00:48.950 --> 02:00:51.006
that , uh , before , I want to thank

02:00:51.006 --> 02:00:52.950
all of you for coming here today .

02:00:52.950 --> 02:00:55.006
Thank you for your testimony . Thank

02:00:55.006 --> 02:00:57.172
you for your service , uh , and we are

02:00:57.172 --> 02:00:56.310
adjourned .