▶ 0:14:51>> I will be chairing the hearing until the chairman joins us. He is unavoidably detained right now, and we are going to move ahead with the hearing. The senate armed services committee meets today to consider the nominations of Dr. troy meink to be secretary of the air force, Mr. michael duffey to be under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, esther emile michael -- Mr.
▶ 0:15:17Emil michael to be under secretary of defense for research and engineering, and Mr. keith bass to be assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. I welcome our witnesses and thank them for their willingness to serve our country at this important time. It would also like to welcome your families and loved ones who are joining you today. Dr. meink is joined by his wife, daughter, and stepbrother. Come to each of you. Mr.
▶ 0:15:47Duffey is joined by his wife, daughter, and son. Thank you for joining us on this special day. Mr. michael is joined by his wife, dollar cup -- daughter, son, and his mother and father, and quite a few other family and friends. Esther bass -- Mr. bass is joined by his daughters. We are think leach if you can be with us today.
▶ 0:16:16Our distinguished chairman is unable to be here at the start of the meeting, but at this time, I ask unanimous consent to place a copy of his opening statement into the record. Without objection. With that, I turn to my colleague, ranking member reed, for his opening statement.
▶ 0:16:33Sen. Reed: Gentlemen, congratulations on your nomination, and welcome to today's hearings. I would like to recognize your family members and guests. I know they support you throughout your time. I would also like to recognize senator rounds and congressman fitzgerald, who shortly will be introducing Dr. meink and Mr. duffey. Dr.
▶ 0:17:00Sen. Reed: Meink, you have serve the air force, including as undersecretary of the air force. If confirmed, you would lead a department of the air force at an important time. After two decades of high operating tempo and overseas deployments, the readiness of the air force has been strained.
▶ 0:17:24Sen. Reed: The air force is in the midst of modernizing several critical capabilities, including the bomber force, the ballistic missile force, the advanced battle management system program, and several other cutting-edge efforts. But modernization can only be successful if the air force appropriately balances legacy platforms against new priorities, including crude -- un-crewed systems.
▶ 0:17:53Sen. Reed: I asked that you share how you will address these challenges. Mr. duffey, you have been nominated to be under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. Your background includes time in the office of the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, as well as management and budget.
▶ 0:18:10Sen. Reed: The usdans has duties including delivering timely capabilities to the armed forces, supervising all defense acquisition enterprise, and the defense industrial base. Overseeing the modernization of our nuclear 4 -- nuclear forces, and serving sustainment and corporate logistics. If confirmed, streamlining and expediting the acquisition process must be one of your highest priorities.
▶ 0:18:40Sen. Reed: We need to field weapons to over war fighters quickly while also assuring acquisitions remain on budget and schedule. We must also grow the defense industrial base to increase our ability to force more competition to drive efficiency and reduce costs. Although some promises made in recent years, the acquisition process still remains one of the government accountability office' is high risk lift -- list. Mr.
▶ 0:19:08Sen. Reed: Duffy, I would like to know how you plan to address these challenges. Mr. michael, your background includes roles at technology companies such as uber, and 10 years in the defense department. If confirmed, you will be responsible for managing the department investments in key modernization priorities such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, hypersonic's, biotechnology, and micro electrons.
▶ 0:19:36Sen. Reed: To maintain our technological lead over china and russia in these areas, you will need to advocate for modernization. More broadly, you will be charged with overcoming the pentagon's so-called valley of death, ensuring the department is able to turn research operations into real operational capabilities.
▶ 0:20:02Sen. Reed: This will require strengthening connections between research and procurement activities and defense contractors. You will protect the people and infrastructure at organizations like the defense labs and test ranges. Mr. michael, I would like to know your views on your role regarding these challenges at this important moment. Finally, Mr. bass, you have been nominated to be assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.
▶ 0:20:33Sen. Reed: You have extensive experience in military health care systems, having served in the navy for 20 years before continuing to support the v.a. Health care system as a civilian. The asd ha is the prince will advisor to the secretary of defense and under secretary of defense for the health protection policies, programs, and activities.
▶ 0:20:54Sen. Reed: Asd ha is also responsible for execution of the department's medical mission, including readiness of services during the e operations, and ensuring health of members of the armed services and their families. If confirmed, will need to address pressing challenges including the modernization of the military health system and improving medical support for combatant commanders. Mr. bass, I hope you will address these challenges in your testimony.
▶ 0:21:25Sen. Reed: These are momentous challenges that require all of your experience and skills. But I certainly want to thank you for your willingness to serve and I look forward to your testimony. Thank you, madam chairman.
▶ 0:21:39Sen. Fischer: Thank you, senator reed. Senator rounds, I understand you will be addressing Dr. meink this morning, and I recognize you for your comments.
▶ 0:21:47Sen. Rounds: Thank you, distinguished colleagues of the senate armed services committee. It is my honor to introduce Dr. troy meink, nominee to be the secretary of the air force. It is a role which Dr. meink is imminently qualified for after a lifetime of public service in the field of national security. He is joined by his wife, jean, son, troy, daughter, jenna, and stepbrother, lieutenant colonel.
▶ 0:22:15Sen. Rounds: He hangs from -- he hails from lemon south dakota, which is as close to north dakota as you can get without stepping over the line, and he graduated from my alma mater, south dakota state university. That is the jackrabbits, by the way. He met his wife at fds you. They were college sweethearts. An air force rotc graduate, he served as a tanker navigator and instructor, and then in a variety of roles working on critical defense and intelligence programs.
▶ 0:22:45Sen. Rounds: He is at heart a true engineer. He designed and built and then flew his own airplane, which still hangs on display in the south dakota discovery center in my hometown, the capital of south dakota, pierre. In his minimal spare time, Dr. meink continues to give back to his community. He has even led high school robotics teams.
▶ 0:23:10Sen. Rounds: By the way, the same ones that have gone on to defeat the people's republic of china team in competitions. If he can defeat the prc with a bunch of high school students, imagine what he is going to be able to do with the world's greatest air and space forces. Dr. meink's experience and professionalism are precisely what we need in the pentagon.
▶ 0:23:36Sen. Rounds: His senior roles in the air force and national reconnaissance office, including as deputy undersecretary of the air force for space, have prepared him for this assignment. I urge you to support this very highly qualified nominee to be the next secretary of the air force. Thank you, madam chair.
▶ 0:23:57Sen. Fischer: Thank you, senator rounds. Next, we have a calling from the house, representative fitzgerald, who will be introducing Mr. duffy.
▶ 0:24:06Rep. Fitzgerald: Thank you, members of the committee. I'm honored to introduce my good friend, michael duffey, and support his nomination to be undersecretary of defense for acquisitions and sustainment. I know mike and his wife morgan for many years, going back to their time in wisconsin, and mike is a proud wisconsinite and a graduate of marquette high school and the university of wisconsin.
▶ 0:24:34Rep. Fitzgerald: He brings a depth of experience on national security, technology, and the federal budget that will make him a tremendous asset as undersecretary of acquisition and sustainment. I'm confident his previous experience serving under two presidents of the white house and seven secretaries of defense in the pentagon will allow him to carry out the president's agenda. Mike has been a strong advocate for the U.S.
▶ 0:25:03Rep. Fitzgerald: Military, and I know he will bring his tireless work ethic and integrity to this important position. Thank you very much.
▶ 0:25:13Sen. Fischer: Thank you, representative fitzgerald. You are welcome to depart or to stay for the hearing as you see fit. Thank you very much. Dr. meink, welcome, sir. You are recognized for your opening statement.
▶ 0:25:26Mr. Meink: Chairman wicker, ranking member read, and distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the chance to appear before you today as nominee for the secretary of the department of the air force. I'm honored and humbled to have this opportunity, especially at such a critical time in our nation. I think president trump for my nomination to this position.
▶ 0:25:51Mr. Meink: I'm joined today by my wife, jean, a retired air force nurse and one of the best officers I have known. We met at south dakota state university in 1985, before a class started, and it did not get off to a great start. I was already studying and she thought I was a bit of a nerd. She did not know is I was actually studying for my private pilot's license. My focus at that time was air force officer, pilot, astronaut.
▶ 0:26:19Mr. Meink: It did not work out that way, what I have been fortunate to have her by my side since then, and to serve my country in a variety of roles for 35 years. I would like to acknowledge my son and daughter, who have provided the greatest moments of my life. We have enjoyed many activities. Perhaps not their favorite was coaching them and their teammates in competitive robotics. I have also had my stepbrother here, troy merkel, who also served multiple tours in the middle east.
▶ 0:26:49Mr. Meink: Finally, I would like to think my father, mother, sister, and other members of my family who could not be here today. Would like to briefly talk about the reasons I am honored and excited about the opportunity to continue my service in the department of the air force. In 35 years of service, the first or spent as an air force navigator, serving a significant portion of that time overseas.
▶ 0:27:11Mr. Meink: The first deployment came as I was pulled off of strategic nuclear alert and sent to support operations in the first gulf war, where I flew over 100 missions. This rapid shift in mission and the flex billy required left a lasting impression on me. I believe flexibility is even more critical today.
▶ 0:27:36Mr. Meink: Following my active duty time, I transitioned to the air force reserves, spending four more years supporting the national air intelligence center and the ballistic missile defense organization. I also became an air force civil servant, operating some of the most advanced weapons systems for the department of defense and the intelligence community.
▶ 0:27:55Mr. Meink: It included multiple positions as a researcher, program manager, the director of communications programs and policy at the pentagon, a pretty undersecretary to the air force for space, assistant director of national intelligence for resources analysis, and as principal deputy director of the national reconnaissance office. A big part of these jobs was understanding the threat that I was building systems to have to support against this quickly evolving threat.
▶ 0:28:26Mr. Meink: These threats shaped my perspective. The challenges are threefold. First, competitors such as china are evolving faster than we are in some cases. Which will eventually result in the U.S. losing our technological advantage. Secondly, some competitors such as russia are fielding asymmetric capabilities.
▶ 0:28:49Mr. Meink: Third, our homeland is increasingly put on the defensive from threats such as cyberattack, unmanned aerial systems, and illegal activities at the border, including illicit drug trafficking. If confirmed, my pearly will be to organize and equip the air force to have the lethality to deter all potential aggressors, and if necessary, when in conflict.
▶ 0:29:15Mr. Meink: The department's building and operating some of the most complex systems ever fielded, both air and space. We need the right number of guardians, but we also need skills, training, support, and focus to deliver and operate those systems. Secondly, we need to innovate faster. I spent the last decade expanding the industry base, which has significantly accelerated delivery of capability, and at a lower cost.
▶ 0:29:43Mr. Meink: I intend to bring the same drive for innovation to the department. Finally, we need to streamline the acquisition budget process with appropriate fiscal controls. I have helped lead my current organization to 16 clean financial audits, which I believe is a record in the national security enterprise. Throughout my career, I have demonstrated my commitment to the protection and defense of our nation.
▶ 0:30:09Mr. Meink: If confirmed, I intend to bring what I have learned to this position and to the department, to deliver on the president's goal of achieving peace through strength. Should I be fortunate enough to get this job, I look forward to working toots -- working to secure and equip the nation. Thank you and I look forward to your questions.
▶ 0:30:30Sen. Fischer: Mr. duffy, welcome. You are recognized for your opening statement.
▶ 0:30:35Mr. Duffey: Thank you, distant wish members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today, and for your consideration of my nomination to serve as the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. I want to thank representative fitzgerald for his generous introduction, and thinking vice president vance and secretary pete hegseth for honoring me with this nomination.
▶ 0:31:02Mr. Duffey: I'm humbled by the trust they have placed in me to lead the department's efforts to rebuild our military and revitalize our defense industrial base. I pledge to them and to this committee that if confirmed will work tirelessly to provide much-needed military capabilities to our war fighters today, and to arm tomorrow's forces with the capabilities they need to prevail in future conflicts.
▶ 0:31:24Mr. Duffey: I also want to thank my wife, morgan, our children, reynolds and deans, and my father and mother, joseph and patricia, for supporting my nomination and service to the nation. The love and support you provide me every day inspired me to serve my country, to make it better and stronger for you and future generations. President trump received a mandate from the american people to make america strong again.
▶ 0:31:51Mr. Duffey: Secretary hegseth has affirmed that his three priorities to achieve this mandate are to restore the warrior ethos to the pentagon, rebuild our military, and reestablish determined -- deterrence. I would assume responsibility to implement president trump's mandate and secretary hegseth' is priorities to provide the force necessary to turn our adversaries and if necessary prevail in conflict.
▶ 0:32:18Mr. Duffey: America's ability requires a military force structure to deter and if necessary defeat our adversaries. This will require the department to modernize how it manages the integration of requirements, budgeting, and acquisition processes, aligning incentives to deliver results.
▶ 0:32:41Mr. Duffey: We must seek to revitalize through industrialization increased investment, flick civil contracting, enhanced workforce recruitment and training, and increased competition. As our nation knows from our historic victory in world war ii, future conflicts will be one on the factory floor as much as the field of battle. Our ability to deliver the most cutting edge weapons and replenish equipment and systems lost or expended in battle with speed and proficiency is increasingly a differentiating factor on the battlefield.
▶ 0:33:13Mr. Duffey: Therefore, we must outpace our adversaries in our ability to supply our military with decisive advantage, while maintaining our ability in building and industrial capacity to replenish those forces as needed. An american defense and industrial base that is responsive to the emergent needs will act as a powerful deterrent to our adversaries, maybe winning a war of attrition in a predicted future conflict.
▶ 0:33:43Mr. Duffey: I think chairman wicker for your leadership in advancing initiatives for the department of defense. If confirmed, I look forward to partnering with the committee members and staff to improve how the pentagon acquires weapons, with a focus on four primary roles. First, to dramatically accelerate the delivery of lethality to our war fighters. Secondly, diving a laser focus on increasing the speed, performance, and afford ability of our acquisition system.
▶ 0:34:11Mr. Duffey: Third, strengthening the defense industrial base by increasing and increased investment from new entrants, nontraditional's, and traditional vendors alike. Finally, incorporating for any first century business systems and management practices to better manage and acquire cutting-edge military capabilities.
▶ 0:34:34Mr. Duffey: If confirmed, I will be accountable to president trump, secretary hegseth, this committee, the congress, and the american taxpayers, to resource our military arsenal. Thank you for your time today and your consideration of my nomination.
▶ 0:34:50Sen. Wicker: -- Sen. fischer: thank you, Mr. duff. Mr. michael?
▶ 0:34:58Mr. Michael: Senator fischer, ranking member read, and distant wish numbers of the committee, it is the owner of a lifetime to be here today, seeking your advice and consent for me to be a nominee for the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering. I'm grateful to president trump for entrusting me with this important nomination, and look forward to making him, secretary hegseth, in the country proud of the work I do if confirmed by the senate.
▶ 0:35:27Mr. Michael: Nowhere but in the united states of america could a first generation immigrant from a small family, left an increasingly hostile country, with religious minorities like my family from egypt, will be sitting in front of you today, leading the defense of our nation. It is an even greater gift that might 85 euro father and 77-year-old mother are able to witness this moment after a lifetime of hard work.
▶ 0:35:56Mr. Michael: Struggle and devotion to the goal that my sister and I had a better life than they did. I want to thank my friends and family who have come from all over the country, my sister, my in-laws, my business partners, my friends from grade school who have been with me for 40 years, and helped me to be the man I am today. Most importantly, my wife, julie, and our son, who is one-year-old, and I'm not sure how long he is going to make it through this hearing.
▶ 0:36:25Mr. Michael: My daughter, colette, who is five years old. They are really my american dream, and they support me in everything that makes me who I am. Part of that american dream was getting a world-class education from the public school system of new rochelle, new york, which launched me into some of the best higher education systems in the world.
▶ 0:36:46Mr. Michael: With much risk for my ability to cover my student loans after those expensive colleges, I became an entrepreneur, where I helped build and grow four companies, what coaching others to build on new ideas, often against entrenched interests, big companies, and things that made it very difficult for them to dream. The most important company I was part of was super.
▶ 0:37:13Mr. Michael: Today it is a verb, -- uber is a verb, a noun, and a lifeline for hundreds of millions of people. I'm embracing technological innovation at speed. Uber reduced drunk driving deaths by half, gave the most flexible work you could possibly find, and allowed people of the background to get away -- get around safely.
▶ 0:37:41Mr. Michael: Proved to consumers and drivers that there was something better than the unreliable and expensive service that the taxi cartels had profited off of four decades. I had the privilege for working -- village of working for secretary of defense robert gates. I learned how to make things happen fast in the pentagon. That includes the joint ied defeat program.
▶ 0:38:04Mr. Michael: I also learned how to reform the pentagon as a lead on a budget initiative which changed and unsustainable trajectory of growth at the expense of our war fighters. After that, I brought better ideas for technology practices to the defense department. All of this experience has culminated in my desire to serve as the undertaker -- undersecretary for research and engineering, which is the chief technology officer of the department.
▶ 0:38:34Mr. Michael: I would bring decades of experience in the technology industry, and management of large organizations, to ensure the U.S. has the most technologically sophisticated defense systems in history. The most necessary is innovation at speed. That means increasing the department willingness to take risk while having the discipline to stop the projects that are failing.
▶ 0:39:03Mr. Michael: That means focusing investments in science and technology on only those things that are aligned on our peace through strength mission. This must be done at a pace traumatically different than the defense department has done in modern times.
▶ 0:39:17Mr. Michael: Time must be a factor in all our decisions as we confront an increasingly sophisticated adversary in china, which not only has lower labor costs, but is notorious for intellectual property theft, making products more quickly than we might have imagined a decade ago.
▶ 0:39:36Mr. Michael: Our work to recast the relationship between dod and the emerging defense tech sector -- the dod needs to foster more robust and competitive defense industrial base by providing more realistic requirements, providing smaller companies with less burdensome processes, becoming more agile in how we grant product -- grant contracts. The private sector should bear risks of their own failure.
▶ 0:40:03Mr. Michael: A healthy ecosystem will provide for weapons that are better, cheaper, and faster. We work to catch up where we are behind, and increase the gap when we are ahead. We are living in a different world than when I was in the pentagon last in 2011. Every enterprise, public or private, must now be in the technology innovation business. There is no choice but to do so at full speed. The U.S.
▶ 0:40:31Mr. Michael: Has the money and the will to ensure fighting supremacy in every scenario this new world demands. I fully believe in president trump's vision of a golden dome for america. Thank you for your consideration for a nomination. Look forward to hearing your nominations -- are questions about how I can best serve our country and president trump in achieving this mission.
▶ 0:41:01Sen. Fischer: Mr. bass, you are now recognized.
▶ 0:41:04Mr. Bass: Thank you, ranking member read and distinguished memory is of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today. Am deeply honored and humbled to be nominated for the position of assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. Grateful for the trust placed in me by president trump and secretary hegseth. I want to thank the members of this committee. I've greatly appreciative the opportunity to meet with many of you to discuss ways to strengthen and enhance the military system.
▶ 0:41:35Mr. Bass: I look forward to strengthening our partnership to enhance the mission of military medicine. Before I begin, I would like to express my gratitude to my family, both those here with me today and those watching from afar. I'm joined by my twin brother, kevin, retired colonel of the U.S. army, and my two daughters, kate and erin. Their support has been instrument in my journey and I'm especially grateful for their encouragement.
▶ 0:42:04Mr. Bass: I also want to recognize my wife, martha, and my parents, who could not be here, but are watching virtually. I've had the honor and privilege of retiring from the U.S. navy after 20 years of service. Throughout my enlisted and officer career, I served in ships and military medical treatment facilities both domestic and overseas, at the navy bureau of medicine and the central intelligence agency and the white house.
▶ 0:42:33Mr. Bass: After retiring from the military, I transitioned into civilian leadership, serving as technology company and as a medical center director at the v.a. Health care center. Throughout my career, I have supported humanitarian missions, disaster response efforts, theater medical operations, and casualty evacuations. I had the privilege and honor of serving alongside dedicated military and civilian professionals who sustain the readiness of our forces.
▶ 0:43:04Mr. Bass: I could not be more proud to call them colleagues and friends. The military health system is a global leader in serving care, unmatched in excellence and second to none. I'm excited about the future of military medicine and the opportunity to drive innovation and improve patient outcomes. I continue to focus on modernization, technology, research, care delivery. We can strengthen operational readiness and set new standards and casualty care.
▶ 0:43:34Mr. Bass: We must also acknowledge the complex and evolving challenges facing our health care, ensuring the readiness of our forces for training and adapting to rapid technological advancements are all pressing advancements -- pressing and require strategic action. If confirmed, my highest priority will be to advance -- to provide advanced care both on and off the battlefield.
▶ 0:44:02Mr. Bass: A strong military health system is the cornerstone of our national defense strategy, and maintaining a medically ready for us requires an innovative and adaptive health care system. If confirmed, I will work closely with congress, military leaders, l care professionals, and community partners to ensure force readiness. We can build a health care system that not only meets today's needs, but anticipates and adapts to the challenges of tomorrow.
▶ 0:44:30Mr. Bass: I look forward to talking with you today and welcome any questions you might have.
▶ 0:44:40Sen. Fischer: I will ask a standard set of questions this committee poses to all civilian nominees. Have you adhered to laws and regulations governing conflicts of interest? >> yes. >> yes.
▶ 0:44:54Sen. Fischer: Have you assumed duties are taken actions that would appear to presume the outcome of the confirmation process? >> no.
▶ 0:45:02Sen. Fischer: Exercising our legislative and oversight responsibly's make that important this committee, subcommittees, and other committees of congress receive testimony, briefings, reports, records, and other information from the executive branch on a timely basis. Do you agree, if confirmed, to appear and testify before this committee when requested? >> yes.
▶ 0:45:29Sen. Fischer: Do you agree to provide records, documents, and electronic communications in a timely manner when requested by this committee, it's subcommittees, or other appropriate committees of congress, and to consult regarding the basis for any good faith delay or denial and providing such records? >> yes.
▶ 0:45:51Sen. Fischer: Will you ensure that your staff complies with deadlines established by this committee for the production of records, reports, and other information, including timely responding to hearing questions for the record? >> yes.
▶ 0:46:07Sen. Fischer: Will you cooperate in providing witnesses in response to congressional requests? >> yes.
▶ 0:46:16Sen. Fischer: Will they be protected from reprisal for their testimony or briefings? >> yes.
▶ 0:46:22Sen. Fischer: Thank you. We will now begin with our first round of questions, and I will start. These are five-minute rounds. Having a safe, effective, and reliable and credible nuclear deterrent is a cornerstone of our national defense.
▶ 0:46:51Sen. Fischer: Currently, each leg of our nuclear triad is undergoing a generational recapitalization to better align with the projected threat. The department of the air force is responsible for two of the three legs. The land-based icbms and our bomber fleet. Dr.
▶ 0:47:07Sen. Fischer: Meink in your answers to policy questions, you stated that the ground leg of the nuclear triad, minuteman three and overtime sentinel, our foundational to strategic defense of the homeland. I agree with that.
▶ 0:47:27Sen. Fischer: I also believe that we have an opportunity, following the non-mccurdy breach to encourage a more enduring sentinel program than was initially proposed. If confirmed, will you commit to utilizing all available tools to accelerate sentinel emplacement and ensure that our icbm capability does not -- does move forward?
▶ 0:47:56Mr. Meink: Thank you, senator. I will do so and appreciate the conversation we had on this topic. I look forward to diving into the results. I will work on other issues from a nuclear perspective.
▶ 0:48:16Sen. Wicker: -- Sen. fischer: you will oversee it nuclear modernization efforts and serve as chair of the nuclear weapons counsel Mr. duff. Can you provide us with a short summary of your views on why we need such a strong nuclear deterrent?
▶ 0:48:32Mr. Duffey: Madam chair, thank you for the question. I look forward if confirmed to assisting and leaving the department in the oversight of the nuclear monitor -- modernization program. Nuclear modernization is the backbone of our strategic deterrent.
▶ 0:48:52Mr. Duffey: Ensuring that we have a modern, capable nuclear enterprise that not only includes the b 21, which is a successful acquisition program by all accounts, but the columbia class submarine and the icbm are critical.
▶ 0:49:11Mr. Duffey: As chair of the nuclear weapons council, I look forward to the partnership with the national security administration, working to ensure that we maintain the highest quality systems, that not only deliver the weapons, but nuclear command and control system that would be required for a safe and secure deployment, if necessary, and I
▶ 0:49:42Mr. Duffey: Think it is absolutely critical that we ensure that we have accelerated acquisition of those capabilities. Thank you.
▶ 0:49:50Sen. Fischer: Would you agree that our triad, along with nc3, they deterrent it provides, truly is the priority of the department and underpins all our strategic planning?
▶ 0:50:02Mr. Duffey: I absolutely agree with that. Yes, ma'am.
▶ 0:50:07Sen. Fischer: Dr. meink, I believe we are finally on a better path when it comes to space programs. I am impressed by what our guardians have achieved over the last several years. But the space force is still a young organization. There are likely still growing pains ahead. I am encouraged that the president nominated someone for this program with deep expertise in the space -- in space programs.
▶ 0:50:35Sen. Fischer: What is your vision for how the space force should grow and how it should evolve as a service?
▶ 0:50:45Mr. Meink: Thank you for the question, senator. I've been fortunate to work on space systems, both on the air force side, which then became the space force side, as well as from the ic side. Space is critical.
▶ 0:51:00Mr. Meink: This is one of the areas that we are most challenged, I believe, from the rapidly involving threat from china and others, both the direct threat to our systems, as well as the threat those systems pose to our operations across the department in general.
▶ 0:51:24Mr. Meink: I believe the key is to make sure you have the best talented workforce. If the U.S. is going to maintain our advantage, as we need to do in space, we need to make sure we have the right workforce. Space force is in the process of growing. I will support that activity to make sure we have the right numbers and the right skill set, and make sure that the acquisitions are delivering.
▶ 0:51:51Sen. Fischer: Can you give me a quick example of what new capabilities you think space force should be focusing on to acquire? A quick example.
▶ 0:52:08Mr. Meink: I think -- [no audio]
▶ 0:53:10Mr. Meink: I can provide that assurance that if confirmed I will follow the law.
▶ 0:53:17Chair Wicker: At cape canaveral, it has become highly constrained due to the class of ultra heavy lift rockets and the amount of standoff distance they require. If confirmed, will you review what options are available to alleviate this constraint, which is hindering competition in this particular area, and report back as quickly as possible to the committee?
▶ 0:53:40Chair Wicker: I think one of the great achievements of the last few years is the privatization of space lunches and the competitive model was a good one. Would you like to see that continue?
▶ 0:53:56Mr. Meink: I would be happy to. One of the phrases I say sometimes is this is a good problem to have. Historically, we had very limited access to space launch. That has grown across many companies in the U.S., but that has led to some challenges. It is getting very busy, very crowded at some of these larger launch vehicles, due to different concerns than maybe we had to address in the past.
▶ 0:54:25Mr. Meink: That capability is important for us to maintain our advantage in space. To some degree, what we are doing gives the U.S. an asymmetric advantage. We do need to make sure we have the proper launch for structure, the proper space to continue operations, and allow that both national security and commercial industry be involved.
▶ 0:54:48Sen. Reed: And you'll get back to us as quickly as possible?
▶ 0:54:51Mr. Meink: Yes, sir.
▶ 0:54:54Sen. Reed: Mr. michael, one of the key advantages we have in our industrial base is our technical workforce within the military, including our acquisition professionals, or test evaluation community, our stem personnel in laboratories. They are vital. In fact, I think we will find that will be the pathway to more productivity as we enhance this workforce.
▶ 0:55:23Sen. Reed: But we are now in a situation where many of these individuals are being dismissed without any cause. They are being encouraged to leave. And many of them have the skills to walk out the door and get a lot more money in the private sector. What can and will you do to reverse this trend to build up our workforce, rather than to haphazardly dismiss it?
▶ 0:55:52Mr. Michael: Winking member read -- ranking member reed, we all agree technological enhancement is the way forward for the defense department in almost every dimension. We have some storied labs like darpa and other places that ought to be fortified, as opposed to degraded in any way.
▶ 0:56:18Mr. Michael: I think part of that is ensuring it remains an honored profession, because people join these labs and these affiliated organizations because they care about the mission. We have to honor that. I think we can attract more people and retain people if we celebrate their accomplishments more, and if we focus on missions that are going to be important and realized.
▶ 0:56:46Mr. Michael: That is why I mentioned I think focusing on those missions and honoring their successes will attract and retain more of them. I've done that in the private industry for decades, focusing on getting engineers, keeping them, rewarding them, to produce great things. That is what I intend to do.
▶ 0:57:07Sen. Reed: You are looking at a situation now where people were dismissed based not on their talent, but they can be dismissed. I hope you can reverse that policy. Thank you. And my time is expiring. I will have a question for the record for Mr. bass.
▶ 0:57:30Sen. Fischer: Thank you. Senator cotton, you are recognized.
▶ 0:57:33Sen. Cotton: I return to the line of questioning about nuclear modernization. The two of the three legs of the nuclear triad in the air force -- sometimes the funding for that counts against the top line for the air force and in internal budget battles. I worry the air force cannot execute all of its tasks when it comes to its conventional tasks, while also executing modernization of our missiles and our long-range bombers.
▶ 0:58:07Sen. Cotton: Do you agree we need to look at the top line for the air force to account for the nuclear passed through to ensure the air force has the budget necessary to perform all of its vital tasks?
▶ 0:58:18Mr. Meink: Thank you for the question and things for the opportunity to talk a little bit off-line. The air force is in a unique position in its history. We are in the process of modernizing across all five core mission areas -- the nuclear triad, nuclear deterrence is a huge part of that, as you mentioned. One of the first things I plan to do is take a holistic look at all of the modernization and all of the readiness bills we have coming.
▶ 0:58:50Mr. Meink: I will put together an advocate for what resources I think are necessary to execute all of those missions, working both within the administration and with congress, which I have found throughout my time working national security a good relationship with congress is critical. I will be back here, walking through what I think we need to do.
▶ 0:59:13Sen. Cotton: Thank you. I'm sure in the internal budget battles you will remind everyone it is not just the top line of nuclear modernization.
▶ 0:59:22Mr. Meink: Yes, senator. There are a couple of slugs in there.
▶ 0:59:26Sen. Cotton: The other thing that worries me is retaining our troops, especially in the air force. We are nearly 1800 pilots short for every four jobs requiring a fighter pilot. I have thoughts on some of the factors driving this, in part due to some roundtable senator king and I have held with pilots. We can probably always do a better job of paying our pilots.
▶ 0:59:53Sen. Cotton: I don't think you ever can pay them enough, compared to what commercial airlines will pay them, or private companies. People join the air force to fly , fighter pilots. They want to fly jets in defense of our nation. We need to get them more time in the cockpit, training here and downrange. I think it is one big factor. There are other factors as well. Could you give me your thoughts on that, and a commitment that you will look carefully at that?
▶ 1:00:21Mr. Meink: I will commit I am going to look carefully at that. Senator, I think I see that as a quality of service. Quality of life, pay -- that only goes so far. We need to make sure not just with pilots but across our highly skilled areas within our workforce that they have the opportunity to do what they have been trained, what they love to do.
▶ 1:00:44Mr. Meink: I think that could be a bigger impact on maintaining some of these highly technical skill sets, letting them do what they are trained to do. I've been around since I was a navigator. We have always struggled with maintaining pilot levels. It is larger than just the funding. And not to ask something of you, but if you have other opinions, if I'm confirmed, I would love to sit down and talk.
▶ 1:01:16Sen. Cotton: The international air force base in fort smith is the home of the writing mission for the f-35. It is going to grow from four aircraft today to 48 in the next five years, twice as fast as the normal bed down. The air force has worked well with our state and local partners.
▶ 1:01:38Sen. Cotton: Can I get your commitment that you will continue to work as we go through this fast but successful bed down to ensure they have the resources?
▶ 1:01:53Sen. Cotton: Mr. bass, I hate to have missed our meetings. Wonder boy from arkansas tech university, right across the river. Glad to see you today. Congratulations on your nomination. I continue to hear that the mhs genesis program is causing problems for recruiting and converting recruits into new troopers.
▶ 1:02:22Sen. Cotton: We want to work efficiently with medical records and do not want to bring in people who are going to be washed out because of serious medical conditions six months after basic training. But we have discovered a lot of things. In the past days, plus the honest -- let's be honest, your recruiter would tell you to lie. If you had a broken arm when you played junior high football, it gets reported now, and you have to go through a bunch of rigmarole. In the meantime, you get a better job doing something else.
▶ 1:02:53Sen. Cotton: Can you look at how genesis is operating, to make sure we catch the serious problems we need to without delaying young men and women who are eager to sign up and serve in the military?
▶ 1:03:04Mr. Bass: Thank you, senator. Go razorbacks. I would commit to taking a look at the standards. A good problem to have is that we have too much information in our medical health record. We will take that. We also need to look at our policies. I commit to working that with your office.
▶ 1:03:30Sen. Fischer: Thank you, senator cotton. Senator shaheen, you are recognized.
▶ 1:03:33Sen. Shaheen: Thank you to the nominees and your families. Welcome this morning. Thank you for your willingness to continue to serve our country. Mr. bass, I want to follow up on a concern I have aced on your record at the cia. I have been very concerned about directed energy attacks on our intelligence community abroad.
▶ 1:03:59Sen. Shaheen: I worked with a number of those victims over the years, from the time of the first attacks in china and cuba. The department of been offering prickle care at walter reed for victims across the interagency.
▶ 1:04:17Sen. Shaheen: Many in the intelligence community are doing a disservice to these victims by continuing to deny that this is a real issue, and to fail to look for attribution for who is responsible. I understand there are reports from your time at the cia that suggest you did not take seriously the reports of those anomalous health incidents.
▶ 1:04:42Sen. Shaheen: Can you speak to why you were skeptical, and what your position would be if you are confirmed for this new role?
▶ 1:04:51Mr. Bass: Thank you, senator, and thank you for your commitment to this effort. I reject the premise that I did not take ahi seriously. All individuals affected, regardless, it should be treated with dignity and respect, and they should be afforded health care. The issue we had to resolve is these individuals wanted to go to walter reed. We needed to streamline the process for getting secretary designate.
▶ 1:05:22Mr. Bass: At that time, the processes and the policies were not in place to get them to -- I think we were using nih at the time. We pulled together all the subject matter experts. My understanding is that dod has successfully expanded that process and these individuals not just at the agency -- it was at all of the federal agencies.
▶ 1:05:48Mr. Bass: We wanted to make sure these individuals got the health care they deserved, regardless of source. They should have gotten health care. And we worked to do that. Given time, we did get those individuals into the health care they deserved.
▶ 1:06:08Sen. Shaheen: You commit that it confirmed the defense health agency will continue to play a critical role in care and treatment for those who have been victims?
▶ 1:06:16Mr. Bass: 100%, I commit to that.
▶ 1:06:20Sen. Shaheen: Thank you. I would like to ask the other three of you who -- I'm sorry I missed the opening statements that everybody provided. In the questions, you have all talked about the need for additional resources at the department level.
▶ 1:06:39Sen. Shaheen: How do you square that with the current commitment of secretary hegseth to reduce funding for the department of defense by 8% over the next five years?
▶ 1:06:57Mr. Duffey: Senator, thank you for the question. I believe the media reporting on that is inaccurate. I do not believe it is the secretaries attend -- intent to cut the budget 8%. He directed the services to look at a budget that had been prepared by the prior administration with a focus on a percent of the resources of the prior budget, and reallocate that toward this administration's priorities.
▶ 1:07:30Sen. Shaheen: Can you tell this committee that if you disagree with the directive for the sacred -- for the secretary of defense or the administration about what they tell you we should do with our nuclear program, that if you think it is incorrect, and it will affect the ability of the program to operate successfully in the future, you would stand up to those people directing you to do
▶ 1:08:01Sen. Shaheen: Something you think you should not be doing?
▶ 1:08:05Mr. Duffey: I would take my responsibility seriously to advocate for the resources I believe are necessary in order to prevail in conflict.
▶ 1:08:18Mr. Meink: Senator, I will always advocate for the resources to meet the requirements I have been given. I have a history of doing that. I will continue to do that.
▶ 1:08:35Mr. Michael: I think the first thing a new leader does when they come into an organization is like into what their mission is, and do they have the resources to accomplish it or not. Every new administered and gets their own agenda. That would be one of the first orders of business when you get into a job like this, would be to assess that and make sure you have the right resources.
▶ 1:09:02Sen. Wicker: -- chair wicker: thank you, senator shaheen. Mr. cramer.
▶ 1:09:10Sen. Cramer: I think you will find you don't have enough resources. That is my prejudgment. I think it is great that you are surrounded by the research and develop an guy and the acquisition guy, and your are talking about modernization. The first I wanted to know -- in south dakota -- as close to north dakota as you can be, to quote my colleague -- was your area code 605 or 701? Lemon is known to have both.
▶ 1:09:36Mr. Meink: It is not just both. Part of the town is in north dakota. I was six under five.
▶ 1:09:47Sen. Cramer: That's fine. It gets harder from there. I'm told the air force was considering, the technological advancement, is considering solicitations for this transport layer on the tranche two and three, and using star shield, which is an existing spacex capability.
▶ 1:10:08Sen. Cramer: One of the specific purposes, as per the founding document, is to expand our space war fighting capability. I'm told that cutting these bids for these transport layers means maybe eight or more small, midsized companies would not be allowed to big -- to bid. Is this a good idea?
▶ 1:10:38Sen. Cramer: Do you think cutting opportunities like this could hurt the innovators in the industrial base and the potential going forward?
▶ 1:10:48Mr. Meink: One of the things I pushed for over the last 10 years is to expand competition. That ends up almost always with the best result for both capability and cost to the government. I'm not familiar with those discussions going on in the pentagon. If confirmed, I look forward to diving into that and assessing where they are going and what is recommended. What I'm not seeing those recommendations.
▶ 1:11:18Sen. Cramer: I look forward to finding out the answers and changing course if that is the case. The founding document which was written in march of 2019 said we cannot match the pace our adversaries are setting if we remain bound by legacy methods and culture. I've been told so many times by people that have positions like you are all seeking that that is their commitment. I have yet to see anybody really put that to practice.
▶ 1:11:51Sen. Cramer: You were probably part of that culture. Why do you think the statement wasn't needed in 2019? Do you think the statement is relevant today? If not, why?
▶ 1:12:02Mr. Meink: Senator, I think that sort of thinking is always required. We have to look at how we are executing. As technology changes, as different threats change, we have to be flexible and adaptable. We have made I believe significant improvements in how we are acquiring systems. I would argue at that time there were probably no programs that were moving faster than the chinese. That is not the case now.
▶ 1:12:33Mr. Meink: We still have a long way to go.
▶ 1:12:42Sen. Cramer: While I have time, I'm going to switch to Mr. vass and talk about something dear to my heart, coming from a very rural area with some very important bases in our country and in our world, certainly to me. I championed some legislation in the ndaa about rural health care and access to mental health services. But I was told that the defense health agency was against it.
▶ 1:13:12Sen. Cramer: The committee staff would not put it in the bill without a vote of the members. It passed on a voice vote. This has to do with tricare reimbursement for health care services that don't meet the singular very specific accreditation. Not a better accreditation.
▶ 1:13:37Sen. Cramer: Just an accreditation that greatly reduces access to mental health care. This became important to me because I know of two airmen who sought mental health care and were denied by tricare, who are no longer with us because they ultimately chose to take their own lives. All because of this one accreditation. I don't know what would have happened had they been able to get the chair that was available to them.
▶ 1:14:04Sen. Cramer: But the bill we passed that is part of the ndaa -- it basically says if access in the state fails to meet standards for more than 12 months consecutive, we have to look at something different. It is c1 under review.
▶ 1:14:28Sen. Cramer: My experience, far too often we have to ask somebody where review is and then four months. Will you please commit you will look into this right away and one year from enactment, I don't have to wait more months for the conclusion?
▶ 1:14:51Mr. Bass: Mental health access for service members has to be priority. I will commit.
▶ 1:14:59Chair Wicker: Senator king.
▶ 1:15:02Sen. King: Appropriate you are sitting together. " between the work you are doing. Technology wins wars. The side that has the new technology prevails. Genghis khan, world war I, world war ii.
▶ 1:15:35Sen. King: We missed major technologies of the 21st century. It goes back 15 years. Hypersonic's and directed energy. We have to catch up. Prior administration cut the budget in half, which does not make sense. $3 million per missile to knock $20,000 drones out of the red sea.
▶ 1:16:05Sen. King: I know there is work. It should be accelerated. Request, you try and think ahead about acquiring the next tech, not just what we've always done. My most hated words in english, we have never done it that way before. I hope you subscribe to philosophy of trying to look to the future.
▶ 1:16:32Mr. Duffy: Thrilled to sitting next to Dr. meink but Mr. michael, I look forward to a partnership with both gentlemen. How do we leapfrog our adversaries? How do we accelerate that?
▶ 1:16:57Sen. King: One way is smaller businesses. They have given up on the pending acquisition process. Redtape. I hope you don't turn away from fostering small businesses where a lot of innovation takes place.
▶ 1:17:20Mr. Duffy: Agree. Like to recognize the leadership chairman wicker provided, which takes a bold step toward revisions of law that are no longer relevant. How do we remove those burdens we place on business that want to deliver value?
▶ 1:17:43Sen. King: Research. Crucial. Same argument. New tech. I hope we don't lose touch with universities which are huge assets as well as private sector research capability. Is it your intention to maintain support for research whether private, government or university?
▶ 1:18:13Mr. Michael: Certainly. Obvious to me. Example, ai. Private sector is investing hundreds of billions per year which dwarfs by orders of magnitude dod. We should be leveraging that.
▶ 1:18:35Mr. Michael: In university settings, they are renovating quantum and other areas we need to draw from, pulling in faster to dod and Mr. duffy's acquisition programs to get those in sooner from both organizations.
▶ 1:18:55Sen. King: Short of time. Brain health. Signature issue from the war on terror has been problems with blast overpressure and brain health long-term effects. Hope that is something you will pay significant attention to. Ongoing studies in the department but I want to emphasize implementation over the results are important.
▶ 1:19:27Sen. King: I hope you will commit brain health is something you will tend to? It is one of the most important maladies affecting troops.
▶ 1:19:36Mr. Bass: Thank you for your commitment. Dod is a leader in this. I will commit we will continue to look at ways and devote research, making sure we make progress.
▶ 1:19:51Sen. King: None are so devout as the convert. I was not enthusiastic about the creation of space force. I admit I was wrong. I used ai minutes ago to determine the budget is 3.5% of the total budgetf defense.
▶ 1:20:17Sen. King: Given the role of space in future conflict, I think space force deserves greater resources and attention. The first day or two of any future conflict will take place in space.
▶ 1:20:34Dr. Meink: I believe you are correct. Space will be a determining factor from deterrence perspectives. We need to get that right. Budget has been growing since founding five years ago. I will continue to advocate for resources.
▶ 1:20:59Dr. Meink: The department general given the threat environment will play an important role in air and space and I will advocate for resources.
▶ 1:21:12Chair Wicker: Well said. Senator budd.
▶ 1:21:19Sen. Budd: Congratulations and thank you to your families for being here. Air force announced seymour johnson base will be one of the first deployable combat wings, ready for deployment fiscal year27. What is your understanding of the concept?
▶ 1:21:47Dr. Meink: Thank you for our discussion, I apologize we got off topic. My understanding is limited with reorganization. I am aware they are in process of attempting to transition to that concept. It holds promise. If confirmed, I will look.
▶ 1:22:20Dr. Meink: My understanding is the secretary will likely ask me to look.
▶ 1:22:24Sen. Budd: Look forward to working together. January op-ed, air force fleet, the smallest and oldest it has ever been. "we are blocked from divesting aircraft and programs ill-suited from today's threat environment." in your opinion, is the f-15 strike eagle ill-suited for the threat environment today?
▶ 1:22:53Dr. Meink: F-15 is my favorite plane. F-15 air cap came to my rescue when I was in a tanker and ran off a couple iraqi fighters. I am conflicted when it comes to the f-15. It will not be able to operate in the highest threat environment. Does it have value? Yes. How long do we continue? How do we divest the value?
▶ 1:23:25Dr. Meink: It has value today, not in all environments.
▶ 1:23:29Sen. Budd: Broadly, thoughts on the general's comments about the size and age of the fleet? Amount of tactical fighters, is it too small?
▶ 1:23:47Dr. Meink: The fleet's agent. 30+ years on average. Some critical platforms are older. When I was a navigator, I never flew a kc-35 that was younger than me. They are still flying today. They are getting old. Still capable but they are aging.
▶ 1:24:18Dr. Meink: With respect to numbers, I am looking forward to seeing the detail analysis that went into projections on ngad and other systems. My sense is it is probably too small, both on the fighter and bomber.
▶ 1:24:37Sen. Budd: American deterrence relies on maintaining military technological edge. China's strategy to blunt that through espionage and ip threats and theft, you will both play a role in ensuring american allies have the tools needed to prevail while ensuring critical new technology stays out of unfriendly hands.
▶ 1:25:10Sen. Budd: As we develop and scale new tech including next-generation air dominance, ai and quantum, how will you act to ensure this remain in our hands?
▶ 1:25:28Mr. Michael: One of the most important things I will work on. Chinese capabilities, salt typhoon and implementation into university programs and systems, that means that adversary can catch up without 80% of the cost. They can innovate on top of our investment. That is advantage.
▶ 1:25:56Mr. Michael: Protecting against ability to steal our ip prop, trade secrets and us not being reliant on their supply chains are things we have to do in combo to ensure that when we are superior, we stay superior.
▶ 1:26:14Sen. Budd: How will you ensure our acquisition system can keep up with the rate of technology innovation in the world?
▶ 1:26:23Mr. Duffy: It is critical we have a robust defense industrial base that can provide security to protect our property and ensure we are delivering the most cutting-edge capability to our forces. My commitment if confirmed to explore those barriers preventing new entrants and private capital from entering the base, to accelerate production capacity and create new innovation.
▶ 1:26:55Chair Wicker: Thank you. Hope policymakers, house and senate and executive and private sector are listening to the valuable testimony. Follow-up.
▶ 1:27:14Chair Wicker: You said the number of years in the future f-15 might be valuable or useful is a question. Opinion?
▶ 1:27:35Dr. Meink: Appreciate the opportunity offline. I haven't seen detail results of analysis in support of ngad. I don't have the latest info. The four generation fighters are still in many environments effective.
▶ 1:28:06Dr. Meink: Cost-benefit analysis as we bring on fifth and sixth generations. I will look into it and brief the hill.
▶ 1:28:17Chair Wicker: Valuable answer in itself. Senator hirono.
▶ 1:28:24Sen. Hirono: Welcome. As part of my effort to ensuring the fitness of all nominees I ask the following initial questions. Since you became a legal adult, have you made unwanted requests for sexual favors or committed verbal or physical harassment or assault of a sexual nature?
▶ 1:28:53Mr. Duffy: Never.
▶ 1:28:55Sen. Hirono: Down the line.
▶ 1:28:58Dr. Meink: No senator.
▶ 1:29:00Mr. Michael: No.
▶ 1:29:02Mr. Bass: No.
▶ 1:29:03Sen. Hirono: Have you ever faced discipline or entered a settlement relating to this type of conduct? >> no. >> no. >> no. >> no.
▶ 1:29:15Sen. Hirono: This is the first hearing of this committee since the security breach involving signal and the attack on yemen. Yes or no. Based on your backgrounds, each of you has had a security clearance.
▶ 1:29:37Mr. Duffy: Yes. >> yes.
▶ 1:29:44Mr. Michael: Have or had? Yes. >> yes.
▶ 1:29:52Sen. Hirono: Each of you would agree protecting classified info is important? >> yes. >> yes. >> obligatory.
▶ 1:30:03Sen. Hirono: Yes. It is the law. Have you discussed classified info on an unclassified device or medium? >> no. >> no. >> no. >> no.
▶ 1:30:18Sen. Hirono: I am glad you answered no. Obvious. If you admitted you did not follow the law, you would be admitting to committing a federal crime. I asked the record of this hearing include the atlantic article which includes the signal chat attack plans for strikes on yemen?
▶ 1:30:49Chair Wicker: Objection? Without. So ordered.
▶ 1:30:53Sen. Hirono: I join colleagues calling for investigation, sooner the better. We need to counter the tendency of this administration to sweep everything under the rug when things get uncomfortable for them.
▶ 1:31:15Sen. Hirono: Joint base construct between air force and navy, joint base pearl harbor hickam has led to extensive infrastructure and military construction delays including at the hickam air force base, field. These delays have impacted military readiness in the indo pacific and war fighter quality-of-life.
▶ 1:31:41Sen. Hirono: Will you commit to working with my office to resolve these readiness gaps and quality-of-life challenges?
▶ 1:31:48Dr. Meink: I commit to working with you. Hickam and hawaii are critical to operations within theater. Opportunity to operate out of there in the past. I understand the importance and will commit to working with you, congress and the secretary of the navy on those issues.
▶ 1:32:13Sen. Hirono: I would like to see more coordination between the navy and air force on the needs, construction needs. I hope you have plans on how you will enhance the coordination?
▶ 1:32:30Dr. Meink: Yes. It will be critically important I work closely with navy and department of air force to do what we need to do to ensure infrastructure in hawaii can support it.
▶ 1:32:47Sen. Hirono: Infrastructure needs and modernization needs of our bases are critical for readiness, national security. Relating to a concern about the state of our bases, particularly hawaii, I am introducing a requirement this year for each military service to submit a 30 year infrastructure plan modeled
▶ 1:33:17Sen. Hirono: After the navy annual 30 year shipbuilding plan. This will ensure, one hopes, long-term planning resilience and accountability for all services. When you support a 30 year infrastructure plan for air force?
▶ 1:33:34Dr. Meink: I will work to address any language from congress.
▶ 1:33:43Sen. Hirono: We need a long-term plan. When you don't have this, the money supposed to go for these kinds of improvements gets taken for the purposes and that is why if we have a plan, congress will be able to see whether you are comported. I hope you will see your way to supporting such a requirement in the ndaa.
▶ 1:34:12Chair Wicker: Members are reminded suggested legislation should be submitted by monday night next for inclusion in the ndaa. Senator banks.
▶ 1:34:33Sen. Banks: The president expressed confidence in the air national guard by nominating general came to be chairman of the joint chiefs. That has never happened, to have a joint chief come from the national guard. The importance of the air national guard and air force mission and priority of the air national guard under your watch?
▶ 1:35:02Dr. Meink: Thank you for offline. Air national guard is critical. A significant portion of department capabilities across board from tankers to fighter aircraft.
▶ 1:35:24Dr. Meink: It will continue to be an important part of the department and we need to continue to support the states and congress to make sure it stays so.
▶ 1:35:36Sen. Banks: The air force is shrinking. We are not buying enough planes to keep the force at current size. Air force reserves and national guard carries a greater priority in the mission. How can we ensure air national guard is getting its fair share of new fighter aircraft?
▶ 1:35:59Dr. Meink: One of the things I plan to do is take a holistic look across modernization activities to understand what we need from numbers. How fast we need to build to support active duty and reserve units? I will advocate for whatever that capability is and resources needed both up to the administration and congress.
▶ 1:36:25Sen. Banks: I look forward to working with you to make sure the air national guard doesn't get the short end of the stick like it often does. Kc-135, prism air force base, indiana. How important the air force is there?
▶ 1:36:46Dr. Meink: I am biased since I started my career in tankers. It has always been critical. One of the reasons we were pulled off alert and sent to the gulf war is because tankers were not only necessary for the strategic mission, they were critical for operations in the middle east.
▶ 1:37:13Dr. Meink: The tanker force will always will be and is becoming more important is in ranges are longer. We need to continue and ensure the tanker force, active and reserves are able to support mission.
▶ 1:37:34Sen. Banks: Is it surprising they are still flying the same planes as when you were there?
▶ 1:37:41Dr. Meink: A little bit. To some degree, not to dive too deep, it was almost a brand-new airplane. 60 years is still old even with maintenance.
▶ 1:37:59Sen. Banks: Air force refueling tankers are among the oldest aircraft in the fleet. The air force is not buying enough new tankers to replace the ones retired. Grissom, where you started your career, has a two-mile runway, one of the longest in the U.S. the air force needs new tankers for grissom, which otherwise threatens to close down the base and we would lose that important runway asset.
▶ 1:38:30Sen. Banks: How should we be working to fix the air force refueling fleet?
▶ 1:38:35Dr. Meink: The new tanker is the focus. We have to work with government and contractor to get that program on track, production rates up and drive cost down so we can afford the tanker force necessary to expand and replace as we integrate. It is getting old.
▶ 1:39:02Dr. Meink: We will have to replace those which means we need the new tanker into production.
▶ 1:39:08Sen. Banks: I look forward to working with you. Your background is perfect. You have my support. To the other three, I don't have time but congratulations.
▶ 1:39:21Chair Wicker: Senator banks, summer of '71, I did my field training that grissom. First flight on a kc-135 was during that time. You are bringing back memories.
▶ 1:39:48Chair Wicker: Like the buffs, they have been doing well a long time. Senator warren.
▶ 1:39:56Sen. Warren: Health care for men and women in uniform is critical in peacetime and more so in wartime. If confirmed as assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, you will be responsible for ensuring 10 million service members and families receive quality health care including timely access to medication.
▶ 1:40:25Sen. Warren: I am concerned about overreliance on foreign nations for the medications that put the health of service members at risk and our national security with it. Tod spends $5 billion on prescriptions each year. That's a lot. -- dod.
▶ 1:40:47Sen. Warren: November '23, the defense logistics agency revealed the supply chain for one third of all drugs on the fda essential medicines list is at very high risk. Why? The ingredients from these drugs are sourced from china for we don't know -- or we don't know where they are sourced from.
▶ 1:41:14Sen. Warren: Do you agree it is a threat to readiness and the potential health of service members that dod's pharmaceutical supply chain relies so heavily on china?
▶ 1:41:25Mr. Bass: Thank you for meeting with me. I agree it is a threat. Vulnerability.
▶ 1:41:33Sen. Warren: This overreliance gives adversaries power to restrict dod's access to drugs when we need to treat our men and women in uniform. It leaves us with less visibility into the practices of foreign manufacturers, which by the way routinely have quality issues that threaten the efficacy and safety of these drugs.
▶ 1:42:00Sen. Warren: For these reasons, dod recommends boosting production of finished drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients and other key starting materials so we are making more of this in the U.S.
▶ 1:42:18Sen. Warren: Do you think dod should work to onshore critical drugs the military needs including writing contracts that require manufacturers to onshore capabilities?
▶ 1:42:32Mr. Bass: I do. We need to work with our industrial base, private and public partners and have rapid response contracts and make sure we onshore or nearshore capabilities.
▶ 1:42:47Sen. Warren: Good. Dod should prioritize domestic purchasing. Some instances, it makes sense for dod to produce the medication itself, like when dod is the sole customer for that medication. Example.
▶ 1:43:07Sen. Warren: Adna virus vaccine, critical in preventing serious respiratory illness among service members, particularly those in basic training. Dod developed and licensed the vaccine to private industry. Because the military is basically the only buyer, dod couldn't find a commercial manufacturer for a decade.
▶ 1:43:33Sen. Warren: Dod eventually had to pay a private manufacturer 100 billion to resume production. During the years of the private sector refusing to manufacture, there were thousands of cases of the virus per month and service members who died.
▶ 1:43:54Sen. Warren: If confirmed, will you commit to expanding dod capabilities of producing essential drugs in house to reduce risk and secure dod's medical supply chain?
▶ 1:44:09Mr. Bass: The health and well-being of military members is priority. I am not familiar with the report but I commit to working with you.
▶ 1:44:19Sen. Warren: Appreciate that. This is a problem. These are investments that will payoff. One expert estimated dod would make its money back in three years after building it sound ed na virus manufacturing facility. This is a long-standing bipartisan concern. I worked with senator rubio for years on this.
▶ 1:44:46Sen. Warren: Last year the senate adopted our language directing dod to enter into contracts to domestically manufacture drugs and components currently sourced overseas and used exclusively by military. I want to see us get that in the final version of the ndaa. There is more work to do.
▶ 1:45:08Chair Wicker: Thank you. Senator tuberville.
▶ 1:45:15Sen. Tuberville: I was in huntsville last week so watched the performance of high-energy lasers. Senator king brought that up. What is your thoughts on high-energy and the last few years?
▶ 1:45:38Mr. Duffy: Thank you for alabama's contribution to the defense industrial base. Directed energy and high-energy lasers would provide tremendous capability, when we think through the threats we face whether it comes to counter uas systems, really the threat we face whether from adversaries
▶ 1:46:10Mr. Duffy: Like the houthis that are able to inflict low cost kinetics at us which require us to expand high cost weapon systems -- if we can get the tech where we need to be with directed energy and high-energy lasers, that would provide us the capability to have a low cost response to those threats.
▶ 1:46:41Mr. Duffy: In the future of distributed warfare with swarms, that would be critical.
▶ 1:46:45Sen. Tuberville: The progress we made has been small. Companies get bought out, move down the line or cannot make it because of funding. They are doing an outstanding job. I would like you to come down and visit and see for yourself.
▶ 1:47:02Mr. Duffy: Look forward to it.
▶ 1:47:07Sen. Tuberville: On the future of engineering in your departments. Tough time keeping good engineers employed because of private companies taking our good people away. Your plan of hopefully keeping the best and brightest in military?
▶ 1:47:37Sen. Tuberville: Either one or both.
▶ 1:47:42Mr. Michael: Two fold. First, we have to have successes well promoted inside the enterprise. If dartmouth does something great, we need to get it out of the labs and into production fast and that gives people motivation to want to be part of that. Second thing, we should work with private industry more.
▶ 1:48:08Mr. Michael: Hey I, there's a lot of money being spent -- a.I., there's a lot of money being spent. We should be leveraging where they are spending more, the things we have to do on the basic research side. We have to get it out of the labs faster.
▶ 1:48:32Dr. Meink: To echo, it's not just money. It's opportunity to do advanced research, engineering that has a mission outcome. In my current organizations, what we have found, the high technical workforce, we have done well with recruiting and retention. It goes back to quality.
▶ 1:49:03Dr. Meink: When you bring in skilled, talented people regardless of that talent, there needs to be opportunity to be successful. To do it, it takes a lot of work to get the skills, in many cases that is more important than pure salary or funding.
▶ 1:49:22Sen. Tuberville: We talk about machines a lot but we don't talk about people enough. It is becoming more common for members of the armed services to be referred away from military treatment facilities. The consequences are norma's to the taxpayer, the cost -- enormous to the taxpayer, the cost. How do we fix this?
▶ 1:49:50Mr. Bass: We need to look at medical readiness as priority and make sure we meet access to care standards for military members. Delicate balance between going to through the direct care system and then the private sector. We need to encourage health care in the mtf's for volume and complexity but when necessary we need to send it to the community.
▶ 1:50:23Mr. Bass: We have to look at the balance. If confirmed, I will work to make sure we are meeting access standards and health care for our troops, and they are getting world-class care.
▶ 1:50:33Sen. Tuberville: We need to involve the 21st century a.I. Into the things we do between hospitals, doctors and drug companies. They are there. We just don't use them for some reason. I hope we get involved in that.
▶ 1:50:50Chair Wicker: Senator slotkin.
▶ 1:50:56Sen. Slotkin: I yield to senator rosen.
▶ 1:51:04Sen. Rosen: I am off to foreign relations after this. Thank you. Thank you for your willingness to serve. Thank you senator banks for bringing out the importance of the national guard. I could not agree more.
▶ 1:51:29Sen. Rosen: Nevada air national guard, 152nd air wing in reno flies the modular firefighting system. It flies it with its legacy c-130. They fly over wildfires and mountainous terrain.
▶ 1:51:50Sen. Rosen: Upgrading would provide capacity for retardant which increases firefighting capability throughout the western states, which is their mission. Every year we are plagued by wildfires. Earlier this year the wing was activated to fight fires around l.a.
▶ 1:52:12Sen. Rosen: Upgrading to j's is critical because during summer, c-130h's from reno, can't even take off. This wouldn't be a problem for the j's. No other base has greater operational need. Eight j's were procured which await a decision by the secretary of the air force.
▶ 1:52:41Sen. Rosen: If confirmed, will you ensure the airlift wing will receive those? We were next on the list. So they can more capably and safely carry out their dangerous firefighting mission throughout the western U.S.?
▶ 1:52:56Dr. Meink: Thank you. I have a lot of indoctrination into the j. I promise to work with you to look at the basing layout. I will work with committee and you to make sure it is fully considered.
▶ 1:53:20Sen. Rosen: Location mission served is important. I see some young kids in the audience. Air men stationed northwest of las vegas fly the reapers, the unmanned aerial system. They struggle to find adequate childcare options because shift schedules are outside normal business hours.
▶ 1:53:45Sen. Rosen: They go 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to support global operations. In-home childcare solutions for service members in regions with high demand, it just hasn't been successful so far. A lot of it has to do with red tape and cumbersome requirements which renders in-home childcare reimbursement unavailable for many nevada families.
▶ 1:54:12Sen. Rosen: We would be able to do this with the community if we could cut red tape and serve each other. This is important for the needs of families and the mission. They may be based in nevada but they are not flying in nevada. Can you commit to make this program work better for families? It's a quality of life and quality of mission, particularly those at creetch?
▶ 1:54:43Dr. Meink: My wife is retired air force officer. I've spent time in the reserves and active. I understand the challenges in remote locations. We go to them for a reason but it creates challenges and redtape. Yes, I commit to work with you on streamlining.
▶ 1:55:03Sen. Rosen: Thank you. Nevada test and training range, the crown jewel of the air force.
▶ 1:55:13Chair Wicker: What did you say?
▶ 1:55:16Sen. Rosen: The nitter . I'm sorry, that's what the air force because it. The crown jewel. The largest training space in the lower 48. It can never beat alaska on the amount of space but tactics development, advanced training without interference from commercial aircraft.
▶ 1:55:43Sen. Rosen: Modernization has been among the top priority to ensure training keeps pace with current and emerging threats and capabilities. We were able to pass modernization fy24 as collaboration between the nevada delegation, air force, department of the interior and other stakeholders. Almost 90% of nevada's land is managed by federal government in some fashion. We will take this off the record.
▶ 1:56:13Sen. Rosen: Your priorities for future investments at thenitter and how do we envision the range evolving? I will take that for the record. Thank you.
▶ 1:56:28Chair Wicker: Senator slotkin.
▶ 1:56:32Sen. Slotkin: Thank you. Congratulations. I remember coming in front of this panel under chairman leven to do a panel confirmation hearing and I remember being the target and everyone sat quietly and got no questions. For those of you having different experiences today, congratulations.
▶ 1:56:56Chair Wicker: You were in junior high.
▶ 1:56:59Sen. Slotkin: I was not but I got the full mccain treatment and remember it to this day. You should be proud and happy none of you received it. In michigan, the only air national guard controlled base in the country.
▶ 1:57:28Sen. Slotkin: Any good michigander will bring up our interest in a replacement fighter mission for a-10s which are phasing out fy27. In order to have a better shot, we need more airframes. Lots of us on this committee for various reasons want air force to have more planes.
▶ 1:57:54Sen. Slotkin: Will you commit to working with us on replacement mission, fighter mission, not a refueling -- we have those coming -- fighter mission for suffrage air force base?
▶ 1:58:05Dr. Meink: I commit to working with committee on ensuring we have the right number of platforms and where those are vetted.
▶ 1:58:14Sen. Slotkin: The right number is more, no matter what it is.
▶ 1:58:17Dr. Meink: Yes.
▶ 1:58:18Sen. Slotkin: Good. Love to invite you to selfridge and check out what we have going on.
▶ 1:58:26Dr. Meink: Happy to do so.
▶ 1:58:29Sen. Slotkin: Great. Switching gears, you have been sitting in the secretary of defense's front office acting as his deputy chief, really at his right hand. You are about to become the head of acquisition for the entire dod. Hugely sensitive job. We don't want other countries knowing what we are acquiring so they can defeat it.
▶ 1:58:59Sen. Slotkin: The leadership of this committee has sent a standard letter to dod acting inspector general asking for investigation of what happened with potentially classified information being on the signal chat. What do you think of this? Will you commit to participating since you were there, the right hand of secretary hegseth during this moment?
▶ 1:59:24Mr. Duffy: I was not part of the chat. I defer to others on the investigation. I will continue as I have in the past to communicate through approved channels sensitive info.
▶ 1:59:39Sen. Slotkin: If the acting inspector general came to you, you would participate in such an investigation?
▶ 1:59:48Mr. Duffy: I would follow department procedure.
▶ 1:59:52Sen. Slotkin: Are you aware of any other signal communications from the front office of the secretary of defense, either him or senior staff that involved operationally sensitive info, information about specific weapons platforms, the timing of operations or anything having to do with senior leader decision-making?
▶ 2:00:18Sen. Slotkin: Any other signal chains you, staff or your boss have been on in the past 90 days?
▶ 2:00:24Mr. Duffy: I am not aware of signal chats that contain sensitive info.
▶ 2:00:28Sen. Slotkin: Yes or no, you have not been on any signal chains that provide operationally sensitive or classified info?
▶ 2:00:37Mr. Duffy: No.
▶ 2:00:38Sen. Slotkin: That makes me feel good. Our main competitor is china. They invested in tech purposely meant to undercut our advantages in a fight. In a bumper sticker, what you will focus on in the acquisition world to shred that gap?
▶ 2:01:06Mr. Duffy: Two critical metrics. Speed. Capacity. Nobody beats us on performance and capability. We need to accelerate speed and manage cost.
▶ 2:01:28Mr. Duffy: The best incentive, our industrial base is critical to providing, it is something they do best, it is one of our greatest national assets, our economic power and innovation within our industrial base.
▶ 2:01:47Mr. Duffy: If confirmed, it would be priority to convene leaders of industry to understand barriers that get in the way of business wanting to do business with defense, and ensuring we can benefit from incentives competition provides.
▶ 2:02:04Mr. Duffy: The more interest we have in the base, the more innovation we will get, the more there will be effective incentives to provide capable capability at cost and speed.
▶ 2:02:18Sen. Slotkin: Thank you.
▶ 2:02:19Chair Wicker: A key matter that needs attention. Thank you. For the question and answer.
▶ 2:02:29Sen. Schmitt: I said this earlier today. I have been asked more questions about signal in the last two days by these journalists who didn't seem to care at all we had a commander-in-chief that couldn't put sentences together for four years. Forgive me if I'm not caught up in this faux outrage demonstrated by my democrat colleagues about a signal chat that didn't have war plans.
▶ 2:03:01Sen. Schmitt: This is more to do about the election loss, rooting against president trump and trying to get a scalp then it is about national security. Keep going with it. This is the failed stuff that did not work for you before. We have a president now that will take decisive action, clearly the announcement of ngad is a positive.
▶ 2:03:29Sen. Schmitt: So happens f-47 will be built by boeing in st. Louis. It's a big win for the country. How do you see -- the chairman and I wrote an op-ed last year about doubling down on air superiority, it's an important thing to do strategically -- where do we stand now?
▶ 2:03:54Dr. Meink: There important. Thank you for the one-on-ones. Air force, air superiority, global strike, command and control, all systems the department is responsible for are becoming increasingly important particularly in a high threat environment.
▶ 2:04:24Dr. Meink: Six generation capability as well as b-21 and other systems, long-range missions developing, all those will be extremely important, probably more so, since world war ii with the respect of air superiority. Very important.
▶ 2:04:44Sen. Schmitt: Air force reserve fighter wing 442nd, a-10 is going away so follow on missions and critical personnel highly trained, and if there is not a follow-on mission, you lose that expertise. It is hard to get back. A lot of discussions I look forward to talking to you about.
▶ 2:05:15Sen. Schmitt: F-15 ex seems to make a lot of sense. You have a unique perspective having served as deputy director n.r.o. Responsible for procurement with commercial space capabilities. Confirmed, you will have responsibility for managing the other side of that collaborative partnership from space force side.
▶ 2:05:45Sen. Schmitt: How do you view the role of commercial space imagery providers? Nga west is in st. Louis. Huge asset, critical to national security.
▶ 2:05:57Dr. Meink: Commercial space in general will play a continuing, bigger and bigger part in what we do from commercial space and national security. Engine services are a big part. We have made a lot of advances in my current job, dramatically expanded the number of commercial providers. It has been interesting operating in that highly dynamic commercial space.
▶ 2:06:27Dr. Meink: We learned lessons. We have come out stronger. I hope to take those lessons I learned working to the department.
▶ 2:06:38Sen. Schmitt: Whoever wants to jump in. We've heard about procurement reform and being nimble. If there were two things we could do better?
▶ 2:07:03Mr. Duffy: First, we need to examine the regulatory burdens we place on businesses that want to do business with federal government. We need to be a dependable and reliable customer because competition is the greatest incentive structure we can have.
▶ 2:07:31Mr. Duffy: The famous spaghetti chart talks about post last supper in the late 1990's, defense industrial base went from 51 to five primes. Our prime contractors deliver tremendous capability but we deprive ourselves of the benefits of competition so it would be my priority to examine where those opportunities that we could remove barriers to entry for new venture backed or
▶ 2:08:04Mr. Duffy: Private capital backed companies or to help companies already providing value that are struggling to get access to pentagon, to give them greater access because I think that will help us identify and accelerate capability.
▶ 2:08:22Chair Wicker: Thank you. Senator kelly.
▶ 2:08:28Sen. Kelly: Some of the comments my colleague from missouri made about the signal chat chain. Talking about war plans. I have conducted strikes off aircraft carriers. Multiple strikes. Into harms way, iraq and kuwait.
▶ 2:08:55Sen. Kelly: I agree with the senator from missouri this is not an entire war plan. What this is is an operational plan for very risky combat operations often aircraft carrier. It's not all the information.
▶ 2:09:11Sen. Kelly: The most critical information we have in our government are things like launch time off a platform in this case an aircraft carrier, type of plane, f-18's, q9s, weapons like tomahawk's, time on target. It is very critical info. Someone could argue the piece of paper it came off of, the signal chat did not say top-secret.
▶ 2:09:41Sen. Kelly: When you have pilots about to go feet dry over a foreign nation within one hour or two hours and that information is being shared on a nonsecure system, it puts those pilots at great risk. I agree it is not all the information. Some of the most critical information you would not want to be released is what was in that signal chain.
▶ 2:10:14Sen. Kelly: Where I agree with some of what you said with regards to an entire plan, sure. The most critical pieces were shared publicly on a nonsecure system by the secretary of defense. Other questions on maritime industry and the ships for america act, my legislation with senator young of indiana. One issue I focused on for a long time is the state of our maritime industry.
▶ 2:10:47Sen. Kelly: Trans, relies on flagged vessels and mariners to provide strategic sealift, right now we don't have enough vessels or mariners to support sustained operations overseas. National security issue. We have a hollowed out shipyard industrial base in the U.S. and the only oceangoing ships rebuild in the U.S. now our navy vessels and that means constrained supply chains and increased costs for the navy. These are pressing issues for national security.
▶ 2:11:19Sen. Kelly: What steps would you take to ensure our industrial shipbuilding base from forging to supply chains and production are ready for competition crisis and conflict?
▶ 2:11:31Mr. Duffy: Thank you for your concern about this important issue. I have the chance to read the jao's this week, one major concern was since '03, we have an increased the number of ships in our navy which puts us at a disadvantage when maritime security is critical in terms of deterring our adversary and preventing future conflict.
▶ 2:12:02Mr. Duffy: My understanding of the challenges include workforce and supply chain. If I'm confirmed, it would be a priority to work with this committee and you. Thank you for your leadership. Where we have seen success in the defense industry, we can leverage capability. That is one of the proposals. How do we enhance defense and commercial shipbuilding in the U.S.?
▶ 2:12:29Sen. Kelly: Would you agree there are lessons we could learn from the private sector when it comes to shipbuilding best practices?
▶ 2:12:37Mr. Michael: There are a lot of lessons learned. The most sophisticated manufacturers today have a dashboard like understanding of where supply chains are. They are required to build something so they can eliminate bottlenecks. They know what is backlogged, so they can start another processes while they wait. Hey I can help with that.
▶ 2:13:12Mr. Michael: Figuring out where the materials are that we need. -- ai can help with that. We should be borrowing that were buying it or building it ourselves.
▶ 2:13:25Sen. Kelly: Do you think having a vibrant commercial maritime industry will help us build navy ships?
▶ 2:13:35Mr. Michael: It can. Ancillary technologies built on supply chains, manufacturing and labor can be used to do the same thing in the military.
▶ 2:13:47Chair Wicker: Have you read my forged act?
▶ 2:13:53Mr. Michael: Place.
▶ 2:13:56Sen. Sullivan: Good answer. Scored some points. Thank you for your willingness to serve. I appreciate everyone's service. Families mean a lot in these kind of jobs.
▶ 2:14:25Sen. Sullivan: Family members here as well, thank you. I have shown you this slide here and Mr. duffy.
▶ 2:14:37Chair Wicker: Put it in the record without objection.
▶ 2:14:42Sen. Sullivan: In alaska, aor, we are getting a lot of action. Russian bear bomber incursions, russian navy vessels task force into our eez. I got a report harassing our fishermen last month again.
▶ 2:15:10Sen. Sullivan: Joint russian-chinese strategic bomber task force, which has never happened in the history of our country with armed mig fighters and joint russian- chinese naval task force. The lower 48 doesn't cover this a lot but there is a lot of action in alaska. We are on the front lines of great power competition. I want to ask questions.
▶ 2:15:39Sen. Sullivan: We have f-16s, and our young men and women who do these intercept missions, these are tough missions, really glad to hear you have done these missions as a tanker navigator, blue against the russians in the alaskan, thank you for that service. We need more tankers. It is obvious.
▶ 2:16:12Sen. Sullivan: Air force has been telling me for 10 years we need more. Kc-46s, now oconusm, conus, we know we need more tankers in alaska, we will move 35s. Rope a doped that. General cq brown.
▶ 2:16:40Sen. Sullivan: Finally, I wrote a forceful letter to secretary kendall saying it has been 10 years since you committed to tankers in my state which we all know we need. These guys intercept russian bear bomber's. They have to tank five times just to get there. Tough missions our men and women do. Great job at it. Secretary kendall said yes, the 35's are coming.
▶ 2:17:10Sen. Sullivan: We had one. I was home over the weekend with some folks saying they moved that back. Can I get your 110% commitment these 35s are coming? It has been 10 years since the air force committed. I am getting impatient. This is not a hard call.
▶ 2:17:34Sen. Sullivan: Everyone and their mother knows we need more in alaska, given the action, given if we have to surge forces from the lower 48, they will all fly over alaska anyway. No bob and weaving. Tell me yes.
▶ 2:17:50Dr. Meink: If secretary kendall committed --
▶ 2:17:57Sen. Sullivan: For 10 years they have been committing.
▶ 2:18:00Dr. Meink: I will work to follow through on that. Yes.
▶ 2:18:04Sen. Sullivan: Thank you. We can do it in more detail but in dope pay, commander -- indopa comm commander, three weeks ago testimony saying this is going to increase. We need infrastructure to deal with it.
▶ 2:18:34Sen. Sullivan: Our great air men have to fly 1000 miles just to intercept. They have suggested more infrastructure, dead horse in alaska, helena and adac and air force hanger with regard to tankers.
▶ 2:18:56Sen. Sullivan: Can I get your commitment to work with me both of you on those infrastructure projects northcom andindopa command have testify they need?
▶ 2:19:13Mr. Duffy: If it will get me to alaska.
▶ 2:19:16Sen. Sullivan: We know you are coming.
▶ 2:19:18Mr. Michael: Yes.
▶ 2:19:19Chair Wicker: Senator peters.
▶ 2:19:23Sen. Peters: Congratulations on your nomination. I was happy we had a chance to meet. At length in my office and learned about your priorities going forward. Selfridge in michigan was selected as the home of a dozen new 46 tankers, to follow up on senator sullivan.
▶ 2:19:52Sen. Peters: I am grateful, your commitment to honor that decision, to place those in michigan. I look forward to officially welcoming you to visit selfridge, firsthand. Similar to senator slotkin are you committed to securing a future fighter mission for selfridge.
▶ 2:20:37Sen. Peters: The dod risk losing hundreds of skilled service members at a time when we are already short over 1000 fighter pilots and 4500 maintainers. Of the 25 squadrons in existence today, 15 do not have a recapitalization plan. Being from a national guard state, that concerns me.
▶ 2:21:08Sen. Peters: How can we ensure we are taking full advantage of the expertise of our current national guard aviators and the crews they have to address this personnel shortfall? >> again, senator, thank you for the question. Thank you for the opportunity to sit down and talk with you. As I said in the office, we for sure will commit to that.
▶ 2:21:42Sen. Peters: Discussion, questions from the senator, I will be looking at across the procurement plan. Of fighters to meet the overall requirements the department has been given and to get to the right numbers of aircraft as we build up.
▶ 2:22:06Sen. Peters: 35's and maintaining the fighters in the program to make sure we have the right number of platforms and looking where we will for the platforms. Is confirmed I promised to work directly with you on where you think we will land and will have the discussion. >> great.
▶ 2:22:24Sen. Peters: We also discussed in that office meeting about aircraft and autonomous capabilities can be utilized and integrated along the kc-46's for command-and-control. These autonomous aircraft will be crucial in the indo pacific given the relative low cost and personal capabilities and high numbers to produce at scale.
▶ 2:22:52Sen. Peters: My question for you is can you share your plans to prioritize the acquisition process for autonomous capabilities to improve the mix of integrated air force platforms as well as weapons systems. The acquisition process needs to be quicker and more efficient. I would love to hear your plans. >> I can talk about improving acquisition, rate of innovation all day long.
▶ 2:23:22Sen. Peters: Having the right people running the programs, having the right set up requirements and to give the right authorities. I have done that throughout my life with success and I will continue to do so. With respect to specific consideration of the unmanned systems, I have not been given the details. It is part of the larger enterprise solution that the department has been working on.
▶ 2:23:53Sen. Peters: I have not been given the detailed briefing. That is a focus. It is a combination not just of forms but the cca and I believe there are likely other platforms that will be required. That will have to be a focus. The integration of those different types of platforms with isr and other capabilities is what will be required to deter any. Place else we will have to make sure we get that right.
▶ 2:24:21Sen. Peters: >> I look forward to working with you and any others we discussed in my office. >> thank you, senator peters. I am the only question remaining in the first round. Let me go quickly. Thank you for mentioning the act on multiple occasions.
▶ 2:24:46Sen. Peters: With regard to things like other transaction agreements and middle tier acquisition, you can go ahead with that now without the enactment of additional legislation. Is that correct? >> yes, Mr. chairman that is correct. If confirmed I will look to find ways in advance of legislation to ensure the department is maximizing the use of the flexibilities congress has provided. >> that is good.
▶ 2:25:17Sen. Peters: We need to do that. We will work with the one that. Mr. michael, let me ask about defense of established program to stimulate competitive research. How can we build up innovation across the heartland, not just in silicon valley and massachusetts?
▶ 2:25:48Sen. Peters: >> I think there are a lot of ways. The sbir programs, on the way we get our supply chain's unlinked from our adversaries'. It is perfectly made for more manufacturing style capabilities and software writing.
▶ 2:26:13Sen. Peters: I think there are lots of good universities in the center of the country that have a lot of manufacturing capability training programs. There are a lot of plants that exist that might not being used for component building. Focus on universities outside of the ivy leagues. There are a lot of universities in indiana, and chicago, illinois. >> mississippi.
▶ 2:26:45Sen. Peters: >> mississippi, perhaps, alabama, but are doing great things. If we specialize in subject matter areas and then we will get a lot of productivity. >> I will end with Mr. bass. You have experience in the department of veterans affairs.
▶ 2:27:08Sen. Peters: Based on your experience there, what additional steps should we take at the dod to improve retention and recruitment of civilian health care? >> thank you, chairman. Recruiting and retaining highly qualified staff has to be a priority. We are in direct competition with the civilian sector for these critical skills and the specialists. >> it is a problem. >> yes, sir.
▶ 2:27:41Sen. Peters: Absolutely. It is a problem and it is difficult to compete. We need to take a look at the authorities to see if we can use that to strategically recruit specialists. We need to take a look at paying compensation packages, training opportunities to make sure we recruit and retain these folks.
▶ 2:28:00Sen. Peters: We need to make sure we develop recruiting pipelines from prominent universities, in mississippi, and to make sure we have a necessary force to carry out our medical mission. >> rhode island, not so much. >> sir, I cannot comment on that. >> senator reed, do we have a vote? >> thank you very much.
▶ 2:28:30Sen. Peters: I would like to thank our witnesses. Very good hearing. Questions for the record will be due to the committee within two business days of the conclusion of this hearing. With that and with the thanks of the committee, we are adjourned. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap.org]