▶ 0:15:39>> hearing will come to order. I think members for being here. I think many of us are still trying to process what happened yesterday with the assassination of young charlie kirk. Today is also the anniversary of 9/11.
▶ 0:16:04On the morning of 9/11, I was meeting with the secretary of defense at the pentagon when that attack began in new york. I think we are all stunned by the acts of political violence that have occurred over the past year and more.
▶ 0:16:33And so if it is alright, let's pause for a moment of silence, in memory of all that has occurred to us and our country. [moment of silence] thank you.
▶ 0:16:54This morning, the committee meets to consider the nomination of general christopher j mahoney for the position of vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Before we begin, we have done the moment of silence. Let's turn to today's business now. General mahoney has a tremendous responsibility. I think president trump has made an excellent choice in selecting him for his role.
▶ 0:17:22His fellow servicemembers tell us he is a leader. We live in the most dangerous national security moment since world war ii. I have said this at the beginning of almost every hearing we have had this entire year. An axis of aggressors, led by the chinese communist party and vladimir putin's russia means us harm. Our adversaries have started wars against ukraine and against israel, and now they threaten to open a third front against taiwan.
▶ 0:17:52There is also the fourth front within our own hemisphere, as chinese fentanyl flows into america, with cartels, murderers, drug trafficking operations. In the middle of this, president trump launched operation rough rider against the iran-backed houthis.
▶ 0:18:13During his visit to the gulf in may, the president's ideas totaled $10 trillion, most of it the commitment that iran would never be permitted to develop a nuclear weapon. He took action, striking iran's nuclear sites. In the pacific, china's military activities are at an all-time high.
▶ 0:18:39China is reflecting what admiral paparo has described as a "rehearsal for war." we saw this firsthand during a recent trip to the region. We encountered resolute partners in taiwan, palau, and the philippines, willing to share the burden of deterring the chinese communist party from aggression.
▶ 0:19:04Xi jinping remains the largest backer of war criminal vladimir putin's choice to prolong the bloodshed in ukraine. President clinton has chosen to put russia on a wartime footing. We ought to prioritize dealing with the threat from china with a strong transatlantic alliance capable of repelling russian aggression.
▶ 0:19:31President trump affirmed his commitment to european security at the nato summit and catalyzed a new era of rearmament of our allies. This committee, both sides of the dais, has been part and parcel to that. He has restored security at our border. President trump has shown american -- america first puts american interests first. American interests are not confined to a single continent.
▶ 0:20:01Interests include peace and prosperity for americans. The pentagon has a sustained $3 trillion budget in its acquisition and budget processes. If confirmed, general mahoney will lead a crucial portion of this force. These are the requirements for our war fighters.
▶ 0:20:28The joint requirements oversight council today takes an average of 800 days simply to approve the military's need for a weapons system. 800 days. That is way too long. With technology and threats moving quickly, you can no longer spend years. The forged act seeks to streamline the bureaucracy.
▶ 0:20:58We are leading the charge for that in the fiscal year 2026 national defense authorization act. If he is confirmed, I look forward to working with general mahoney on this era. General mahoney is exceptionally qualified to take on these challenges as our chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. His leadership decades in the marine corps have trained him in the value of joint warfare, in light of the complexity of the threats our nation faces.
▶ 0:21:30The role will also benefit greatly from his candid advice. With that, I turned to my colleague, the ranking member.
▶ 0:21:37Sen. Reed: Thank you, Mr. chairman. Let me join you by recognizing what has happened over the last several years, and on this 9/11, those who died. Thank you, Mr. chairman, for that moment of silence. General mahoney, welcome. Congratulations on your nomination. Thank you for stepping forward to continue your long career of service.
▶ 0:22:08Sen. Reed: I extend my appreciation to your family, your wife mary, back there. Thank you for all you've done. We were trying to figure out how we got so far. Now, we know. The general is exceptionally qualified. You have wide support. You currently serve in the marine corps. You served as a pilot and at every level.
▶ 0:22:37Sen. Reed: Your experience and understanding will serve you well. As important, your reputation as an officer will depend upon the situation. General, I am concerned about the state of the joint force you will help lead if confirmed. Over the past year, especially in recent months, we have seen erosion of the civil/political military norms in this country.
▶ 0:23:05Sen. Reed: The president has taken unprecedented steps that threaten the very foundation of civilian military trust and rule of law. We have seen many attorney generals and generals dismissed for no given reason. Often, it is after they provided congressional advice that contradicted the administration.
▶ 0:23:30Sen. Reed: We have seen troops called into our own cities not in response to national emergencies, but to make a political point, intimidation and division. U.S. troops are being pulled into mass deportation operations, missions far outside of their core were fighting rule. This readiness -- this harms readiness and the trust with the american people.
▶ 0:23:56Sen. Reed: Inside the pentagon, the secretary has dedicated a lot of time to grilling military officers and creating a climate of fear. Books are being removed from libraries at the military academies. Not because they harm readiness, but because they offend a political thought. This will not increase lethality.
▶ 0:24:20Sen. Reed: It will undermine the ability of next-generation officers to think critically and lead americans from all walks of life. Across the department of defense, cuts are hollowing out positions that remain unfilled. Every day, we are seeing the dangerous impacts of these firings. Perhaps most alarming of all, the challenge of the rule of law.
▶ 0:24:48Sen. Reed: Last week, the president ordered an air strike off the course -- coast of venezuela, which reportedly killed 11 people. This was a use of lethal force carried out without congressional authorization, without clear legal justification, and without evidence of imminent threat. I have yet to see any intelligence, legal rationale, or orders related to this attack.
▶ 0:25:13Sen. Reed: In the past several months, the administration has deployed major assets, including an amphibious squadron with roughly 4500 marines and sailors, three destroyers, a fast attack submarine, f 35 fighter aircraft , and reconnaissance aircraft. The cost and opportunity cost of this operation are significant.
▶ 0:25:41Sen. Reed: Clearly, the administration intends to expand its operations. I am concerned that we may be stumbling into a war through reckless actions, a war that will surprise most americans because congress has not been informed about this military buildup. General, I am concerned that this administration is silencing military leaders from providing legal advice and military advice , or even speaking honestly about operations.
▶ 0:26:12Sen. Reed: An admiral afraid to tell the truth will lose the ability to keep our nation safe. This is about war and peace. The oath that each military servant takes is to our nation, not a single individual. These are a few of the ongoing challenges.
▶ 0:26:32Sen. Reed: In today's hearing, I am confident you will provide your best military advice to the president and secretary of defense, even if that advice is not what they want to hear. Like every other senior officer, I expect you will give congress your best and unfiltered military opinion, even if it is different from the administration.
▶ 0:26:59Sen. Reed: I expect you to be responsive and assist in our oversight. The safety of our american service members and the american people depend upon such candor. General, if confirmed, you will help lead the joint force at a momentous time. Thank you. I look forward to your testimony. Thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 0:27:19Chair Wicker: Thank you, senator reed. It is my duty to ask you a series of questions, general mahoney, to exercise its legislative and oversight responsibilities. It is important that this committee and other committees, other appropriate committees, receive testimony, briefings, and other communications of information.
▶ 0:27:47Chair Wicker: Have you adhered to the applicable laws and regulations governing conflicts of interest?
▶ 0:27:52Gen. Mahoney: I have.
▶ 0:27:54Chair Wicker: Do you agree, when asked to give your personal views, even if those views differ from the administration in power?
▶ 0:28:02Gen. Mahoney: I will.
▶ 0:28:04Chair Wicker: Will you undertake actions which presume the outcome of the confirmation process?
▶ 0:28:11Gen. Mahoney: I have not.
▶ 0:28:13Chair Wicker: Will you ensure your staff complies with deadlines responding to requested communications, including questions for the record?
▶ 0:28:20Gen. Mahoney: I will.
▶ 0:28:22Chair Wicker: Will you cooperate with providing witnesses in response to congressional requests? Will those witnesses be protected from reprisal for their testimony?
▶ 0:28:33Gen. Mahoney: They will.
▶ 0:28:35Chair Wicker: Do you agree if confirmed to appear and testify upon request before this committee?
▶ 0:28:40Gen. Mahoney: I do.
▶ 0:28:42Chair Wicker: Do you agree to provide documents with copies of electronic forms and communications? In a timely manner?
▶ 0:28:50Gen. Mahoney: I will do so in a timely manner.
▶ 0:28:53Chair Wicker: When requested by the committee regarding the basis for a delay or denial in finding such documents?
▶ 0:29:03Gen. Mahoney: I will, sir.
▶ 0:29:06Chair Wicker: Thank you very much. At this point, you are recognized for your opening statement. You might want to comment about your family. I don't know.
▶ 0:29:16Gen. Mahoney: I think I will be in trouble if I did not. Chairman wicker and ranking member read and all the members of the committee, thank you. I would be remiss if I did not comment just briefly on the weight of this day. 20 four years ago, america was struck in a cowardly way by people who mistook slaughter for strength.
▶ 0:29:40Gen. Mahoney: And the smoke and ruin of that morning, a generation of americans have carried forward the memory of the fallen, but not just in words -- in dedication and deeds. It is in that spirit of hope that I hear before you this morning. I am honored to be the president's nominee to be the next vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. I appreciate his confidence. I also want to thank secretary hegseth and chairman king for their trust and confidence in my nomination.
▶ 0:30:10Gen. Mahoney: I'm also grateful to this committee for the time afforded me over the last week or so, to have candid conversations. That perspectives are valuable. I also want to thank this committee for your tireless work in addressing the tough challenges that face the department, from acquisition reform, -- it compelled the joint force forward and increased our readiness and lethality.
▶ 0:30:38Gen. Mahoney: I want to thank the team that prepared me and worked tirelessly with patience and professionalism. Most of all, senator wicker, I want to thank my family. My wife and my children, my son and my daughter, have been a source of strength throughout my career. Countless moves, missed holidays, the unpredictable rhythm of military service. I will say without a doubt that the experiences of my family, the friendships we have made, have been priceless.
▶ 0:31:07Gen. Mahoney: Their support has made my service possible, and I am forever grateful. I would also like to thank admiral grady and his wife for their 41 years of service, serving alongside them for the last two years. It has been an honor and a phd in military management. His steady leadership through pretty tumultuous times has helped us face global challenges and has strengthened the joint foundation I hope to be able to build on if I am confirmed.
▶ 0:31:39Gen. Mahoney: I take this opportunity seriously, and I want to assure the committee that if confirmed, my experience has prepared me for this role. I want to get to your questions, so I will be brief. I hail from massachusetts. I grew up on the south shore. I was trained as a fighter pilot by the marine corps. I was trained as an infantry officer by the marine corps, a fighter pilot by the navy, to fly for the air force to strike targets for the army, using space force equipment.
▶ 0:32:07Gen. Mahoney: I have seen how we fight across the joint force and how we have to be prepared for the next fight. If confirmed, that experience will help frame the challenges and bring our focus now. As we look ahead, we must recognize that the security environment is more dynamic and more unstable than any point in recent memory.
▶ 0:32:28Gen. Mahoney: While we maintain and strengthen our homeland defense, china and russia routinely challenge international norms and seek to undermine our interests both here and abroad. Rogue regimes and malicious criminal actors threaten regional stability, and terrorist networks persist. Space, cyber -- they are no longer novel. These challenges demand our joint force be ready now and in the future. Meeting these challenges will require continued modernization.
▶ 0:33:01Gen. Mahoney: Innovation and speed, at scale, not just within our own outfit, but within all of industry, balancing our capability and capacities with our allies and partners, and deepening our integration across the services. We must invest in advanced capabilities, strengthen our joint or fighting concepts, and maintain our technical edge, never losing sight of the most precious asset we have got, proven time and time again. That is our people.
▶ 0:33:31Gen. Mahoney: It is our most critical advantage. If confirmed, I will continue to work to make our joint force ready, lethal, and capable of prevailing against any enemy. Again, thank you for the opportunity to appear, and I look forward to your questions.
▶ 0:33:47Chair Wicker: Thank you very much. I will take five minutes of questioning. General, you mentioned the funding of the defense reconciliation bill. It is unspecific and will technically be at the direction of the department of defense. We have provided recommendations for them. General mahoney, a quick yes or no question for you.
▶ 0:34:14Chair Wicker: Will you carry out the congressional intent for reconciliation funding in the one big beautiful bill?
▶ 0:34:19Gen. Mahoney: Yes.
▶ 0:34:21Chair Wicker: Now let's talk about the joint requirements oversight council. This is a pentagon group led by the vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. It oversees the process for defining military needs for new weapons systems. As I mentioned in my opening statement, a 2021 gao report found that funding these needs often takes over 800 days.
▶ 0:34:54Chair Wicker: We are trying to correct that by removing the jroc as approval authority and focusing on collaborating with cocom commanders to identify and prioritize. I'm going to ask for a comment about this.
▶ 0:35:15Chair Wicker: Our ndaa, which I hope is enacted and is moved from the senate relatively soon -- it seeks to move the focus of the jroc from paperwork to designing future force. Do you agree with this approach?
▶ 0:35:31Gen. Mahoney: Senator, I agree with the reform reproach -- reform approach and to end. This act moves us along that trajectory.
▶ 0:35:43Chair Wicker: I certainly hope we can do this. Let's talk now about autonomous drones. Certainly, we have seen some news about that, with russia illegally sending drones into poland, a nato ally of the united states.
▶ 0:36:12Chair Wicker: But whether they are aerial, see , surface, or subsea, we are relying on these, a treatable -- attritable economy. If we lose these, which we will, it is not a huge budget buster. We need to provide the pentagon with dollars to scale these. They do cost less, although they are not free.
▶ 0:36:42Chair Wicker: But there is the matter of storing them and keeping them from the elements. You can't just leave a drone out in the desert or out in the snow. You commented about this, about the logistics needed to support them. Are we actually in the right places? Do we have the infrastructure we need for storage, electricity, and more?
▶ 0:37:11Chair Wicker: What are your plans, should you be confirmed by the congress?
▶ 0:37:13Gen. Mahoney: Senator, you bring up a lot of great points. The first is autonomy. We have seen artificial intelligence build into the ability of weapons systems -- in this case, drones -- to be able to communicate between each other, to be able to recognize objective areas, recognize targets, and choose targets, and bring that into the decision.
▶ 0:37:41Gen. Mahoney: We have to move faster in this regard, whether it is remote systems, semiautonomous, or autonomous, to bring those to a scalable level, but also recognize the cost, including storage and maintenance.
▶ 0:37:57Gen. Mahoney: We need to accelerate along all of those to make sure that we are investing in the technology, that it is affordable, but we have fully encumbered the consideration, so we don't end up buying into something that costs more than we believed to begin with.
▶ 0:38:15Chair Wicker: Thank you very much. I have 35 seconds. I think I will save that until the end. Senator reed, you are recognized.
▶ 0:38:27Sen. Reed: Thank you, Mr. chairman. Once again, congratulations, general. Well deserved. You have just pledged that you will give your best military opinion to your superiors, as well as the congress, even if it disagrees with the opinion of your leadership, both uniformed and civilian. And I have no doubt you will.
▶ 0:38:56Sen. Reed: How do you emphasize this throughout the joint force so that everyone is ready to stand up?
▶ 0:39:03Gen. Mahoney: Sir, I have been at this for 38 years. I don't expect to get orders that are illegal, or would even walk the line. From a personal perspective, I took an oath as a second lieutenant. I have taken it again and again at 48 years. It is an oath to the idea of the united states, to the constitution.
▶ 0:39:30Gen. Mahoney: Among my fellow officers, among my fellow marines, we propound that time and time again.
▶ 0:39:38Sen. Reed: These unlawful orders usually come in the gray zone. The institutional clarity typically comes from the generals. If you are in a situation like this, will you pursue such opinions and follow the legal guidance?
▶ 0:39:58Gen. Mahoney: Senator, I will. Once again, it has been my experience -- I have never climbed into a cockpit with weapons in the bay or on the wings without understanding completely from the operational perspective to our legal perspective and the conflict perspective. It is absolutely critical.
▶ 0:40:18Sen. Reed: Thank you. Do you agree the department of defense should be responsive to congress, especially with information required by law, that we should get the key facts immediately or as soon a circle I are?
▶ 0:40:33Gen. Mahoney: Sir, I believe we should always comply with the law. As I started the testimony, being timely in our responses to congress.
▶ 0:40:46Sen. Reed: In your role as head of the jroc, what do you think you can do to improve interoperability between the services?
▶ 0:40:55Gen. Mahoney: Specific to the jroc, should I be confirmed, I will continue the great work admiral grady has done in ensuring that joint requirements are truly requirements. The service-specific requirements can be developed by the services, but in the joint enterprise, the jroc will analyze and bring those decisions forward for a for funding.
▶ 0:41:19Sen. Reed: Go ahead.
▶ 0:41:23Gen. Mahoney: As indicated, the jroc, the concept, I think is completely valid. We have to get rid of some of the bureaucracy. Admiral grady has started down that road. We have to make the process less burdened by paperwork, and more sensitive to speed and product.
▶ 0:41:47Sen. Reed: I think that is right, and I commend the chairman for his efforts in this ndaa to give you those tools. Are there specific tools that you think you need and will use, with respect to the requirements?
▶ 0:42:03Gen. Mahoney: I think what we need to do is look at the authorities we have now, look at some of the language. On the house side, we have speed. We also just got done with a report from last year called the eight/11 report, which comes with a bunch of very good recommendations. And then an outlier I think we should bring into the conversation is the ppbe report that also brings great ideas.
▶ 0:42:35Gen. Mahoney: When we look at this, I think when we get a process once again for determining a gap, looking at the solutions against that gap, getting a coherent and quick acquisition strategy, a meaningful one, and synchronizing that with the resources -- those three things, often treated as separate pillars, I believe are a system. And if we don't treat them as a system, we get a break down.
▶ 0:43:03Sen. Reed: My time is expiring. One point is that we might send a request for follow-up. Something has been disestablished and we are wondering what process will take its place. If you can fill us in on that in a timely way, I would appreciate it.
▶ 0:43:23Gen. Mahoney: Senator, I would be happy to come back to you.
▶ 0:43:30Sen. Fischer: Welcome, general. Thank you for your service. I appreciated the conversation we were able to have, and the focus we had on jroc. I would follow up with the ranking member's comment on the jason process. We have a real opportunity to fundamentally change that requirement process and be able to leverage resources.
▶ 0:44:01Sen. Fischer: So I am also interested in your views and any thoughts you may have on that in the future as well. You also mentioned the ppe and e reform and touched on the broad category of recommendations. Do you have specific ones that stood out?
▶ 0:44:25Gen. Mahoney: The report comes up with a lot of very commonsense recommendations. Some of the ones that I believe in the department we may have authorities right now, but we may have to come back to this committee and others for some authorities relief -- flexibility in the year of execution with the availability of funds, or operation and maintenance funds that are available for a year. Flex ability to bring them across fiscal years 22 or three years will help.
▶ 0:44:56Gen. Mahoney: Also, built in protections against continuing resolutions, so we are not living our modernization life by anomalies. To my knowledge, Mr. pruden and Mr. sheedy do not do modernization by anomalies. That will help. There are two ideas. But there are many commonsense ones. One more that comes to mind with the old budget gap is flexibility with the threshold amounts for reprogramming.
▶ 0:45:25Gen. Mahoney: In other words, being able to take larger amounts and move them across budget activities or move them across so we can spend them.
▶ 0:45:37Sen. Fischer: Great. Thank you. With combatant commanders, when you are looking at their concerns that they have, and operational requirements they have, how are you going to take this into consideration in the future jroc processes?
▶ 0:45:55Gen. Mahoney: The combatant commanders requirements are critical. And quite frankly, they are the engine that is going to make the integration of the joint force run. So if confirmed through the jroc process and other processes, the combatant commanders sensitivities, requirements, will be brought to the fore and treated seriously.
▶ 0:46:20Sen. Fischer: . Thank you. Senator kaine, who is not here right now -- he and I are on strategic forces. We often refer to the mc three as the fourth leg of the triad. And the president's ability to command, control, and communicate with our nuclear forces -- I know you understand how important that is. It underpins our entire deterrent.
▶ 0:46:48Sen. Fischer: Unfortunately, the services have not consistently prioritized modernizing and c3 systems. Jroc and now the sun setting jccic's process provided the framework. It was a cumbersome one, but it was provided to ensure proper resourcing of those systems.
▶ 0:47:11Sen. Fischer: If confirmed, how do you plan to work with the secretary, services, stratcom, to ensure that modernization efforts are going to progress in not just a coordinated but also timely manner?
▶ 0:47:25Gen. Mahoney: As you well state, the strategic stability is undergirded by our strategic posture, our strategy. And we have to understand that we have the rise of another nuclear pier in china. If I am confirmed on the jroc, we will take on this new challenge and make sure that the requirements and gaps are filled expeditiously and married up with resources, to the extent that I can influence it.
▶ 0:47:57Gen. Mahoney: The nuclear posture is pretty clear about where we are with the terrestrial leg, where we are with the maritime leg, where we are with the air delivery leg. And as you point out, and c3 being that fourth leg, we need to modernize and accelerate all of those.
▶ 0:48:15Sen. Fischer: We need to be on schedule, at least.
▶ 0:48:18Gen. Mahoney: That's a start. Yes, ma'am.
▶ 0:48:23Sen. Fischer: Congress established a program of record for filling a capability gap. Are you familiar with the program?
▶ 0:48:33Gen. Mahoney: I am somewhat familiar with it.
▶ 0:48:38Sen. Fischer: I'm sure you will look into it, make sure it's on time.
▶ 0:48:41Gen. Mahoney: Yes, senator.
▶ 0:48:43Chair Wicker: Senator rounds will take the chair for a few moments. Senator shaheen, you are recognized.
▶ 0:48:53Sen. Shaheen: Congratulations, general mahoney. Thank you for taking time to talk to me last week. I appreciated our conversation. Many of us on this committee have concerns about rumors that we have heard about plans to withdraw U.S. forces from nato's eastern flank, from the korean peninsula, and from the middle east.
▶ 0:49:17Sen. Shaheen: On a bipartisan basis, as you may be aware, we limited the executive branch's ability to hastily withdraw without consulting congress. The effects of such a withdrawal on U.S. national security. I am particularly concerned about maintaining U.S. leadership at nato. That not only ensures U.S. command and control of our forces on the continent, but it gives us control over the nuclear weapons in europe.
▶ 0:49:44Sen. Shaheen: I also just returned from syria, where the U.S. is supporting a counter isis mission, and isis regaining a foothold in the country would not only be detrimental to the security and stability for a post assad syria, but to the region and ultimately to the united states, given the resources and lives we have put in to syria. So can you talk about the benefits of having U.S. presence in these theaters?
▶ 0:50:15Sen. Shaheen: And if confirmed, do you commit to being transparent to congress about what the plans are with respect to decisions about these theaters?
▶ 0:50:23Gen. Mahoney: Senator, I think our presence is critical. I think striking a balance with our allies and partners, not only in capability but incapacity, is extremely important. And I commit to sharing as much information as I can with you and the committee.
▶ 0:50:43Sen. Shaheen: And do you have any sense of whether there are currently plans to withdraw from any of those theaters?
▶ 0:50:50Gen. Mahoney: Senator, I have no knowledge of the policy that would drive that.
▶ 0:50:57Sen. Shaheen: Thank you. Last week, we discussed the naval shipyard which has been having real challenges in hiring new workers due to delays at the pentagon, but mostly from the office of personnel management. And the impact of -- impact these policies will have long-term over our navy's ability to ensure that our nuclear submarines are ready and operating.
▶ 0:51:20Sen. Shaheen: The shipyard normally needs to hire about 550 workers a year to keep up with the demand for submarine maintenance. Because of the delays in hiring, next year, they are going to need to hire 700 people. That means more time spent on training, less time available for maintenance and operations. That leads to delays. So can I get a commitment from you that you will help us to maintain stability and predictability in the hiring process at our public shipyards, to avoid these kinds of delays?
▶ 0:51:51Gen. Mahoney: An extremely important subject. If confirmed, you have my commitment.
▶ 0:51:58Sen. Shaheen: Thank you very much. I know it is something the secretary of the navy has also been concerned about, and I raised it with secretary hegseth at a hearing as well. I want to also follow up on our conversation about the readiness of the joint force. Since we spoke, the president has authorized military force in the caribbean sea. As I'm sure you know from your current position with the -- and the iwo jima readiness group left for its deployment.
▶ 0:52:29Sen. Shaheen: The navy was at a 41% readiness rate. That is half of the rate the marines need to complete current missions. General smith has called that a crisis. Further, the lake erie cruiser just left the indo pacific to join the iwo jima and two destroyers in the caribbean. The pentagon has also sent our f-35 style fighter jets to puerto rico. We have seen the national guard sent to washington and active-duty marines sent to los angeles in the middle of training for a planned deployment.
▶ 0:52:59Sen. Shaheen: So the resources are being diverted from deterring the prc in the indo pacific and maintaining assets needed to respond to crises and other parts of the world. Can you talk about how you see the military responding to compensate for that readiness loss because of those deployments?
▶ 0:53:20Gen. Mahoney: Ma'am, any deployment that we go on, any mission that we go on, will incur some cost in readiness, if you are not trained to all of your core mission essential tasks. It is common first to assess the risk. There is risk in not training to a certain task. There is risk over time if you continue not to train to it. We make those assessments in every deployment that we make.
▶ 0:53:51Gen. Mahoney: Lately, we are doing the same thing. Techniques we use and I have used as a commander -- we have in situ training to make a training plan to mitigate against the training we are losing. And we have a rotational plan that we used on the border and have used in other places. I used it in combat to bring people off the line to train to other mission essential tasks, and then put them back in, which has been fairly effective.
▶ 0:54:18Chair Rounds: General, I appreciated our discussion in my office, and I want to thank you for service to the nation and for being here in front of us today. General, I want to be consistent. We have discussed spectrum before, but I wanted to bring it up publicly with you today.
▶ 0:54:39Chair Rounds: I have heard from over 30 senior pentagon officials in public hearings over the last two and a half years, including every service chief and eight combatant commanders, who all agree that vacating the three point one to three .5 gigahertz band of the electromagnetic spectrum would have significantly negative consequences for our war fighting capabilities.
▶ 0:55:05Chair Rounds: In fact, the department of the navy previously estimated that relocating their systems to a different spectrum band would cost them 200 $50 billion. Both the navy and the marine corps intend to make extensive use of capabilities which require the electromagnetic spectrum to function in the western pacific against china.
▶ 0:55:27Chair Rounds: General, does the joint force have capabilities operating on the 3.1 23.45 gigahertz -- to the 3.45 gigahertz band that would be used in a conflict with china?
▶ 0:55:42Gen. Mahoney: We do, extensively.
▶ 0:55:44Chair Rounds: When those capabilities be negatively impacted if you were forced to vacate those bands or share them with commercial users in a nonoptimal manner?
▶ 0:55:55Gen. Mahoney: Yes, senator, as I understand it.
▶ 0:55:58Chair Rounds: In my office, we discussed the possibility of a near-term threat of a conflict involving multiple adversaries in multiple theaters. Some key observers assessed that our adversaries will seek to press their advantage in the event we are committed in another area, particularly the increasingly close coordination between china, russia, iran, and north korea. We looked at this through the ndaa. You will find it mentioned again this year.
▶ 0:56:30Chair Rounds: How can we better posture to maintain deterrence in multiple theaters, and just thinking about it, what is it going to mean in terms of resources, capabilities, and authorities that the joint force would need to consider come up with the fact that this is a very likely scenario, should we have an adversarial conflict in one of those theaters?
▶ 0:56:53Gen. Mahoney: Senator, I don't think anyone is surprised by the relationship between russia and china. China and iran. Russia and north korea. What may surprise people is the depth of the relationship and interactions that have been going on. To support the statement you made, if there is a conflict in one area, there may be a reflex or reactive conflict in another one.
▶ 0:57:18Gen. Mahoney: From the joint force, if confirmed, to the level of my influence, I will make sure we are balanced in our capability and capacity against the most dangerous and most likely courses of action, should that happen.
▶ 0:57:30Chair Rounds: We discussed high-pressure cold spray and similar advanced manufacturing technologies, that will enable deployed forces to continue combat operations in the face of contested logistics. If confirmed, will you advocate for adoption and standardization of technologies like high-pressure cold spray that will help mitigate the contested logistics problem set for our forward deployed war fighters across the joint force?
▶ 0:58:01Gen. Mahoney: Cold spray is a great example of advanced manufacturing for building high-quality components. And I do commit to pushing forward those capabilities, to the extent that I can influence it. Needing less forward and having to bring les forward is an opportunity that we can go after with advanced manufacturing.
▶ 0:58:26Chair Rounds: The bottom line is, if we have the ability to re-create or repair items, in areas where supply chains cannot deliver in a contested area of operation, we would be literally saving lives, should we be able to accomplish this and get that material out in advance. Fair enough?
▶ 0:58:45Gen. Mahoney: Very fair, senator.
▶ 0:58:47Chair Rounds: I think you are eminently qualified. I think you are the right guy for the job. I do look forward to supporting your nomination. >> general mahoney, it is good to see you again. I will start with the initial questions I ask of all nominees before any of my committees related to fitness to serve.
▶ 0:59:11Chair Rounds: Since you became a legal adult, have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors, or committed any verbal or physical harassment or assault of a sexual nature?
▶ 0:59:21Gen. Mahoney: No, I have not.
▶ 0:59:25Sen. Hirono: Have you faced discipline related to this kind of contact?
▶ 0:59:28Gen. Mahoney: I have not.
▶ 0:59:33Sen. Hirono: Successive administrations have identified china as the pacing threat to U.S. national security, and the indo pacific as the priority theater. I am concerned about recent reporting that the draft national defense strategy d prioritizes the challenge posed by china, and refocuses on the homeland and western hemisphere.
▶ 0:59:59Sen. Hirono: We have already noted that china, north korea, india, russia, iran -- they are talking to each other. China being the country with the most resources. So we are seeing this happening. And at the same time, it is very concerning that we are going to turn our face away from the indo pacific area and these relationships that appear to be quite obvious.
▶ 1:00:28Sen. Hirono: What is your best military advice on this proposed shift? What risks would be prioritizing china and the indo pacific pose on U.S. national security?
▶ 1:00:38Gen. Mahoney: Senator, the way I would answer that is I think from 2018 to the 2022 nds, and the interim national defense strategic guidance, we have been fairly consistent with putting the homeland as the foundation of our strategy. But they have all been consistent as well in focusing on the indo pacific.
▶ 1:01:05Gen. Mahoney: I cannot see a meaningful change or shift away from that, having not seen the final version of the nds. I am on old budget guy. If you follow the investments and follow the programs, I think you will see, across the services, a keen focus on the indo pacific theater, for good reason.
▶ 1:01:30Sen. Hirono: Your position would be because you would be a main adviser to president trump as to where we should face -- place our priorities -- as far as you are concerned, from what I am hearing you say just now, that we should continue to focus on the indo pacific as a major ior? -- aor?
▶ 1:01:54Gen. Mahoney: I would, and I think you will see that burn out when the final version of the nds comes out. In conversations between you and I, we know and understand that the pacing threat is communist china.
▶ 1:02:04Sen. Hirono: And as we already know, china is very active in the indo pacific area, putting out its resources and its tentacles with the island nations they are, as well as other countries. So I think we should continue to pay attention. And I do agree with admiral peck park -- papar's recent comments were he said the homeland is in the pacific, including guam.
▶ 1:02:35Sen. Hirono: You have been asked a number of questions about jroc, and the new way we are going to deal with the general forces. I would appreciate, as I mentioned when I met with you -- could you provide comments to us regarding any authorities you need in the final ndaa to deliver critical capabilities to the joint forces at speed and
▶ 1:03:05Sen. Hirono: Scale, particularly to support our war fighters in the indo pacific?
▶ 1:03:09Gen. Mahoney: Senator, I commit to you to do that. What I have seen and what we got done with the ndaa last year, we are on the road to real reform. I think there is an opportunity here that we need to take advantage of.
▶ 1:03:31Sen. Hirono: I do want to mention, of up foreign assistance, there have been major cuts to usaid, and it is not as though -- is it your view that a strong military is all we need, the only thing we need to have peace in our world?
▶ 1:03:49Sen. Hirono: Is it important to you that we maintain our ability to provide foreign aid and those kinds of relationships, as being just as important -- the diplomatic aspects of what we do as a leading nation is just as important as a strong and ready military?
▶ 1:04:04Gen. Mahoney: Senator, I believe as a country we have many tools and we should use all of them.
▶ 1:04:13Sen. Hirono: Including our diplomatic capabilities?
▶ 1:04:15Gen. Mahoney: Use all the tools, yes.
▶ 1:04:19Sen. Hirono: War, I would say, being the last resort.
▶ 1:04:22Chair Rounds: You do agree with what admiral paro -- paparo said, that china is conducting a rehearsal for war?
▶ 1:04:32Gen. Mahoney: I have been going to what the marines call the west park, the indus pacific theater, since I was a first lieutenant. My last tour over there was as a deputy commander. If I compare the operational and strategic landscape from my time as a first lieutenant two my time as a major general, they are strategically operationally -- I will leave the political and economic changes alone.
▶ 1:05:03Gen. Mahoney: They are different worlds. Is that strategic terrain changes under our feet, we have to change with it. So yes, I agree with admiral paro. -- paparo.
▶ 1:05:25Chair Wicker: With regard to senator hirono's question, the soft power we have used through usaid is a very vital part of our national defense strategy. Is that correct? Do you agree with that statement?
▶ 1:05:43Gen. Mahoney: I would defer to the co-comments to make a value statement on that. Among our tools, we need to use all of them.
▶ 1:05:52Chair Wicker: A very careful answer. Senator scott?
▶ 1:05:59Sen. Scott: You are well qualified. I was very impressed with our meeting. The of war identifies countries with military support will be phased out with the expectation that our nato allies will step up their efforts. We know these are not unilateral decisions. They must be approved by the secretary of state and by congress.
▶ 1:06:22Sen. Scott: Can you speak to how you would advise pentagon leadership on where and why section 333 funding is needed and how this provides a return? Or do you agree we ought to completely phase it out?
▶ 1:06:36Gen. Mahoney: If confirmed, I would look less at the code, and I would look more at what the effect of the code is, and is it covered by something else, and strike a balance between removing something and a requirement.
▶ 1:06:55Sen. Scott: Do you feel confident our european allies are starting to step up?
▶ 1:06:58Gen. Mahoney: Whether it is defense spending and the 5% commitment from most of them, I think from a military standpoint I will tell you I think they are.
▶ 1:07:09Sen. Scott: In march, I traveled to denmark, estonia, and finland. All three of those countries for sure are stepping up. Finland has been doing that for a long time, as we well know. They have over a thousand mile border with russia. I think they told me almost 20% of the population would be ready to mobilize within days if there was an invasion across their border.
▶ 1:07:35Sen. Scott: One thing they complained about was there foreign military sales program. They do not understand why it takes so long to get a decision. Number two, even after the decision is made, they are still struggling to get the equipment from american manufacturers. Can you talk about what you could do in this role to improve the military sales process and help our manufacturers get more produced and over to our allies when they want to buy something?
▶ 1:08:04Gen. Mahoney: I am not directly -- I would not be directly involved with fms. But what you key on -- I think a big part of the sclerotic system you describe is the defense industrial base and the ability to produce at speed. To the extent that I can influence the relationship, with the acquisition of the defense industrial base, I will do that.
▶ 1:08:31Sen. Scott: You feel comfortable that we should not rely on china for any military supplies?
▶ 1:08:39Gen. Mahoney: I don't believe that we should rely on china or bankroll china by buying things of a military nature.
▶ 1:08:49Sen. Scott: What do you think about the department of war by a significant proportion of the drugs from china?
▶ 1:08:57Gen. Mahoney: I'm not familiar with that, senator. As a concept, it is not a good idea.
▶ 1:09:04Sen. Scott: Do you think wall street should be continuing to fund companies that help the chinese build their military?
▶ 1:09:14Gen. Mahoney: I don't believe that we should engage in activities that bankroll the pla or bankroll systems that we will find on the front of ukraine or we will find in uae's out of iran, or we will find north of the dmz in north korea.
▶ 1:09:32Sen. Scott: So any reliance we have on chinese equipment, whether it is their ports, the computer systems, our communications infrastructure -- you think we probably ought to walk away from china as a producer?
▶ 1:09:44Gen. Mahoney: I think we should assess the risk and make the appropriate adjustments.
▶ 1:09:51Sen. Scott: Thank you. You are going to do a great job.
▶ 1:09:53Chair Wicker: Thank you very much. Senator rosen.
▶ 1:09:59Sen. Rosen: Thank you for calling this hearing. I thank you, general mahoney, and your family, your wife, for service to our country. I want to talk about documented exposure at classified locations. I asked general kane about documenting exposure at locations where the duty station and its existence are classified.
▶ 1:10:24Sen. Rosen: We want to ensure that service members records accurately reflect service-connected injuries at those locations. I have heard from constituents who served at such locations within the nevada test training range who believe they were exposed to radiation from our days of conducting explosive nuclear weapons testing, and expect -- and disposing of classified waste.
▶ 1:10:49Sen. Rosen: However, many times, dod does not classify the range is a place where exposure has occurred, despite the department of energy providing the presumption of exposure from their personnel who served at these exact locations within the range. Because the service records or data masked, these veterans cannot even prove to the v.a. That they were ever even stationed there. I know in nevada specifically.
▶ 1:11:15Sen. Rosen: I am thankful the senate version of the ndaa includes my provisions to begin addressing this issue. But we need senior pentagon leadership to help us see it through. If confirmed, will you commit to working with me and this committee to ensure the department provides a presumption of exposure for relevant locations, such as those with -- which the department of energy have already done so with their personnel? We can just follow what they are doing.
▶ 1:11:40Sen. Rosen: We want to ensure that those who serve and who are currently serving at these data masked sites receive sufficient documentation to support their health-related claims while protecting the classified nature of their service.
▶ 1:11:55Gen. Mahoney: Senator, I commit to working with you. I will say that I am not intimately familiar with the issue. But I will, if confirmed, assess that and come back to you. As a statement, we'll all the members high-quality health care, irrespective of where they may have served or what they did. That is an expectation when they come to serve this country.
▶ 1:12:18Sen. Rosen: Thank you. I look forward to setting up that meeting. I want to move to cyber security and resiliency. As a former computer programmer, I have a deep appreciation for how critical cyber and technology are to our national defense. As vice chairman, you would be responsible for leading the development of the national military strategy. How do you see cyber fitting into that strategy as a war fighting domain, as joint operations for land, sea, air, and space?
▶ 1:12:48Gen. Mahoney: Senator, I am not a cyber expert. But as I said in my opening statement, we tend to treat cyber as this mysterious domain apart. It can no longer be treated that way. The more that we use digital technology and transport it to many different means, we have to have ability to harden and protect it, and to go on offense as well in cyber war.
▶ 1:13:20Sen. Rosen: Speaking of that, do you have a feel for any specific priorities that have to be elevated in the national military strategy to keep pace with adversaries like china and russia? Do you have any off the top of your head?
▶ 1:13:34Gen. Mahoney: I will go back on my recent experience as kind of the uber requirements guy in the marine corps. Every program that deals with digital technology, that transports digital technology, that stores it, has to have a level of cyber protection, cyber hardening.
▶ 1:13:55Sen. Rosen: How do you balance that with our readiness between traditional forces and cyberspace writ large?
▶ 1:14:02Gen. Mahoney: First, I don't think it is a choice. I think it is something we have to invest in, going in. When I talked about fully encumbered cost of attritable drones, it has to include cyber hardening.
▶ 1:14:21Sen. Rosen: I wonder if you have a thought on the strategy addressing strategy with our partners in the indo pacific.
▶ 1:14:28Gen. Mahoney: If we are going to say allies and partners as part of our strategy, cyber needs to be an organic part of our strategy.
▶ 1:14:40Sen. Rosen: Thank you.
▶ 1:14:43Chair Wicker: Senator tuberville.
▶ 1:14:47Sen. Tuberville: We know the direction we're headed. Future conflicts will be dominated by artificial intelligence. Emerging technologies like quantum computing. There are two want to computer models. We only use one of them and the adversaries use the other. Is that a smart way to handle this?
▶ 1:15:15Gen. Mahoney: Thanks. Artificial intelligence,'s algorithmic-derived systems, if cyber is part of the war fighting domain, artificial intelligence is not far behind. We don't need to look far to see how it is being applied especially in the russia-ukraine example. We have to bring that in and make it a normal part of our programmatic's.
▶ 1:15:44Sen. Tuberville: Thank you. Let's go to a more suitable topic. We have spent trillions on these wars over the years. We cannot house our people on military bases. We have mold. The roofs are falling in. Kids are getting sick. But we have spent hundreds of billions of dollars on another country. We are an all volunteer army.
▶ 1:16:15Sen. Tuberville: Will you commit to help solve this problem? I know it is not just your problem but it is a huge problem, in recruiting. It's our phone rings off the loan to comes to this.
▶ 1:16:27Gen. Mahoney: I commit to doing just that. I go to my recent experience in the marine corps and the common experienced. We are unapologetic because we are fighting. We have to get back into the resilience business, into the installations quality business. Two reasons.
▶ 1:16:52Gen. Mahoney: First, an expectations among servicemen to have a good quality infrastructure in place to live. We have to look at it for what it is which is a power projection platform. We have to invest in that.
▶ 1:17:04Sen. Tuberville: Investment in our soldiers. That is what a lot of them are looking for. Basically -- recently secretary hegseth initiated the dismantling of a system that is core of a slow and heavily bureaucratic acquisition process. In your role as vice chairman to the joint chiefs, this change will largely be your responsibility.
▶ 1:17:31Sen. Tuberville: How will you ensure this rapid and agile system provides combat capabilities to the war fighter and allows us to keep pace with our adversaries?
▶ 1:17:39Gen. Mahoney: You hit it on the head. If confirmed, as the chairman of the jroc and part of the reform process, one of my priorities will be to make sure that we have an end to end systems treatment of requirements to meaningful resources with acquisitions. If it is three years moving, they all need to be engaged with each other.
▶ 1:18:10Gen. Mahoney: You can only move at the slowest gear. We need to quicken all of those theater requirements, acquisition and resources to sequence those so that we can get a good product. As chairman of the jro'sc if confirmed, we used to say cost, schedule and performance are the three parameters as a program that we would look at. I think we should move it to schedule or speed, cost and performance. I will make that a priority.
▶ 1:18:36Sen. Tuberville: It sounds like you have a plan. Organization is the key to winning. We seem to be up on that. One of the many things the marine corps does better than any other service is the ability to pass an audit while not directly responsible for the audit. What lessons do you bring from the marine corps that will help the department of war achieve a clean audit for the first time in many years?
▶ 1:19:04Gen. Mahoney: You already said it. Organization is the key to victory. I am proud of the fact that the marine corps has had two clean opinions. We will have a third one. To the extent that I can influence it, I will press to move the department along in getting a clean audit.
▶ 1:19:24Sen. Tuberville: Thank you for your service.
▶ 1:19:26Chair Wicker: Thank you senator tuberville. Senator blumenthal.
▶ 1:19:31Sen. Blumenthal: Thank you. General, thank you for visiting me and thank you for your profoundly impressive service over so many years in the united states marine corps. We are here at a really historic moment not only because we are commemorating 9/11, but there has been literally an attack on
▶ 1:20:02Sen. Blumenthal: A united nations by -- on a nato nation by russia. A number of drones, a direct incursion into the sovereign territory of that nato member state by an autocrat who has played the united states and mocked american power and stalled and stonewalled our president.
▶ 1:20:34Sen. Blumenthal: I hope that you agree with me that now is the time that the united states has to show strength against putin by reacting offensively in the great tradition of the marine corps against this unprecedented and extraordinary step of sending russian drones into poland.
▶ 1:21:00Gen. Mahoney: Senator, we need to remain strong in all eventualities, this being one of them. If the russians meant to do it, it was provocative. If they did not need to do it, it is an indication of incompetence.
▶ 1:21:16Gen. Mahoney: I think what we are seeing is the polish armed forces from the increase in defense spending to their increasing capability to be able to stand up against russia.
▶ 1:21:34Sen. Blumenthal: Don't you find it inconceivable that this incursion was unintentional? There were so many drones and they were sent at the same time over a long period of time, the same time period.
▶ 1:21:50Gen. Mahoney: From a military perspective, my assessment based on what I know is that it looks more intentional than not. If it wasn't, there are some significant in competencies.
▶ 1:22:04Sen. Blumenthal: I hope that you will join me and others on this in demanding that our nation and european allies increase our military aid for ukraine so that it can resist this kind of aggression and slight -- and slaughter and heightened economic sanctions against the nations that are fueling russia's war machine by buying
▶ 1:22:35Sen. Blumenthal: Rookie -- putin's oil and gas. I am talking about india, china and brazil. The best way to achieve peace, wouldn't you agree, is to show strength by passing the bill? It is the grand-blumenthal bill that would impose scorching sanctions on those nations that are enabling russia to continue this aggression?
▶ 1:23:04Gen. Mahoney: I prefer to stay in my military lane and to say, if confirmed, part of my job will be to provide options for the use of power against eventualities most dangerous and most likely. That will be no exception.
▶ 1:23:27Sen. Blumenthal: This conversation will not end here. I look forward to continuing it when you are confirmed and I support your confirmation. I am impressed by your background. Let me ask you finally, we have received reports that the secretary of defense or the secretary of war as he now calls himself means for the department of defense to focus more on law enforcement.
▶ 1:23:59Sen. Blumenthal: State and local law enforcement. He has issued policy directives within the pentagon to that effect. Were you aware of those policy directives or a planned strategy?
▶ 1:24:11Gen. Mahoney: In my current job, I am not aware of that. I am not aware of any directive of that nature on the marine corps site.
▶ 1:24:21Sen. Blumenthal: Thank you.
▶ 1:24:23Chair Wicker: Senator schmitt.
▶ 1:24:25Sen. Schmitt: Thank you. I want to pick up on that and zoom in and zoom out. Fort leonard wood in missouri has a lot of land. It has a number of missions including training of military police police it has been the home of the army's criminal investigative training.
▶ 1:24:52Sen. Schmitt: It is well positioned after the trip was passed and we got these out there for border enforcement to help trade I.c.e. Agents. That is completely in line with what the military can do. They are not performing a law enforcement function, but rather, share knowledge with agents charged with enforcing our laws.
▶ 1:25:24Sen. Schmitt: By the way, that did not used to be controversial. Bill clinton deported a lot of people. Barack obama deported a lot of people. In your role and knowledge of fort leonard wood, so you think you could play a role and surge I.c.e. Agents for the important purpose they have?
▶ 1:25:46Gen. Mahoney: I have been to fort leonard wood a few times in my life. I am not aware of those functions that you discussed and the capacity.
▶ 1:26:00Sen. Schmitt: We would love to get you out there. There is a lot of land and a lot of capabilities. We are owning a marker down and I love trying to persuade. Zooming out now, I wanted to ask about as it relates to the indo-pacific.
▶ 1:26:24Sen. Schmitt: In your views, what do you see as the greatest disconnect between our strategic goals in the indo-pacific and our actual force posture and readiness?
▶ 1:26:36Gen. Mahoney: You have a very capable and brilliant commander. He has aligned function and posture with the strategy, not only national strategies as a military man, as a member of the marine corps where we commit forces out there, I am happy currently with the posture of the marine corps pursuant to
▶ 1:27:08Gen. Mahoney: Admiral paparo's strategy.
▶ 1:27:12Sen. Schmitt: As we talk about a lot, a lot of discussions in europe, we talk about a lot of pivoting to asia. As you dig into this new role, whatever deficiencies or disconnects or misalignment might exist to try to work with the committee, we want to be helpful in that regard. This is the future. This is the great competition.
▶ 1:27:42Sen. Schmitt: Four looking forward, china is our greatest adversary. It is now and will be presumably for the next century. Related to that, china is moving rapidly to develop their own carrier force. The delaying of the the faa x x is a real problem. How do you see delaying the project as an impact to our ability to compete with them?
▶ 1:28:09Gen. Mahoney: We have to keep our eye on the capabilities that we need. We need longer range, the perpetration and greater centers. To the extent that faxx would fill that void, we need to look at that very closely.
▶ 1:28:24Sen. Schmitt: I would argue that it does. Finally on recruitment, which is going really well, one of the great positives of the first 250 days of the current administration. As far as long-term retention, how should we be incentivizing service members to continue their careers?
▶ 1:28:55Sen. Schmitt: They are reaching a point where do they want to extend or not. What are some things we can do to make it more attractive?
▶ 1:29:02Gen. Mahoney: I think all this serves as having a very good year on the accession side. For the marine corps site, we are at historic levels of retention. Some of the keys are an incentive structure. Some of the keys are bonuses. Some of them are lateral moves. But it is meeting the quality talent on their terms and asking the question of not why are you getting out but how can we make you stay?
▶ 1:29:30Sen. Schmitt: I look forward to working with you. Congratulations.
▶ 1:29:34Chair Wicker: Thank you. Senator peters.
▶ 1:29:38Sen. Peters: Thank you. Great to see you here today. Thank you for your years of service. Exercise northern strike in michigan helped train thousands of service members from over 20 different countries at the national all domains were fighting center.
▶ 1:30:05Sen. Peters: Thousands of square miles used for realistic joint force rating with global allies and partners. In this hearing before our committee, admiral paparo praised the northern strike's importance and he said, I want to quote him, "I treasure it and I want more of it and I want to expand it." do you agree with his assessment of the importance of exercises like northern
▶ 1:30:37Sen. Peters: Strike in michigan and what roles of these exercise play in advancing d.o.d.'s strategic roles of the indo-pacific?
▶ 1:30:44Gen. Mahoney: I know that the training area up their facilitates some great interaction of live training. I believe it is a virtual connectivity there as well. Speaking for the marine corps, we had our air and naval gunfire liaison company. It is a great workout for the reserve and some guard. I have not been on deployment.
▶ 1:31:13Gen. Mahoney: I have not been at a command operations center, I have not been in support of the unit where the guard and reserves did not play a big part. Northern strike, not only for the quality of the training but the demographic combat power that it deals with, is extremely important.
▶ 1:31:32Sen. Peters: Thank you. As you know, the aucus agreement is a once a generation partnership between australia and the u.k. And the U.S. to share nuclear power and summary technology as well as enhance collaboration between the three allies.
▶ 1:31:51Sen. Peters: I was fortunate to recently visit australia and I was impressed not only with their cutting-edge work on unmanned technologies but also their unwavering national commitments to the aucus agreement. As someone who has studied the conflict in the indo-pacific, you will agree that our key advantage in the region is our long-term relationships with allies and partners which includes aucus.
▶ 1:32:27Sen. Peters: My question is, how important is aucus and if confirmed, would you continue to support this critical agreement?
▶ 1:32:37Gen. Mahoney: I will stay away from the policy side of aucus and look at the potential of the military side. I have lived in australia. I went to school in australia. I trained with the australians and fought with the australians. You will not find a more capable ally than someone who has been leaning into capacities that can only help us in the region in countering.
▶ 1:33:07Sen. Peters: 's there are two pillars to aukus. The one that tends to get most of the attention is the agreement of the submarines coming online. I would argue that pillar two is equally important which deals with emerging technologies unmanned, programs like go shark or ghost bath.
▶ 1:33:39Sen. Peters: We have the opportunity to explore some of those endeavors. Can you talk about pillar two and being somewhat familiar with australia, asked their capabilities will advanced our ability to fight the war in the future?
▶ 1:33:49Gen. Mahoney: To the extent that pillar two will enhance our military interconnectedness, the ability to integrate and move all of those capabilities that you just talked about forward, it is a great initiative. I have not worked in a place with the australians where they have not been leaning forward and always willing and skilled at moving capabilities forward. Sometimes outpacing us.
▶ 1:34:17Sen. Peters: Thank you Mr. chairman.
▶ 1:34:20Chair Wicker: Thank you very much. Senator ernst.
▶ 1:34:25Sen. Ernst: Thank you Mr. chair. Today is a solemn day of remembrance. Thank you very much general for remembering those who lost their lives on 9/11 as well as first responders will be those who have served in the global war on terrorism. Thanks for the time we were able to spend together in the office discussing another -- a number of priorities.
▶ 1:34:52Sen. Ernst: I would like to start with the announcement of the pending national defense strategy. It is making clear that defending the homeland is the department's top priority. That includes protecting critical infrastructure, strengthening our missile defenses and enhancing cyber resilience. Those will really be at the forefront of her efforts.
▶ 1:35:16Sen. Ernst: In this mission it appears that the national guards and the reserves will be an indispensable part of that equation. We know that these forces are uniquely positioned to defend the homeland not only through disaster response but also in emerging domains like cyber and space. Of course, I am very partial to the national guard and the reserves having served in both of those.
▶ 1:35:46Sen. Ernst: I know firsthand how vital it is and their contributions to national defense. With the upcoming national defense strategy placing that renewed emphasis on our homeland defense, how do you plan to ensure that the mission remains front and center as threats continue to grow and evolve?
▶ 1:36:08Gen. Mahoney: Thanks, senator. The privacy of the homeland has been a key tenant of our strategies going back at least as far as 2018. I think it has to be that way. The military reason that it needs to be that way is it must be considered a power projection platform. You cannot push a platform that is faulty. You cannot push off of a foundation that is weak.
▶ 1:36:38Gen. Mahoney: All of the attributes have to be fortified. Going to the garden reserve, I have -- going to the guard and reserve, I have never been in a situation deployed or otherwise in the combat where the guards and reserves were not a big part of the picture. To strengthen that aspect of it not only for the homeland but to play the away game is important.
▶ 1:37:02Sen. Ernst: I appreciate that very much. Just reminding people that the reason the united states came to be, the reason our colonies came together as estates and formed a great united states of america was for the common defense of our nation. It is incredibly important that our military is positioned to defend our homeland.
▶ 1:37:25Sen. Ernst: What role do you envision for the national guard and are great reservists out there as they are playing a role in building resilience against these threats both here in the homeland and abroad?
▶ 1:37:34Gen. Mahoney: I don't think you can realistically talk about an integrated approach without bringing in the guard and reserve. Recent history is replete with that point. I know policy wise there is a differentiation between guard and reserve and active.
▶ 1:38:02Gen. Mahoney: When we look at the total, integrated force, this is a single demographic of combat power whether at home or away.
▶ 1:38:12Sen. Ernst: Thank you. We have talked extensively this morning about the defense industrial base and its revitalization. That is really important in order to deliver upon the safety for our great united states, we have to make sure we have the platforms and munitions available. I am going to make a plug.
▶ 1:38:34Sen. Ernst: We have facilities in iowa like the iowa army ammunition plant which will be an important part of delivering musicians for our military -- levering munitions for our military.
▶ 1:38:50Sen. Ernst: Also the arsenal is situated in the mississippi river dividing iowa and illinois, making sure we are able to expand production and support those facilities will be very important in the future. How do you plan to ensure that that industrial base can meet the demand for these critical systems while also sustaining support for allies in a very brief answer, please.
▶ 1:39:17Gen. Mahoney: If confirmed, I will make sure the defense industrial base is a leading consideration from requirements to resources.
▶ 1:39:26Sen. Ernst: I have no time remaining. I look forward to supporting your confirmation.
▶ 1:39:31Chair Wicker: Thank you. I'm glad that you drilled down on the guard and the reserve. Senator kaine.
▶ 1:39:39Sen. Kaine: Thank you. I would like to associate myself with the comments of my colleagues earlier in the hearing. Senator wicker I appreciate you having a moment of silence in honor of those who lost their lives or a family to 9/11, the attack that occurred in virginia and other locations and also for your moment of silence to think about political violence. I did not know Mr. kirk that many of my senate colleagues did. Some considered him a friend.
▶ 1:40:11Sen. Kaine: I offered prayers for his family and the university community yesterday. Sitting here looking at colleagues who may have known him, I know how devastating it was to our colleague senator klobuchar and senator smith when their friends were killed a couple of months back. I feel for my colleagues and anybody in this body who knew or were friends with Mr. kirk. It has been so sad. There has been 300 instances of political violence in this country since january 6.
▶ 1:40:42Sen. Kaine: We have a colleague senator kelly whose life was dramatically changed. Senator scully's's life was dramatically changed political violence to us those look at us like this is who you are. We do not really think it is who you are but it is becoming so common. We have to figure out a way out of it. Have any answers but I am very troubled this morning.
▶ 1:41:10Sen. Kaine: I want to thank senator reed for raising the question that you raised about the venezuela strike. The idea of the framers that we should not be engaged in military action without congress , they came up with that idea was george washington was the president. They had a president they revered who was a great military leader but they did not think the decision about military force and hostility should be dependent upon one person.
▶ 1:41:39Sen. Kaine: We have yet to get answers about some critical aspects of the attack and the decision to interdict versus attack is a really important one. Interdiction often gets you evidence that you can then use to prosecute or go after the higher-ups and the kingpins. We still don't have an understanding of why there was an attack rather than in interdiction. Many of my colleagues have been seeking answers to those questions. I hope we get them.
▶ 1:42:09Sen. Kaine: I want to associate myself with senator blumenthal and the sanctions bill that is on the table. It has overwhelming bipartisan support. I can understand a desire to pause action on that while we seek some resolution with russia and ukraine. But during the pause what we have seen is russian aggression grow in ukraine against eu offices in ukraine and now against poland.
▶ 1:42:38Sen. Kaine: I agree with you general mahoney, whether it was intentional or unintentional, which would raise a whole set of other troubling questions, there needs to be a response from the administration and from this body. Let me ask is, you are well qualified. I support your nominations. I appreciated our visit. The press is reporting that the d.o.d.
▶ 1:43:00Sen. Kaine: Is going to send its reconciliation spending plan to congress in september -- november. Do you have any information about the status of the plants -- is that plan -- that plan.
▶ 1:43:18Gen. Mahoney: We have put our spending plan together and they will call for it by august 22. I am not surprised it is not to us by then. We want to make sure we spend the money the right way. I hope we get it soon. In response to senator wicker's questions, I know you will execute on the plan but we are very interested in that plan.
▶ 1:43:43Gen. Mahoney: I want to ask you, you have often been before the readiness subcommittee in earlier iterations. I want to ask you some readiness questions. How will you think about assessing readiness across the joint force especially when it comes to preparedness for executing plans?
▶ 1:44:03Gen. Mahoney: I think we might have discussed this. Here is the equipment aspects of it and then there is the exercises verses oh plan that was primarily owned. The chairman says the integrator has an exercise flow therapy brings all those things together to work out the entire joint force.
▶ 1:44:32Gen. Mahoney: Whether it is versus a specific oplan or scenario or derived services. It looks like the chairman is the global integrator.
▶ 1:44:43Sen. Kaine: Readiness of joint enablers contest to logistics communications networks very importantly especially in an opaque calm. I know you are aware of that. The fact that you have done so much work already is going to stand you in a good place. I believe that is why the chairman's role as the global integrator is so important because of those enablers that may not exist on a magenta line.
▶ 1:45:12Sen. Kaine: Thank you Mr. chair.
▶ 1:45:14Chair Wicker: Senator sheehy.
▶ 1:45:17Sen. Sheehy: Good morning. Our on your nomination. Great to speak with you the other day. Culture, war fighting, recruiting, those are your job. Secretary hegseth's job.
▶ 1:45:36Sen. Sheehy: My core concern is our ability to fill the magazines, build the ships, maintained the planes and ensure that when war fighters go toe to toe they have the platforms they need and the welfare we are seeing is a platform warfare environment. Right now our platform capabilities, although exquisite on the drawing board and test range, it is hard to scale them.
▶ 1:46:06Sen. Sheehy: They are expensive and hard to replace. My sole focus right now is to ensure that the next time we face off with an adversary, we have holes in the bottom of the ocean and parachutes, from cockpits because they are shut down. We need a product that is traceable, scalable and that can be done quickly in a battlefield timeframe.
▶ 1:46:30Sen. Sheehy: Right now we have a shipbuilding industry that has become sporadic, our ability to scale those and stabilize requirements to produce chips repeatedly, quickly, is challenged. That can be carried over to our aircraft manufacturing capability. There have been studies in articles and hearings about this for years and we have been talking about it.
▶ 1:47:00Sen. Sheehy: Nothing has changed fundamentally and the time for change is now. Every other consulting company gives us 1000 page report of how to fix it. We need to start fixing it. What is your day one, week one, year one plan to begin fixing this challenge so we are ready for the next war?
▶ 1:47:21Gen. Mahoney: Thanks and thank you for the time in your office. I have been on the jroc for about two years. Some of the smartest people on the planet do the analysis, the gap analysis, the capability portfolio management reviews. We need to make sure that is done in time that we have yet to consider. 800 days, not good.
▶ 1:47:51Gen. Mahoney: There is a time aspect and a step change that needs to happen once you go from a solution identification to bringing industry in. In my opening comments, I said all of industry. We have been glued to a small group of vendors that have come down from a larger group in the past and we need to invite different, more innovative and fast over companies into the acquisition process earlier.
▶ 1:48:20Gen. Mahoney: That is the only way I believe we are going to see the step change required. Lowers the barriers to entry and incentivize these companies to comments. Engender competition which will engender speed which will engender product, greater capabilities and greater quality. From day one of these if confirmed, I will pick up where the left off. I don't want to run on here's too much.
▶ 1:48:49Gen. Mahoney: I said earlier, the requirements to resources continues. The system, the gears that run. We have to keep an eye on that from the beginning to the end for one of the gals will be disengaged or it will start running slowly and will be back where we started.
▶ 1:49:08Gen. Mahoney: One other point, the gold in 800 days is not sufficient when we can get the operationally relevant in a short period of time. The acquisition principle, let's get the 80% solution in 20% of the time and at 20% of the cost instead of 100% 800 days later at some astronomical costs that we can either afford.
▶ 1:49:37Or Control Sen. Blumenthal: I agrees. We need to accept risk again in the acquisition process. We have created a process that is focused on the process, not on the outcome. We need to accept iteration as part of the pier to accept that each induration is not going to be perfect and continue to refine that product.
▶ 1:50:04Or Control Sen. Blumenthal: Goldplated's requirements and engineering to perfection will create brittleness in the acquisition process that will remove the scale of speed that we need. Thank you for your focus on that. If you have my support.
▶ 1:50:13Chair Wicker: Thank you senator. I know you and I can see that far but not much further. Senator slotkin is next.
▶ 1:50:36Sen. Slotkin: Thank you. Welcome. Thank you for being here. Particularly on a solemn day. This was my first anniversary of 9/11 in the senate and I was heartened to hear the sirens go off this morning and to hear there was a voice that came over the entire campus noting that there have been a plane headed for this building on that day. I thought that was an important reminder.
▶ 1:51:07Sen. Slotkin: You are nominated to be the number two to the vice chairman. That means you will be the number two in the country's advisor to the president of the united states. Our troops are intended to protect against foreign adversaries and to never advance the interest of one political party for their political agenda. That is one of the things we can agree on that separates us from a place like china.
▶ 1:51:36Sen. Slotkin: You have that responsibility of getting the best military advice but as we discussed in my office, representing the interests of the military and their reputation of the military which I know you have given your life to. You have done an incredible service for this institution that really raised you to be the four-star general that you are. You are also coming from being the assistant commandant to the marine corps.
▶ 1:52:05Sen. Slotkin: That means you oversaw the 700 marines say got deployed to l.a. Along with the national guard without the consent of the governor out there in june and july. According to a d.o.d. Report that came out through reuters, the document was titled los angeles civil unrest standing rules for the use of force. "the very nature of domestic operations, american military forces operating in U.S.
▶ 1:52:35Sen. Slotkin: Communities has such significant applications that the mistakes of the few soldiers can have far-reaching social, political and operational effects." the document cites a cautionary tale of a marine corporal who many years ago was on a joint mission in 1997 in texas and saw a highschooler with a rifle and the highschooler was herding goats and he ended up killing the highschooler.
▶ 1:53:09Sen. Slotkin: You want to be the number two military advisor to the president. What issues did you raise when you got the order to send 700 marines? What concerns did you have? What did you push or pull in that conversation to protect civilians and the reputation of the military?
▶ 1:53:27Gen. Mahoney: Thanks. When that order came down, our discussion was how do we accomplish the mission and are we trained and equipped? That discussion went on seriously from the commandant to the company commanders that were going to go forward. We trained to the standing rules of use of force.
▶ 1:53:55Gen. Mahoney: We trained de-escalation techniques. We trained on personal protective equipment which I would expect marines to do before they left the assembly area. The deepest conversation and concerned with making sure that those marines were ready to execute orders professionally were those battalion commanders and company commanders.
▶ 1:54:25Gen. Mahoney: They would not step forward until they were manned, trained and equipped to accomplish the mission they had been given.
▶ 1:54:32Sen. Slotkin: The president talks about sending troops to other places. If you were asked to change the rules of engagement to include arrest, detention of american citizens, hot pursuit, instead of tack teeming with law enforcement, you were asked to change the rules of engagement so that the U.S. military would be engaging in what I believed to be unlawful acts in the streets of america come up you push back on that or other illegal orders?
▶ 1:55:02Gen. Mahoney: Before I go too far down the hypothetical, which is reasonable, my best military judgment in my position now or if confirmed, will be based on the circumstances and the task we have been given and the effect we are trying to achieve and the training we need to do it.
▶ 1:55:30Gen. Mahoney: The entire cascade of receiving the orders to calling out the task, building courses of action --
▶ 1:55:37Sen. Slotkin: I understand. This is almost an issue of contents -- conscious. If you are asked to do something that will greatly hurt the reputation of the military, that you and privately, not publicly, but that you would stand up and push back and give your best military advice against such actions?
▶ 1:55:58Gen. Mahoney: I will do that publicly. That is an easy question. If I am ever in a situation where 38 years of an oath is put at risk to do something different, the answer is simple. I will adhere to my oath to the constitution. That is what is expected from the chairman and the entire national command authority and the american people.
▶ 1:56:19Sen. Slotkin: Thank you.
▶ 1:56:21Chair Wicker: Thank you senator. Senator budd.
▶ 1:56:27Sen. Budd: General, it is good to see you. Thank you for your comments to the sondland this -- solemness of this day. One of my priorities has been to reform the foreign military sales process. That has been a continual point of frustration.
▶ 1:56:53Sen. Budd: We want them to get the weapons and the equipment in places like taiwan and the philippines and we to become more quickly. One recommendation I heard is to bake export ability into the production of these technologies. That development is constrained by the requirements that you have put into the process.
▶ 1:57:20Sen. Budd: What do you think about baking exportability into the requirements?
▶ 1:57:26Gen. Mahoney: I am not a foreign military sales specialist but I will go to the commonality between the defense industrial base, what they produce, how quickly they produce it and foreign military sales. The defense industrial base and the foreign military sales industrial base are essentially the same thing.
▶ 1:57:51Sen. Budd: You may not be an expert on foreign military sales , do you think there are ways we can speed up the process?
▶ 1:58:02Gen. Mahoney: Pursuant to the discussions we have had today, yes.
▶ 1:58:06Sen. Budd: Thank you. Let's talk about training. I know you are familiar with the limitations that the frontline units face with training ranges, threat replication, just to name a few. These limitations impact the training and readiness of the joint force for near peer conflict. How would you approach these challenges?
▶ 1:58:34Gen. Mahoney: Thanks for the question. As a career aviator, we have run into restrictions in airspace, restrictions in emissions and the physical space below you, what you can expend and how you can expand it. Two ways to get beyond that. That is virtual and constructive elements of the training continuing. You will never get beyond the live feedback, the live aspect.
▶ 1:59:04Gen. Mahoney: In order to work out the longer-range systems, the more exquisite systems that need to emit and receive without tipping your hand and also getting a workout, we need to emphasize virtual and constructive aspects as well. That virtual constructive continuum, those parts make up the greater part of the whole.
▶ 1:59:26Sen. Budd: Thank you. One of the provisions I led strengthens the department's ability to use tactical data links. Something I imagine you know a lot about, specifically link 16. For and training in the national airspace systems.
▶ 1:59:47Sen. Budd: Can you speak about the importance of link 16 and the importance of preventing bureaucracy from impeding the ability in how we train and how we fight?
▶ 1:59:57Gen. Mahoney: Just links back to the discussion we have on limitation on training ranges. I have been using link 16 for a long time's. It is the datalink system of record and it is critical to joint command and control.
▶ 2:00:15Gen. Mahoney: Accommodations that can be made to use that waveform, to use that data links that we are experts at it and we do not get understood with the datalink across the systems, is extremely important.
▶ 2:00:29Sen. Budd: In your understanding, who currently owns the d.o.d. Requirements for joint protection from unmanned aerial systems?
▶ 2:00:38Gen. Mahoney: Could you repeat?
▶ 2:00:43Sen. Budd: Unmanned aerial systems. Who in the department owns that, is in charge of it? Let me preface a little more. I understand that north com acts as a consultant on that. What are you satisfied with the joint is of the requirements and solutions moving forward in regard to unmanned aerial systems?
▶ 2:01:08Gen. Mahoney: This is an area but where we -- this is an area where we were very slow but we are moving quickly. We have service executives and a combined joint task force for uas and I am happy we are moving at speed now and everybody is starting to move in the same direction.
▶ 2:01:29Sen. Budd: Thank you. I look forward to supporting your nomination.
▶ 2:01:34Chair Wicker: Thank you. Senator duckworth.
▶ 2:01:38Sen. Duckworth: Thank you for your service. Thank you for are great conversation this week. We could talk about challenges facing the joint force but I will address the unthinkable, following up on senator slotkin's question about deploying military to our nation's cities. The president has declared war on chicago and is threatening to send troops there. Not against a foreign enemy.
▶ 2:02:07Sen. Duckworth: Not in response to an armed attack. Not in response to a natural disaster or rights in the streets. He is simply declaring war on americans -- on an american city. Do you think it is important for our troops to be performing policing duties on americans on U.S. soil?
▶ 2:02:23Gen. Mahoney: I think the appropriate use of the military is to protect all americans under all circumstances. >> answer my question. It is appropriate for U.S. troops to be executing policing duties on U.S. soil?
▶ 2:02:42Gen. Mahoney: Policing duties is not for the marine corps. >> the president seems to think so. He has declared war on chicago. He is starting to use the military to stage chaos and fear so he can swoop in and normalize having military personnel on the streets of america. This is a political theater that our men and women in uniform did not sign up for.
▶ 2:03:05Gen. Mahoney: If confirmed, and the president asked the military to deploy to an american city, would you unequivocally advise against engaging in detention and violations of civil rights?
▶ 2:03:21Gen. Mahoney: I would comply with the law and I will comply with my experience and the oath that I have taken to the constitution. I cannot imagine any situation where our task would be to violate civil rights.
▶ 2:03:37Sen. Duckworth: I have directly heard from constituents who are scared that the armed forces will come to their door, that uniform troops will come to their child's school, to their workplace, to be arrested, to be pulled onto a military base to be detained. Trump is blurring the lines between the military and the police to intimidate those who dared to speak out against his policies.
▶ 2:04:06Sen. Duckworth: This separation of our military and the police forces is core to our constitution which everyone in uniform including you and me and my colleagues are sworn to defend. Our founders enshrined protections to protect americans from this kind of abuse after the british army invaded homes and engaged in unreasonable searches and seizures.
▶ 2:04:30Sen. Duckworth: As a daughter of the american revolution whose family has fought for this nation from its founding, I am horrified that president trump is shredding the constitution to turn our nation military against americans. Everyone deserves to feel safe from crime but our nations military is not the best tool to fight it. That is what the police are for. But trump slashed 800 million dollars from initiatives to prevent local crime and support victims of crime.
▶ 2:05:01Sen. Duckworth: Let's be clear, donald trump does not care about crime. We both know how costly it is to take our eyes off the ball and I appreciate you giving a commitment to meet to ensure that the joint forces forces -- focus on the indo-pacific, an area where you have extensive experience in deployment and a leadership role.
▶ 2:05:22Sen. Duckworth: I am concerned that forcing ability to turn against -- forcing the military to turn against americans is costly to time and resources. I don't think our military should be patrolling the streets as they are here in washington, D.C. where they are spending time picking up garbage. While our troops are focused on policing, who is guarding us against foreign threats? What risks to national security are we willing to swallow?
▶ 2:05:52Sen. Duckworth: We have already seen our adversaries taking advantage but president trump will not stand up to putin so he is picking a fight with chicago. The military will always protect the constitution but we both know if the military has to support this dangerous distraction and execute all of its missions at the same time, it will stretch the military too thin.
▶ 2:06:14Sen. Duckworth: You are more than qualified but I am deeply concerned that there is a price to be paid by our troops and americans for this president's attempts to normalize putting troops on the streets of our cities and I hope you will stand up and advise against as you have already committed to doing, the misuse of our military. Thank you. I yield back.
▶ 2:06:35Chair Wicker: Thank you. Senator gillibrand.
▶ 2:06:41Sen. Gillibrand: Thank you for the opportunity to talk here today. I echo some of the concerns that were mentioned by senator duckworth. We are in a time of grave risks, challenges, adversaries, the investments that china has made over the past 15 years, the war in ukraine, the war on the middle east.
▶ 2:07:07Sen. Gillibrand: These are huge pressures on the united states citizens and united states security and security of our allies. The most important job that you have is to express advice and guidance to the president of the united states that is based on your years of study and experience. We need you to understand that you could be the difference between an action that is harmful and an action that is helpful based on your experience.
▶ 2:07:38Sen. Gillibrand: My fundamental question to you is are you prepared to stand in the breach of a terrible decision and the right decision for the national security and the united states?
▶ 2:07:47Gen. Mahoney: The direct answer is yes. Two sub bullets. I can admit to adhere to the oath that I took as a lieutenant and write up until four-star. If there is divergence from that oath, I will speak out.
▶ 2:08:06Sen. Gillibrand: Thank you very much. This is the most important job you will ever do in your career. The response on your shoulders is significant. We as the senate and armed services committee will trust in you to give us unfiltered advice, to give the president unfiltered advice, and to not stand down when opposed by people in the administration who disagree with you. You must stand forthrightly and always give the right advice.
▶ 2:08:34Gen. Mahoney: I commit to that.
▶ 2:08:36Sen. Gillibrand: Thank you very much. The second question I want to address with you, we have a rising issue of unmanned aerial drones. We have a rising challenge of drone incursions over military bases such as langley. We have drone incursions now over our allies that we have seen most recently in the news.
▶ 2:09:01Sen. Gillibrand: We need a policy with regard to our own national security about how we are going to use drone technology, how to defend against drone technology. The biggest blind spot we have in the united states is domestic blindness. We don't have a solution. If an adversarial drone is hovering over a major city or sporting event or a major musical event, we don't have a policy.
▶ 2:09:31Sen. Gillibrand: If adversarial drones are hovering over langley for two weeks straight with no recourse and no decision being made to do something about it, and we do not yet have all the technology and investment that we need to make sure that we can prepare and respond appropriately to know who is manning those drones. If it is an adversary nation, a terrorist organization, if it is a spy network. That is the kind of intelligence we need to be able to have a policy that is effective.
▶ 2:10:01Sen. Gillibrand: I would like your commitment that you will work with this committee on your -- on a very robust drone policy, how to keep civilians safe at large gatherings such as sporting events and concerts as well as men and women who serve in the armed sources -- armed services when they are hovering over important military sites, important equipment sites.
▶ 2:10:28Sen. Gillibrand: I need to have the commitment that you will take this as seriously as the proliferation of war that it could well be.
▶ 2:10:34Gen. Mahoney: You have my complete commitment. You just described the tapestry of how to go about it.
▶ 2:10:41Sen. Gillibrand: Thank you Mr. chairman.
▶ 2:10:43Chair Wicker: Senator kelly.
▶ 2:10:47Sen. Kelly: Thank. General, great seeing you again. Good to see an a6 intruder pilot in front of the committee. I want to discuss electronic warfare with you. As you know we face a lot of challenges in the western pacific. The w the ew environment is changing dramatically.
▶ 2:11:16Sen. Kelly: To be successful in a calm safe, we are going to have to use non-kinetic capabilities beyond what we can use today. That means we need to test and experiment and train in a realistic operational environment across all domains against emerging technologies and peer threats.
▶ 2:11:47Sen. Kelly: That is why in fiscal year 26 nd aa we added a provision to carry out a demonstration of a testing and training environment across services by connecting existing ranges and training sites in the western states. Stitching these things together.
▶ 2:12:11Sen. Kelly: We have seen efforts like the western regional range complex where it can provide war fighters with realistic training in very complex and congested multiple domain and electronic magnetic spectrum environments through a combination of advanced and virtual and constructive environments with advanced modeling simulation.
▶ 2:12:40Sen. Kelly: Altogether with the relevant systems. How important is it to have joint multi-domain testing and training environments that blends kinetic and non-kinetic efforts in effects to enable realistic training?
▶ 2:12:54Gen. Mahoney: It is critical. And it is not an option. Back in the a6 days, we used to be pretty good at this. We got out of that business for a long time.
▶ 2:13:14Gen. Mahoney: All the things that you indicate and going back to the point about training, stitching together the ranges, having the ability to emit and receive and work out the systems is critical.
▶ 2:13:27Sen. Kelly: Can you talk about how this applies to conflict with china, which I did not believe is inevitable but a conflict with china in the western pacific?
▶ 2:13:37Gen. Mahoney: Use of, exploitation of and the ability to manipulate the em spectrum is part of your war fighting function of fires, intel, etc. You have to be able to do that in the way that you just spoke about from a training perspective in order to apply it, should we have to fight.
▶ 2:14:04Sen. Kelly: What are the some of the challenge to getting this established here and how are we going to overcome these challenges?
▶ 2:14:20Gen. Mahoney: This would be one of the key operational problems that we pursue that which is electronic warfare and electromagnetic spectrum, you can use the word dominance or exploitation. If confirmed, this would be an operational problem that we would hit head on.
▶ 2:14:39Sen. Kelly: It is a multi-department approach. We will have to work with the faa. We have already started to do some of that. But to get this airspace appropriately stitched together and also beyond the ew training, as weapons systems become more advanced, air to air missile
▶ 2:15:09Sen. Kelly: Systems are becoming longer-range. The stick is longer. We cannot have guys turn and immediately take a shot, virtual or real. Then immediately try to do it again. That gets really challenging. I have another question about, before I was an a6 guy, I was at the marine academy. Talk about how important it is for us to rebuild our U.S.
▶ 2:15:35Sen. Kelly: Merchant marine when you are considering logistics across a 5000 mile pacific ocean.
▶ 2:15:40Gen. Mahoney: You want a new idea, read an old book. Look at the merchant marine and how they enabled victory in world war ii. We need that not only as an exact model but as an example of how to build back merchant shipping and merchant sailors.
▶ 2:15:58Sen. Kelly: Thank you.
▶ 2:15:59Chair Wicker: Senator warren.
▶ 2:16:04Sen. Warren: Thank you and congratulations on your nomination. This administration's politicization of the military undermines our democracy and is a betrayal of the men and women who signed up to put their lives on the line to protect this country.
▶ 2:16:24Sen. Warren: The posse comitatus act is clear that the military generally should not be used for domestic law enforcement activities but the trump administration has deployed the military to perform law enforcement functions in los angeles and washington, D.C. and threatened to send troops into chicago, baltimore and new orleans.
▶ 2:16:46Sen. Warren: When pete hegseth came before this committee in june, I asked him how many american cities he would deploy troops to and he would not rule out any number, even if those missions put our military readiness at risk. If confirmed, you will be responsible for overseeing joint military requirements.
▶ 2:17:11Sen. Warren: If this committee asks for your best military judgment on whether these operations are hurting readiness, will you share any concerns with us?
▶ 2:17:20Gen. Mahoney: I will.
▶ 2:17:22Sen. Warren: I appreciate that. A U.S. district court recently ruled that the trump administration will fully violated the posse comitatus act during the troop deployment in los angeles. Arrest and detention should only be performed by civilian law enforcement, not the military.
▶ 2:17:47Sen. Warren: But the court found both bystanders and federal agencies including the military commander were unable to distinguish the members of the military from federal law enforcement agents. General mahoney, federal courts may soon find the deployments to washington, chicago and baltimore were illegal. If confirmed, will your military advice be to act in accordance with findings of federal courts?
▶ 2:18:18Gen. Mahoney: Senator, they will. In the judicial process if something is found legal or illegal, the advice will be based on that finding.
▶ 2:18:30Sen. Warren: So you will follow the courts, all right. Earlier this year the trump administration took $1 billion that congress had appropriated for barracks renovations and redirected that money for border operations. This is funding to address barracks that had become completely unlivable, places with overflowing sewage and fire systems that don't work.
▶ 2:18:58Sen. Warren: You provided testimony to the readiness subcommittee earlier this year that investing in quality of life "specifically the barracks for the marines" ar e key investments if we are going to count on them to generate a lethal force.
▶ 2:19:18Sen. Warren: But the cost of asking the military to police american communities is only going to grow and eat into funds that are specifically designated by congress to support our troops. General mahoney, will you commit to providing this committee with your best military advice if you believe that funding is being moved without congressional authorization in a way that undermines service members quality of life?
▶ 2:19:48Gen. Mahoney: I commit to giving you my best military advice on all issues, this one included.
▶ 2:19:53Sen. Warren: I appreciate that. It is completely un-american to unleash our troops on U.S. cities over the objections of their democratic elected governors and mayors. This president recently posted that chicago will "find out why it is called the department of war" while he's since denied that he meant to declare war on our own citizens.
▶ 2:20:23Sen. Warren: Make no mistake, this is dangerous. We cannot let the military become a political weapon to intimidate our communities and I urge my republican colleagues to wake up and stop the president and the secretary from grossly abusing his authority and our military. Thank you Mr. chairman.
▶ 2:20:44Chair Wicker: This concludes today's hearing. I would like to thank the witness for his testimony. Questions for the record will be due to the committee by 12:00 p.m. On friday. We are adjourned.
▶ 2:21:06Chair Wicker: [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap.org]