▶ 0:00:07>> it is 10:00. From abc news, I'm sherry preston. Multiple sources confirm todd blanche will meet with republican senators today as more than speak out about the president's so-called anti-weaponization fund. He plans to address them during a closed-door meeting. >> a growing number of republicans outraged. >> you can't do that.
▶ 0:00:38>> if someone is damaged, there's already a process in place to be able to get restitution for that.
▶ 0:33:48Chair Wicker: All right. The hearing will come back toward her. I want to thank our witnesses for a very informative classified session. Now we begin the public portion. I will come back secretary meink , general saltzman and general wilsbach. I think them and their families for their service.
▶ 0:34:13Chair Wicker: The department of the air force requested $338.8 billion for the next fiscal year. That reflects the fact that deterrence is not free and weakness invites aggression. At this point I'm going to submit the rest of my opening statement for the record.
▶ 0:34:38Chair Wicker: I understand that senator reed is that important meeting of the appropriations committee. He may very well want to submit his opening statement for the record also. I think secretary --secretary meink and recognize you for your opening statement.
▶ 0:35:00Sec. Meink: Thank you, chairman wicker. Distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to talk to the 27 department of the air force budget request. I am proud to represent 680,000 airmen, guardian, and civilians and their families and loved ones.
▶ 0:35:21Sec. Meink: After the events of the last year, operation midnight hammer and absolute resolve and epic fury, I don't think anyone doubts the space force and air force are the most capable and the world. Today we are in the middle of a generational shift in how we employ airpower and space power. Advances give us unique opportunities to drive down costs and drive up effectiveness across the board.
▶ 0:35:50Sec. Meink: However, our adversaries recognize that opportunity every bit as much as we do. Those adversaries, particularly china, are modernizing. To stay ahead we must innovate faster in everything that we do. That means staying ready to fight tonight, next month, next year, next decade. Unfortunately for the past 25 years the budget request has been the smallest relative to gdp in its history. The nation has asked more of it.
▶ 0:36:18Sec. Meink: To meet the mission needs, the force shortchanged readiness and much-needed modernization. Fiscal year 2027 president's budget breaks the pattern with a 338 point $8 billion request for the daf and increase over last year. I will just start with the investment to win the fight tonight. Boosting readiness requires increased stable funding given the age of many of our platforms.
▶ 0:36:48Sec. Meink: The budget increases are foundational readiness investment by 34%, providing a jump to recover. We are looking at ways to operate more efficiently by accelerating decision in reducing barriers to entry for industry and leveraging innovative contract structures. The lean budget in the last years has also resulted in a $50 billion facilities maintenance backlog.
▶ 0:37:14Sec. Meink: This is compounded with the way we have done -- which results in costs almost twice what a commercial construction would. The 27 budget request nearly doubles the investment in facilities sustainment, restoration and modernization, which we will couple with a new authorities we have gotten from congress. Thank you very much. Such as progressive design build. Second, production of munitions.
▶ 0:37:43Sec. Meink: While we retain enough munitions worldwide to meet mission needs, we need strong factory lines to bolster stockpiles. The budget leverages existing commercial production capacity and takes advantage of multiyear procurement.for the most critical munitions we expect 39,000 weapons to be delivered by fy 33. We are developing weapons almost as capable as our high-end munitions but at a fraction of the cost and a much higher production rate which will enable that 39,000.
▶ 0:38:15Sec. Meink: While the money is essential, time is our most precious resource. The department will focus on companies that can quickly scale production while still ensuring competition in the future. That leads me to number three, modernization. Daf is engaged in the broadest program of modernization in its history.
▶ 0:38:38Sec. Meink: We have seen much success with our new proliferated space architectures, combat aircraft, and our command-and-control and battle management systems. The request accelerates those lessons. We are transforming acquisition and empowering our new portfolio acquisition executives and their teams with the authorities, resources, and talent to accelerate capability to deliver.
▶ 0:39:08Sec. Meink: We have delegated nearly every authority we are legally allowed to down to the p.a.e.'s. Is all -- rapid decision-making across the entire space force and air force. Are most decisive advantage remains our people. The airmen and guardians to make everything possible. This budget invests in them.
▶ 0:39:36Sec. Meink: That includes a 5% to 7% pay raise for the military, larger bonus pools for incentivizing high-performing civilians, increasing to military strength and a 300% increase in dormitory investments. This budget represents a strategy to meet our threats.
▶ 0:39:52Sec. Meink: While fy 27th is while fy 27th does represent a major increase in the budget, -- regardless of the final total, we remain accountable and transparent to congress and the american taxpayers. Thank you very much I look forward to your questions.
▶ 0:40:10Chair Wicker: General wilsbach, you recognize.
▶ 0:40:13Gen. Saltzman: Distinguished members of the committee, I'm proud to represent 660 5000 total force airmen serving our nation. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today and your continued support for airmen and their families. The U.S. air force exist to provide the nation with decisive options at both speed and scale.
▶ 0:40:37Gen. Saltzman: Our airmen deliver that capability by controlling the air, holding targets at risk, moving forces and supplies across the globe, and underpinning the joint force with these combined efforts. As illustrated in recent operations, such as operation midnight hammer, absolute resolve, epic fury, they do it professionally and without pause. We operate in an environment where distance no longer guarantees sanctuary.
▶ 0:41:02Gen. Saltzman: Networks are contested and adversaries are fielding capabilities specifically designed to deny us the advantages we are have relied on before. That reality drives our focus. Readiness, modernization, taking care of airmen and their families. Readiness is the ability to generate combat power quickly, operate in contested environments and sustain operations over time.
▶ 0:41:29Gen. Saltzman: Today our airmen are meeting the mission but are doing so while managing significant strain. We are flying aircraft that in many cases are older than the airmen who maintain them. We are operating at a high tempo across multiple theaters and doing so while preparing to be ready for any future conflict.
▶ 0:41:50Gen. Saltzman: Our fiscal year 2027 budget request prioritizes restoring depth and are forced by increasing funding for flying hours, munitions, maintenance, and advanced training that reflects the reality of today and tomorrow's fight. Sustainment funding increased to over $24 billion and flying hours to nearly $10 billion. We are focused on readiness. That continues to mean credible and can deliver effects.
▶ 0:42:21Gen. Saltzman: Modernization is not only about replacing old platforms with new ones but evolving how we fight. Speed, survivability, decision advantage will define future conflict. It requires a force that is more connected and adaptable. To this end we are increasing our research and development funding by 27 percent to over $57 billion. The fiscal year 2027 budget request will accelerate the modernization programs.
▶ 0:42:52Gen. Saltzman: We are advancing the f 47 to increase combat mass and adversary targeting. We are upgrading our fight or flee to ensure it remains viable while also investing in long-range strike advancements -- long-range strike, advanced musicians, and command-and-control. Our nuclear enterprise remains foundational. Investments will sustain the modernization of the triad through the sentinel, be 21 and upgrades to the b-52 and the e4 b.
▶ 0:43:22Gen. Saltzman: This ensures our deterrence remain critical -- credible and ready. We ask a lot of our people. Frequent moves and operational stress take a toll. Our air force continues to invest in improving options for health care, childcare care, and spouse employment. Therefore our budget request strengthens quality of life.
▶ 0:43:43Gen. Saltzman: We are executing the largest investment in our dormitories and over a decade of $2.7 billion and $330 million in milk con. We are looking to meet the needs of families while funding new construction projects to address childcare capacity for your falls by adding about 1700 childcare spaces. The air force exists to be the best possible fighting force for our nation.
▶ 0:44:13Gen. Saltzman: We are building a force operate under pressure and deliver effects anywhere in the world. That requires sustainment, discipline choices, and an unwavering focus on our people. With your support we will ensure they have the tools, training, and backing they need. I look forward to your questions.
▶ 0:44:32Chair Wicker: Thank you very much. General saltzman.
▶ 0:44:39Gen. Saltzman: Thank you for the support for the space force in her guardian. Space is more vital than ever so the economic prosperity, national security and effectiveness of the joint force. However, our adversaries are constantly working to take away our military and economic advantages in the space domain. To defend our nation's interest in space, the space force must do more than grow. We must evolve to meet challenges of the new era.
▶ 0:45:04Gen. Saltzman: The fy 27 budget's investment of $71.1 billion for the space force represents a generational opportunity to position the force to be the rapidly expanding threats and demands of the nation. I know some of the percentage increase is considered some big but let me put them in perspective. There are 25 individual military installations inside the united states that each have more personnel than the entire space force .the top 10 of those installations are all at least twice the size of our service.
▶ 0:45:34Gen. Saltzman: The space force budget will still be less than 5% of our nation's total military spending. In extorting value on return of investment for the nation. That investment is a down payment to meet the accelerating demands of the service. En banc 25 from the space for such a drastic increase in requirements across space access, global operations, and space control.
▶ 0:46:00Gen. Saltzman: The trend.shows no signs of slowing to position the service for the mission growth and inform our future needs the space force has been working to define what we believe our future operating environment will look like in the next 15 years. Based on that we designed our objective for structure which will provide a vector for our services investments to meet the nation's expanding needs and defeat future threats. Increases in the service budget and strength are national secured imperatives.
▶ 0:46:28Gen. Saltzman: That's why the budget booths are topline by almost 130% and art industry by 27 percent. The proposed budget. With this increase in strength will allow us to recruit and train guardians, build vital space capabilities for the joint force in the nation, and provide the support and infrastructure the mission growth demands.
▶ 0:46:53Gen. Saltzman: We are building a cadre of war fighters equipped with the skills required and increasingly contested and evolving domain. We are preparing our officers to seamlessly integrate with the joint force. We are bolstering the development of our enlisted force to ensure they become technical space were fighting experts. We are developing our civilian guardian so they can best provide the unique expertise, ensure continuity of operations, and bring a depth of support across the mission set.
▶ 0:47:20Gen. Saltzman: In order to execute all of our expanding missions it's imperative we responsibly and effectively convert this increased appropriation in a combat capability and were fighting advantage. Unlike the other services, the majority of the budget, nearly two thirds, is dedicated to developing and fielding new systems and set of personnel or operations and maintenance. That's why the space force is focused on taking advantage of this once in a generation opportunity to enhance our acquisition processes.
▶ 0:47:48Gen. Saltzman: All with the goal of accelerating the fielding of vital combat space systems at the speed and scale required for each mission. Newly empowered portfolio acquisition executives are positioned to make better and faster program trades, expediting our ability to deliver combat credible systems on operational relevant timelines.
▶ 0:48:09Gen. Saltzman: We are simplifying our approach to requirements, bolstering relationships with industry and allies, and ensuring our vital guardian workforce is expertly trained in the complex task of acquisitions. Unlike other services, the space force cannot modernize what he does not have. We are creating some of these innovative capabilities for new missions from the ground up, particularly in space control what we are investing in all categories necessary to deter and defeat aggression in space.
▶ 0:48:39Gen. Saltzman: We are aggressively pursuing more resilient space architectures that can withstand attacks and continue to operate through an extended conflict. This includes expanding a resilient missile warning and tracking initiative that provides life-saving alerts to troops worldwide, enhancing satellite communications to connect joint force units and commanders around the globe during battle. And our targeting architecture to hold adversaries at risk through space-based anywhere in the world.
▶ 0:49:08Gen. Saltzman: With the added manpower missions and capability required, commensurate increases in the structures that support them so the fy 27 budget request also includes the required milcon. The space force has laid the organizational foundation, defined the threat and deliver the blueprint required to counter it. We must build the structures and systems to ensure domain superiority for years to come.
▶ 0:49:31Gen. Saltzman: With the continued advocacy, guardian stand ready to deter aggression, protect the space enabled way of life, and if called upon to and win. As I conclude my presentation, let me say thank you for enabling our successes and for the opportunity to highlight the exceptional work are guardians are doing every day to secure our nation's interests in, from, and to space.
▶ 0:49:58Chair Wicker: Thank you to all three of you, and particularly, general saltzman, as you prepare to move onto another phase of your career. For the record, senator reed was at a meeting of another important committee when we begin this hearing. I submitted my opening statement for the record. You are not recognized, senator reed.
▶ 0:50:28Sen. Reed: I will adopt the wise posture of the chairman and submit my statement for the record.
▶ 0:50:34Chair Wicker: I think it would be appropriate if you went ahead and added some very important recognition.
▶ 0:50:48Sen. Reed: Obviously I want to recognize and thank general saltzman for his service. A remarkable service. Thank you very much, sir. Gentlemen, thank you for your dedication. Please convey our sincere thanks to the men and women both in uniform and civilians who you lead. .
▶ 0:51:08Chair Wicker: I think that reflects the feelings of the committee. I will defer my questions until later. Again, there are other important meetings going on today. Members will have to be going in and out. At this point, senator fischer is recognized for questions, to be followed by senator reed.
▶ 0:51:29Sen. Fischer: I would too would like to thank all you do them and your service. General saltzman, I wish you the best in your future endeavors. Thank you very much. Secretary meink, how would the investments proposed in the budget request scale the air force munitions production?
▶ 0:51:47Sec. Meink: Significantly. By the end, it will total procurement on the order of 39,000 weapons systems. We are taking two paths. A number of weapon systems we had in production for years, we are scaling those up. At the same time we are looking at a whole family of lower cost munitions we can scale more rapidly.
▶ 0:52:17Sec. Meink: More cost-effective in the long run. The combination of those two is what the budget's mission allows us to get after.
▶ 0:52:23Chair Wicker: You said by the end of the fighting.
▶ 0:52:28Sec. Meink: 39,000 weapons.
▶ 0:52:32Chair Wicker: This is a public hearing. I apologize, senator fischer.
▶ 0:52:38Sec. Meink: Significant advancements in the weapons which is critical for the high-end and low-end fight.
▶ 0:52:46Sen. Fischer: General wilsbach, how was the air force and fielding emerging technologies such as the counter drone systems we are very interested in in order to protect our airmen?
▶ 0:52:59Gen. Wilsbach: Thank you. The budget request has around just over $10 billion. That is all of the department, not just the air force but all the services for just this purpose. This year we are fielding additional systems at some key bases. One of them is in your home state. Many of the places we have fielded some systems.
▶ 0:53:29Gen. Wilsbach: The army has deployed to our bases in the middle east.
▶ 0:53:34Sen. Fischer: All of those are counter drone?
▶ 0:53:40Gen. Wilsbach: Yes. Counter drone, counter one-way attack and counter cruise missile. Into 2027, that will continue to expand. Ultimately, senator, we should have some system protecting all of our bases. We will get to that in future years.
▶ 0:53:54Sen. Fischer: Mr. secretary, or general wilsbach, and the fiscal year 2027 budget request it includes $1.4 billion for developing collaborative combat aircraft. Can you explain why we need those cca's and what progress has been made so far on developing those systems?
▶ 0:54:17Sec. Meink: I think a short response and then I will turn it over to general wilsbach. The cca represents an extremely cost-effective way to bring combat power into the fight. They are very low cost fighters that will operate collaboratively with our manned aircraft to deliver more cost-effective capabilities.
▶ 0:54:40Gen. Wilsbach: Yes. I agree with the secretary. What this allows is additional maps in the target area in the area of engagement that creates a number of more problems and dilemmas for adversaries and allows you to win. The first series of combat aircraft will be designed for air to air flight. We can decide what capabilities they will have.
▶ 0:55:11Gen. Wilsbach: Thus far we have two vendors that are making those for us. They have had multiple flights. The autonomous systems are working. We are learning from it. Adjusting as we go. We are very pleased with the progress.
▶ 0:55:27Sen. Fischer: General saltzman, the space force is requesting a significant increase in funding and personnel for fy 27. Can you explain not just of this committee but to the american people why that growth is required and how were the investments proposed better position space force to operate in the worsening threat environment that we face?
▶ 0:55:56Gen. Saltzman: It is pretty clear that space has become critical to our economy and our national security and the joint force's effectiveness. The new missions will require something on the order of about 40 new squadrons. That represents 2800 guardians and another 2000 civilians just to do the work of the new missions being added to address these threats and continue to provide support to the joint force.
▶ 0:56:28Gen. Saltzman: The new systems are going to require 10 new program offices to the acquisition work to bring the systems and deliver them to the field. The growth in the new missions and the squadrons required to operate the systems is what drives the manpower and increasing budget for the systems.
▶ 0:56:45Sen. Fischer: Thank you and thank you again for overseeing the vast accomplishments of the space force to date.
▶ 0:56:52Chair Wicker: Senator reed.
▶ 0:56:59Sen. Reed: Thank you very much, Mr. chairman. Mr. Sen. -- Mr. secretary, the air force is requesting aircraft. The f-35 will go from 24 to 38 and the f-15 from 18 to 24. All the increase of 14 aircraft is in the reconciliation request, not the budget.
▶ 0:57:28Sen. Reed: On the other hand, all 15 ex's are in the discretionary budget. What do you do if you don't have a successful reconciliation bill?
▶ 0:57:39Sec. Meink: Thank you, senator. The department looked at it as one integrated request. There was no prior rotation between reconciliation and base funding. As we get more data I want the top line to be that there will have to be a about how we prioritize everything in the budget. It is all critical. Sometimes you have to do prioritization.
▶ 0:58:11Sec. Meink: We will continue to shoot for what we need to do to do the job. If the budget is at a lower rate, we will have to work on that.
▶ 0:58:17Sen. Reed: It's an interesting concept. Usually the department of defense comes to us with their priorities in place. Not an additional request in the committee for reconciliation funds. That is a bad practice to get into. I think you have to make some tough choices.
▶ 0:58:46Sen. Reed: With respect to aircraft and other issues. Let me just switch. General saltzman, all space assets are in the space force and that requires consolidation from other services as well as from the air force and space force. Mr. secretary, how are we doing in that consolidation?
▶ 0:59:17Sec. Meink: I think we are doing well on consolidation. The discussion we had on the strength of the space force you need to grow as representative of that. As missions increase across the space force, they need to space force, they need people to manage that. There will be growth to meet that demand.
▶ 0:59:40Gen. Saltzman: I would add which was not true five years ago, the space force controls, operates 100% of our satellite communications for the military, 100% of missile warning space based capability. Pulling the agency get out from os to be proper into the space force is another consolidation.
▶ 1:00:06Gen. Saltzman: We have taken to heart the fact the space force needs to be accountable for the programs and we have done the consolidation.
▶ 1:00:11Sen. Reed: What do you consider to be outstanding outside of your scope that you have to bring in?
▶ 1:00:23Gen. Saltzman: I don't think there is any additional capabilities that currently exist in other services or external. As all services grow and consider the importance of space we will have to put it on the right service given the missions they are considering to be done from space.
▶ 1:00:37Sen. Reed: Mr. secretary, we have been spending billions of dollars in the persian gulf. We are still waiting for a supplemental to arrive. That further complicates the budgetary situation. Looking at the space -- the president's budget, reconciliation and supplemental. How soon would need the supplemental funds to avoid serious readiness problems and other constraints?
▶ 1:01:10Sec. Meink: The administration is working through the process to address the spending in the gulf. The department, as we do every year, as we get closer to the end of the year we managed the task flow. We continue to do that.
▶ 1:01:30Sen. Reed: General wilsbach, what readiness issues have arisen given this unexpected or unplanned operations in the gulf?
▶ 1:01:42Gen. Wilsbach: I would not say we have had any rising because of epic fury. We had readiness issues because of the underfunding, weapons systems sustainment, flying hours, parts. They were established before epic fury started. We have supported our forces in the middle east. We have pushed parts and people over there.
▶ 1:02:13Gen. Wilsbach: We can execute at the top level.
▶ 1:02:14Sen. Reed: Thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 1:02:16Chair Wicker: Senator cramer.
▶ 1:02:20Sen. Cramer: Thank you all for being here and for your service and a special thank you to general saltzman for your leadership during the youthful season of the new force. If you have brought it along nicely and we appreciate you very much. More than you can probably know. Mr. secretary, general wilsbach , you talked about sentinel.
▶ 1:02:46Sen. Cramer: Not so many years ago, it seems like months ago, the dramatic information and data that led to the -- seemed to almost to do med for some people. Just as dramatic has been the recovery. It seems having been out to vandenberg and promontory and spending time with general white, that was a stroke of genius to get him overseeing the modernization effort.
▶ 1:03:17Sen. Cramer: Give us a little bit of a picture of that recovery. Even to the point where it looks like we got be on track for this year.
▶ 1:03:31Sec. Meink: It's a good example of what we are trying to do with all the acquisition transformation across the entire department. You put extremely talented leadership in charge and gave them the authority to help manage the requirements. That was a big part of this.
▶ 1:03:53Sec. Meink: Working with the requirements community which is quite broad and some programs, to get down to a set of requirements that are executable with the money and timeline. Making sure the program was funded well and working collaboratively with the largest public works project since the last minutemen program. The last icbm program. They have made huge progress. Weapon systems testing is going on.
▶ 1:04:24Sec. Meink: The new modular approach to building silos and the launch control facilities. Getting a good team and giving them the ability to work those requirements to accelerate and make it executable has done the job. I mentioned in my comments because of the low budget flexibility we have had in the last decades there was not only readiness cuts made.
▶ 1:04:55Sec. Meink: We were optimistic on the cost and that got us into a hole so we are not doing that anymore.
▶ 1:04:59Sen. Cramer: What are the lessons we have learned? I will give you my bias. Maybe we should think about maintaining auto work -- on a more regular basis instead of doing it every 50 or 60 years. It's amazing how much institutional knowledge we lose in 50 or 60 years. Have you learned your lesson? -- have we learned our lesson?
▶ 1:05:30Sec. Meink: We need to keep remembering those lessons as we go forward. It's always at violence. There has to be prioritization in the programs. We spent a lot of taxpayer dollars and we need to execute as efficiently as possible.
▶ 1:05:45Sen. Cramer: Let's document it well and memorialize it for future generations. I do remain a little bit concerned about the lack of competition in the proliferated low earth acquisition efforts. We have talked about that. It's my understanding that the two most recent procurements, the amti and space data network.
▶ 1:06:15Sen. Cramer: The timelines, the rfi was such an only one was able to respond. Help us better understand two things. The need for speed and why that might be the case on the one hand, and what are we doing to ensure we are investing in viable second and third source providers so we don't end up in a monopolistic situation or vendor lock.
▶ 1:06:39Sec. Meink: You hit our strategy. There was a need for speed and some programs. Just the critical nature of some capabilities has drove us to push what we can get into production right now. We are driving that way.
▶ 1:06:57Sec. Meink: On the other hand, as you mentioned, we are carrying multiple other vendors so we can grow competition to make sure we have this continual competitive industry base going forward. In many of the programs -- amti is an example of multiple contractors competing and will come up to speed in time.
▶ 1:07:27Sec. Meink: The space interceptor is a very broad field and we have a broad field of competitors, both primes and the new start vendors and in many cases are performing very well.
▶ 1:07:38Sen. Cramer: Sounds like you are balancing the message will. It's important what we say and the demands on the industries. Thank you.
▶ 1:07:47Chair Wicker: Senator king.
▶ 1:07:51Sen. King: Thank you, Mr. chairman. I want to congratulate general saltzman on your years of service. I started out as a skeptic on this committee for the necessity of a space force. You have largely made me believe in it. What you are doing is important and I think he pursued it in a very thoughtful, systematic, and impressive way.
▶ 1:08:21Sen. King: I want to note that I looked through the budget documents and in both the space force and air force there is a category called mandatory spending. There is no such thing as mandatory spending except in areas where there is a legal obligation to expend the money. Mandatory spending is a term of art and government budgeting. Principally social security and medicare. There's nothing mandatory about part of your budget.
▶ 1:08:49Sen. King: It is being put in the budget as a part of reconciliation, which is a bypassing of the normal administration of appropriations and the congress. It's an abdication of the congress' appropriations responsibility and a usurpation of that. The so called mandatory spending, almost 20% of the budget proposed is -- goes through no oversight process, no committee process, no appropriations process.
▶ 1:09:20Sen. King: It is a partisan process which is inconsistent with the way appropriations have been done here from time immemorial. Since I have been in this body the majority has changed four times and I would suggest to my colleagues using appropriations and reconciliation in this way is a dangerous precedent. Having said that, different subject. Mr.
▶ 1:09:46Sen. King: Secretary, one thing we have talked about frequently is the right to repair. There's been talk about readiness. One way to improve readiness is to repair our aircraft -- I almost said on the fly. On the ground without waiting for the manufacturer to send apart.
▶ 1:10:09Sen. King: We should buy the ip for any platform we buy and we should have 3d printers in every hanger. I hope this is an area you will pursue with your procurement people. Readiness in the air force is an issue depending upon the airframe. Do you agree with me that you need to stress our ability to repair our own equipment and do so in a timely basis?
▶ 1:10:39Sec. Meink: Absolutely, senator. As we look at the programs going forward, that's a big focus, to make sure we have that right. To some degree back to our discussion already, some of the programs, the decisions made were trying to save costs wherever possible. Those short-term decisions did not prove to be cost-effective long-term. We are trying to reverse a lot of that now and going forward.
▶ 1:11:12Sec. Meink: I believe this is an area with proposals with respect to congressional language associated with access to data rights. I think all those things are necessary to make sure we have that right to do that.
▶ 1:11:26Sen. King: I hope you will pursue that actively. Having a $100 million airplay they cannot fly for want of a valve or a part is malfeasance. That's an important way to attack that problem. Mr. secretary, the other thing concerning me is the speed of adaptation.
▶ 1:11:53Sen. King: We have had a lesson in ukraine about adaptation where a country that three or four times large has been stopped cold on the battlefield by ukraine's incredible adaptation and utilization of drone warfare. I fear we are still stuck in a kind of longer-term sclerotic process of procurement.
▶ 1:12:17Sen. King: It has to be the perfect weapon weather than an 80% weapon that we can then innovate -- drones and directed energy are two areas where we are slow to adapt. We are still knocking down $50,000 drones with several million-dollar missiles. I know we are moving in that direction but it's got to move much faster. We could take a lesson.
▶ 1:12:44Sen. King: We should benchmark against ukraine in terms of productivity level, speed of innovation, and costs. I hope that is something you will take back to the department.
▶ 1:12:53Sec. Meink: Absolutely. You have heard me say that we not only have to be innovative, but we have to innovate faster than our potential adversaries oriented losing. That is our focus going forward.
▶ 1:13:07Sen. King: It is the militaries that adopt the students that when. The battle of agincourt is an example where the longbow overcame the vast supposedly superior french army. Let's from, the battle of agincourt. -- let's remember the battle of agincourt.
▶ 1:13:28Chair Wicker: The forged act has gone quite a long way in moving us away from the previous sclerotic process. Senator kaine.
▶ 1:13:44Sen. Kaine: Thank you to the witnesses. One of the cost of the iran war has been rising fuel prices. The estimate as of today is that american consumers have paid $40 billion more for fuel just because of the iran war.
▶ 1:14:01Sen. Kaine: The estimate is memorial day weekend, a time when people will drive to see family or drive to the beach, it will cost about $3.5 billion more in fuel costs for americans just over the coming weekend. The estimate is that by the end of 2026, the american public will have paid $193 billion inxs fuel costs because of the iran war -- in excess fuel costs.
▶ 1:14:33Sen. Kaine: I know the way it is done, the different units -- air force, space force do budget submissions and they work their way through the chain of command to the office of management and budget.
▶ 1:14:48Sen. Kaine: My understanding is the president's budget submitted to us did not include any costs that were cost related to the iran war, because it had largely been prepared and submitted through this budgetary chain of command before the war started. There's a portion of the air force budget that is a big portion. The purchase of aviation fuel.
▶ 1:15:12Sen. Kaine: I'm assuming in the air force budget the aviation fuel number was based upon a supposed or predicted price for fuel. Can you tell me, general or secretary, what the budget price for aviation fuel and what it actually is today? As we are grappling with writing the bill we will have to take into account the new reality.
▶ 1:15:43Sen. Kaine: On the commercial side I have been reading that aviation fuel has increased about 50%. How about in terms of the president's budget for the air force, for fuel purchases and compare the budget to what the current number is please?
▶ 1:15:58Gen. Wilsbach: We did account for an increased flying our cost from last year, from 26 to 27. Like you said, we figure that number well before the market determines what the actual cost will be. In some years it is more and some years it is less.
▶ 1:16:20Gen. Wilsbach: We will adjust our dollars if we end up having to pay more per dollar per gallon of fuel, it is more than reassessed.
▶ 1:16:34Sen. Kaine: Do you know what the assumed per gallon cost was in the pb we are analyzing?
▶ 1:16:41Gen. Wilsbach: The increased cost and flying hours is roughly a 10% increase from what we anticipated from last year to this year.
▶ 1:16:47Sen. Kaine: You took last year -- you propose an increase of 10%.
▶ 1:16:55Gen. Wilsbach: Yes.
▶ 1:16:56Sen. Kaine: Aviation fuel has increased by about 50% since february 28. Would that be similar to what the price is for aviation fuel necessary for air force operations?
▶ 1:17:12Gen. Wilsbach: The current market price is not necessarily what we pay. We bought the fuel in the past.
▶ 1:17:19Sen. Kaine: You have long-term contracts and storage.
▶ 1:17:22Gen. Wilsbach: This is for six -- the specifics will be none will finished burning the fuel.
▶ 1:17:29Sen. Kaine: I imagine you have people looking at the price of aviation fuel pretty carefully. He reached a conclusion about whether your 10% suggested increase is going to be close to where we are or are we going to be needing to look at a significantly greater fuel cost?
▶ 1:17:46Gen. Wilsbach: It is hard to say. This is routine for us. Every year the costs of flying hours changes from the time we budget for it until the time we execute it. We work it out with moving money around in various accounts to cover down on the cost.
▶ 1:18:04Sen. Kaine: Do you know if that's a factor that's come to put it in the preparation of a supplemental bill? This is not just an air force issue. Aviation fuel is bought by all the service branches. Is this one of the items being contemplated?
▶ 1:18:21Sec. Meink: We looked at the total cost. When the secretary -- I don't know what committee but we were looking at about a $300 billion impact. I'm fairly confident that includes the total costs of the fuel costs. It depends on how long those costs stay high.
▶ 1:18:50Sen. Kaine: An order of magnitude. We will have a very challenging debate today. It'll be a long day on a reconciliation bill where we are proposing to spend $70 billion for I.c.e. And cbp. We gave them $140 billion last year and a hundred do -- $100 billion remains unobligated.
▶ 1:19:19Sen. Kaine: We will talk about it with intensity today compared to the prospect of 193 billion dollars paid by american consumers between now and the end of the year just because of this war gives you some sense of the challenge american families are facing and I suspect as we look at the military budget we will see a similar need to adjust dramatically because of fuel cost. I yield back.
▶ 1:19:43Chair Wicker: Senator hirono, are you ready for your questions?
▶ 1:19:51Sen. Hirono: Thank you very much. Thank you. The space force is planning to build up to seven additional telescopes to support the space domain awareness. Monitoring and tracking the increased number of objects in orbit is critical to supporting the joint forces.
▶ 1:20:23Sen. Hirono: It also holds cultural significance to the native hawaiian community. I know you are currently reviewing public feedback for the final eis which is scheduled for publication this fall. Given the unique environment and cultural sensitivities, will you continue to work with -- and incorporating the concerns of local stakeholders to ensure transparency and community engagement as the space force prepares to make a final decision on the project?
▶ 1:20:55Sen. Hirono: We are engaging in some pretty important leases -- the army, the navy, etc. What you are doing is part of all of that activity by our services. It's important to our community that their voices are heard so I would like your commitment that will be happening.
▶ 1:21:13Gen. Saltzman: It's a very important site for us. Weunderstand the cultural significance to the community. We take it very seriously and we are committed to working with them as we move forward.
▶ 1:21:25Sen. Hirono: Thank you. Mr. secretary, procurement of a capable airborne command and control and tracking capability is vital to our forces in the indo pacific as the remaining e3 planes are phased out.
▶ 1:21:46Sen. Hirono: Funding for the potential replacement, the e7 wi tchtail was not included in the budget. Secretary hegseth reversed course and told the house he had just sent a budget amendment to omb to restore the funding. I'm not clear on how much they restored funding is but can you clarify where things regarding funding for the e7?
▶ 1:22:17Sec. Meink: We have submitted an amendment. I don't believe it's on the hill yet. It's approximately $1.5 billion in 2027. As the 20 budget builds, what was the driver was never that the program wasn't important. We were looking at an $890 billion topline.
▶ 1:22:50Sec. Meink: A number of programs were cut, including the e7. We had to have the space-based amti. We wanted the e7. Now with more budget flexibly we could put it back in.
▶ 1:23:03Sen. Hirono: It's important because that program has encountered a number of delays, as you probably know. General wilsbach, funding for the joint base airfield development plan remains a concern of mine. I raised the issue on tuesday with admiral caudle and received his commitment for naval support for restoration.
▶ 1:23:34Sen. Hirono: I'm concerned about the runway restoration and repair projects. That they will be on schedule, not delayed. As a commander of pacific air forces and your current role, briefly discussed the importance of these upgrades to the joint forces and get your commitment to continuing to work closely with the navy to ensure the projects are completed on time and on budget.
▶ 1:24:04Gen. Wilsbach: Mollo, senator. I was in hawaii last week and we went around and looked at the taxiways and runway. We had a discussion. Thank you for your continued support. Hickam air force base is a power projection platform for the entire pacific for the air force and really for the entire joint force.
▶ 1:24:30Gen. Wilsbach: We use that as a spot to refuel, refit, to move cargo and people from the pacific back to the states and vice versa. It's an incredibly important power projection platform for the nation.
▶ 1:24:45Sen. Hirono: The agreement between the air force and the navy in my view was about time. I wanted to make sure it continues and this is certainly an issue that you brought to my attention. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 1:25:00Chair Wicker: Senator blumenthal.
▶ 1:25:04Sen. Blumenthal: Thanks, Mr. chairman. The war in ukraine has provided a lot of lessons. I think you would agree.
▶ 1:25:22Sen. Blumenthal: Beyond drones and air conflict, it's how essential fighters, aircraft, space-based surveillance, satellite communication, electronic warfare and resilient command-and-control networks are in a highly contested fight like that one, or any for that matter. Ukraine has shown how difficult it is to operate in an environment that is shaped by persistent surveillance.
▶ 1:25:52Sen. Blumenthal: Gps jamming, air defenses, cyber attacks, long-range precision strikes. Ukrainians have fought back and pushed back the russians because they have made use ingeniously and creatively not only of drones but of all kinds of other instruments that disable the russian aggression.
▶ 1:26:21Sen. Blumenthal: Assumptions the united states has relied on for probably decades, particularly around air superiority and uncontested access to space enabled systems can no longer be taken for granted. -- granted in a future potential conflict. The administration is committing tens of billions of dollars to next generation fighters in missile defense and space systems, specifically with china in mind.
▶ 1:26:50Sen. Blumenthal: Are any of the lessons of ukraine applicable to the potential conflict with china?
▶ 1:27:00Gen. Wilsbach: One of the biggest lessons to take away which perhaps is the reason why the conflict has drawn out for so long as neither side established air and space superiority. They go together. You have to have space superiority in the 21st century if you hope to achieve air superiority because they reliance on our systems and space communication and navigation timing.
▶ 1:27:29Gen. Wilsbach: The fact that neither side ever established air superiority is why it is drawn out to a long conflict. Which is why our budget emphasizes air and space superiority with a number of systems we are wanting to feel.
▶ 1:27:47Sen. Blumenthal: United states will not establish air security against china if there is a potential invasion of taiwan.
▶ 1:27:55Gen. Wilsbach: We intend to establish air security -- superiority. It's important not to confuse air security with air supremacy. Here supremacy is like what we had in afghanistan. We could fly around anytime, anywhere.
▶ 1:28:12Gen. Wilsbach: What you saw in iran, both recently and other times we established air superiority where we would establish maybe a smaller part of the airspace or we can fly around and execute the missions we would like to do. Then you would maybe get out of the airspace and no longer have air superiority but he did not care because you are not there anymore.
▶ 1:28:38Sen. Blumenthal: That's an important distinction. Do you foresee ukraine establishing or moving toward air superiority?
▶ 1:28:51Gen. Wilsbach: I would defer that to my eucom colleagues. It is possible they could. It is possible russia could. What we are seeing is neither side really ever achieving air and space superiority.
▶ 1:29:08Sen. Blumenthal: But the trend, in my view, simply on the basis of nonclassified information is that the ukrainians in the use of drones and cyber and satellite intelligence have come a long way, further than the russians.
▶ 1:29:31Gen. Wilsbach: Gen. Wilsbach: I k
▶ 1:29:38Gen. Wilsbach: Gen. Wilsbach: I e foundational lesson that I've taken out of that conflict is the principality of establishing air and space superiority allows you to do so many other things but you're military to achieve objectives, and the lack of having air and space superiority really limits you to the objectives that you can achieve.
▶ 1:29:58Sen. Blumenthal: Thank you very much.
▶ 1:30:00Chair Wicker: Thank you, senator blumenthal. Senator slotkin.
▶ 1:30:07Sen. Slotkin: Thank you. I apologize. It sounds like I'm smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. I'm a little bit under the weather. I want to start out by thanking secretary meink and gen. Wilsbach. We had some important things culminate in michigan in the past week on selfridge air force base.
▶ 1:30:30Sen. Slotkin: We work with you all commitments after the president made the decision to replace the fighter mission at selfridge air force base. I know that's been a really big and complex problems are for you all and I just want to thank you all are doing that.
▶ 1:30:47Sen. Slotkin: Yesterday, the state of michigan , per our discussions, approved on a bipartisan basis, split democrat and republican house and senate, approved 100 $52 million to start work now on the runway at selfridge which I know unlocks a lot of what we are able to do their. So thank you for putting into the next five years almost $800 million into upgrades there.
▶ 1:31:17Sen. Slotkin: We of course would like you to move some of that forward now that we have lived up to our end of the bargain but this is a genuine thank you. I'm really proud of how my state, over the past 12 years, have worked state, local, federal, democrat, republican, everyone has done their part. This is a huge deal for us and our economy, so I want to thank you. I also want to say you should both come to michigan and see it in action.
▶ 1:31:46Sen. Slotkin: We would love you to have one of our conversations, see the puts and takes. We will be sending you a formal invitation. I do also want to raise the issue of pfas in oscoda, michigan.
▶ 1:32:05Sen. Slotkin: This is pfas contamination of a very promilitary community that lives near the closed air force base, that have been dealing for the better part of 20 plus years with contamination that came from that air force base. They had been through the ringer. Yesterday, they were told by air force officials that they are now further delaying the cleanup commitments they have made for another five years.
▶ 1:32:37Sen. Slotkin: I am sure no one at the local level put together that you were coming up here for your hearing, so I just -- the air force in recent years has been working more productively on the ground with the residents there, made commitments, but there are plumes of this contamination under lakes that host ymca camps, it is at risk of going into other lakes and into the river.
▶ 1:33:07Sen. Slotkin: Things that are just fundamentally why people buy property and live up there. I have to ask, again, this loan proceeds you, but I just ask you to think about what it is like to be a family in that community. Some of the residents there have the highest pfas blood levels of anyone in the entire world. They have been put off and put on since 2010.
▶ 1:33:34Sen. Slotkin: We finally got to a decent commitment, and yesterday, we are told it's another five years. While I'm thrilled on what we've done on selfridge, genuinely thank you, I have to ask that you pull in the troops come your people on the ground and say what are we doing to this community?
▶ 1:33:56Sen. Slotkin: The other thing that happened this week is the trump administration on monday notified that they are reverting and going back to old pfas standards, changing the federal standards through the epa. If you are in this community, you are feeling that whatever progress we made, two steps forward, we are now taking 10 steps back.
▶ 1:34:17Sen. Slotkin: Can I get some commitment that you will pull the folks together and try, understand my we have another five-year delay after 20 years of waiting on the air force? >> senator, thank you for the support at selfridge. It will allow us to get the airplanes and leave them there. Appreciate that. On the site, we will continue to support.
▶ 1:34:44Sen. Slotkin: We doubled the pfas investment by the budget submission to keep getting after these problems. I think we are making progress there with a number of things, significant resources spent. We are starting to do cleanup. I am still trying to get to the bottom of where that five-year delay is coming from. I will figure out where that is coming from and get back to you on it.
▶ 1:35:08Sen. Slotkin: We will follow up. I hate to congratulate you and thank you in one breath and then asked, but you would be doing the same thing if you were in my position for people who have waited 20 years to drink their local water and swim in their local lake. I yield back.
▶ 1:35:26Chair Wicker: Thank, senator slotkin. Senator warren.
▶ 1:35:34Sen. Warren: Thank you, Mr. chairman. President trump's war with iran has raise prices across the country and the world and this means higher prices for the pentagon, as well. Sometimes those price hikes will be a direct consequence of the war like the rising cost of jet fuel, as senator kaine discussed this morning, but it also creates a big opportunity for defense contractors to sneak in extra price hikes to pad their profits with american taxpayers.
▶ 1:36:05Sen. Warren: The air force has experienced this price gouging firsthand. The department of defense's inspector general found that boeing charged the air force more than a fair and reasonable price for every four spare parts that the air force bought, including charging 80 times more than the commercially available cost for a plain old soap dispenser.
▶ 1:36:31Sen. Warren: Anyone that want to do the math on that, that is, a 10 dollars soap dispenser that now costs $800 when the air force buys it. The ig recommended boeing and other contractors to notify the air force of any price increases above 25%.
▶ 1:36:52Sen. Warren: Secretary meink, would it be easier for the air force to keep costs under control if companies had to affirmatively disclose when prices shoot up by more than 25%?
▶ 1:37:04Sec. Meink: Senator, I'm not familiar with the specific number you quoted, but we do have in many of our contracts requirements -- as a matter of fact, they cannot raise prices. Many of the contracts, the contractor is not allowed to raise --
▶ 1:37:28Sen. Warren: I appreciate that you put that in some contracts but I'm asking a somewhat different question. That is, what is the baseline for every defense contractor working? Last year, the house and the senate's ndaa included my bipartisan transparency and contract pricing at with senators ernst, slotkin, grassley.
▶ 1:37:56Sen. Warren: It would implement the ig's recommendation. Unfortunately, it was removed from conference. The reason I'm asking you about this is we want to get this across the finish line. I would just like your help on that.
▶ 1:38:11Sec. Meink: Senator, I will take a look at that and get back to you if we have any suggestions. We support any help from the congress to get improved access to data rights. That is one of my biggest concerns, data rights access. Happy to work with the committee on that.
▶ 1:38:34Sen. Warren: Let's pick up on data because I agree with you. Let's do this one and try to get it across. One of the things that is happening, defense contractors monopolize their repairs by improperly labeling repair data as proprietary, even when the air force had rights to the data , and then banking on it being too hard for dod to catch the mistake and how they have labeled it.
▶ 1:39:03Sen. Warren: Rand found that boeing's inappropriate restrictive markings on software prevented the air force from repairing the kc 46 or contracting with somebody else to do it. Let me ask you on that one, secretary meink. With rules incentivizing contractors to provide accurate markings allow the air force to repair aircraft both faster and improve readiness?
▶ 1:39:29Sec. Meink: Any help to support right to repair I think is the broader term we use, access to data rights is part of that, yes, is important.
▶ 1:39:39Sen. Warren: Good. I'm trying to get in as much detail as we can hear. This committee has heard from senior military leaders across the services that they need right to repair. Mr. chairman, I like to submit a letter from senator sheehy and I that was sent to this committee collecting that testimony for the record.
▶ 1:39:59Chair Wicker: Without objection, it will be submitted and received.
▶ 1:40:03Sen. Warren: I just want to do one more quickly if I can. Big contractors are trying to trick us by offering an alternative to write to repair called data as service which is really pay-per-view. It's a module that keeps the big contractors in control. The air force knows how unsustainable that model is.
▶ 1:40:28Sen. Warren: What it wanted to access the repair manual for the ac 130j, lockheed martin charged the air force $900 per page just to look at the repair manual. Tackling the broken contracting around sustainment and pricing would be transformative for our readiness. Gao has found that obtaining needed technical data could save billions of dollars just for ship sustainment.
▶ 1:41:00Sen. Warren: Extending that to the air force could be huge. The air force has already found that making its own c5 pressure door handle could cut cost for that by 95%. I look forward to working with the chairman and ranking member to try and get more of this into our ndaa and all the way through, signed into law. Thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 1:41:22Chair Wicker: Thank you much, senator warren. You were able to talk long enough to allow senator rosen to arrive. She is now recognized.
▶ 1:41:36Sen. Rosen: Thank you, chairman wicker, ranking member reed for holding this hearing. Thank you to our witnesses today , and for serving our country. Appreciate you. Secretary meink, I want to talk about presumption of exposure parity. As we discussed last year, servicemembers who serve at locations that other U.S.
▶ 1:41:58Sen. Rosen: Government agencies has deemed contaminated the department considers portion of the nevada test and training range to be should have the same presumption of radiation exposure as doe employees who served alongside. Just asking for parity. Because dod does not consider places like the test range to be a location where contamination occurred, as doe does, and because the service records of those stations are data masked, these veterans cannot prove to the v.a. That they ever served their.
▶ 1:42:29Sen. Rosen: This is a problem that dod has the power -- you have the power to solve this. Secretary meink, recognizing this is a dod-wide problem, not singular to the air force, I have several questions. What progress has the department made to identify servicemembers who served at dod covered facilities, locations withdoe considers contaminating, and will you commit to providing the v.a. With adequate documentation of these veterans services?
▶ 1:43:00Sec. Meink: Yes, senator. Thanks for the question. Protecting the help both on active duty and retired of our service is critically important. We do continue to work that. The general focus has been trying to get to the data, uncover all the data, and then provide those ratings and those are some things to the v.a. So they can make an assessment.
▶ 1:43:27Sen. Rosen: Are you working on this, can you commit to a completion date?
▶ 1:43:32Sec. Meink: We have made some progress on that but it is something that we need to continue doing.
▶ 1:43:37Sen. Rosen: Can you talk about when you're completion date will be? I have veterans waiting on this very thing in order to get the care they desperately need. They were injured and their service and they need some help. I also want to ask you a question if you will commit to classifying the -- as a location where contamination occurred. That puts the dod in parity with the doe.
▶ 1:44:01Sen. Rosen: It is not right that one agency says contaminated, so civilian employees are covered, and our veterans are not.
▶ 1:44:10Sec. Meink: Senator, we will continue to work on this issue. I don't know if I have the authority to designate the entire thing --
▶ 1:44:21Sen. Rosen: You said you are continuing to work on it. You don't even know if you have the authority. You need to come and talk to us. This has been going on since tests started in the 1950's.
▶ 1:44:33Sec. Meink: We have the authority to work through and make sure that we have uncovered the data so that we can provide it to the v.a. So we can get the proper care for those. Declare all of the test range is something that authority that I don't think I have.
▶ 1:44:52Sen. Rosen: I appreciate if you would come to speak to my office and we can get into more detail. I also want to ask you about the c-130 j basing. The 157 the airlift wing in reno flies the dangerous modular airborne firefighting system, they fly with the legacy c-130 hs.
▶ 1:45:13Sen. Rosen: As the only maps unit still flying h models, upgrading to c-130 j would provide increased power and cargo capacity for fire retardant which equals increased flightsafety and firefighting capability. In fact, during the summer, c-130 h fully loaded with fire retardant cannot even take off from reno without a full tank of fuel due to heat and elevation. The highrollers have maintained a greater than 95% mission ready rate in spite of operating, maintaining an aging fleet with a dwindling supply chain.
▶ 1:45:43Sen. Rosen: It is no surprise the 192nd expeditionary airlift squadron was tasked and able to deploy across the atlantic 72 hours after receiving orders in support of operation epic fury. Then again picked up on 72 hours notice to move into a completely different ao are and mission set at the drop of a hat. On behalf of all nevadans, I want to thank them for answering our nation's call and I pray for their safety.
▶ 1:46:12Sen. Rosen: Secretary meink, given all of this, and with another basing decision to be made after congress appropriated another eight c-130 j's in recent years, can I have your commitment that the 157th airlift wing both on the receive the c-130 j's they need and deserve to complete their mission?
▶ 1:46:30Sec. Meink: Senator, commit to working through the strategic basing progress to allocate those airplanes as we go through the criteria.
▶ 1:46:42Sen. Rosen: I want to tell you, we have worked on that strategic basing. I have seen the spreadsheets. There were four places, they got them allocated. We were first on the list, and then we were dropped down to the last one. We have completed everything. There is nothing more to work through. It was a different decision. Please again come to our office and we can show you how we have met every criteria over the last so many years. Thank you.
▶ 1:47:08Sec. Meink: I do just want to reinforce the fact that they do great work, no question about that.
▶ 1:47:13Sen. Rosen: They are amazing.
▶ 1:47:15Sec. Meink: The h models, that is a very capable platform. You are right, it doesn't have the exact performance of the j model, but those platforms have a lot of life left in them. We take all those things into consideration.
▶ 1:47:31Sen. Rosen: We will have a discussion in my office about, we were first on the remaining four bases that were supposed to get them, and then we got moved to the last. That is a different discussion. I see people are waiting.
▶ 1:47:45Chair Wicker: Thank you. A senator sullivan.
▶ 1:47:51Sen. Sullivan: Gentlemen, thank you for your service, all three of you are doing an exceptional job. Thank you. I also want to thank you, you made the decision to get the four kc 135 steel I also them. Every other chief of staff of the air force, sec. Of the air force commit to me to doing that for 10 years by the way and you are the two that did it, so thank you.
▶ 1:48:18Sen. Sullivan: Can you explain why that is so important not just for I'll send but for the national security of america on the kc 135's? >> the geography of alaska allows us to be a strategic location especially for air advocates. We can get to just about anywhere in the northern hemisphere within nine hours of flying time if we went in a straight line.
▶ 1:48:47Sen. Sullivan: Obviously, international borders don't always allow you to do that but we can project power from alaska better than a lot of other places from our country. Having initial air refuelers helps us to project power.
▶ 1:48:59Sen. Sullivan: Thank you, gentlemen. On that, I want to talk about the other big initiative in the president's budget, the air force budget and that is the fight or town recapitalization. Gen. Wilsbach, I appreciate the classified briefing on that. Can you in the secretary walk through that? It's a huge investment in the air force's budget.
▶ 1:49:30Sen. Sullivan: Essentially $7 billion, $2 billion to be appropriated this year. Why is that such a national security priority for the air force, highlighting that? >> yes, senator.
▶ 1:49:47Sen. Sullivan: This is the j bear recapitalization.
▶ 1:49:52Sec. Meink: Just as the general was saying, very strategic location, making sure infrastructure, about $7 billion across to do that. Due to location, criticality of it, making sure the structure there is good. That is the investment.
▶ 1:50:16Sec. Meink: >> the only thing I would add is that for years, we have been operating out of some pretty old facilities.
▶ 1:50:25Sen. Sullivan: Built in the 1950's a lot of them.
▶ 1:50:30Gen. Wilsbach: Yes, senator. This brings us to the 21st century. We will have buildings commensurate with the technology in aircraft.
▶ 1:50:43Sen. Sullivan: As a former commander, can you talk about the importance of it again when you were talking about in terms of alaska's strategic location? This fight or town recapitalization, the f-22's already existed at j bear, over 105th generation fighters.
▶ 1:51:06Sen. Sullivan: How do our adversaries view that given what you talked about, were so close to them, can be in their backyard in a matter of hours, especially if we go supersonic?
▶ 1:51:19Gen. Wilsbach: I have not talked to them about this, but if I were them, I would be worried. The thing I would be worried most about is the airspace between I'll and elmendorf. I am sure they watch what we do there and they can see the capabilities that we have with our fifth generation aircraft. Which is extraordinary.
▶ 1:51:42Gen. Wilsbach: That airspace allows us to train at the highest levels frankly just about anywhere in the world because it is big enough and has the capability to replicate the threat. That j park airspace is a crown jewel.
▶ 1:51:57Sen. Sullivan: The fight or town recapitalization is 7 billion, doesn't include what we have done in terms of the new runway at j bear and the expansion which is already happening, breaking ground on that expansion, 400 million in the budget. We pretty much finished the new runway at jber.
▶ 1:52:28Sen. Sullivan: Can you talk about that importance? Many officials have told me, with that expansion, the new runway, the fighter town recapitalization, jber is now looking to be one of the most important air force bases on the planet earth.
▶ 1:52:44Gen. Wilsbach: The runway extension will allow continuous operations. Previously, north-south runway was too short when runway condition was quick or icy, the wind was out of limits for operation. About 2000 feet extension on the runway allows almost no matter what the winds are, aside from a completely iced over runway, we can operate all year-round, day and night.
▶ 1:53:14Gen. Wilsbach: You just have a lot more access to the airspace and you can get off the airfield and do real world missions if you need to do that. The training center, test and training center will allow a much more realistic training for all the crews both at elmendorf and I'll send.
▶ 1:53:39Sen. Sullivan: When they are doing exercises?
▶ 1:53:41Gen. Wilsbach: Absolutely you could.
▶ 1:53:44Sen. Sullivan: Thank you, Mr. chairman. This is an exciting time for jber. I appreciate the leadership of gen. Wilsbach, secretary meink, general, we will get to you. What you are doing is important as well.
▶ 1:53:59Chair Wicker: Thank you very much, senator sullivan. Senator budd.
▶ 1:54:05Sen. Budd: Inc. You all for being here, thank you what you do for our airmen. Secretary meink, thank you for supporting my airpower immigration act especially for the provision to increase the 15 ex fleet by an additional 200 aircraft. I think that is the right number to recapitalize the eight current f-15 e squadrons.
▶ 1:54:29Sen. Budd: After the sixth initial f-15 e x bases received their aircraft, what is your vision for where the aircraft next go?
▶ 1:54:39Sec. Meink: I appreciate your support on that. Critical platform, critical with what you do in your state to support that platform. We really appreciate that. Demonstrated time and again even in combat how good a platform that is. As we build those out, we will set up a strategic basing criteria to go off of. I cannot say exactly where they will go but it will be a combination of active and guard and reserve units.
▶ 1:55:12Sen. Budd: Thank you. Sec., on the topic of these 15 e x, what is your plan to stand up the two squadrons in japan as quick as possible? I've been seeing constant deployments for almost five years to fill the vacuum of the f -15 c's that started leaving in 2022.
▶ 1:55:35Sec. Meink: I think we delivered the aircraft next year? We finished by 28 or 29. As you know, senator, we are pushing hard to ramp production. Boeing has fallen behind a little bit. A lot of it due to the strike.
▶ 1:55:58Sec. Meink: We are working with them to increase production to get well beyond which will not only enable what we are doing in korea but also the rest of the bases around the world.
▶ 1:56:07Sen. Budd: Anything else to add, general? Secretary, another piece of airpower acceleration act is the provision to allow multiyear procurement for the f 30 for the 15 e x. Can you describe the benefits of this authority would bring to the service, the industry, and the taxpayer, multiyear procurements?
▶ 1:56:27Sec. Meink: Yes, senator. Increasing our flex ability as a multiyear procurement is critically important. The f-15 is an exemplar of that. The instability in the production rates and the unknown future, contractor just couldn't make the investments necessary to tool up and improve, modernize the production of that aircraft.
▶ 1:56:57Sec. Meink: So doing that long term stability allows the contractor to do those things, eventually saving the government, allowing us to produce the aircraft quicker. It is important there. F-35 come not only on the aircraft production but on the parts production. Having a stable, long-term multiyear contract on parts, as well as the aircraft themselves, spacecraft in that case, in other cases, is super important.
▶ 1:57:29Sec. Meink: Year-to-year, it is inefficient but also doesn't allow us to do the things to improve the system going forward.
▶ 1:57:36Sen. Budd: Thank you very much for the answer. Gen. Wilsbach, on pilot retention, helped to introduce the retain act with senator shaheen. A lot of my colleagues on this committee joined me. This aims to boost pilot retention through monetary and nonmonetary incentives. Can you talk about what the air force is specifically doing to help better pilot retention?
▶ 1:58:01Gen. Wilsbach: I would say we have a trifecta approach. The most important one I believe is pilots want to fly. Getting them in the cockpit and fly multiple times a week is the biggest complaint they have that they are not going to do. The 27 budget dedicates 24 billion dollars to weapons system sustainment which will generate additional authorities. $10 billion for flying hours will get pilots to get more. That is the first of the trifecta.
▶ 1:58:33Gen. Wilsbach: The second one is incentives via pay. There is your monthly flight pay and then your bonus. Congress has helped us out this year with maximizing those amounts. The 27 budget request, that maximization as well. That is meaningful to the families. The last one is quality of life measures. Probably the biggest complaint we hear is too many moves.
▶ 1:59:02Gen. Wilsbach: We have instituted a number of programs where pilots can choose to stay at locations for longer periods of time and reduce the number of moves. That provides stability for their families. Those three features are things that we believe will help us with retention.
▶ 1:59:17Sen. Budd: Thank you all.
▶ 1:59:20Chair Wicker: Thank. Senator peters, you are recognized.
▶ 1:59:26Sen. Peters: Thank you, gentlemen, for being here, testifying. Appreciate the opportunity in our closed session prior to this open session to talk about a number of important issues. Secretary meink, as you know, in april 2025, president trump visited selfridge air national guard base in michigan, announced that selfridge would be receiving 21 f-15 e x is in addition to the previously announced kc 46s.
▶ 1:59:55Sen. Peters: In preparation, the air force requested the state of michigan to fund selfridge runway encroachment project. As you know and her today, have heard before today as well, this project is critical to ensure on-time military construction and the michigan legislature actually passed that funding and signed into law. Accomplishing a checkmark on a critical piece of all of that. This was following months of adequacy from folks at the state, local, federal level.
▶ 2:00:26Sen. Peters: Now with the state delivering on the funding, it's imperative that we move forward as quickly as possible. When we met last month, gen. Wilsbach, you shared that successful completion of all necessary military construction projects including the state's vital contribution will make -- I like this raise -- will make it the finest guard base in the country. I will quote you often on that because that is wonderful.
▶ 2:00:55Sen. Peters: My question for you, sir, is do you have a commitment to actually accelerate as much as possible selfridge military construction projects? We want to make sure that not only does it live up to the finest base in the country, but I've been around long enough to know that until shovels get in the ground, things get moving, things could occur at some point that will slow that down. If we slow that down, that could impact bedding down those aircraft in a timely fashion.
▶ 2:01:22Sen. Peters: I would love to work with you to see if there are ways that we can accelerate the timeline that you put out. Again, appreciate your commitment, amazing conversations about this. I know you are fully committed. But I also believe and acceleration insurers for sure that this actually gets accomplished. Just love to get your thoughts and hopefully a commitment to figure that out.
▶ 2:01:43Sec. Meink: Sure, senator. I didn't write it down but I think I may have said the most capable -- I may have said -- you said the finest? No question with the 21 f-15's and the tankers. It will be a very capable guard base. As many of our current bases are.
▶ 2:02:10Sec. Meink: Thank you for the work, as we have discussed many times, the key to the state's investment was to get the runway done in time for the f-15s to show up so that we wouldn't have to move them until a runway was fixed and then come back. That dramatically simplifies and lowers the risk of being able to keep the aircraft there once they show up. Thank you. We appreciate that.
▶ 2:02:36Sec. Meink: I'm sure you are also tracking, around $900 million of additional there. Not just for the f-15 but the kc 46 as well. We are looking now at the flexibility, now that the state has approved funding, looking at what options we have to pull things back. Potentially with some funding for its ability. That gives us. We will get on that.
▶ 2:03:06Sen. Peters: Appreciate your efforts on that. Look forward to getting the completed. Also been working with the air force for years to address the pfas contamination particularly at wurtsmith air force base in oscoda. I recognize the complexity of this cleanup effort, working on it for years, and I appreciate the time and energy it air force has dedicated to it, continued communication we have had related to the cleanup that it's done correctly.
▶ 2:03:37Sen. Peters: But I'm extreme the concerned and disappointed by some recent reports that show the cleanup efforts may be delayed by as much as five years with remedial action construction now set for 2035. That is 25 years after contamination was first identified in the state. We cannot keep this community waiting forever. It is unacceptable. We need a cleanup done right, and we need it done as soon as possible.
▶ 2:04:03Sen. Peters: If there's a way to get this cleanup back on track, whether it's a matter of funding, some other factor, we need to pursue all of those options. My question for you is how can we get this back on track? I would love to have your commitment to work with me to try to figure out how we can reassess that delay. As part of that, I hoping you can provide me and the community -- the community desperately needs this -- a detailed rationale for why this delay was announced.
▶ 2:04:34Sen. Peters: I'd also like to know the current status of ongoing interim remedial actions at the site and how this delay is not going to impact those remedial actions going on at the site? I hope you agree with me, secretary, I know you care about these issues. We have had a lot of discussion about it, but certainly the community deserves more detailed answers than what they getting now. I hope that we can get that done and meet with your team, whatever it takes.
▶ 2:05:02Sen. Peters: Have an opportunity to let everyone know that this will get done hopefully much sooner than what is being contemplated now.
▶ 2:05:09Sec. Meink: Yes, senator. Absolutely we take these issues serious for the air force and the community. I will get back to you on that. I am trying to dig up where that five-year delay came from. I actually cannot find where that is going to occur. I will dig into it and get back to you on it.
▶ 2:05:30Sen. Peters: Thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 2:05:33Chair Wicker: Thank you. Gentlemen, there will be an unusual amount of questions for the record. Mr. secretary, you will be able to supplement your answer to senator peters in your follow-up answers to the record. We are almost through. Gen.
▶ 2:05:59Chair Wicker: Saltzman, this may be the last question you ever answered before this committee, so I want to give you the opportunity. You point out, this is a lot of money we are asking for. Every bit of it is justified. It is a 124% increase in the budget alongside a 127% budget increase in strength.
▶ 2:06:28Chair Wicker: You will be standing up a lot of very essential things, something that is relatively new. Assure us and the taxpayers and the public that we will be able to absorb this amount and actually put it to work, put these capabilities in place in short order.
▶ 2:06:56Gen. Saltzman: Thank you very much, senator, for the opportunity to say that. It is an historic increase, 124 percent in one year. Mostly attributed to the 15 new systems we are bringing on, number of people we will have to bring on to operate those systems, program offices to to the acquisition work, milcon necessary to build up the resiliency.
▶ 2:07:20Gen. Saltzman: We are taking some consolations that we have five satellites, turning them into a constellation of 300 plus satellites. This is not ensconced winchell -- inconsequential investment. The architecture is in place. The contract vehicles are in place. About 90% of the budget request are already on existing programs. Only 7.6% will require new starts, for example.
▶ 2:07:47Gen. Saltzman: We believe we have a structure in place, to contract vehicles in place, design work has been complete, and now we can just add the resources, attract the new personnel, train them, and spend the money being allocated to the space force.
▶ 2:08:01Chair Wicker: Thank you very much. Godspeed to you. Senator reed, do you have further questions?
▶ 2:08:07Sen. Reed: No, sir, just to thank everyone here. Congratulations. Well done.
▶ 2:08:14Chair Wicker: This concludes the open portion of today's hearing. I want to thank our witnesses and for the record will be due to the committee within two business days of the conclusion of the hearing. With that, we are adjourned.