John McGuire Emphasizes The Importance Of Aircraft Carriers: ‘A Cornerstone Of Our National Defense’

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During a House Armed Services Committee hearing held before the congressional recess, Rep. John McGuire (R-VA) questioned Military officials about

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00:00I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

00:01Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. McGuire.

00:04Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for being here today.

00:08Mr. Noe, you're doing a great job.

00:10I really appreciate what President Trump is doing, what Pete Hegseth is doing to return

00:15our military to lethality.

00:17We're eradicating the divisive ideologies from our military, and it is working.

00:22What I understand is recruitment is up, and I've spoken with soldiers, airmen, and Marines

00:27and others around my district, and even on the southern border, and morale is way up.

00:33We wouldn't have a country without our men and women in the military, so for all our service

00:38members, all our veterans here, thank you for what you do to keep us safe.

00:42It's great to see my Navy SEAL brother, Fleet Master Chief David Ism here today, and I see

00:48this as a way to continue service to our country.

00:51I think we would all agree that we have many threats at home and abroad, and you guys have

00:55covered a lot of territory today, and I'd like to talk about aircraft carriers.

01:01I'd like to focus on their role, Admiral, in your area of operation, area of responsibility.

01:07I know you're pleased that the USS George Washington, CVN 73, has rejoined the four deployed naval

01:13forces in Yosuka, Japan.

01:16I also note that the USS Carl Vinson, CVN 70, the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle,

01:22and the Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga all participated in a recent joint exercise in

01:27the Philippine Sea.

01:28The USS Nimitz, CVN 68, our nation's oldest aircraft carrier — I must have been around

01:33a while because I remember when that came into service nearly 50 years ago — is now deployed

01:37on what is likely her final deployment and heading west.

01:41The Secretary of Defense has emphasized the need to restore deterrence of our military

01:45and to achieve peace through strength.

01:48How do you see aircraft carriers' role in the deterrence mission, especially in the Indo-Pacific

01:53area?

01:54Your area of responsibility.

01:56Congressman, carriers are absolutely critical in the weight of fires that they can bring,

02:02which is many, many times X almost any other capability.

02:07And when knitted together with the rest of the Joint Force, they're part and parcel of

02:11an all-domain force executing every mission from ASW to strike to air superiority.

02:19It's a mobile, capable airfield that the enemy would have to work very hard to target.

02:26And they work hard to target them because they are so afraid of them.

02:30So absolutely critical, critical with the Joint Force, not at the exclusion of any other force,

02:36but in complement to that, to achieve those critical missions.

02:40The PRC demands information, air, and maritime superiority as a pretext for their operations.

02:48Aircraft carriers are critical to contesting and gaining those superiorities.

02:54Well, I certainly support those efforts, and Admiral, I'd like to thank you for your

02:58response.

02:59Mr. Chairman, I'd like to submit for the record a recent U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings

03:04Article entitled, Aircraft Carriers Still Indispensable, written by Admiral Paparo that provides

03:11an excellent summary of the case for aircraft carriers as a cornerstone for our national defense.

03:16Without objection, so ordered.

03:18All right, Admiral, as well, when you consider the potential conflict in the Indo-Pacific contested

03:25logistics will be a critical capability to maintain our lethality and resupply, not only

03:30for our forces, but also our allies in the region.

03:33Do you share this sentiment?

03:35Mr. Chairman, most strongly.

03:37Our adversaries note that believe that the Pacific War was built on the ability to sustain,

03:44and I agree with them.

03:46Mr. Chairman, what changes would you make to Indo-Pacific operational energy efforts?

03:51You know, in my district, we build, we have a nuclear power plant, we are building a small

03:56module reactor, but I believe the world's first micro reactor is about to come from my district.

04:03And how important is that to helping you do your job?

04:06Sir, accepted, I mean, particularly the incredible efficiency of a nuclear reactor.

04:17With uranium delivering at its own critical levels 3 million megajoules per power per kilogram,

04:24it's incredibly efficient, it's small, modular, and, you know, I can't endorse that enough.

04:32It sounds great.

04:33Well, what can we do here in Congress?

04:35I think we're all supportive.

04:36But in your words, what can we do to better support the warfighters to give you a chance

04:39to win the fight and come home?

04:42Sir, continued funding streams.

04:46And if CR, if continuing resolutions are a feature and not a bug, I'm not making a comment

04:53on that, putting the kind of provisions within continuing resolutions to be able to execute

04:59every program that we have.

05:02And authorities that enable a steady flow of funding, which provides a steady flow of predictability

05:08for the defense industrial base, which enables them to recruit, hire, train, retain workforce

05:14so that we can be at full capacity.

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