00:00Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, Secretary Mink, General Avlin, General Saltzman, welcome to this hearing.
00:07Thank you for your leadership, and please share the committee's gratitude to all the men and women who you lead in the Department of the Air Force and the Space Force.
00:18The air and space domains grow more complicated by the day.
00:21Even as our forces continue to fly and operate the finest aircraft and space assets in the world, our adversaries, in particular China, Russia, and Iran, are developing their own cutting-edge air defense systems, aircraft, missiles, and satellites.
00:36The capability of such weapons is evident, as we saw only last month when a number of American F-16s and F-35 experienced close calls from Houthi air defense fire over Yemen.
00:51Additionally, just one year ago, Iran launched a large-scale attack against Israel, and many feared significant destruction.
00:59However, dozens of American F-15 fighters intercepted more than 70 drones and missiles, and Israeli and U.S. Navy air defense systems shot down hundreds more.
01:09The U.S. Space Force provided critical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance information, as well as command and control capabilities.
01:17Ninety-nine percent of Iran's missiles were shot down, a strong demonstration of America's air and space-based kill chain.
01:25Despite these formidable capabilities, however, the Department of the Air Force will need to quickly evolve its technologies to keep pace with and outstrip our rivals.
01:35To that end, the committee looks forward to receiving and reviewing the President's defense budget request for fiscal year 2026.
01:41I urge the White House to deliver that as soon as possible.
01:46Secretary Mink, the Air Force has spent the past several years modernizing a number of capabilities, including the bomber force, the ground-based intercontinental ballistic missile force,
01:55the advanced battle management system program, and several unmanned aircraft systems.
02:00But modernization can only be successful if the Air Force appropriately balanced its legacy platforms against new priorities, including uncrewed systems.
02:09Secretary Mink, I would ask for an update on how you are addressing this challenge.
02:14General Alvin, the Air Force recently announced the Boeing F-47 as the winner of the Next Generation Air Dominance Program.
02:21Although production is several years away, I would like to know what capability gaps you intend the F-47 to fill
02:27and how you envision the service employing this aircraft.
02:31In addition, the Air Force's success in the coming decades will be shaped by its ability to acquire and control data.
02:37The Air Force must be able to detect, analyze, and act on information across the battle space quickly using automation, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics.
02:48The committee would appreciate an update on these and other programs that are receiving increased emphasis and resourcing.
02:54General Smallsman, Congress established the Space Force in order to consolidate the numerous space activities in the Department of Defense.
03:01Given that the Space Force is only five years old, I understand it is still becoming institutionalized within the Department, and there are many challenges in that process.
03:11I would like to know how you are growing the service in terms of personnel and structures like the Space Development Agency,
03:16and how you are working to foster a service culture that can succeed in the dramatically evolving space environment.
03:24Finally, the President has directed the Department of Defense to develop a so-called Golden Dome to defend the U.S. homeland against missile threats.
03:32So far, details for this initiative have been scarce, but I understand the concept will rely heavily on space-based detection and warning systems.
03:40I would ask each of you, our witnesses, to explain your respective roles in the Golden Dome program and how you plan to shift resources to accommodate it.
03:50Secretary Mick, General Allen, and General Smallsman, thank you again for appearing today, and I look forward to your testimony. Thank you.
03:56Gentlemen, the three of you have submitted written testimony.
