[Senate Hearing 117-]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


 
       DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

                              ----------                              


                         TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 2021

                                       U.S. Senate,
           Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The subcommittee met at 2:06 p.m., in room SD-192, Dirksen 
Senate Office Building, Hon. Jon Tester, (chairman) presiding.
    Present: Senators Tester, Durbin, Leahy, Feinstein, Murray, 
Schatz, Baldwin, Shelby, Murkowski, Moran, Hoeven, and Boozman.

                         DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

                      Department of the Air Force

                        Office of the Secretary

STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN P. ROTH, ACTING SECRETARY


                opening statement of senator jon tester


    Senator Tester. I want to call the meeting to order. 
Ranking Member Shelby is on his way, so we will get started.
    I just want to start by welcoming our witnesses, folks that 
have been in service to this country for a long, long time. 
Acting Secretary John Roth has over 40 years of service to this 
Nation as a Department of Defense civilian. With a background 
in budgeting and financial management, his background makes him 
an ideal witness for this hearing today.
    General Charles Brown is the Chief of Staff of the Air 
Force. His record as a pilot and commander is exceptional, and 
I might add, he also makes an outstanding travel companion. 
General, I want to thank you for visiting Malmstrom Air Force 
Base and the Montana Air National Guard a few weeks ago.
    And I just have a question I want you to address in your 
opening statement, and that is what does the ``Q'' in ``C.Q. 
Brown'' stand for?
    [Laughter.]
    Senator Tester. Other than that, it is good.
    And finally, General John W. Raymond, Chief of Space 
Operations, welcome. General Raymond has over 30 years career 
in the space positions and is our Nation's first leader of 
Space Force. This is the subcommittee's first hearing with 
General Raymond, and I look forward to hearing your assessment 
of Space Force and where it stands today.
    The Air Force and Space Force are meeting the challenges of 
near peer competition with other nations with an aggressive 
modernization program. With new, continued investments in 
updated platforms like the F-15EX, new platforms like the B-21 
bomber, and leaping ahead with new space capabilities, our 
witnesses are clearly focused on preparing to deter and, if 
necessary, fight the wars of tomorrow. But we are also in a 
time of constrained budgets. To bridge the gap between the 
resources available and developing new weapons, the Air Force 
is proposing to retire legacy systems.
    When military leaders tell me that they believe spending 
money on something is no longer a good idea, I take that very 
seriously. But I also know that new weapons rarely deliver on 
time and on budget. This subcommittee needs to ask the question 
of whether the Air Force is rolling the dice with a strategy of 
retiring airplanes in favor of systems still on the drawing 
board or if some of those bets may be better than others.
    I just want to close by saying I want to thank the 
witnesses ahead for the testimony they are about to give, and I 
look forward to hearing from each one of them. And I think we 
will start with the witness testimony.
    Hang on here. Okay, Mr. Roth, you may start.


                 summary statement of hon. john p. roth


    Secretary Roth. Thank you very much, Chairman. Thank you, 
Chairman Tester. Thank you, Chairman Leahy.
    Members of the committee, it is a pleasure to be here 
today. I am also honored to have General Brown and General 
Raymond join me in representing the nearly 700,000 airmen and 
guardians that defend our Nation. We are thankful for your 
consistent and persistent support over the years, which has 
enabled us to build the world's greatest air and space forces.
    As an integrated force, our airmen and guardians stand 
ready, willing, and able to meet responsibilities to our Nation 
and continue defending the high ground. From 300 feet to 300 
miles off the ground, we protect the homeland, we project 
power, and we defend democracy.
    The long-term strategic competition with China and Russia 
demands we focus on capabilities we need today to win tomorrow. 
Our Nation's competitive strategic advantage relies on air and 
space superiority, which is underpinned by rapid technological 
advancement and the extension of space as a warfighting domain.
    In line with Secretary Austin's priorities to defend the 
Nation, take care of our people, and succeed through teamwork, 
our fiscal year 2022 budget is the beginning of a journey to 
the Air and Space Forces of 2030. It builds the capabilities 
that allow the Department to modernize while continuing to meet 
the national security objectives and defend the high ground.
    Specifically, we are committed to investing in, one, 
empowering airmen and guardians; two, capability-focused 
modernization; three, connecting us to the Joint Force; and 
four, expanding partnerships.
    First, our airmen and guardians remain the heart of our 
ability to deter and, if necessary, defeat our competitors. We 
are transforming our talent management systems to ensure we 
develop and train leaders with the competence, character, and 
skills required to win high-end fights. And we remain devoted 
to recruiting and retaining a diverse core of multi-capable, 
innovative talent to outmaneuver our adversaries today and in 
the future.
    We owe it to our force to provide them with an environment 
where all can thrive. That is why we are directing critical 
resources to rid our ranks of any corrosive elements and 
injustices that degrade our ability to provide a lethal, ready 
force.
    Second, to remain the world's greatest air and space force, 
we must look to the future through a lens of capability-based 
modernization. Evidenced by nuclear modernization and next-
generation air dominance platforms, our digital acquisition 
approach revolutionizes how we design and field capabilities to 
the warfighters.
    Moving forward, we will expand on these digital revolutions 
while also investing in next-generation space systems that are 
resilient and defensive. Space is no longer a benign domain. 
Our U.S. Space Force was purpose-built to deter and protect 
free access to space.
    Third, combatant commanders require an agile military that 
operates seamlessly across all domains at both speed and scale. 
That is why we continue to invest in capabilities like the 
Advanced Battle Management System, our contribution to Joint 
All-Domain Command and Control, which will connect every sensor 
to every shooter across all domains.
    Likewise, access to and freedom of action in space is 
central to connecting us to the Joint Force. In its second 
year, the U.S. Space Force is laser-focused on integration. 
Investments in space capabilities increase the effectiveness of 
operations across all domains. The result is a U.S. military 
that is better connected, better informed, faster, and more 
precise.
    Finally, the U.S. Air and Space Forces do not fight alone. 
We benefit from the expertise and capabilities of our sister 
services and coalition forces, as well as the whole of 
government, commercial industry, and academia. We will continue 
to invest in enduring relationships while expanding new 
partnerships to transfer how we fight future wars.
    Members of the committee, thank you for inviting us to 
testify. I look forward to your support and am confident that 
with your help, the Air and Space Forces will be armed with the 
capabilities necessary to protect our Nation and defend the 
high ground. We welcome your questions, and I ask that this 
opening statement be entered into the record.
    Thank you.
    Senator Tester. And it will be, and thank you, Secretary 
Roth.
    Senator Shelby, do you have anything you would like to say 
before we move to General Brown?
    Senator Shelby. I just have an opening statement I would 
like to place in the record.
    Senator Tester. Without objection, so done.
    [The statement follows:]
            Prepared Statement of Senator Richard C. Shelby
    Thank you Mr. Chairman.
    Secretary Roth, General Brown, and General Raymond, welcome.
    Thank you for being here today to present your budget for fiscal 
year 2022, and to provide this committee with an update on the 
challenges that you face.
    Our nation expects that our military is ready and capable to deter 
our adversaries and defend the homeland.
    Not only do our adversaries pose new and increasing threats that 
erode our traditional technological advantages, but the age of some of 
our most important weapon systems require that we make investments 
today.
    We must continue to maintain a credible nuclear deterrent, while at 
the same time developing hypersonic weapons and ensuring that our 
aircraft can meet the challenges posed by China and Russia.
    I am also interested to hear more from you about how this budget 
request recognizes the contributions of the Space Force, and the 
growing importance of operations in space.
    The National Security Space Launch program has been a good 
investment of taxpayer dollars, and I encourage the Department of 
Defense and Intelligence Community to continue to use the Space Force 
launch enterprise for National Security Space Launch-class missions.
    Given that the overall funding request for the Department of 
Defense does not keep pace with inflation, I am concerned that we are 
sending the wrong message to both our allies and our adversaries.
    I look forward to hearing how your fiscal year 2022 budget request 
balances all of these important priorities, thank you.

    Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Shelby.
    General Brown.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL CHARLES Q. BROWN, JR., CHIEF OF 
            STAFF, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
    General Brown. Good afternoon, Chairman Tester, Chairman 
Leahy, Ranking Member Shelby, and distinguished members of this 
committee.
    I am humbled to serve as our Nation's 22nd Air Force Chief 
of Staff and represent the 689,000 total force airmen serving 
today. Your support to our airmen and their families is greatly 
appreciated.
    It is an honor to appear before you today with Acting 
Secretary Roth and my fellow service chief and friend of many 
years, General Raymond. As a general officer, I have spent the 
last decade plus in joint positions overseas and/or supporting 
operations in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and most 
recently the Indo-Pacific. With this context, I have been able 
to look at the Air Force from varying perspectives, and I have 
personally seen a reemergence of great power competition and 
how the character of war has changed.
    The strategic environment has rapidly evolved, and we 
haven't changed fast enough to keep pace. The People's Republic 
of China has recognized modern warfare as a contest among 
systems, not individual units or platforms. Accordingly, 
Secretary Austin has prioritized China as our pacing threat.
    Meanwhile, Russia continues to modernize its armed forces, 
increasing the capability of its missiles, strike aircraft, 
warships, artillery systems, and nuclear weapons. And 
competition and future warfare will be conducted across all 
domains simultaneously. It will be transregional and a global 
undertaking with complex actions and actors intertwined.
    To account for these changes, our Nation, our Air Force 
must change faster than we have been. If we continue on the 
path of incremental change, our advantage erodes, and losing 
becomes a distinct possibility.
    The Air Force recently updated our mission statement ``to 
fly, fight, and win--airpower anytime, anywhere.'' To keep this 
mission now and into future, we must transition our Air Force 
and our operational concepts from today to tomorrow, and we 
must do so faster.
    That is why I wrote ``Accelerate Change or Lose'' to call 
attention to the changes in the strategic environment because 
the mix of capabilities that our Air Force has now that were 
good enough for yesterday, that are good enough for today, will 
fail tomorrow. Our future Air Force must be agile, resilient, 
and connected, with the ability to generate near instantaneous 
effects anytime, anywhere. Not just sometime and some places, 
but anytime, anywhere.
    Our Air Force is the only service that provides our joint 
teammates and our allies and partners the assurance of air 
superiority, the advantage of global strike, and the agility of 
rapid global mobility through a range of capabilities most 
requested by today's combatant commanders. Additionally, the 
Air Force's ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and 
Reconnaissance) and command and control capabilities provide 
the ability to sense, make sense, and act.
    But while our past and current capabilities have sufficed 
for the last three decades, they will not effectively perform 
in tomorrow's highly contested environment. To address the 
challenges that will endanger our national security tomorrow, 
the transition to the future Air Force design must start today.
    Finally, we have a financial responsibility to our airmen 
and their families. I remain focused on ensuring we are ready 
and that we have the tools, infrastructure, and talent 
management systems to provide the environment where all can 
reach their full potential. The future Air Force design 
advances our core missions and new approaches to warfighting 
that holistically support every combatant commander and benefit 
every service chief. Investing in your Air Force is an 
investment in the Joint Force.
    Ladies and gentlemen, the bottom line is simple. We must 
modernize for the future and focus on capabilities that 
maintain our advantage both today and tomorrow.
    For decades, we have collaborated with Congress and our 
industry partners to modernize for the future. Now to fulfill 
our responsibility to ensure our national security, we must be 
willing to change, to make the tough choices required to 
deliberately transform our Air Force to the future force we 
need to compete, deter, and win. We have done it before, and I 
am confident together we can do it again.
    Thank you for the opportunity to be with you today, and 
before I close, I would like to answer Chairman Tester's 
question. The ``Q'' stands for ``Quinton.''
    I look forward to taking your additional questions 
throughout the rest of the hearing.
    Senator Tester. That is a good answer because I just won 
five bucks off my staff.
    [Laughter.]
    Senator Tester. General--thank you, General Brown.
    General Raymond.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL JOHN W. RAYMOND, CHIEF OF SPACE 
            OPERATIONS, UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE
    General Raymond. Chairman Tester, Chairman Leahy, Ranking 
Member Shelby, and distinguished members of this committee, it 
is an honor to appear before you for the first time and to do 
so alongside Secretary Roth, the Acting Secretary of the Air 
Force, and General C.Q. Brown, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, 
a longtime friend and a longtime teammate.
    On behalf of the guardians that are stationed worldwide, 
let me begin by thanking you for the continued leadership and 
strong support that you have provided to the Space Force.
    The United States is a space-faring Nation. We have long 
understood that our Nation is strongest economically, 
diplomatically, and militarily when we have access to and 
freedom to maneuver in space. For the past three decades, we 
have been able to take that access and that freedom to maneuver 
for granted.
    Unfortunately, as the National Defense Strategy and the 
newer Interim National Security Strategy identified, this is no 
longer the case. Both China, our pacing threat, and Russia 
continue to develop two things. First, they are developing 
space capabilities for their own use. So they have that same 
advantage that we have. And secondly, they are building weapons 
systems specifically designed to deny our space-enabled 
advantages that America currently enjoys.
    These threats that they are developing include robust 
jamming of our GPS satellite constellation and communication 
satellites; directed energy systems that can blind, disrupt, or 
damage our satellites; anti-satellite weapons in space that are 
purpose-built to destroy U.S. satellites; and cyber 
capabilities that can deny our access to the domain. 
Thankfully, with the strong support of Congress, the United 
States seized on the opportunity to make needed changes to stay 
ahead of the growing threat by establishing the United States 
Space Force.
    This leadership is resonating globally and is already 
delivering results for our Nation. We have slashed bureaucracy 
at every level in order to empower our guardians to move at 
speed and to increase accountability necessary to successfully 
operate in this domain.
    We have put together a very forward-leaning human capital 
strategy, allowing us to build a more highly trained, educated, 
and developed warfighting force while taking care of guardians 
and their families throughout their entire career. We wrote our 
first doctrine to clearly articulate the independent value of 
space power to joint and coalition forces, and this importance 
is fully captured in the Department's new joint warfighting 
construct that is being developed.
    Our international partnerships are stronger, with many of 
our partner nations following our lead and elevating space 
inside of their militaries. We have created a new end-to-end 
capability development process from force design and 
requirements to acquisition and testing, enabled by a digital 
thread to move at speed while driving unity of effort across 
the Department of Defense. We have rejected stovepipes by 
actively working with the Joint Force and other Government 
agencies and industry to compete, deter, and win at an 
affordable cost.
    The Space Force cannot and will not tolerate business as 
usual. Our demanding mission and lean force demand nothing less 
than a new standard of efficiency. The budget reflects the 
shift of many Department of Defense space activities into the 
Space Force, yet we remain about 2.5 percent of the overall 
Department of Defense budget.
    We are committed to stretching every dollar to its limit to 
buy as much capability as possible for our Nation. This fiscal 
year, the 2022 budget balances the need to protect capabilities 
we have on orbit now while shifting and modernizing to a more 
defendable architecture in the future. It is an investment that 
provides assured space capabilities to our sister services, our 
Nation, and to our coalition warfighting partners.
    These demanding tasks could not have been possible without 
sustained support from Congress, including this committee, and 
for that, I thank you. We cannot afford to lose space.
    I am absolutely honored and humbled to serve as the first 
Chief of Space Operations and to have the opportunity to serve 
side by side with the incredible guardians that I am privileged 
to lead. It is because of them that our Nation enjoys the 
benefits of space today, and it is because of them, America's 
sons and daughters, that we will compete, deter, and win in the 
future.
    I really look forward to your questions. Thanks for the 
opportunity.
    [The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. John P. Roth, General Charles Q. Brown, Jr. 
                      and General John W. Raymond

                    THE DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

    The Air and Space Forces unite under the Department of the Air 
Force and are inextricably linked in defense of the crucial high 
ground, integral to the stability of the global security landscape. 
Under civilian leadership, the Department's nearly 700,000 Airmen and 
Guardians provide independent and integrated options to national 
leaders while defending democracy, an ideal that President Biden said, 
``holds the key to freedom, prosperity, peace, and dignity.'' The 
Department of the Air Force enhances the peaceful instruments of 
diplomacy, sustains instruments of deterrence that check the spread of 
conflict, and ensures credible consequences for aggression.
    Today more than ever, we and our national security partners must be 
bold. The challenges are many: the People's Republic of China, the 
Russian Federation, contested domains old and new, the vulnerabilities 
of proliferated technology and weapons, climate change, a global 
pandemic and its aftermath, the accumulated results of past budget 
priorities and decisions, and corrosive, difficult human issues like 
extremism, sexual assault/harassment, suicide, and disparate treatment 
of others. We must think and act differently. We no longer have the 
luxury of time to evolve into what we need to be...we must harness this 
unique moment together taking action to change. We simply cannot 
maintain status quo.
    Given China's exponential pace of weapons development and extensive 
marshalling of government and industry, we do not have the leeway to 
simply maintain our current approach. China is on track to exceed our 
capacity, so it is our obligation to act with a sense of urgency. China 
poses challenges unlike any other in our Nation's history. We must be 
clear-eyed about these threats and our response to them.We recognize 
the need for change AND must create the capacity for that change. We 
must substantially improve our understanding of China and the Indo-
Pacific region and prioritize the threats accordingly. We cannot afford 
to keep prioritizing near-term operational posture and today's force 
structure at the expense of modernization and investment.
    This Department is particularly suited for these challenges. We own 
the high ground with air and space today, but it becomes more contested 
every day. We cannot allow the erosion of our advantages in this 
crucial high ground in competition now or in a future conflict. The 
speed, reach, and responsiveness of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space 
Force reinforce all instruments of national power and norms of 
responsible behavior. We can see, sense, and strike targets near and 
far, and provide global warning, networks, and independent options in 
space. We provide global strike and effects that can hold any target at 
risk within 24 hours--this is not conceptual or theoretical, it is 
reality. Global strike requires a unique fusion of intelligence, 
surveillance, reconnaissance, logistics, access, and speed that only 
the Air and Space Forces provide at a moment's notice. Our ability to 
rapidly eliminate threats anywhere in the world is a consequence of our 
inherent global persistence and reach, not necessarily dependent upon 
pre-positioning or forward basing. We have been exceptional at this, 
and until now we have also been unmatched.
    The Department of the Air Force requires a modernized force that is 
relevant today and long into the future. We are hard at work designing 
our future force. We must invest in the cutting-edge technologies and 
capabilities that are critical to securing our military advantage in 
the future--this includes updating our two legs of the Nation's nuclear 
triad, and our nuclear command, control, and communications systems. 
Enabling our military advantage in the long term means we need to shift 
away from legacy platforms and weapons systems that are decreasing in 
relevance today and will be irrelevant in the future--our aircraft 
fleet is 30 years old on average, and 44% are beyond their designed 
service life. Maintaining our aging weapon systems is costly now and, 
without change, will mortgage our future. We must also create decision 
superiority by delivering information and capabilities to decision 
makers at all echelons through a ``military internet of things.'' A 
critical step includes accelerating command and control infrastructure 
by investing in the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS)--a vital 
contribution by the Department of the Air Force to Joint All--Domain 
Command and Control. We must methodically and immediately move out on 
tough decisions in order to compete.
    Similarly, we must revise the Space Force's force design to be 
resilient against a significantly increasing threat. We must continue 
to innovate, adapt and diversify capabilities to meet the threats that 
challenge America's access and maneuverability in space and that of our 
allies and partners. As we advance space defense, we must 
simultaneously work with stakeholders across the Department of Defense, 
the whole-of-government, our allies and partners, and commercial 
industry to integrate and streamline space power efforts. Only then 
will America be able to fully leverage what we have built over the last 
year.
    The Air Force and Space Force have been on the leading edge of 
technology since their inception. By embracing novel authorities such 
as middle-tier of acquisition authorities, and innovative approaches 
such as agile software development, modular open systems approach, and 
digital engineering, we will stay on the cutting edge. We intend to 
capitalize on future investments in modeling and synthetic simulation 
environments to ensure both joint warfighters and operational platforms 
are ready.
    As outlined in the Interim National Security Strategic Guidance, we 
are ``committed to realizing and defending the democratic values at the 
heart of the American way of life.'' Outpacing threats in tomorrow's 
complex global security landscape requires innovative thinking and 
modern investments. We recognize the need for change in order to 
protect the American way of life. This budget lays out a plan to 
modernize our military capabilities, and will allow U.S. diplomats to 
negotiate from a position of strength.
                      empowered airmen & guardians
    America's Airmen and Guardians conduct combat operations, channel 
innovation, and conquer adversity around the globe all day, every day. 
We know that Airmen and Guardians are our greatest and most precious 
resource. While weapons systems and tactics inevitably change, our 
Airmen and Guardians remain the core of our ability to deter and, if 
necessary, defeat our competitors. We need multi-capable professionals 
who bring diverse ideas, leverage digital tools, and outmaneuver and 
out think our adversaries. Our Airmen and Guardians have committed to 
service and taken oaths pledging their lives to the protection of our 
Constitution. And while we are working to provide the best environment 
possible as we recruit, train, retain, and leverage our strategic 
advantage--our people.
    As a Department, we are working to increase diversity and 
inclusion, build and fortify resiliency, support our families, and 
develop empowered Airmen and Guardians. We must ensure a culture of 
dignity and respect. We must ensure our people have both high quality 
of service and high quality of life. This starts with ensuring Air 
Force and Space Force leaders represent the Nation and our Core Values. 
Our Nation's defenders must be empowered, resilient, agile, innovative, 
well-led and clear on how much they are valued.
Diversity
    A diverse and inclusive force is a warfighting imperative. The 
Department of the Air Force must attract, recruit, and retain talented 
Americans from all backgrounds to leverage diverse ideas and 
experiences. By harnessing Airmen's and Guardians' diverse experiences, 
geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, cultural knowledge, and 
language abilities, we possess an asymmetric advantage over our 
competitors.
    To sustain our lethality and credibility, our force must be truly 
inclusive and reflect the best of the diverse society we serve. This 
includes removing barriers to service--from reviewing our accession and 
assessment tools and career development, to expanding outreach to 
underrepresented minorities through diversity recruiting and increasing 
scholarships at minority-serving institutions. It will also include 
modernizing how we develop Airmen and Guardians, transforming our 
personnel and talent management systems, and championing a culture of 
support and inclusion for all Airmen, Guardians, and their families.
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
    Sexual assault is a crime that undermines force lethality, 
readiness, and mission success. The Department of the Air Force is 
committed to eradicating sexual assault using effective, research-based 
prevention. These efforts utilize assessment tools to identify those at 
high risk for unethical behavior, equip all leaders with information 
and goals to reduce assault risk factors, educate the force on 
intervention skills, and promote positive unit culture to eradicate 
sexual assault. When sexual assault does occur, the Department is 
dedicated to supporting victims and prosecuting those who would harm 
others through the chain of command and Uniform Code of Military 
Justice.
Suicide and Personal Violence Prevention
    The prevention of suicide and interpersonal violence remains a 
difficult challenge. To reduce the incidence of suicide, the Department 
of the Air Force is undertaking a leadership-driven public-health 
approach informed by data and analysis while partnering with academia, 
industry, and our sister Services to include diverse ideas and 
perspectives.
    The Department of the Air Force is also committed to eliminating 
interpersonal violence in any form. Domestic violence, child 
maltreatment, workplace violence, and sexual assault negatively impact 
victims, families, units, mission effectiveness, and the Department as 
a whole. We are dedicated to a strategy that leverages the latest 
science, implements best practices, and incorporates feedback from our 
members. Should these acts of violence occur despite our prevention 
efforts, we are committed to providing victims the necessary care and 
holding perpetrators accountable.
Quality of Life
    We owe our Airmen and Guardians the best quality of life possible. 
We must continue work to improve all the professional and personal 
aspects of life for each of our Airmen and Guardians, and their 
families.It includes professional development, housing, child care 
programs, healthcare, education, and spousal employment, among many 
others. We are integrating the availability of quality housing, health 
care, occupational licensing reciprocity, and school caliber into our 
strategic basing criteria--ensuring our families have the best support 
possible. The Department is committed to continuing these worthy 
efforts. Our Airmen and Guardians deserve nothing less.
                 a department of the air force for 2030
    As the Department of Air Force prepares to celebrate 75 years of 
service to our great Nation, the Air Force is transforming itself to 
address the challenges of near-peer adversaries while the newest branch 
of the U.S. Armed Forces--the Space Force--is creating and integrating 
a Service purposely built to compete, deter, and win in the space 
domain. Both Services, and the entire Department of the Air Force,are 
dedicated to protecting the Homeland and democracy around the globe. We 
must modernize and integrate to meet the challenges posed by great 
power competition, climate change, cybersecurity, fiscal constraints, 
and worldwide pandemics. With Congress's support, we will maintain our 
dominance of the high ground, and we will ensure the American way of 
life for generations to come.

                        UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

            vision for change--america's air force for 2030
    America fights as a joint team, and the U.S. Air Force is the only 
Service that can meet our Nation's adversaries with mass, speed, 
agility and survivability on near-immediate timelines. The Air Force 
sees, senses, and communicates globally. The Air Force monitors our 
adversaries' movements, deploys forces enmasse, deters competitors, and 
strikes enemies without warning. No one else can do it. Without the Air 
Force, the joint force loses. Only with a modernized and ready Air 
Force is the joint team--and our Nation--secure.
    The American homeland is no longer a sanctuary. Our citizens face 
threats from a variety of actors in both the physical and digital 
arenas. Competitors, especially the China and Russia, continue 
aggressive efforts to negate our long-standing warfighting advantages 
while challenging America's interests and geopolitical position. While 
the Nation was focused on countering violent extremist organizations, 
great power competitors focused on the American way of war. They 
studied, resourced, and introduced systems specifically designed to 
defeat Air Force capabilities that have strengthened the joint force 
for a generation. That is why the Air Force must accelerate change now, 
so we can protect the American way of life in 2030 and for decades to 
come. Simply put, if we do not change, we risk losing. We risk losing 
in great power competition, we risk losing in a high-end fight, and we 
risk losing quality Airmen and families.
    The President clearly stated that diplomacy is our primary means of 
engaging with the world: it must be our first tool of choice. The 
President likewise recognizes that our decisions and actions must come 
from a position of strength. The Air Force offers safe, secure, and 
effective nuclear deterrence, which strengthens national policies. It 
is also important to recognize that air dominance is not an American 
birthright. The Air Force is pivotal to deterring these aggressors and 
bolstering our allies and partners. America remains committed to 
freedom of the commons to support maintaining the rules-based 
international order around the globe. Control of the air and enabling 
domains ensures that the joint force has full freedom of maneuver. The 
diversity of our Airmen is both a tactical and strategic advantage. We 
are committed to recruiting and retaining the best of America. While 
the COVID-19 pandemic provided new challenges to our force, we remain 
devoted to caring for Airmen. Suicide and sexual assault persist as 
challenges that we are tackling head-on. Likewise family support 
programs are vital to our resiliency as a Service. A diverse and 
inclusive Air Force helps us out-innovate adversaries today and 
overcome challenges tomorrow. And, we know that each Airman--active 
duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian, no matter their background--took an 
oath to defend the Nation for all Americans.
    Airmen in the near future are more likely to fight in highly-
contested environments. These complex, all-domain conflicts will result 
in combat attrition rates and risks to the Homeland that are more akin 
to World War II than the uncontested environments to which we have 
become accustomed. Given our ability to project power from afar, 
independent of forward access or lengthy prepositioning timelines, 
Airmen will be the first to respond to many emerging crises. In any 
scenario, the Air Force plays a unique and integral role to our 
collective deterrence and joint warfighting credibility. We must 
accelerate change to meet the challenges our Nation faces. This 
requires a relevant, modern force based on cutting-edge capabilities 
that will survive in future conflicts and shifting away from legacy 
platforms that are increasingly irrelevant.
    The Air Force is expected to provide enduring airpower capabilities 
irrespective of the threat encountered, the technology utilized, or the 
budget provided. The core missions of airpower--air superiority; global 
strike; rapid global mobility; command and control; and intelligence, 
surveillance, and reconnaissance--provide unequivocal advantage to the 
joint force. Only the Air Force provides air superiority, global 
strike, and rapid global mobility for the Nation. Without these 
missions, the Homeland is unprotected and America cannot project power 
around the globe. We are innovating and advancing our competencies with 
innovative capabilities such as the Advanced Battle Management System, 
which will increase commanders' decision advantage. Moreover, new 
approaches to our core missions enhance the joint force and answer the 
challenges posed by great power competitors.
    The Air Force's future force design recognizes the need for change 
and the range of threats to the Nation, our allies, and partners. In 
2021, we identified three key capability development areas for 
investment: connect the joint force, generate combat power, and conduct 
logistics under attack. Moving forward we will prioritize the resources 
that will allow us to continue to make investments in these areas, with 
more to come. Additionally, the Air Force will prioritize within its 
resources, affordable, analytically defensible, force structure and 
system capability proposals. Through partnership with Congress, the Air 
Force will prioritize resources to guard the foundations of national 
freedom and independence for America and our allies.
                            air superiority
    Combat power, regardless of Service, often depends on the Air 
Force's ability to deliver air superiority. Our competitors have 
fielded air forces, radar systems, and missiles that can attack our 
territory, bases, forces, and allies and partners, or defend against 
our military actions. Our job is to stop them through control of the 
air. To do this, we build understanding of the air situation and then 
use the right mix of capability and capacity to control the air while 
creating windows of air superiority--no matter the threat. As we stay 
ahead of our competitors, the Air Force needs flexible systems and 
agile design processes to field new capabilities at speed.
    Current platforms will not fully support tomorrow's demands. Airmen 
are deliberately balancing today's readiness risk with capability 
modernization. Remaining ahead of adversaries who are committed to 
negating our technological edge requires investment in advanced 
capabilities. Likewise, access to domestic airspace allows us to train 
in realistic environments, which is essential to developing and 
maintaining these advanced capabilities. Near-peer competitors are 
challenging our capability to command the air. We must take action now 
to ensure the joint force's success tomorrow.
Future Air Superiority Capability
    The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the cornerstone of our future 
fighter force and air superiority. Achieving air superiority in a 
future fight is strongly dependent on full-spectrum dominance. The F-35 
and its 5th-generation capabilities are part of our fighter force 
design that outpaces key competitors. The Air Force is fully committed 
to the F-35 and needs it to be capable, available, and affordable. As 
we continue to receive the F-35 into the Air Force and increase our 
capability, it is important to manage our F-35 fleet in an intelligent 
and deliberate way to ensure we remain ready to deter adversaries, 
support our international allies and partners, and meet our Nation's 
security commitments worldwide.
    The Air Force cannot successfully fight tomorrow's conflicts with 
yesterday's weapons. Our adversaries recognize that full-spectrum 
dominance is a national strength. As a direct result, competitors are 
investing to overtake our current warfighting advantage in the air. 
Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) ensures we maintain air 
superiority in the future by introducing game-changing technology that 
includes digital engineering, open mission systems architecture, and 
agile software. NGAD is not a single platform--it is a capability 
focused on fielding capabilities to mitigate identified capability 
gaps, not on creating a ``next-generation'' aircraft. The capabilities 
NGAD provides will ensure survivability, lethality, and persistence 
while seamlessly integrating with the Advanced Battle Management System 
via a mix of manned, unmanned, and even optionally-manned aircraft 
along with advanced stand-off weapons.
    We will complement NGAD and currently fielded 5th-generation 
fighters such as the F-22 and F-35 with the F-15EX. Acquiring this re-
designed aircraft allows us to shore up our fighter force while driving 
down sustainment costs, our fleet's average age, and inherent risk. By 
leveraging our partners' investments in the F-15 platform, the Air 
Force is efficiently fielding a familiar aircraft with proven tactics. 
It also boasts an open mission software system, which allows us to 
easily update the computer and avionics software.
                             global strike
    Global strike is critical to our national power and an enduring 
airpower capability. Regardless of the aircraft, weapon, or system 
employed, we must maintain the capability to attack at a time and place 
of our choosing. As China and Russia develop new weapons and defenses, 
we must modernize and develop capabilities to maintain a competitive 
advantage. Both nuclear and conventional strike must be integrated to 
compete against these near-peer adversaries. Air Force strike 
operations are precise, and these effects are delivered through 
standoff capabilities as well as penetrating platforms.
    Nuclear deterrence allows the Nation to negotiate from a position 
of power. A credible, capable, and safe nuclear deterrent provides the 
United States and our allies with an umbrella of protection while 
discouraging the use of nuclear weapons by all nations. Likewise, a 
strong nuclear strike capability deters conflict.
    For precise, conventional attack capabilities to succeed, they must 
be capable of penetrating highly-contested environments. To maintain 
our advantage, the Air Force requires capabilities that incorporate 
domain awareness, full-spectrum survivability, extended range, and 
sufficient payload. It is vital that our capabilities keep pace as 
threats evolve. By leveraging human-machine learning, the right mix of 
manned and unmanned systems, and agile design processes, our global 
strike capabilities will provide responsiveness, precision, 
flexibility, connectedness, and integration across the joint force.
    The United States Air Force has the unique ability to sense, see, 
and strike any target, anywhere, at any time, nearly instantaneously, 
from anywhere in the world. On a daily basis, one aspect of these 
capabilities is on full display as our bomber task forces execute 
training scenarios with our allies and partners. It is no secret that 
potential adversaries closely monitor global activity--these maneuvers 
make adversaries think twice about conducting malign activities while 
reassuring our allies and partners.
    The Air Force's global strike capabilities have the range, speed, 
and flexibility required in a conflict and are far less as dependent on 
pre-positioning or forward-basing. A continued investment in 
modernization efforts to our bomber and tanker fleets will ensure our 
long-range capability for the future. Additionally, a renewed emphasis 
into air base defense, along with Agile Combat Employment and Joint 
All-Domain Command and Control concepts will ensure the United States 
maintains the world's greatest military asymmetric advantage well into 
the future.
Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD)
    The Nation requires a fully modernized nuclear triad and supporting 
infrastructure to maintain our nuclear deterrence capability. 
Deterrence operates in peacetime, through the gray zone, worldwide, 
across all domains, and into conflict. And, deterrence requires all 
three legs for a responsive nuclear triad. By not maintaining a 
reliable U.S. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) force, we risk 
deterrence erosion against not one, but two strategic nuclear 
adversaries. This is too high of a risk to our Nation's security.
    Our ICBMs have provided a highly reliable and secure deterrent 
capability since 1959. Delaying their modernization for the last two 
decades necessitates a comprehensive weapon replacement.
    The Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), the ICBM replacement, 
capitalizes on the strengths of a land-based triad component that is 
survivable, efficient, and geographically dispersed, while replacing 
aging components and addressing asset attrition along with the ICBM 
force's declining infrastructure.
B-21 Raider
    Our bomber force constitutes the second critical leg of our 
Nation's nuclear triad and the B-21 Raider aircraft will be the 
backbone of our future bomber force. The B-21 will possess the range, 
access, and payload to penetrate the most highly-contested threat 
environments and hold any target around the globe at risk. This new 
bomber will provide the capabilities to deter and, if needed, win in 
high-end, near-peer conflicts. And with bombers as the most flexible 
leg of the nuclear triad, the B-21 underscores our national security. 
This aircraft will support combatant commanders across the range of 
military operations as both a nuclear and conventional bomber.
    Over the past three years, the B-21 program accelerated from design 
to physical manufacturing of aircraft. While building test aircraft, 
the program is scaling manufacturing infrastructure and capacity across 
the industrial supply base. In parallel, B-21 beddown preparations 
continue on-track to support the Nation's newest bomber aircraft 
projected arrival in the mid-2020s.
Long-Range Standoff Weapon (LRSO)
    The Air Launched Cruise Missile is nearly 30 years beyond its 
intended design life and faces evolving threats and availability 
challenges. Recapitalization of these missiles via the Long-Range 
Standoff Weapon (LRSO) is vital to our nuclear deterrence capability.
    As our competitors improve their air defense systems, our stand-off 
delivery capability diminishes. In order to maximize our capabilities, 
the Nation requires a modernized bomber fleet and the LRSO. This 
weapon's ability to penetrate contested airspace and survive 
adversaries' defenses holds targets at risk and is a cost-effective way 
to modernize the nuclear triad. Additionally, bombers armed with LRSO 
provide a recallable and re-targetable capability which can hold any 
target at risk--it is both a visible and tailorable deterrent.
Hypersonics
    The Air Force is also investing heavily in hypersonic weapons. This 
cutting-edge technology increases the Nation's rapid strike 
capabilities. By leveraging hypersonic weapons' improved 
maneuverability, America will have additional response options to deter 
adversaries and reassure allies. An operational hypersonic air-launched 
weapon enables the United States to hold fixed, high-value, and time-
sensitive targets at risk in contested environments from stand-off 
distances. To that end, the Air Force is developing the Air Launched 
Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) using the middle tier of acquisition rapid 
prototyping authority. ARRW is on track to be the Nation's first 
operational hypersonic weapon. Hypersonics--and global strike as a 
whole-enable diplomacy by strengthening the negotiating position of the 
United States.
                         rapid global mobility
    The Air Force capability that most directly, and physically, 
supports both the Air Force and our joint teammates is rapid global 
mobility. Airmen conduct Rapid Global Mobility operations to project 
and sustain combat power by moving personnel, material, fuel, and 
supplies across the globe, in and through permissive and contested 
threat environments on short timelines. The combination of speed, 
range, flexibility, and responsiveness is what differentiates air 
mobility operations from other forms of transport and is critical to 
multi-modal operations contributing to a higher pace for Joint All-
Domain Operations. As threats evolve and the United States can no 
longer operate from well-established fixed bases, rapid global mobility 
is the lynchpin to persistent logistics, and we are examining unique 
ways to utilize mobility aircraft.
Air Refueling
    Air refueling, one segment of rapid global mobility, is 
foundational to worldwide power projection. The ability to extend the 
range and persistence of air platforms provides a decisive advantage 
and deterrent against adversaries. To maintain our air refueling edge, 
the Air Force must continue investment in the KC-46 while moving beyond 
legacy KC-10 and KC-135 aircraft. The inability to phase the divesture 
of the legacy tanker fleet shackles funding and manpower resources and 
hampers the fielding of the more capable KC-46 at the rate required to 
support combatant commanders. This negatively impacts air refueling 
capacity and tanker advancement. Offsets from legacy tanker divestment 
in both funding and manpower are critical to the success of the KC-46 
and air refueling as a whole.
Emerging Logistics
    Every 4.2 minutes a mobility aircraft takes off from an airfield 
somewhere in the world. This is a unique opportunity as mobility 
aircraft are envisioned as critical nodes in the Advanced Battle 
Management System framework. Mobility platforms of all types can act as 
sensor nodes, inputting information into the sensing grid and 
increasing a commander's decision advantage. At the same time, we are 
exploring novel approaches to logistics through Agility Prime, which is 
developing electric vertical takeoff-and- landing vehicles (eVTOL). 
This innovative program will help us rapidly move small numbers of 
personnel and equipment around a battlefield and quickly rise to 
respond to emerging challenges such as isolated Service members. We are 
also training Airmen and developing concepts and practices that allow 
for dispersed, defendable, and mobile logistics networks. We are 
establishing agreements with allies and partners that provide access, 
and the ability to expand access, to key aerial ports, seaports, 
storage nodes, and associated connections.
Command and Control (C2)
    Inherent to out thinking adversaries is the ability to command and 
control (C2) the joint force. Combatant commanders require an agile 
military that operates seamlessly across domain boundaries at both 
speed and scale. The Air Force's current C2 structure is based on a 
Cold War-era design that is vulnerable and slow--a roadblock to the 
goal of rapid and agile decision making. The enemy can easily target 
our C2 structure's centralized nodes with both kinetic and non-kinetic 
means. C2 must be resilient to attack, responsive to rapid changes, 
integrated across all domains, and secure from exploitation. This core 
mission allows the joint force to create an advantage by converging 
units and capabilities at a time and place of our choosing.
    Achieving decision advantage for combatant commanders requires both 
sensors to gather data and a C2 network to translate and share data 
across the joint force. Real-time dissemination of actionable 
information, aided by artificial intelligence and machine learning, 
allows joint warfighting across all domains at a pace faster than our 
competitors. This speed matters to the decision maker and the 
warfighter. And, with the proliferation of technology, future 
warfighters will have the ability to observe, orient, decide and act 
within minutes--as opposed to hours and days.
Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS)
    A critical step towards accelerating command and control 
architecture is the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS)--the 
Department of the Air Force's contribution to Joint All-Domain Command 
and Control. As a new approach towards information sharing and decision 
management, ABMS enables compressed decision making and converging 
effects without domain or geographic boundaries. As a family of 
capabilities--versus a single system--ABMS creates a digital 
environment capable of increasing awareness, creating greater 
understanding, and enabling superior decision making--all of which is 
critical to prevailing in future conflicts.
    As a simple analogy, ABMS strengthens decisions by channeling 
necessary information and capabilities through a ``military internet of 
things.'' This internet, designed with digital standards, is being 
purpose-built to deliver critical capabilities to the joint force 
including secure processing, connectivity, data management, 
applications, sensor integration, and effects integration. ABMS helps 
overcome the Cold War-roadblock of vulnerable command and control 
nodes. For instance, by transforming from a small number of air 
operations centers to a ``military internet of things,'' ABMS allows 
for agile, distributed, and mobile capabilities able to execute mission 
command even when fractured by an enemy attack.
    ABMS's infrastructure is critical to ensuring the joint force 
connects sensors to shooters with machine- to-machine precision and 
speed while increasing commanders' awareness. And just like the 
development of the internet, ABMS is being built across multiple fiscal 
years. FY20 and FY21 have focused on exploring how we can best connect 
sensors and shooters while building partnerships with our industry 
partners. Moving forward, the Air Force will prioritize resources to 
allow the continued building of ABMS's digital network environment and 
infrastructure. By prioritizing the resources to support ABMS 
investment, the Air Force will be able to initiate replacement of 
human-in-the-loop data transfer processes with machine- to-machine data 
exchanges allowing for delivery of multi-domain secure processing and 
data management, connectivity, and applications that synchronize 
sensors and networks. In turn, the joint force is enabled to make 
decisions faster than the adversary is able to respond.
Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3)
    Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) systems act as 
the central nervous system of our nuclear deterrent. They link the 
President and national leaders to the nuclear force--all day, every 
day, under all conditions, without fail. Without NC3, we cannot 
effectively command and control nuclear forces. And without effective 
command and control of nuclear forces, we cannot deter adversaries.
    Previously, electromagnetic pulses posed the greatest challenge to 
our NC3 networks. Now, electronic warfare, cyber-attack, and threats 
from space all provide challenges to key nodes and systems. Russia, 
while embracing a doctrine of nuclear escalation in conventional 
conflict, is nearly complete with its recent full range of nuclear 
modernization efforts. Equally concerning is China's pursuit of new 
nuclear capabilities tailored to achieve its national security 
objectives while also modernizing its conventional military.
    As we modernize our portion of the nuclear triad, we must also 
modernize our NC3. The Air Force is pursuing communication capability 
enhancements with respect to our bomber force and Ground Based 
Strategic Deterrent so they will be fully integrated into our current 
NC3 systems and has flexibility to adapt as NC3 systems are modernized. 
Moreover, we understand that the strategic environment evolves and is 
increasingly dynamic. Our NC3 architectures and modernization plans 
will be adaptable, look beyond the near-term, and integrate with the 
Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS). While ABMS will enable 
conventional forces, it will also enable nuclear forces with rapid, 
multi-path transmissions that will transform NC3 from a Cold War-era 
relic into a C2 network operating at speeds our adversaries cannot 
match.
    Successfully executing command and control across the joint force 
requires information. A major avenue for that information is the Air 
Force's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
          intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (isr)
    The Air Force conducts intelligence, surveillance, and 
reconnaissance (ISR) missions to analyze, inform, and provide joint 
force commanders with the knowledge needed to achieve decision 
advantage. This ISR sensing grid consists of a robust multi-layered 
network of sensors, platforms, people, devices, and services with the 
goal of delivering a holistic, accurate, predictive, and timely 
characterization of the operating environment. This network is 
interoperable with the joint force, the intelligence community, allies, 
and partners. Domain awareness is underpinned by automation, 
connectivity and analysis; is rooted in intelligence; and is critical 
to the future of warfare. In that future, ISR underpins the Advanced 
Battle Management System (ABMS) architecture and allows joint force 
commanders to achieve an accurate, real-time understanding of the 
environment. This understanding accelerates decision making, 
effectively conducts command and control, and achieves decision 
advantage ahead of competitors.
    Future ISR capabilities must be survivable against high-end threats 
while leveraging forward-looking investments in command and control 
capabilities--including emerging technology like artificial 
intelligence--to present decision-ready information faster than our 
adversaries' capabilities. The Air Force's current ISR systems are 
viable in a counter-insurgency war, but may not effectively contribute 
in tomorrow's competitive environment. Without investment in additional 
capabilities necessary for the high-endfight, we will be reliant on ISR 
platforms that will be ineffective in highly-contested and denied 
environments. As a result, we risk fighting blind.
Survivable, Relevant Platforms
    ISR platforms play a critical and continuous role in supporting a 
range of military operations. The most important role of intelligence 
in military operations is to provide analysis of key aspects of the 
operating environment to facilitate timely military decisions. Current 
ISR platforms have been able to accomplish this task with relative ease 
because they operated in uncontested and low-threat environments where 
the United States enjoys superiority across all domains of warfare. 
Such freedom of action will not be the case in the future. Future 
threats will challenge the ability of legacy ISR platforms to 
successfully execute their missions.
    In the near future, ISR platforms will feed critical data through 
the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), which in turn will 
present near real-time information to joint force decision makers. 
Future airborne ISR platforms will need to survive and operate in a 
more challenging environment. Ongoing modernization efforts will focus 
on a family of platforms that are effective, resilient, and survivable 
against technologically--advanced threats, and able to pass data to 
necessary networks at machine speed. In our discussions going forward, 
we will steer away from platform--centric conversations and focus 
instead on the capabilities needed to inform joint force operations.
    Our adversaries are already fielding technologies that will hold 
our legacy platforms at risk to support the range of military 
operations in a future high-end fight, and the technological evolution 
will continue to accelerate. In order to keep pace ahead of emerging 
threats, we must work with the combatant commands to assess the demand 
signal on current fleets and where acceptable risk can be taken so the 
Air Force can accelerate modernization. Legacy ISR platforms, once 
considered irreplaceable to operations, are often unable to survive or 
deliver needed capabilities on competition-relevant timelines. These 
legacy platforms must be phased out, with resources used to invest in 
modern and relevant systems. Working together, we must take calculated 
risk now in order to reduce the greater future risk.
    For instance, the RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk was crucial to the ISR 
requirements of yesterday and today. However, this platform cannot 
compete in a contested environment. And tomorrow's conflicts will be 
contested. Moving beyond this platform allows us to bring the ISR 
enterprise into the digital-age by using sensing grids and fielding 
advanced technology that includes penetrating ISR platforms. The Air 
Force will continue to pursue the FY21 NDAA RQ-4 Block 30 divestment 
waiver in order to repurpose the RQ-4 Block 30 funds for penetrating 
ISR capability. Overall,intelligence collection will transition to a 
family of systems that includes non-traditional assets, sensors in all 
domains, commercial platforms, and a hybrid force of 5th- and 6th-
generation capabilities.
    A comprehensive investment strategy that the Air Force is bringing 
forward synchronizes divestment of legacy platforms, takes calculated 
risk in upgrading existing platforms, and introduces the next- 
generation ISR family of systems that will feed into ABMS.
                             new approaches
    The Air Force's core missions encompass both enduring capabilities 
unique to our Service and some capabilities shared with the joint 
force. Airmen are rapidly iterating and innovating improvements to all 
core missions. These new approaches to airpower overcome today's 
roadblocks and focus on tomorrow's great power challenges. Both 
technology and operational concepts benefit from our Airmen's 
perspectives. Every day, Airmen increase the agility, speed, 
resilience, and lethality of our contributions to the joint force.
Force Generation Model
    The Air Force is also re-examining how we present forces to 
combatant commanders. The core missions of the Air Force continue to be 
in constant demand around the world. And because many of the 
capabilities we provide are exclusive to our Service, our forces have 
been under strain for two decades. This strain negatively impacts 
readiness and our ability to modernize.
    Preparing for near-peer adversaries, the Air Force is implementing 
a new force generation model focused on building and sustaining long-
term, high-end readiness. Our goal is to more effectively articulate 
readiness impacts and capacity limits, and instill discipline into the 
system. Our new, simplified model, realigns the Air Force with the 
Joint Staff's three phase model, is easily understood by combatant 
commanders, builds towards sustainable readiness, and balances current 
operations with the training necessary for future full-spectrum combat 
operations.
Agile Combat Employment (ACE)
    The Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) not only connects 
sensors and shooters but also enhances persistent logistics by sensing 
the threat landscape and material environment. Persistent logistics, 
with the inherent ability to posture, sense, and respond, is the 
warfighting answer to the key operational problem of logistics under 
attack and enables Agile Combat Employment (ACE). ACE is the ability to 
quickly disperse & cluster forces to a cooperative security location 
and conduct operations across all domains with minimal disruption, 
while maintaining operational flexibility. This new method of operating 
will allow the United States to confuse the enemy and strike at a time 
and place of our choosing with minimal risk. The ability of ACE to 
sustain combat operations through persistent logistics has already been 
validated through multiple exercises across both the Pacific and 
European theaters.
    ACE requires technological advances like ABMS, novel equipment, and 
innovative Airmen. Our Airmen are tackling ACE, and the larger 
challenge of persistent logistics, by adapting techniques previously 
associated with special operators. Our commanders support these efforts 
by encouraging critical thinking skills and driving decision making to 
the lowest levels--in many cases our youngest frontline supervisors. 
These empowered Airmen are innovating new approaches to projecting 
combat power across the globe.
Base and Critical Infrastructure Defense
    The Department's infrastructure defense efforts are currently 
focused on directed energy research, development, test and evaluation; 
counter-small UAS; and investments in cruise missile defense. In the 
coming years, we will steadily increase investment of critical 
infrastructure defense measures to meet the challenges of the future 
fight, ACE, and logistics under attack.
    As China and Russia develop weapons that challenge our superiority 
in the air, they are also making strides that hold our bases at risk. 
While the Air Force will mitigate some risk through persistent 
logistics, the security of our air bases is essential to conducting 
combat operations. Like other aspects of combat operations, base 
defense is inherently joint. And just as the joint force is dependent 
on the Air Force to execute our core missions, the Air Force must 
leverage our sister Services for base defense.
    If future expeditionary and permanent air bases are not protected 
from attack, the Air Force will be challenged to conduct combat 
operations. Without the Air Force's air superiority, the joint force is 
at risk of attack from the air for the first time since the Korean War. 
The Air Force acknowledges that this is a joint problem that requires a 
joint solution, which is why we have allocated experimental funding to 
explore and develop directed energy and kinetic and non-kinetic base 
defense options. Looking forward, the Air Force will prioritize 
resources that will allow it to continue prototyping the ability to 
detect, track, identify, and mitigate small unmanned aircraft system 
threats. Proper base defense encompasses significant decisions with 
far-reaching impacts--we must get this right.
Infrastructure
    We project power, generate readiness, test new platforms, train to 
support joint operations, and provide safe and healthy communities for 
our families at our bases. As the joint force becomes increasingly 
dependent on an integrated battle network, installations also serve as 
key nodes in enabling mission success around the world. The readiness 
and resiliency of installations is a matter of strategic importance to 
ensure the Air Force can always provide combat capability. Changing 
climate and severe weather events are a continual threat to our 
installations, and we have seen first-hand the impacts climate and 
severe weather have on our installations.
    The Air Force views installation resilience as the capability of a 
base to project combat power by protecting against, responding to, and 
recovering from deliberate, accidental, or naturally occurring events 
that impede operations. We are taking a deliberate, holistic approach 
to installation resilience through Department of the Air Force's 
Installation Energy Strategic Plan. This includes improving the 
resiliency of our energy, cyber, infrastructure, and response options.
                      america's air force for 2030
    This year we celebrate America's 245th birthday and next year the 
Air Force celebrates its 75th anniversary. Throughout our history, the 
Nation prospered because of our willingness to adapt and evolve, to 
adjust course when the situation dictates. Democracy is not a 
birthright, and neither is airdominance. And although airpower is our 
great comparative advantage, tomorrow's competitive environment 
requires that we accelerate change or lose.
    Tomorrow's battlespace will be shaped by human talent, climate 
change, constricting budgetary resources, and challenges posed by great 
powers. The Air Force and its core missions stand ready to exploit the 
air domain, provide nuclear deterrence, and underwrite the national 
security America expects and requires. By working with Congress, we 
will protect the Homeland and defend democratic ideals. Moving forward, 
the Air Force will prioritize its resources so it is able to adapt our 
equipment, support our Airmen, and bolster our core missions. We must 
continue to adjust course and overcome situational challenges so 
America maintains its airpower advantage.
    America cannot wait to modernize the Air Force any longer, not one 
year, one month, or one week. To deter and defeat today's competitors 
and tomorrow's adversaries, we must re-capitalize our Air Force and we 
must do it now... the call to accelerate change or lose is not 
hyperbole--it is a requirement.

                       UNITED STATES SPACE FORCE

                     securing an enduring advantage
    The United States is a space-faring nation. We have long understood 
that our nation is strongest economically, militarily, and 
diplomatically when we have access to, and freedom to operate in, 
space. Unfortunately, potential adversaries have taken note of the 
United States' reliance on space, and this vital national interest can 
no longer be taken for granted; it must be secured. The rapid 
advancements of potential adversaries to threaten U.S. freedom of 
operation in space must be countered with immediate improvements to our 
space defense architecture and capabilities.
    Competitors like China and Russia are challenging America's 
advantage in space by aggressively developing weapons to deny or 
destroy U.S. space capabilities in conflict. Both China and Russia have 
mobile ground-based laser and electronic warfare systems capable of 
jamming and blinding our satellite systems. . China has invested in 
satellite grappling technologies, like the Shijian-17 satellite's 
robotic arm, which could be used in future conflicts. Russia has tested 
an on-orbit system that has released a projectile designed to destroy 
U.S. satellites in low-Earth orbit.
    The United States would prefer that conflict not begin in or extend 
to space. Our goal is to deter conflict in space from happening and 
from spilling over into other domains, and the best way to do so is 
from a position of strength. We are prepared to protect U.S. interests 
today and we are moving fast to ensure we can deter in the future, but 
our ability to deter conflict hinges on demonstrating both capability 
and resolve. Over-classification of existing systems threatens this 
ability, and we are developing a reveal and conceal strategy to ensure 
we can compete, deter, and win in this contested domain.
    The Space Force was established to protect U.S. investments and 
freedom of operation in space, provide space capabilities to the 
Nation, the joint force, sister Services, the intelligence community, 
and our allies and partners. The Space Force is designed to be lean, 
agile, and innovative in order to move at speed and compete in the vast 
domain of space. Our small size also makes us the ideal pathfinder to 
validate new structures and approaches that can provide benefit across 
the joint force. While our budget is roughly two percent of the 
Department of Defense's request, the capabilities we deliver underwrite 
the force design of the entire joint force. Space capabilities have 
become a cornerstone of deterrence, not just in space, but in every 
domain. Without space, our forces abroad, security at home,and allies 
everywhere are at much greater risk. If we lose in space, America 
loses.
    We spent the first year inventing the Space Force, with an 
organizational design that reflects the character of our operating 
environment and the nature of conflict that is likely to manifest. A 
headquarters and Field Command structure aligns complementary functions 
and streamlines command authority in the deliberate pursuit of speed 
and agility. Our first field command, Space Operations Command, stood 
up in October 2020 as the primary space forces provider to the 
combatant commands.We will establish the remaining two field commands 
before the end of 2021: Space Systems Command will develop, acquire, 
and field operationally relevant and resilient space capabilities in 
resilient and defendable architectures, and Space Training and 
Readiness Command will develop tactics, a testing enterprise, doctrine, 
advanced warfare training, and a dedicated cadre of warfighting 
professionals. We have already transferred space missions, billets, and 
monetary resources from 23 Air Force units to the Space Force, and we 
are preparing to merge operations, acquisition, and sustainment for 
some space systems currently distributed across the Army, Navy, and the 
Office of the Secretary of Defense,including the Space Development 
Agency beginning next year.
    In our second year, we are aggressively integrating the Service 
into the fabric of national and international security by collaborating 
across the Department of Defense, interagency, commercial industry, and 
our allies and partners. As the Space Force creates independent 
military options for decision makers, we are preparing a force 
presentation model to optimize integration and delivery of space 
capability to the joint force. We are working to streamline acquisition 
processes to increase decision speed and expedite capability 
development, creating an integrated test enterprise, and doing the 
analytical and developmental work to create the most effective and 
efficient force design for the domain to bring unity of effort across 
the department. Lastly, we have initiated planning for a National Space 
Intelligence Center to provide scientific and technical intelligence as 
well as foundational space intelligence to the Service and the 
intelligence community. These initiatives make us more resilient and 
competitive, and they will put us in a better position to sustain 
continuing advantage.
                  developing and caring for guardians
    The character of operations and aspects of potential conflict in 
space are fundamentally different from the military art of terrestrial 
domains. Vast distances and speeds, potential for first-mover 
advantage, and unique operating environment demand experts that are 
familiar with these physical characteristics.As in all other domains, 
Guardians must stay ahead of adversaries to give joint commanders and 
national civilian leadership new space-based security options. This 
requires a dramatic change in how we attract, recruit, develop, train, 
and retain talent.
    We are committed to ensuring that the Guardians reflect the diverse 
character of the United States--it is a national security imperative. 
Diversity gives us the perspective and skills to meet the challenges of 
our security environment and ensures we can bring our nation's best 
talent to bear on the hardest problems. In order to meet these goals, 
we must work hard to address tough issues like sexual assault, 
extremism, and discrimination within the force; solving these problems 
is essential to building a Service that ensures talented people of all 
genders, orientations, races, ethnicities, and beliefs are included and 
empowered to reach their full potential.
Guardian Strategy
    To win the battle for talent, we have created a Human Capital 
Office to develop a new strategy for unified talent management for all 
Guardians, in pursuit of an inclusive and team-centric culture. Our 
small size creates the opportunity and the mandate for a tailored 
approach to caring for and developing our Guardians from accessions to 
retirement and beyond.
    This ``Guardian Strategy'' will lead digital enablement by creating 
a digital cadre, an optimized data infrastructure, increased process 
automation, and new digital platforms. Using interviews and other 
assessment tools as well as focusing our Reserve Officer Training Corps 
presence at select universities will support both diversity efforts and 
needs for space related research and technical grounding. We look to 
develop and employ talent by taking a competency-based development 
approach, mandating more robust feedback systems, and creating 
potential-based promotion assessments with sequenced talent management 
boards. In our first year, professional development opportunities and 
promotion rates have increased significantly; we must reinforce 
systemic change to make this an enduring effect.
    The Space Force is developing its own officer and enlisted 
professional military education (PME) programs to fit within the 
broader concepts of the Guardian Strategy to ensure that all members 
are career-long learners, and that learning directly relates to the 
success of their current and future duties. Space Force PME will focus 
on the development of space-minded warfighters who are credible and 
effective in multi-domain warfare and the joint environment. We have 
already expanded space curricula at Airman Leadership School; stood up 
a Space Force Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership Academy; expanded the 
Schriever Space Scholars Program at Air University; and created the 
West Fellowship for Senior Developmental Education. Finally, we are 
taking a proactive approach featuring teams at the unit level to 
strengthen social, physical, and mental attributes to energize personal 
and organizational resiliency. As the Space Force takes care of 
Guardians and their families, it must prepare them to defend our 
Nation.
    Space Force talent must be deliberately managed by well-positioned 
human resources mission partners in the field commands and headquarters 
office to support both military and civilian Guardians.
Training and Doctrine
    We have completely redesigned our space training and doctrine 
across all space operations competencies, beginning with publication 
last year of a foundational doctrine document. Our training has 
elevated from basic operation of space systems to threat- and target-
based advanced space warfare training. Guardian training and doctrine 
focuses on seven core competency areas, through advanced training and 
education: orbital warfare, space electromagnetic warfare, space battle 
management, space access and sustainment, military intelligence, cyber 
operations, and engineering and acquisition. Our shift in training and 
doctrine must be complementary to our capabilities and reflect the 
reality of our current and future missions.
    Additionally, Space Training and Readiness Command is bringing 
together training and doctrine to support our tactics, strategies, and 
theories of victory.
                         value of partnerships
    An independent Service focused on space has already provided 
greatly expanded opportunities for partnerships with civil and 
commercial space organizations within the United States and with allies 
and partners around the world. Working through the Department of 
Defense, close cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration and the Department of State has ensured a unified U.S. 
voice in discussions about responsible behavior in space with foreign 
governments. Similarly, through the Department of Defense, we continue 
to work hand in hand with the Department of Commerce on shared 
interests including space traffic management, positioning, navigation, 
and timing programs, applications, and efforts to maintain the space 
industrial base. We are working to expand cooperation with commercial 
partners using both traditional and innovative development pathways; 
seeking means for tighter fusion to take advantage of the enthusiasm 
and energy in the commercial space sector.
    Internationally, our partnerships have historically been built 
around one-way data sharing agreements with a small number of 
countries. As the proliferation and importance of space capabilities 
increases around the world, we are fostering greater cooperation with 
international partners across the board. For example, a hosted payload 
agreement with the government of Norway will save us more than $900 
million and helped us get capability on orbit two years faster. We are 
also working with NATO to further integrate space capabilities and 
knowledge in that alliance, including the stand-up of the first NATO 
Space Operations Center within NATO Air Command. Cooperation with 
allies and partners, on both capability development and operations, 
continues to provide opportunities to decrease cost and increase speed 
and innovation.
                       creating a digital service
    Founded in the Information Age, the Space Force was ``born 
digital.'' We are harnessing modern era advancements and tools to 
accelerate innovation and ensure our military advantages in, to, and 
from space. Under the leadership of the newly established Technology 
and Innovation Office, the Space Force focuses on partnering with U.S. 
government, science and technology industries, and academia to build a 
digital Service to support Space Force missions and business 
operations.
Digital Headquarters
    Leaders at every echelon of the force require access to data and 
analytics in order to make informed decisions with speed and precision. 
A new data analytic environment and automation tools will streamline 
headquarter processes, enable seamless data sharing, increase decision 
space, and accelerate warfighting outcomes. Digital transformation is 
occurring in operational readiness, talent management (recruiting and 
onboarding), programming and budgeting, and capability development. 
Incapability development, digital models will enhance analyses of 
alternatives, iterate requirements decomposition, improve cost 
estimation fidelity, and ultimately accelerate the planning, 
coordination, and development of optimum solutions to meet critical 
warfighter needs.
Digital Operations
    Commanders and unit-level Guardians are empowered to innovate 
inside their mission operations, explore novel concepts for space 
domain awareness, Joint All-Domain Command and Control, collaborate 
with small business innovators, and align innovation efforts for 
transition into operations. This effort includes partnerships with the 
Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, industry, and academia to advance 
use of artificial intelligence applications and research.
Digital Workforce
    Continuous transformation requires digitally-fluent military and 
civilian Guardians. Therefore, we are funding software-coding training 
for military and civilian personnel and leveraging Department-wide 
digital training efforts to improve digital literacy using industry-
leading commercial courseware. To achieve the goal of a digital 
workforce we must cultivate our collective digital acumen, develop an 
expert cadre of ``Supra Coders,'' and equip and empower them to apply 
agile software practices, use artificial intelligence, and data 
science. Finally, we must place them strategically across the force to 
unleash their talent and energy toward inventive, innovative solutions 
in operations and acquisition.
          accelerating capability design, decision, & delivery
    The Space Force must modernize its architecture to survive and 
execute space power missions in a contested domain and do so at speed. 
To this end, the Space Force is engaged in an end-to-end transformation 
of organizations and processes to accelerate delivery of operationally-
relevant capabilities. Consistent with our effort to become a ``Digital 
Service,'' we will exploit our digital engineering systems as a 
backbone to connect multiple processes and accelerate capability 
development activities from analysis to integration, decision, and 
acquisition.
Integrated Analysis for Optimal Design
    The Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC), currently aligned 
under the Space Operations Command, is leading analysis, modeling, 
wargaming, and experimentation to generate new operational concepts and 
force design options for the Department of Defense. The SWAC integrates 
domain expertise with unique analytic tools, datasets, and intelligence 
to develop operational architecture options to fulfill space missions. 
By driving unity of effort, we reduce cost, duplication of effort, and 
increase our speed of decision and action.
Digital Engineering to Better Inform Requirements
    Rather than static reports, the SWAC's design options are digital 
models, which enable testing of proposed capabilities through 
simulation in an environment that accurately reflects fast evolving 
threats and the space domain. The Space Force Strategy and Resources 
Office (SRO) integrates SWAC's design options with the appropriate 
processes to develop Service capability and programmatic options for 
presentation to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council and Deputy's 
Management Action Group. The SRO also ensures digital models generate 
required data artifacts to inform oversight; Planning, Programming, 
Budgeting, and Execution; and acquisition actions.
Streamlined Governance for Timely Decisions
    In order to support the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for 
Space Acquisition and Integration, who will eventually have Service 
Acquisition Executive (SAE) authority and chair the Space Force 
Acquisition Council (SAC), the Space Force has established a supporting 
Program Integration Council (PIC). As a collaborative interagency 
leadership council, the PIC facilitates cooperation and deconfliction 
between National Security Space Enterprise stakeholders and ensures 
planning, alignment, execution, delivery, and optimization of 
capabilities across all space mission areas. Streamlined coordination 
across the enterprise via the PIC and SAC improves collaboration and 
better enables timely decisions by the SAE. The Assistance Secretary of 
the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration is an essential 
element of this approach and we look forward to implementing this 
congressionally-directed change as quickly as permitted by law.
Consolidated Space Acquisition Enterprise for Agility
    Finally, in the summer of 2021 the Space Force will stand up the 
Space Systems Command (SSC) to provide for cooperation across space 
acquisition within the Department of the Air Force. Initially comprised 
of the former Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) and the Service's 
launch enterprise, SSC will also have a limited administrative support 
relationship with the Space Rapid Capabilities Office(SpRCO) and--as of 
the beginning of FY23, per statute--the Space Development Agency (SDA). 
By aligning three organizations with a pedigree in traditional 
acquisition, disruptive acquisition, and commercial acquisition, the 
Department of the Air Force can access best-of-breed solutions. Because 
SSC acquirers will receive digital models with traceable requirements, 
Program Managers and Program Executive Officers will be equipped to 
make faster, more agile decisions and trades. In addition, the space 
acquisition enterprise will continue to improve both commercial and 
allied integration.
                  missile warning and missile tracking
    Strategic and theater missile warning and missile tracking 
capabilities provide indications and warning to protect the homeland, 
joint forces and allies abroad. The evolution of threats to on-orbit 
systems force us to re-think both how we protect and defend our 
strategic assets, and how future strategic capabilities should be 
designed to mitigate threats. The Space Force is partnering with 
combatant commands, the Missile Defense Agency, National Reconnaissance 
Office, and the Space Development Agency to design and build a 
resilient missile warning architecture for the collective defense of 
our nation, joint force, and allies.
Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR)
    We are designing and developing the future architecture for missile 
warning and missile tracking. Next-Generation Overhead Persistent 
Infrared (OPIR) will succeed the current Space Based Infrared System 
(SBIRS) and will provide increased missile warning, missile defense, 
battlespace awareness, and technical intelligence capabilities with 
resiliency and defensive features to counter emerging threats.
    The ground system for Next-Gen OPIR, also known as Future 
Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE), migrates satellite 
command and control to the Space Force's Enterprise Ground Services, 
modernizes Mission Data Processing to implement an open framework, and 
upgrades Relay Ground Stations to meet United States Space Command's 
operational requirements. We are using Middle Tier Acquisition 
authorities to rapidly prototype solutions. This pathfinder approach 
delivers the first resilient geosynchronous satellite and associated 
ground system in FY25 and the first polar satellite in FY28.
                  positioning, navigation, and timing
    The Global Positioning System (GPS) remains the ``gold standard'' 
for positioning, navigation, and timing for the United States and the 
world. GPS underpins the global economy and our way of war. Adversaries 
have long recognized our dependence on GPS and have proliferated 
technologies to degrade, deny, and spoof GPS signals for civil and 
military users. We are pursuing modernization efforts across the entire 
GPS architecture to include upgrades in space, ground, and user 
segments. The Space Force's future GPS architecture provides more 
robust positioning, navigation, and timing to the joint force, ensuring 
at least one technical generation advantage over any adversary.
GPS Space Segment
    The Space Force is pursuing significant satellite enhancements to 
our GPS constellation, including higher-power military signals, new 
civilian signals, upgraded nuclear detection system payloads, and 
hosted search-and-rescue payloads. GPS Block III features improved 
signal strength and accuracy, increased anti-jam power, and a longer 
expected design life. The next block of GPS, GPS Block IIIF--available 
for launch in FY26--will deliver regional military-code protection, a 
higher power signal in a given geographic area of operation to boost 
anti-jam capabilities for contested environments.
GPS Operational Control Segment Next (OCX)
    Operational Control Segment Next (OCX) will develop and field a 
modernized ground system required for the command and control of GPS 
satellites. The OCX program is on track to meet current Acquisition 
Program Baseline cost and schedule milestones. OCX provides expandable, 
robust information assurance architecture to significantly improve 
cyber resiliency, enabling the latest military and civilian GPS 
signals, improving cyber protection, and allowing the system to evolve 
to combat emerging threats.We have completed product test, are 
currently progressing through segment integration, and will transition 
to operations in FY22.
Military Global Positioning System User Equipment (MGUE)
    Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) will modernize user equipment to 
enable precision fires, safe navigation, and time coordination across 
multiple platforms in GPS-degraded environments. Military-code receiver 
cards embedded in weapon systems enable cyber-secure, anti-jam, and 
anti-spoof precision, navigation, and timing for the joint force and 
our partners. MGUE Increment one (1) completed developmental testing of 
the Army and Marine Corps lead platforms in FY20. MGUE efforts support 
finalization of card design, testing, and integration with Navy and Air 
Force lead platforms. MGUE Increment two (2) leverages the MGUE 
Increment one (1) technology to the maximum extent while addressing the 
production of M-Code integrated circuits far into the future.
                        command and control (c2)
    Our top priority is to develop a Joint All-Domain Command and 
Control System to ensure United States Space Command and their joint 
and coalition warfighting partners have the capability they require to 
command and control in a contested domain. We have made considerable 
gains this year, fully integrated in, and helping lead, the Advanced 
Battle Management System (ABMS) effort. In recognition that legacy 
space command and control capabilities are insufficient for us to 
prevail in future conflict, we have prioritized the delivery of space 
command and control capabilities using a development, security, and 
operations (DevSecOps) approach to acquisitions. Leveraging the agile 
approaches of commercial software developers, we are rapidly developing 
cyber-resilient capabilities that enhance U.S., allied, and partner 
nation operational-level space warfighting capabilities against the 
adversary.
    The initiatives below build and sustain the infrastructure required 
to connect sensors to shooters using machine-to-machine planning and 
tasking of warfighting capabilities.
Unified Data Library (UDL)
    The Space Force built and delivered the Unified Data Library (UDL), 
a cloud-based, cyber-accredited, multi-classification data store that 
facilitates universal data access and serves as the foundational 
element of the ABMS data architecture in partnership with the Air 
Force. UDL provides all-domain secure Space Domain Awareness (SDA) data 
sharing from all Services and sensors to support space-focused Battle 
Management and Command and Control; it is also extensible to fit the 
needs of Joint All-Domain Command and Control. This effort adds long-
term access to a wide variety of space domain awareness data sources 
including commercial, allies, and academia. The UDL creates unified, 
agile procurement of commercial products to bolster Combined Space 
Operations Center and National Space Defense Center operations. 
Additionally, it protects satellite tracking data by seamlessly 
integrating defensive cyber operations.
Space C2 Open Architecture Operational Prototype (SCOOP)
    The Space Force has also delivered the Space C2 Open Architecture 
Operational Prototype (SCOOP) program, a modern cloud architecture that 
is connected to 40 sites nationwide. Leveraging the Department of the 
Air Force's prior work on open architecture standards, SCOOP delivers a 
command and control capability for our most pressing needs, with the 
ability to connect into other domains, and serves as the foundation of 
our next generation C2 capability.
Space Domain Awareness (SDA)
    Space Domain Awareness (SDA) is the cornerstone of our ability to 
command and control warfighting capabilities. The Space Force budget 
invests in new terrestrial radars, optical sensors, and space-based 
capabilities and commercial partnerships to increase the quantity and 
quality of space observations. A robust SDA architecture improves our 
indications and warnings, ensures freedom of action in space, and 
enables joint and coalition options to defend critical space 
capabilities. Additionally, investments in secure connectivity and data 
sharing tools improve our collective understanding of our adversaries' 
capabilities and intent.
Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications
    As part of Department of Defense's efforts to modernize the nuclear 
triad, the Space Force will provide and modernize the space and mission 
control segments for worldwide, secure, jam-resistant, and survivable 
communications. We are pursuing digital development efforts for the 
future disaggregated strategic and tactical satellite communications 
systems to meet emerging threats in the 2030-timeframe. Evolved 
Strategic SATCOM will continue the strategic mission of the Advanced 
Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite program with improved on-
board resilience features, upgraded satellite capabilities, and 
cybersecurity features. We are leveraging rapid prototyping 
demonstrations to speed the delivery of the space segment to meet the 
warfighter need date in 2032.
Space System Prototype Transition (SSPT)
    Space System Prototype Transition (SSPT) is a portfolio of programs 
that rapidly advance next-generation space capabilities to the 
warfighter at the speed of relevance. The portfolio leverages the 
commercial industrial base and demonstrates common defense through 
partnerships to enhance resiliency. One example is the development and 
integration of space domain awareness payloads on two Japanese Quasi-
Zenith Satellite System spacecraft. The hosted payloads will increase 
sensor diversity and enable space surveillance and event detection over 
USINDOPACOM in the geosynchronous orbit regime.
Transition to Enterprise Ground System (EGS)
    Enterprise Ground System (EGS) will enable the transition from a 
family of legacy stovepiped satellite C2 systems to an improved, open, 
resilient, and common platform. The effort funds modernized system 
interfaces, virtualization, and the translation of mission applications 
to ensure rapid response to emerging threats and integration of new 
capabilities. We continue to develop a Minimum Viable Product for 
foundational services and infrastructure to provide an initial 
Enterprise Capability. EGS will integrate multiple new mission partners 
within the Space Warfighting Construct & Missile Warning mission 
threads, scale multiple services for existing mission partners, and 
integrate them at one or more of three EGS locations. Continued 
investment provides foundational services and infrastructure to deliver 
enterprise-wide command and control services to all Space Force 
satellite programs. We are on track to deliver a fully integrated 
system by 2028.
                        assured access to space
    National Security Space Launch (NSSL) provides assured access to 
space for the nation's most critical warfighting and intelligence 
capabilities. To meet the full set of National Security Space 
requirements, we must continue to competitively invest in domestic 
launch providers' development of new launch systems. The Space Force, 
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration have a coordinated strategy to certify new 
entrants to launch payloads, and continue to work with different launch 
providers to reliably meet our national requirements. The Space Force 
recently completed a five-year strategy to bolster a commercially 
competitive market and transition to domestic launch systems by 
awarding the NSSL Phase Two procurement contract.
    Leveraging this strategy, we are pursuing five National Security 
Space Launches to deliver warfighting capabilities on time. Following 
the outcomes of our Phase Two launch procurement strategy, we will 
continue to engage with industry partners regarding emerging launch 
requirements and technologies to invest in continued assured access to 
space.
National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Enabling Investments
    We are investing in multiple public-private partnerships to develop 
enabling technologies for future space access, mobility, and logistics. 
Targeted investments in orbital transfer, on-orbit servicing, digital 
engineering, and novel on-orbit propulsion technologies will increase 
U.S. access and freedom to operate in space. We will continue to invest 
in providers of domestic launch services enabling our transition from 
non-allied space launch engines to domestic rocket propulsion systems. 
We will also continue technical maturation, risk reduction, and public-
private partnership investment to expand domestic and cost-effective 
solutions for assured access to space. Additionally, the Space Force's 
research and development standards must reflect both the mission areas 
and the threat environment. The Space Force is building a more 
defensible and resilient space defense architecture by disaggregating 
on-orbit capabilities. We are building agile and threat responsive 
systems to complicate targeting.
    Additionally, we are building redundancy and resiliency 
countermeasures into the spacecraft and payload designs of our systems.
                              way forward
    Congress established the Space Force to ensure freedom of action 
for the United States in, from, and to space. This Department of the 
Air Force Posture Statement builds on FY21 efforts in strengthening our 
ability to deliver flexible capabilities and strategic options at 
operationally relevant speeds to outpace emerging and dynamic threats. 
The Service's streamlined and integrated organizational design also 
creates new military options with the joint force, inter-agencies, 
industry, and our partners and allies. We are eager to work with 
Congress to build a common understanding of both the strategy and the 
investments needed to secure our Nation's vital interests.

    Senator Tester. Thank you, General Raymond.
    We will start with questions. Senator Leahy.
    Senator Leahy. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    And I might note as a personal matter, I enjoyed talking 
with General Jones before we started about his time at Aviano 
Air Base, which is about 2 or 3 miles from where both my 
maternal grandparents were born, and Senator Shelby has been 
there, been there with me.
    Secretary Roth, I have followed the Air Force's investment 
in electrical vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, or eVTOLs, 
I believe you call them. I even provided a recorded message for 
the AFWERX's virtual Agility Prime event last year.
    When I am home in Vermont, actually I land at the 
Burlington airport. And I can walk from where I got off the 
plane to Beta Technologies, and I see one of these eVTOLs built 
by that company running test flights in our skies, and it is 
pretty impressive.
    The budget request includes $57 million for Agility Prime, 
makes it the centerpiece of a new AFWERX initiative called 
AFWERX Prime, as you know. And what have you learned from 
Agility Prime that sets a model for this new approach to use 
Federal dollars to complement private investment?
    Secretary Roth. Well, exactly as you outlined, Senator 
Leahy. I think the key for Agility Prime, and in particular the 
entire AFWERX initiative and efforts and all, is for us to 
leverage in a much greater way commercial capability. In fact, 
one of the names for the head of AFWERX is our ``chief 
commercialization officer.'' And so that is the key here is 
this is our way of seeking out partnerships with nontraditional 
defense or nondefense contractors and innovative kinds of 
organizations as well.
    Over the last couple of years, we have awarded over 1,500 
contracts through the AFWERX initiative for about $700 million, 
and 75 percent of those 1,500 contracts were new--new to the 
Defense Department. That is exactly the kind of thing that we 
want to leverage going forward.
    Senator Leahy. And I know we put--the last couple of years, 
we put $25 million----
    Secretary Roth. Yes.
    Senator Leahy [continuing]. From this committee for Agility 
Prime, and so you feel that what was accomplished from that 
leads to the doubling of the request for this year?
    Secretary Roth. Yes. It is part of our science and 
technology program. And Agility Prime, you know, it is a neat 
effort, as you say. People nickname it ``the passenger car'' 
and all, and it may have some combat rescue kinds of efforts or 
logistics support and all. But it is just an opportunity to do 
things that we don't normally do, and it has worked to such an 
extent we are now going to stand up a SpaceWERX as well, okay, 
to try to do the same sort of things with the space 
capabilities.
    And again, it is our way of trying to plug in--we 
understand the commercial market, and many of these 
technologies is way ahead of us.
    Senator Leahy. So I am not wasting my time going by and 
seeing what they are doing?
    Secretary Roth. No, I hope not. I actually hope not. We are 
very excited by what is going on there, and it is all a matter 
of, you know, we have taken a lot of beatings over the years of 
stovepipe, overly bureaucratized sort of acquisition process. 
This is a way of breaking that paradigm and looking at 
innovative ways of doing things, smarter, quicker, and tapping 
into new technologies.
    Senator Leahy. Thank you.
    And General Brown, the Vermont National Guard's newest 
aircraft, the F-35A, has been operating at full capacity in 
Vermont for a year, over a year now. They have met all their 
training requirements. They participated in responding to the 
pandemic under our governor's command.
    My only concern I had about them is that the smart system 
purchased by the Air Force to manage that fleet's sustainment 
remains behind in its capabilities, and I worry about the 
maintenance and sustainability of the F-35. I know you want to 
take care of our people every way you can. So my final question 
is, are you looking at if this is being done as well as it 
could, the maintenance and all? Whoever wants to answer.
    General Brown. Sure. I appreciate the question.
    And one of the key areas for us, as we work the sustainment 
and to bring the sustainment costs down for the F-35, is not 
only what we do in terms of the Air Force, but it is a close 
cooperation with the joint program office, with our industry 
partners, as we have worked through bringing down sustainment 
costs.
    And the key piece for the Air Force, one of the areas is 
how we work our flying hour program, which that drives the fuel 
cost. It is also how we work our manpower and how we work 
parts. And we are focused on how we work through all three of 
those. And one of the areas that is unique or different from 
what we have normally done is to do more of our work in the 
synthetic environment or in simulators, particularly with a 
very high-end capability in some of the sense of things we want 
to do that can also help to drive down some of the sustainment 
costs.
    Senator Leahy. And I apologize for saying at one point 
``General Jones,'' and of course, I meant General Brown.
    And General Raymond, our talks that we have had before I 
really appreciated, and I hope we can have some more of those 
this year.
    So thank you all very much, and thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Tester. Yes. Senator Shelby.
    Senator Shelby. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    The Department of the Air Force posture statement notes, 
and I quote, that ``competitors like China and Russia are 
challenging America's advantage in space by aggressively 
developing weapons to deny or destroy U.S. space 
capabilities.''
    General Raymond, could you discuss here in open hearing 
what you can what the Space Force is doing to ensure that U.S. 
military and commercial space assets are protected from these 
threats, as much as you can?
    General Raymond. Absolutely. Thanks for the question.
    And that threat, as I mentioned in my opening statement, is 
very robust today, and it is growing, and it is very 
concerning.
    Senator Shelby. That threat is real, though, isn't it?
    General Raymond. It is real today. It is not something that 
we are thinking about that is going to materialize. It is real 
today and something that we have to address.
    We are addressing it in multiple ways. One, we are 
developing and training our folks to operate in a contested 
domain. We are developing tactics, techniques, and procedures 
to be able to operate through that congestion. We are designing 
new architectures. So rather than having a satellite 
constellation that has a handful of very exquisite, very 
expensive, very slow satellites that are not very defendable, 
and shifting to a more defendable architecture.
    We are also developing international partnerships to the 
level that we have never had before in the national security 
space side, and what used to be one-way partnerships now are 
really two-way partnerships that are delivering advantages. We 
operate together. We train together. We exercise together. We 
wargame together.
    And for the first time, we are actually developing 
capabilities together, and now we are getting capabilities onto 
orbit faster at a reduced cost. And so there is not just one 
thing that we are doing. There is everything that we are doing 
as we establish this Space Force is focused on being able to 
stay ahead of that threat.
    Senator Shelby. We recently--this subcommittee under the 
Chairman's leadership, we recently had a classified hearing 
regarding a lot of the future issues that we could talk about 
there. But the Air Force fiscal 2022 budget request includes 
increased development funding for the nuclear enterprise, 
hypersonic weapons, advanced fighters, and so forth.
    What could you discuss here in open session whether there 
is such a need to focus on other technology areas?
    General Raymond. Inside the space domain, there absolutely 
is, sir. And there are four things that we are doing.
    First of all, we have to protect those capabilities that we 
have on orbit today. And so if you look at the budget request 
that we submitted, about 50 percent of that budget growth is 
for missions transferring over from other services. The other 
growth is on largely classified areas that we can go to in 
greater detail.
    But it is protecting what we have. It is developing a new 
architecture to shift to a more defendable capability. Three, 
it is developing an offense because we are an armed service. 
And four, it is looking at what other missions should transfer 
to space because we can do it there more cheaply or more 
effectively.
    And so it is balancing those four priorities, and I will be 
happy to go into significant detail in a closed hearing on 
capabilities.
    Senator Shelby. In a closed hearing. Isn't this a race, 
technological race that we cannot afford to lose?
    General Raymond. Sir, I could not agree more. As I 
mentioned in my opening comments, we spend--and every taxpayer 
dollar is precious. We spend 2.5 percent of our budget on 
space. Space is a huge force multiplier.
    All the other services--the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, 
Marines--and all of our joint war plans, all assume that we are 
going to have access to space and that we have freedom to 
maneuver. If you lose that, we have a strong risk of losing, 
and we cannot afford to lose space.
    Senator Shelby. General, could you--General Brown, I will 
direct this to you, sir. Can you comment on China's efforts, 
just what you can in open session, to increase capabilities, 
including their investments in advanced aircraft and hypersonic 
weapons? You know, that is a given. We understand that, and 
they are pretty far advanced. They have the technological base, 
do they not?
    General Brown. Thank you, Senator.
    One of the things I would highlight is not only in my time 
here as the Chief of Staff, but the past year as the PACAF 
(Pacific Air Forces) commander was to watch how the People's 
Republic of China and their armed forces were increasing their 
capability in their testing of hypersonic weapons, their 
increased operational aspect of their aircraft, the increased 
range of their missiles. And we have got to continue----
    Senator Shelby. That is offense and defense, isn't it? 
Both.
    General Brown. Both offense and defense, yes, Senator. And 
so it is concerning to me that we have an advantage today, but 
I think we have still got to continue to move forward so we do 
not lose that advantage as an Air Force.
    Senator Shelby. Mr. Secretary, I leave one for you. The 
quest and the challenges that we all face in quantum computing, 
but that is something that could change just about everything, 
is it not?
    Secretary Roth. Well, it certainly can. And with that, 
things like artificial intelligence. So, I mean, there is a 
series of technological priorities that we have. One is 
microelectronics. We need to invest in microelectronics.
    Hypersonics, the general mentioned hypersonics. We need to 
invest in hypersonics.
    And artificial----
    Senator Shelby. Are they interrelated somewhere at times?
    Secretary Roth. They are all interconnected in some manner, 
shape, or form. Absolutely, Senator. You are spot on.
    Senator Shelby. But it is the next generation, isn't it?
    Secretary Roth. Well, that is the point. We are looking to 
the future. We are looking to 2025, 2030, and beyond. And our 
sense is we need, given the major power competition that we are 
facing here in the future, that we need to target our 
investments toward the future.
    Senator Shelby. In the area of cybersecurity, we have 
recently witnessed in this country a little of it, but a lot of 
it in the East Coast that shut down the pipeline, Colonial 
pipeline temporarily. We have the capability to do a lot of 
things, too. But a lot of these countries don't really own up 
to what they are doing or they let other people do under their 
umbrella, so to speak.
    How do we get our hands on defending cybersecurity there, 
and is it more of a challenge than people think?
    Secretary Roth. I will start, and the two generals can come 
bail me out at some point here.
    Senator Shelby. Okay. It goes through Defense and 
everything, but also the private sector.
    Secretary Roth. Yes. No, we need to partner with the 
private sector. We--of course, we help work with CYBERCOM in 
terms of their capabilities. Some of our airmen and guardians 
are on their team, on their cybersecurity teams and these kinds 
of things. So we work very closely with them.
    We are also very concerned about protecting our networks, 
and I will say, for example, that a lot of what we are going to 
do in the future is this Joint All-Domain Command and Control. 
Our piece of this is the Advanced Battle Management System. 
Data security, cybersecurity, in order to get that data from 
point A to point B, becomes absolutely fundamental for us to 
operate in the future.
    Senator Shelby. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Tester. Yes, thanks, Senator Shelby.
    I am going to get a little more parochial. So this is for 
you, General Brown. I would like to get an update from you on 
the MH-139 helicopter. This helicopter is vital to our ICBM 
(intercontinental ballistic missile) bases, but there are no 
funds in this budget to buy more in 2022.
    So a couple questions. Number one, if there are any 
problems with the MH-139, what are they? When will they be 
fixed? And in Montana, for example, these helicopters were 
supposed to be here in the fall of 2021. They are projected to 
be there in the fall of 2023, but this budget looks to me like 
they are not even going to be there in the fall of 2023.
    Could you just let me know what is going on?
    General Brown. Sure, Senator. One of the challenges we have 
run into, this is the MH-139 is built on a commercial platform 
where they added military equipment to it. And then in the 
process of testing, we ran into a couple of issues on the 
military application that was added to the commercial 
helicopter.
    We are resolving that piece. At the same time, we are 
continuing testing with the rest of the MH-139, and the intent 
here really to get to about the second quarter of fiscal year 
2023 is when we expect to have the delivery of the MH-139, 
which is part of the reason why we did not go and procure 
during this particular budget cycle as we complete the testing.
    Senator Tester. So give me that again. Can Malmstrom expect 
those helicopters in the fall of 2023?
    General Brown. Second quarter 2023 is when we expect to--
fiscal year 2023, so it would be the fall or even a little bit 
before that.
    Senator Tester. Okay. And what impact not having any money 
for those helicopters in this budget mean?
    General Brown. It doesn't--we are continuing the testing. 
It is just we are not going to procure any during this 
particular budget cycle.
    Senator Tester. Okay, okay. But these are already procured, 
right?
    Secretary Roth. Senator that delay actually is just a 
matter of months. The contract award in fiscal year 2022 was 
scheduled for the fourth quarter.
    Senator Tester. Okay.
    Secretary Roth. And because of the slippage in the FAA 
(Federal Aviation Administration) certification, it is now 
slipping into fiscal year 2022--or 2023, excuse me. So the 2022 
money was actually unexecutable. So we simply made a bit of a 
budget shift, and the delay there is months, not years.
    Senator Tester. Gotcha. Thank you.
    So, General Brown, I want to talk about 130s for a second. 
I talked in my opening statement about the fact that legacy, if 
you walk up to me and say we don't need this equipment anymore, 
I value that perspective. And quite frankly, I am going to do 
my best to make sure that we meet the needs of the Air Force, 
and if these aren't needed anymore, we should do away with 
them.
    I do have a question about the C-130s, though. And that is 
there are many, many Guard units throughout the United States 
that have them. They seem to be a pretty good aircraft. They 
have certainly stood the test of time, and they still have a 
pretty, I think, important cargo aspect to them from an airlift 
capacity.
    This budget divests of eight of those C-130Hs. So the 
question is, number one--and I hate to ask this question, but I 
have got to ask this question. When you are looking at needs, 
are you looking at domestic needs, too? I would assume the 
answer to that is yes?
    General Brown. We are. We look at both the needs for our 
national security both overseas, but also here inside of the 
United States for home and defense, both of our----
    Senator Tester. Okay. So what information do you have that 
shows that the National Guard has excess tactical airlift 
capacity?
    General Brown. It is part of the analysis we do with 
TRANSCOM (United States Transportation Command) as we look at 
this overall C-130 fleet. And as we look in that end, C-130Js, 
the C-130Js are a bit more capable as far as range and as well 
as capacity----
    Senator Tester. Yes.
    General Brown [continuing]. Than our C-130H models. And we 
are upgrading from our H1 to our H2 and H3, which provides some 
additional capacity from the older C-130s.
    Senator Tester. So can you tell me--I hope you can, 
actually--how many National Guard squadrons are going to lose 
flying missions in this budget?
    General Brown. In this budget, that is kind of a 
complicated question. As we look at not only C-130s, but with 
all the things that we are trying to get done across the Air 
Force, in some cases, it is a one-for-one, where we are going 
from H models to J models for the C-130.
    Senator Tester. Yes.
    General Brown. The same thing on our tankers, KC-46s to 
replace 135s and KC-10s. In some cases, we are going to look to 
move to future missions. And I will have to come back with more 
details on the specifics, if you have a specific location you 
are interested in.
    Senator Tester. So the last one, and then I am going to 
move on to Senator Moran. But is it fair to say that there will 
be some Guard unit squadrons gone after this budget is 
implemented?
    General Brown. I wouldn't--Senator, I wouldn't say gone. 
What I would say is what we are doing with each one of our 
Guard units is not to leave any one of them uncovered.
    Senator Tester. Okay.
    General Brown. And making sure that we have missions, 
whether it is going back into a C-130 or into another airplane, 
but missions that are required for the United States Air Force, 
not only for the Air Force, but for our joint teammates and for 
our Nation.
    Senator Tester. Okay. Senator Moran.
    Senator Moran. Chairman, thank you.
    General Brown, let me continue with you. I am pleased to 
see that the Skyborg program is moving forward. Unmanned 
autonomous wingmen have, I think, a real potential to protect 
our pilots while acting as a force multiplier, and I appreciate 
especially that the Air Force has recognized the expertise of a 
university in my State, Wichita State University, and decided 
that they should be a part of the Skyborg program.
    Would you discuss for me the importance of digital design 
and advanced manufacturing as the Air Force--as new Air Force 
programs such as Skyborg are announced and undergo a less 
traditional acquisition process?
    General Brown. Sure. Senator, I see it as kind of the way 
of doing things in the future when you look at a digital 
acquisition approach or use digital engineering, open mission 
systems, and agile software to develop our capability much 
faster than we have in the past. At the same time, being able 
to do that not just inside of the Department of Defense, but 
how we also work with our industry partners, both our large 
industry partners or even smaller companies that we don't 
normally engage with or have not traditionally engaged with. 
But also as we work with academia, like Wichita State.
    Those opportunities are tremendous because of the brain 
power and innovation we have within our Nation to bring that 
capability together to use it not only for our national defense 
needs, but for other needs in terms of the Nation.
    Senator Moran. I appreciate that answer. Would you describe 
how digital design transforms the way the Air Force designs and 
maintains its aircraft?
    General Brown. One of the pieces about digital design is 
now you can actually share the design of whatever platform or 
whatever aircraft not just with the company that is building 
it, but with all the subcontractors. And so, when they are able 
to share that design, all the pieces and parts come together 
much more quickly.
    And having had a chance to visit some of our industry 
partners that are going down this path, it speeds up the 
process to be able to manufacture capability. It drives down 
the risk in execution in building and gets us on cost and on 
schedule much better than we have been in the past.
    Senator Moran. The overall budget and the end of the year 
strength reductions are troublesome to me, Air Force and 
otherwise. My understanding--and as an example of the concern, 
my understanding is that the Air Force is still working to 
restore manning levels, person levels for fully qualified 
aircraft maintainers since sequestration.
    And so those two things seem to me to be in conflict, and 
this may be for the Secretary. What is the Air Force planning 
to do to protect its aircraft maintainers from overwork and 
ensure that our most skilled maintainers want to stay in the 
Air Force?
    General Brown. I will start. So as we have plussed up our 
manpower since sequestration on the maintenance side, so we are 
fully manned on our maintenance. But we are also building their 
experience, and so that is important from that aspect.
    The other is how do we work smarter, not harder? And being 
able to use the advantages of technology, we just talked about 
digital engineering. That approach helps us to speed up our 
ability to fix and maintain our aircraft, but we are also 
looking at our retention models and how we support the 
retention of that quality airman and quality talent that comes 
into our Air Force, and so we are not having to continue to 
retrain.
    And so we are making progress in these areas. I am pretty 
proud of the fact that we are fully manned. But again, we have 
got to experience that full manning to ensure we can actually 
be ready----
    Senator Moran. General, let me understand your answer. Are 
you suggesting--and this is not I am taking offense at it. But 
the premise of my question is, is no longer accurate, that 
things are okay in this manning situation?
    General Brown. Well, as far as we are close to 100 percent 
manning. It is just the experience levels. We brought a number 
of young airmen in at the same time, so building up their 
experience. So we have the numbers, but the experience level 
needs to increase.
    Senator Moran. Okay. Thank you.
    Thank you.
    Senator Tester. Senator Feinstein.
    Senator Feinstein. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
    General Brown, it was good to speak with you on the 
telephone 2 weeks ago, and I would like to follow up with you 
and the Secretary on an issue I raised during our call. 
California, as you know, is facing a horrible drought, and we 
have had 5 times as much acreage burn this year so far as we 
had last year. Last year, 4 million acres, 10,000 structures, 
including 5,000 homes, burned. So that tells you a little bit 
about the size.
    Yesterday, I received your letter--thank you very much--
updating me on progress in modifying the seven Coast Guard 
aircraft for transfer to the State of California and to CAL 
FIRE in particular for firefighting. This was directed in the 
2019 Defense Authorization Act.
    So here is the question. You state in your letter that the 
last aircraft will be delivered in June of 2023. You also say 
that you will accelerate the timeline if you are able to. So is 
there any news for California? Is there anything that we can do 
to help you accelerate delivery?
    General Brown. Again, I appreciate speaking with you as 
well.
    And a little more detail from our conversation and the 
letter, the summer of 2023, June of 2023 will be the last of 
the seven aircraft. The last of the seven aircraft will be 
delivered in June of 2023. There are already--the steps for the 
aircraft is to go through a depot maintenance and then put the 
retardant delivery system onto the aircraft.
    So there are two aircraft that are already through the 
depot and going through the process of getting the retardant 
delivery system put on in Sacramento. And so the first two will 
be done at the fall of 2022. And then it will be through the 
next 6 to 7 months you will get the rest of the aircraft by 
June of 2023.
    And my commitment is to try as much as we can to work with 
California and the depot there in Sacramento to accelerate as 
much as we can.
    Senator Feinstein. Well, it is very much appreciated. As 
you know, these are big fires, and the amount of acreage burned 
is really huge.
    I hope to get in a second question. The budget put forward 
by the Department of Defense and by the Air Force is driven 
largely by the need to compete with China. Today, the Senate is 
considering a very broad array of measures to get tough on 
China. At the same time, I have a very strong belief that 
dialogue is critical to ensuring transparency and to reducing 
misunderstandings.
    One of the things that I learned is that there has never 
been a military-to-military communication on an ongoing 
effective basis with China. And I have written about this, and 
is there any effort to change this and improve relations with 
some military-to-military contacts, as many nations do? I think 
it would be a big help.
    General Brown. Senator, I would have to defer to our--
within the Department of Defense policy on where they are as 
far as working through this process. But I will tell you that I 
would support the opportunity for myself and I think for the 
other service chiefs to communicate at a senior level to avoid 
miscalculation that may cause greater risk for all of us. And I 
agree with you. Dialogue is important.
    Senator Leahy. I would agree.
    Senator Feinstein. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Tester. Senator Murkowski.
    Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Gentlemen, thank you all for being here. Thank you for your 
leadership.
    General Brown, let me begin with you. You and I have had an 
opportunity previously to discuss the need for additional 
tanker support for missions and training in Alaska. Earlier 
this year, we were made aware of an additional four KC-135s 
that are going to join that fleet at Eielson. Thank you. Thank 
you for that. We appreciate it.
    I am also aware of the Air Force plan to divest the KC-135s 
as the KC-46s are available to replace our aging tanker fleet. 
Can you give me an update on the current timeline for 
divestiture, when we might begin seeing those in Alaska, and 
then, as a follow-on, whether or not those KC-135s will be 
replaced with the KC-46s and whether there is a chance that 
those KC-46s will rotate in and out of Alaska in the interim?
    General Brown. Sure. So as far as the four KC-135s that we 
spoke about that are coming to Alaska with about approximately 
200 airmen and their families, that should occur in fiscal year 
2023.
    Senator Murkowski. Okay.
    General Brown. That will be after we have gone through the 
environmental assessment to bring up that capability.
    What I do see, based on mission requirements and the 
opportunity to train up in the JPARC (Joint Pacific Alaska 
Range Complex) with RED FLAG-Alaska, is the opportunity for KC-
46s to come in either to support actual missions and/or to do 
training. And so I do suspect that you will see KC-46s 
operating up in Alaska. I would also add as we--as the Air 
Force has laid out its Arctic strategy, to operate the KC-46 in 
an Arctic environment will also be important.
    As we go to the future for our tanker fleet, to maintain 
our fleet of 479 tankers, we will get to 179 KC-46s and 300 KC-
135s. So we will maintain KC-135s for a period of time. At some 
point, probably a number of years into the future, we will have 
to take a look at those remaining KC-135s and how we 
recapitalize those going forward.
    Senator Murkowski. But you do see those KC-46s as being 
part of this rotation in Alaska then at some point?
    General Brown. Yes, ma'am. Because just like most of our--
for the Air Force, our capability to operate all around the 
world, as I say, anytime, anywhere, to include Alaska, is an 
opportunity to bring the KC-46s to Alaska and many other places 
around the world.
    Senator Murkowski. Good. Appreciate that.
    We had a hearing a couple weeks ago with General Hokanson. 
This was the National Guard and Reserve hearing. And I had 
asked him if he could take a look into the HH-60 upgrades and 
the additional aircraft that are needed for the three rescue 
squadrons there at JBER.
    What I am told is that these HH-60s that belong to the 
176th have the highest operational tempo in the Air Force, and 
they have the highest utilization rate. We recognize that the 
wing needs additional and upgraded HH-60s. They got a pretty 
stepped-up mission demand, and then this growing focus, as you 
have just mentioned, that the DOD (Department of Defense) has 
placed on the Arctic region just really just builds on that.
    The current plan to bed down additional aircraft in the 
State isn't targeted until 2026. So there is kind of a 
misalignment here, and I raised this with General Hokanson. He 
mentioned at that hearing that he intended to connect with you 
to talk about this. So I would ask you the same question.
    What options exist to allow for perhaps a reprioritization 
of these assets, and is this utilization rate calculated in the 
decisionmaking process?
    General Brown. Senator, as we looked at the laydown for our 
HH-60s and our ``gulfs'' and our ``whiskeys,'' which are our 
new models, we do the swap-out based on the oldest aircraft. 
And the Alaska Air National Guard, with their HH-60s have the 
newest of our G models that they just received in 2020, which--
and we do look at the operational tempo. We also look at the 
age of the aircraft as we make that transition, which drives to 
where Alaska now has the newest of the Gs.
    And then they will be in line to get the newest--the 
``whiskey,'' which is our newer model, as you describe in 2026.
    Senator Murkowski. Again, we recognize that there is a lot 
of work that goes into that particular mission.
    My time has expired. But General Raymond, know that I would 
like to follow up with you, and I will probably do so by way of 
a question for the record, with regards to updates on where we 
are with the Space Guard Reserve force. As you know, we have 
had an opportunity to talk about the role of Clear Air Force 
Station there and how that is just key to essential Space Force 
assets.
    So I will look forward to that update.
    General Raymond. Thank you, ma'am. I look forward to it.
    Senator Murkowski. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Tester. Senator Schatz.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, 
Generals and Mr. Secretary.
    I want to talk to you, Mr. Secretary, about energy 
reliability. The President issued an executive order 
establishing a Federal clean energy standard--electricity 
standard, excuse me, and it requires all Government agencies, 
including DOD, to use their procurement authority to help move 
the country toward a carbon-free electricity sector by 2035.
    So can you talk to me about how you are using your 
procurement authority to comply with the President's executive 
order?
    Secretary Roth. We are, in fact, using that authority. We 
have focused on developing a series of energy projects that try 
to enhance our installation resilience. And so we are using 
some pretty well-established contract avenues and venues to 
both utilities and energy savings companies in order just to 
improve our posture in terms of the energy resilience of our 
bases.
    There is actually something called the Federal Utility 
Partnership Working Group that we are part of and that we work 
with in order to enhance our energy resilience.
    Senator Schatz. Those sound like ongoing efforts. Is there 
anything that you have changed as a result of the President's 
executive order?
    Secretary Roth. Well, these are actually--the answer is we 
have budgeted in fiscal year 2022 an additional $68 million 
over and above what we have had in terms of the past--the past 
level of funding in order to increase our emphasis on those 
kinds of things.
    And there is two kinds of energy resilience that we looked 
at in particular. One is installation resilience, and of 
course, we are a major energy user for our aircraft as well. In 
terms of the entire Defense enterprise, we, the Air Force, for 
better or worse, use two-thirds of the total fuel bill in the 
entire Air Force.
    Senator Schatz. I want to just drill down a little deeper 
because----
    Secretary Roth. Sure.
    Senator Schatz [continuing]. It seems to me that there are 
projects and programs and initiatives, right, energy savings 
performance contracts and all that. And then the fuel stuff is, 
I think, a longer lead time item, we can all agree.
    But specifically using the procurement system for your sort 
of run of the mill, especially based on installation operations 
is what I am trying to get at. Because I think you can carve 
out a sort of clean energy project and point to it. That is one 
thing. But unless you use the full power of the Department and 
its procurement authority, then I don't think you are entirely 
complying with the executive order.
    And I would ask you to take another look at that and not 
just sort of rely upon, hey, what are we doing in clean energy, 
and how does that match up with the President's executive 
order? But rather, we have got these authorities. The President 
is asking us to use those in our daily procurement of energy, 
and I think that that part hasn't quite yet happened.
    First of all, do you agree with that, or do you think I am 
getting that wrong?
    Secretary Roth. I am not sure. So let me do this. Let me 
commit to you, let us get together and let me send some of the 
folks who are the subject matter experts to talk to you. I am 
not that deep on it, and so I think that is a fair point. And I 
think let us provide you more details, and we can go from 
there.
    Senator Schatz. Okay, thank you.
    And just following along these lines, after Hurricane 
Michael destroyed part of Tyndall Air Force Base and damaged 
more than a dozen F-22s there, the Air Force made a very quick 
basing decision to move three F-35 squadrons to the base. And 
it is--there is just no evidence, and I have looked very hard 
for it, that the Air Force made that decision with any 
consideration of the fact that we are facing increasing 
severity and frequency of severe weather.
    And especially where Tyndall is, it is almost a guarantee 
that it is going to get hit again with a severe weather event. 
And so I would like you to tell me whether there is something I 
am missing regarding the analysis that was performed in 
deciding to base the F-35s there. I get the range issue, 
although there is--as you know, there is an Air Force 
installation I think 90 miles away. So there is an argument 
around that.
    But more specifically, even if you did arrive at this is an 
important range, we don't want to lose it, it is perfect for 
the F-35, you still have to do a climate analysis, right? Not 
for ideological reasons, but because we don't want to lose our 
assets again. And I am wondering if you can speak to whether or 
not there was any analysis about severe weather impacting our 
assets?
    Secretary Roth. What drove the decision in general was, in 
fact, the availability of the airspace and the fact that it is 
a terrific asset for us to train with. That said, I think we 
are actually pretty proud of rebuilding Tyndall. If you have an 
opportunity, we would love for you to come take a look at it.
    It is going to be a model base, and we are taking the 
climate impact very much into consideration. The building that 
we are doing is well above building code. We are going to make 
sure that our buildings can absorb a certain amount of storm 
surge. They are going to be a foot or more above what they were 
before. And the buildings are going to be built to a higher 
wind standard, 165 miles an hour, whereas I think the local 
code is something like 125 miles an hour.
    So we are well aware of the kind of risks that are involved 
in that region, and we are going to try to make sure that 
Tyndall is much more resilient than it was in the past.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you.
    Senator Tester. Yes, we got great airspace in Montana, too.
    Senator Boozman.
    Senator Boozman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, very much. And 
thank you for having this very important hearing.
    Secretary Roth, we appreciated your phone call last week 
regarding the basing of the F-35s and the Air Force, the 
Singapore Air Force F-16s. That was good news. And again, as I 
said, that is great for the area and all of that, but that 
really is the best decision for the country.
    General Brown, we appreciated getting to visit with you on 
the phone not too long ago and talking about Air Force 
priorities. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit with 
Chief Bass. She represents you very, very well and I think is 
doing an outstanding job. You all make a great team.
    And General Raymond, earlier today, getting to visit with 
you about your priorities, I thank all of you all for the great 
job that you are doing, and we will help you any way we can. 
You know that.
    The Air Force, General Brown, is looking at adding, growing 
its fleet of F-35s, fifth-generation fighters, in order to keep 
up to counter our adversarial threats. They are some of the 
most expensive programs in the defense budget. How does the Air 
Force getting--how are we doing that? And again, this is for 
all of you all. What are we doing to lower our procurement 
costs? How are we able to sustain cost so that we can continue 
to equip our airmen with the best aircraft in the world? Either 
one----
    Secretary Roth. Well, I will start----
    Senator Boozman. Yes, sir.
    Secretary Roth [continuing]. And then we can move on. What 
we have adopted in terms of acquisition of new systems is we 
are trying to take advantage of many of the new authorities 
that have been provided to us in recent Authorization Acts in 
terms of trying to do things smarter, trying to do things 
quicker, and being more agile in how we do things, the greater 
use of prototyping, greater use of using sort of serial kind of 
procurement rather than focusing on one end objective and 
having a 20-year kind of an acquisition program.
    So we are being much more agile. We talked earlier today 
about digital, the digital trinity. So we are using digital 
engineering. We are using open systems architecture. And we are 
using those kinds of capabilities as we go forward.
    I would offer that two or three of our major examples of 
that that are in the fiscal year 2022 budget is one is the Next 
Generation Air Dominance program, which is platform-centric, 
and it is looking in terms of making sort of a serial 
improvement to the platform as we go forward.
    The other is the global--the strategic missile, you know, 
the ICBM replacement program. And that, too, is using heavy-
use. I actually had an opportunity to go out to Hill Air Force 
Base and visit with both the Government side and the contractor 
side, and it is just fascinating the way they are using just 
basically modeling, digital engineering modeling in order--and 
they have met every milestone in terms of cost, schedule, and 
performance to date. Still relatively early in the program, but 
they are making great progress.
    So we are trying to make sure that we try to delegate down 
to the lowest level in terms of program management and to try 
to reduce the bureaucracy in terms of reviews. That said, we 
establish metrics. We establish risk-based metrics, and we are 
going to constantly look at whether people are meeting those 
metrics or not.
    So, in general, we are trying to break the bureaucracy and 
trying to move more agile, quicker across the board.
    Senator Boozman. General Brown, quickly or the Chairman 
will yell at me, the F-15EX, why is it so important to the 
tactical fighter fleet, and what capabilities does it have that 
complement the fifth-generation fighters like the F-35?
    General Brown. The real capability of the F-15EX is the 
aspect that comes in to replace the F-15Cs. And the F-15Cs have 
really aged out. We need to retire those.
    The beauty of the F-15EX is that really about 70 to 90 
percent of the infrastructure equipment can actually--that we 
already have can be used. So it makes a very smooth transition 
to this particular capability. It will also complement because 
of the size in payload they can carry, can be a weapons truck 
is the way we kind of describe it, to provide firepower where 
we have the F-35 that actually now can penetrate more deeply, 
and the combination of those two provide things that our 
adversaries have to think about because we have several 
different options of ways we can come at them.
    Senator Boozman. Good. Thank you.
    Note, Mr. Chairman that I got done on time.
    Senator Tester. Right on the mark. Senator Baldwin.
    Senator Baldwin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    General Raymond, given your desire for affordable access to 
space, you are well aware that we need to continue to lower the 
cost of space launch. And the Air Force Research Laboratory is 
doing some really good work in advancing the state-of-the-art 
rocket engines, particularly with regard to upper-stage 
engines. As a State that knows how to make things, Wisconsin 
has been proudly supporting these efforts.
    In that context, as we review the Space Force's fiscal year 
2022 budget, I note that rocket propulsion research and 
development is a particular area of concern. I want to ensure 
that it is adequately resourced to support domestic--stress 
``domestic''--high-tech manufacturing in support of future 
space endeavors.
    So can I get your commitment to, number one, acquaint 
yourself with the Air Force Research Laboratory's great 
progress on the upper-stage engine development and, secondly, 
to ensure that future budgets include sufficient funding 
necessary to expand domestic capacity to manufacture the 
components that will support both our industrial base and 
affordable space launch?
    General Raymond. You absolutely have my commitment. Access 
to space is critical to our national security. Being able to do 
it responsibly is also critical, especially in a contested 
domain.
    Our launch has three--launch strategy has three components. 
One, to have assured access. Two, to increase competition. And 
three, to get off the RD-180 engine. And in all three of those 
tenets our strategy is working great, and we are in a really 
good spot.
    We are now beginning to invest in kind of the Phase 3 areas 
that you mentioned, and I am open to all comers. We want more, 
broaden the industrial base, get more research and development 
money to be able to do that, and give us opportunities in the 
future. You absolutely have my commitment.
    Senator Baldwin. Thank you.
    My next question is for the entire panel. President Biden 
announced that he will withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan by 
September of this year. Ultimately, while I think it was a very 
difficult decision, I think it was the right one to make.
    That said, we all know that there will be an enduring 
counterterrorism and intelligence, surveillance, and 
reconnaissance requirements. Considering this decision was made 
while the fiscal year 2022 budget request was being developed, 
where in the Air Force and Space Force budgets are these 
enduring ISR and over-the-horizon requirements reflected? And 
do either need particular attention paid to them in this year's 
appropriations cycle?
    Let us start with General Brown.
    General Brown. Senator, I appreciate the question. I will 
tell you that the capabilities that we have today that have 
been supporting United States Central Command when you talk 
about Afghanistan, but also all of our combatant commands, much 
of that capability still remains inside of the United States 
Air Force with this particular budget. Although I will tell you 
we are also making a transition to the future.
    So small levels of divestment as we start to look towards 
the future, maintaining the capability that we have been using 
today, at the same time looking forward at the capability that 
will ensure that we are able to be connected, be persistent, 
and be survivable not only in a mission environment, but in a 
highly contested environment as well.
    General Raymond. I agree.
    Secretary Roth. Yes, and so in the budget, where would you 
see it in the fiscal year 2022? Amongst other places, although 
there is no longer an overseas contingency operation budget, 
so-called OCO budget, we have within the base budget, we are 
funding both day-to-day war operations at a much lower pace, 
about $1 billion or so for the Air Force. But more importantly, 
to your point and your question, there is an enduring presence 
we still have in the CENTCOM (Central Command) AOR (Area of 
Responsibility).
    And so we have budgeted about $10 billion there. We have a 
series of air bases. They will stay for the time being. That is 
where your over-the-horizon capability will come from.
    So we have funded as best we knew in a lead time away as it 
goes. We are continuing an enduring presence in the CENTCOM AOR 
in order to provide that over-the-horizon capability.
    General Raymond. The great thing about space capabilities, 
ma'am, are they are global, and so you don't have to build 
something and just stick it over that part of the world. They 
are constantly orbiting. They provide that persistence and will 
continue to do so.
    Senator Tester. Senator Hoeven.
    Senator Hoeven. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. Appreciate it.
    Thank you, gentlemen, for being here today. Appreciate it.
    General Brown, thank you for your recent visits to both 
Minot Air Force Base and Grand Forks Air Force Base, very 
impressive. And also General Raymond, thank you for your recent 
visits to Grand Forks base and the surrounding area as well.
    Mr. Secretary, I understand that our Chairman asked you 
about the MH-139 and that you gave good answers, at least from 
our perspective. Mine is simply are you confident we can keep 
that program on schedule?
    Secretary Roth. Yes, I think so. I think, as you are aware, 
the reason there is a delay in the program is that we don't 
have the FAA certification yet. But as I understand it, we are 
on schedule. This should only mean a fairly minor delay of some 
months in the program, and it is not a show stopper.
    So our intent, we had eight aircraft that were funded 
already in fiscal year 2021. The next tranche will be funded in 
fiscal year 2023. The only reason you see a gap there in fiscal 
year 2022, that particular procurement contract was simply not 
executable in our judgment during the 12 months of fiscal year 
2022. So it was simply a shift from late in fiscal year 2022 
into early fiscal year 2023.
    Senator Hoeven. And then both LRSO (Long Range Stand Off 
Weapon) and GBSD (Ground Based Strategic Deterrent), do you 
feel they are on schedule and can stay on schedule?
    Secretary Roth. Yes. Both programs, both programs are 
meeting all their schedule and cost milestones to date. 
Admittedly, I would say--and channeling my former comptroller 
background--it is still pretty early in both programs. But they 
are doing terrific, and both programs are making heavy use of 
some of the new technologies in terms of digital engineering 
and those kinds of things.
    So both programs, we hope for the LRSO to be able to award 
the next contract this month. It is now shifting, as we speak, 
into the engineering, manufacturing, development stage, so-
called Milestone B in our nomenclature. So they just had their 
board review, and we anticipate being able to award that 
contract this month.
    Senator Hoeven. Good. Thank you.
    General Brown, same question. As far as the B-52 and the 
reengineering, on schedule, and do you anticipate that we could 
keep it on schedule?
    General Brown. I do. We are at a point where it looks like 
really about this December we will be able to down select on 
the reengineering down to the company that will actually do the 
reengineering for the B-52.
    Senator Hoeven. Okay, good. And then also, what about 
getting a weapons generation facility going for Minot Air Force 
Base, which is the only dual nuclear base in the country as, of 
course, you well know. And again, thank you for your visit.
    General Brown. Part of our discussion when we were there at 
Minot was because of its dual capability, it will be the last 
of the three because we will learn quite a bit from the other 
two locations that we are going to do before we get to Minot. 
And because of its uniqueness, I think it is really important 
that we get this right. Not only for the others, but for Minot 
as well.
    Senator Hoeven. Well, we would like to work with your 
office to get a time for starting it.
    General Brown. Understood. Understood, Senator.
    Senator Hoeven. Thank you, General.
    General Brown. Thank you.
    Senator Hoeven. General Raymond, again thanks for your 
visit. So we are working on laser communication with satellites 
rather than radio waves. So ground to satellite, satellite to 
satellite, satellite to ISR. Why is that important, and talk to 
me about your commitment to accomplish that.
    General Raymond. Sir, Senator, the importance is 
resilience. As I mentioned in our posture statement, the domain 
has become much more contested, and our adversaries are 
developing capabilities to be able to deny or disrupt our 
access to communication satellites. This provides a layer of 
resilience that is absolutely critical. It is what we are 
focused on.
    Senator Hoeven. So we very much need those low-Earth orbit 
satellites. We need to keep moving on this to stay ahead of our 
adversaries like Russia and China, and we need to develop the 
laser communications again to stay ahead of our adversaries, 
and it is a high priority?
    General Raymond. It is a high priority, and I would say, 
Senator, we really need to develop kind of a hybrid 
architecture, and the work that we are doing to do that force 
design is a mix. Today, the design is small numbers of very 
expensive, exquisite satellites, and we have to diversify that 
architecture.
    For resilience, the low-Earth orbit piece of that is going 
to be important, as well as other orbits. But is absolutely 
critical.
    Senator Hoeven. Exactly. We need both.
    General Raymond. Yes, sir.
    Senator Hoeven. Thank you very much.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Tester. Senator Murray.
    Senator Murray. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
    Thank you, gentlemen. Really appreciate your being here.
    Secretary Roth, General Brown, let me start with you. The 
92nd and 141st Air Force air refueling wings at Fairchild Air 
Force Base are really vital to our global mobility and our 
global reach, and it is important to me that we make sure that 
these units are optimally equipped to meet their mission. I 
really support the Air Force's recent selection of Fairchild as 
a candidate location for the next KC-46 main operating base. 
They have consistently been a top-scoring installation because 
of their strategic location, their existing infrastructure, and 
their strong community support. And it is long past time to get 
them those tankers.
    But I am concerned that the proposed divestments of KC-135s 
will hurt the air refueling mission based in Washington State. 
What new missions and assets are you going to bring to 
Fairchild to continue investing in Fairchild and the community 
for the long term?
    Secretary Roth. Well, in terms of, as you said, the KC-46 
is a competitor. We are all the way up to main operating base 
number six as we are going through our strategic basing 
process. So Fairchild is a terrific candidate to receive that 
next tranche of reserve of aircraft. So that is at least a 
partial answer to your question that we would bring--you know, 
we could potentially bring KC-46.
    I would defer to the general here in terms of what other 
things.
    General Brown. And Senator, for the Air Force, we would 
also look at other mission sets as we evolve and transform and 
transition to the future of opportunities at Fairchild. Not 
only the KC-46, but other opportunities.
    Senator Murray. Okay. And if you can get me more details on 
that, I would really appreciate it.
    General Brown. Yes, ma'am.
    Senator Murray. Thank you.
    General Raymond, the space industry is really growing 
rapidly. As access to space increases and demand for space-
based products and services is really growing, my home State of 
Washington is becoming a major hub now for launch, satellite 
engineering, education, and many other parts of the space 
community. And that growth and innovation is really important, 
both for our economy and for achieving the goals of the defense 
space strategy, but Government support is going to play an 
essential role in helping this industry through its nascent 
stages until it can reach its full potential.
    So talk with me about how the Space Force will use its 
market power to really encourage diversity and growth in the 
space industry?
    General Raymond. Well, first of all, I would agree 
wholeheartedly with you that there is incredible things going 
on in that part of the country. I have been up there personally 
several times to visit launch and satellite manufacturing. It 
is really important.
    I think if you look at the challenges that we face, the 
challenges that we face are many, but we have even greater 
opportunities, and those opportunities are those innovative 
small companies. And what we are doing to get after this is 
working a force design that allows us to diversify our 
architecture, to allow smaller satellites that are more 
operation relevant to be--to play a greater role in our 
national security architecture.
    And so we are doing that design work now. That is going to 
open up more opportunities for those types of capabilities to 
be a critical part of our path going forward, and I think there 
is great opportunity.
    Senator Murray. Good. Well, I look forward to working with 
you on that. It is really exciting.
    General Raymond. Thank you, ma'am.
    Senator Murray. Secretary Roth, across the country and in 
my home State of Washington, families are facing a real 
shortage of affordable housing. The military is supposed to 
cover housing costs as part of the servicemembers' benefits, 
but more than three-fourths of them are having to supplement 
that out of pocket right now. And of course, military moves are 
made more stressful by long on-base housing waitlists. We are 
seeing them everywhere and really competitive rental and buyers 
markets off base.
    I am hearing from military families at Fairchild, for 
example, about they are just really struggling with these 
challenges. How does the Air Force evaluate the need for 
additional on-base family housing under the Military Housing 
Privatization Initiative, and what can be done to help families 
near Fairchild with this right now?
    Secretary Roth. Well, one, the basic allowance for housing 
is reviewed annually, and we work with our Office of Secretary 
of Defense partners to do the analysis. It is locality based. 
It is not a general rate across the country, and so it is 
tailored to each individual location.
    And so the intent is that the basic allowance for housing 
cover the cost in any particular area. If it is not, if there 
is an unusual spike or something, we try to catch up as best we 
can.
    In terms of actively looking forward in the future in terms 
of any further military housing, like privatization initiative 
and that type of thing, right now it was enormously successful 
15, 20 years ago. We did a lot of progress and all, but we did 
so in part because we got an exception to the Office of 
Management and Budget scoring rules in order to allow us to 
capitalize with private money and put up a fairly modest amount 
of Government money and leverage some private money.
    Under the current rules, the Office of Management and 
Budget has fallen back now to the old rules, where they would 
require us to capitalize that up front and under a full funding 
concept pay for it up front. That gets to be very expensive. So 
for the time being, unfortunately, we are not pursuing that. We 
would have to work with the administration and the Office of 
Management and Budget to see if any further waivers were 
possible or not. But----
    Senator Murray. I would like to follow up with you----
    Secretary Roth. Sure.
    Senator Murray [continuing]. After this on that because 
this is really a critical problem for our families, and I am 
worried about the stress it is putting on them. And it is just 
not tenable at this point.
    And I know I am out of time, Mr. Chairman. I did just want 
to mention childcare to all of you. The waitlists are really 
long, and we are hearing from everyone that this is just really 
a stark reminder that we need to deal with this.
    I don't have time for a question right now. I will follow 
up with all of you, but I have not lost interest on this. And 
Mr. Chairman, it is a huge problem for our military families.
    Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Murray.
    Senator Durbin.
    Senator Durbin. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    General Raymond, I was a skeptic when it came to the 
creation of the Space Force. I listened to critics argue that 
it was a new bureaucracy that would be top heavy, a pile of 
brass and not much underneath, and that it wasn't needed. I 
never questioned the role of space in terms of our own defense 
and the critical achievements which we can point to over the 
last few years.
    So you are the man in transition from the old way to the 
new way. How has it changed?
    General Raymond. It has changed significantly, and I will 
tell you it is quantifiable. When you elevate from a major 
command of an Air Force to a service chief, your level of 
authority and responsibility goes way up. I have a stronger 
role and requirements. I am a member of the Joint Chiefs, so I 
can make sure that space is integrated into the joint 
warfighting construct.
    We interact more effectively with our allies and partners 
at the service level. In fact, with Norway, we just inked a 
deal where it saved us $900 million to put two hosted payloads 
on their satellites rather than our own satellites.
    The development of our space professionals has gone through 
the roof. Promotion rates before were 20 percent below the Air 
Force average for colonels, and lieutenant colonels about that 
same number. Today, we are above that average. We have got more 
people knocking on our door wanting to come into the Space 
Force than we have positions for. We can be very selective of 
who we bring in.
    Across the board, we have seen measurable, quantifiable 
increases that is great for our Nation.
    Senator Durbin. So, General Brown, when you hear that, does 
it give you any kind of pause or inspiration for the rest of 
the Air Force in terms of what has happened with Space Force?
    General Brown. It does. And one of the key areas that I see 
is because of the elevation of Space Force, it actually has 
brought in more I would say collaboration between the Air Force 
and the Space Force across our airmen and our guardians because 
of the dialogue that happens at a much lower level on how we 
talk about space capabilities. And so there are some real 
pluses there.
    The other part is now that we have someone who is really 
focused on that domain. A year and a half ago, 2 years ago, my 
predecessor would have been responsible for both. Now you have 
someone who is focused on a new domain, and it allows the both 
of us to really work very closely together on how we use those 
future capabilities and align those capabilities between our 
two services.
    Senator Durbin. Secretary Roth, are there any changes in 
procurement or acquisition with the Space Force that you are 
considering or have implemented?
    Secretary Roth. Well, first of all, the Space Force is 
another one that is making maximum use of some of the new 
authorities we have in terms of using things like digital 
engineering and being more agile and the like. So I would have 
to say that the Space Force is out and leading on that as well.
    What is going to happen eventually on 1 October 2022, or at 
least no later than 1 October 2022, is the Space Force will 
have their own service acquisition executive. Right now, we 
have one service acquisition executive for both the air and 
space side, but under the Authorization Act of a year or two 
ago, we have to stand up a separate office, an Assistant 
Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and 
Integration. But space acquisition here to the point.
    So I would think here, too, very similarly you have someone 
then who will be focused on space acquisition and won't be 
``distracted'' by other functions as well.
    General Raymond. Could I add in, sir? I just want to say 
very clearly that we would not be anywhere near where we are 
today without the great support of General Brown and the Air 
Force.
    Now when the law was passed that established the Space 
Force, it said to focus on space superiority and rely on the 
Air Force for the support pieces. They provide us spectacular 
support. As we have built this, they have really been a huge 
partner.
    Senator Durbin. Secretary Roth, different subject. Our 
modern military has really been grounded on civilian control 
and the separation of men and women in uniform from political 
influence. What are you doing to make sure that the next 
generation serving in the Air Force lives up to that model?
    Secretary Roth. Well, I think the short answer to it is by 
leadership and making sure that the Secretariat does, in fact, 
use its authority and its influence as we go forward. Clearly, 
I think that is--you know, we are in a period of transition now 
from one administration to the other, so it is a bit of an 
uncertain time until we fill all the positions.
    And so the imperative will be to get a full team of 
political appointees in place and then to move forward under 
the guise of ensuring military--excuse me, civilian oversight 
over the military. I work very closely with both of the chiefs. 
I value their opinion and all. But at the end of the day, the 
Secretariat is, in fact, the leadership position within the 
Department of the Air Force.
    Senator Durbin. Thank you.
    General Brown, in closing, I just want to commend you for 
statements that you have made on diversity and race relations 
in the military. I am sure that there are many stories that 
have gone untold that you could fill us with, fill in with some 
of your experiences. But thank you for reaching the top of your 
profession. I am glad you are there, and thanks for the example 
and model you set.
    Senator Tester. Thank you, Senator Durbin.
    We appreciate you folks being here today. We appreciate the 
testimony you have given today, and we appreciate the job that 
you do every day. So thank you. I thank the witnesses.

                     ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

    Senators may submit additional written questions, and we 
ask you to respond to them within a reasonable amount of time.
    [The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but 
were submitted to the Department for response subsequent to the 
hearing:]
          Questions Submitted to Acting Secretary John P. Roth
            Questions Submitted by Senator Richard J. Durbin
                  tactical airlift aircraft requestors
    Question. I have been concerned about Air Force reductions in 
Tactical Airlift Aircraft inventory. The fiscal year 2022 Budget 
Request divests 8 C-130H aircraft, without funding for any new C-130Js, 
which would bring the total tactical airlift fleet down to 279 
aircraft. This is despite the fact that the fiscal year 2021 NDAA 
requires a minimum inventory of 287 aircraft, and the most recent 
mobility capabilities and requirements study recommended at least 300 
such aircraft to meet National Defense Strategy requirements. These 
cuts may disproportionately impact the Air National Guard, which 
provides half of the Air Force's tactical and mobility airlift while 
also supporting a number of critical domestic priorities--COVID-19, 
civil unrest, and natural disaster response. The 182nd Airlift Wing in 
my home state for example, has a strong history of outstanding 
performance, including among the highest mission capability rates in 
the Air National Guard over the past 10 years.
    What would such a reduction have on the Air Force's ability to 
conduct overseas operations?
    Answer. The proposed reduction in aircraft would have no 
significant impact on the Air Force's ability to conduct overseas 
operations. We continue to carefully analyze our tactical airlift fleet 
size and posture to ensure the nation's needs are met, and that this 
fleet does not take on a level of risk that is out of line with the 
other fleets in our Air Force. With a total tactical airlift aircraft 
inventory of 255, we believe 163 C-130Js and 92 C-130Hs, supported by 
222 C-17s, are capable of executing the required level of tactical 
lift.
    Question. Have any decisions been made about where such cuts may 
take place?
    Answer. These decisions are ongoing. Over the next few years the 
Air Force goal is to reduce the C-130 fleet to 255 aircraft, contingent 
on our ability to find mutually agreeable replacement missions for any 
C-130 unit we would remission.
    Retaining additional aircraft that are not required to compete and 
win in the future fight diverts limited resources from higher priority 
National Defense Strategy focused recapitalization and modernization 
efforts across the Air Force enterprise, weakening our military's 
competitive advantage. Incremental reduction of the fleet will allow 
the Air Force to refocus personnel and resources toward emerging 
mission requirements.
    Question. For the past several years you have heard me and others 
ring the alarm about water contamination caused by PFAS chemicals in 
firefighting foam. This public health crisis also hit home for me. The 
Air Force has been working with communities around Scott Air Force Base 
in Southern Illinois where PFAS chemicals leeched into a drinking water 
well, and I understand testing continues around the Peoria and 
Springfield Air National Guard Bases. As you all know, these substances 
can have a devastating impact on health, and the process is absolutely 
nerve racking for my constituents.
    How much does the Air Force need in fiscal year 2022 to accelerate 
the process of investigation and cleanup of PFAS across the country?
    Answer. The DAF could execute an additional $49 million in fiscal 
year 2022 to accelerate investigations and cleanup of PFAS.
                                 ______
                                 
            Questions Submitted by Senator Dianne Feinstein
                  space training and readiness command
    Question. California is at the center of commercial and military 
space applications. I was pleased to hear Space Systems Command will be 
established at Los Angeles Air Force Base. I believe the Space Force 
should leverage the existing personnel, expertise, and infrastructure 
available at Vandenberg Space Force Base and the surrounding community 
for the Space Training and Readiness Command.
    What factors is the Air Force considering as part of its decision 
in locating Space Training and Readiness Command?
    Answer. Pending Secretary of the Air Force approval, criteria will 
consist of mission, capacity, environmental, and cost factors. The 
Department of the Air Force will also comply with the guidance in 10 
USC 483 and the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act 
Sec. 2883.
    Question. When do you expect that decision to be made?
    Answer. We anticipate Department of the Air Force approval of the 
criteria in the first quarter of fiscal year 2022.
                                 ______
                                 
              Questions Submitted by Senator Patty Murray
                     fairchild afb future missions
    Question. [full context provided on p. 40-41 of the transcript]
    What new missions and assets are you going to bring to Fairchild 
AFB to continue investing in Fairchild AFB and the community for the 
long-term? Not only for the KC-46, but other opportunities?
    Answer. The Department of the Air Forces uses its strategic basing 
process to determine locations for new missions. The DAF will continue 
to consider Fairchild Air Force Base for new missions, dependent on 
mission requirements and where it meets the enterprise definition of 
locations eligible for consideration.
                                 ______
                                 
              Questions Submitted by Senator Brian Schatz
               federal clean energy electricity standard
    Question. [full context provided on p. 29-30 of the transcript]
    The president issued an executive order establishing a Federal 
clean energy standard, electricity standard. It requires all government 
agencies, including DoD to use their procurement authority to help move 
the country towards a carbon free electricity sector by 2035. So, can 
you talk to me about how you're using your procurement authority to 
comply with the president's executive order? Is there anything you've 
changed? I'd ask you take another look at: ``We've got these 
authorities, the president is asking us to use those in our daily 
procurement of energy,'' and I think that part hasn't quite yet 
happened. Do you agree with that or you think I'm getting that wrong?
    Answer. The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is using all 
available authorities in the process of procuring a full spectrum of 
cleaner energy project types. These projects improve our energy posture 
and empower mission assurance as a critical distributed energy 
generation source. To expand this procurement of clean energy and the 
development of energy projects, we are reviewing project execution 
rates within its installation energy governance structure. The 
Department is also developing Installation Energy Plans to identify 
potential opportunities and use all available authorities to develop 
clean energy projects.
    In fiscal year 2020, DAF on-base renewable energy production was 
488,136 MWh, including owned and third party owned projects located on 
Department lands. The DAF continues to utilize authorities provided by 
Congress, such as Enhanced Use Leases (EULs), to leverage underutilized 
properties where private developers can construct clean energy systems. 
In return, the DAF receives a financial benefit, such as reduced energy 
rates or other in-kind considerations.
    The DAF is primarily using third party financed performance 
contracts, such as Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs); ESPCs 
provide the Federal Government with a partnership opportunity to 
procure energy savings and facility improvements with no up-front 
capital costs.
    The Department is also pursuing a wide range of solar and battery 
storage projects using performance contracts and Power Purchase 
Agreements (PPAs) initiatives to enhance energy assurance and 
resiliency at mission critical installations. At the end of fiscal year 
2020, the DAF had 327 renewable energy projects in operation on 105 
sites through a variety of project delivery methods, including PPA, 
EULs, Energy Resilience Conservation Investment Program (ERCIP), and 
Military Construction (MILCON).
                                 ______
                                 
                Questions Submitted by Senator Roy Blunt
                           the role of c-130s
    Question. Secretary Roth and General Brown, I would like to note my 
continued concerns about the Air Force's proposed reductions of C-130 
Total Aircraft Inventory.
    My understanding is that Air Force seeks to cut five flying 
squadrons as part of an effort to reduce the number of C-130s to 
approximately 255 planes over the next 5 years, with the majority of 
reduction coming from the Air National Guard.
    I know a number of Senators, including many members of this 
committee, have articulated the detrimental impact of reducing our 
national airlift capacity.
    Furthermore, the targeted reduction of Air National Guard C-130s 
would make it difficult--if not impossible--for the Guard to support 
routine training missions, as well as domestic operations to respond to 
emergencies and disasters.
    If any proposed reductions come from within the Guard C-130 force 
structure, there will be a significant loss of domestic operations 
capabilities. As we have seen over the last several years, those 
domestic requirements are not letting up.
    Please provide your perspective on the breadth and depth regarding 
the role our C- 130s play in supporting the requirements of domestic 
operations.
    Answer. The Department of the Air Force agrees that tactical 
airlift is an integral homeland defense mission. Every state has 
tactical airlift capacity and there are procedures in place for states 
to share resources. In addition to the C-130s in the ANG, there are six 
states unit equipped with 48 C-17s to support Defense Support to Civil 
Authorities missions. By looking at this fleet in isolation--in 
isolation from other Air Force missions, or in isolation from the 
remainder of our airlift fleet--we would fail to appreciate the balance 
the Air Force needs to strike between capability, capacity, readiness, 
and modernization across all of our missions.
    the future c-130 force structure and the 139th airlift wing at 
                   rosecrans air national guard base
    Question. Secretary Roth and General Brown, while the Air Force and 
Air National Guard have indicated that there will be no reduction of C-
130H aircraft at the 139th Airlift Wing at Rosecrans Air National Guard 
Base, I expressed in a letter last month to you, General Brown, and to 
Lieutenant General Michael Loh, my concerns should any optional course 
of action be considered.
    As you know, the 139th Airlift Wing supports both the C-130 Weapons 
Instructor Course and the Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Center. The 
Air National Guard acknowledged that two C-130s at Rosecrans supporting 
the Weapons Instructor Course mission were improperly coded as Backup 
Aircraft Inventory. If the 139th were to lose one of these aircraft, it 
would lose its ability to conduct these unique and necessary training 
missions that support the broader Air Force enterprise.
    I would appreciate your commitment to ensuring the Air National 
Guard correctly recodes these aircraft, and confirming your commitment 
to preserving the vital mission of the 139th Air Wing mission.
    Answer. We are committed to preserving the mission of the 139 
Airlift Wing (AW) and I assure you aircraft coding is consistent across 
units which host Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) missions. We recognize 
the challenges the 139 AW faces as host to the C-130H WIC and Advanced 
Airlift Tactics Training Center. The 139 AW has the appropriate 
resources to execute these missions while continuing to perform its 
operational mission and meet the training needs of assigned aircrew.
                                 ______
                                 
               Questions Submitted by Senator John Hoeven
                     mh-139 procurement requestors
    Question. Your budget request does not include procurement of any 
MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopters, which are slated to replace the Vietnam-
era Hueys at our ICBM bases. I understand that procurement has been 
pushed back due to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification 
issues.
    Given the delay, how many MH-139s do you project to purchase in 
fiscal years 2023 and 2024?
    Answer. Fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2024 quantities are still 
under review. The MH-139 contract allows for a quantity range of 2 to 
16 aircraft per fiscal year.
    Question. When should we expect to procure MH-139s that will be 
based at Minot Air Force Base (AFB)?
    Answer. The Minot basing options will depend on an updated buy 
profile which is currently being developed.
    Question. When will MH-139 aircraft arrive at Minot AFB?
    Answer. The Minot basing options will depend on an updated buy 
profile which is currently being developed.
                                 ______
                                 
          Questions Submitted to General Charles Q. Brown, Jr.
               Questions Submitted by Senator Jon Tester
                  air national guard flying squadrons
    Question. [full context provided on p. 21 of the transcript]
    How many [Air] National Guard squadrons are going to lose flying 
missions in this [fiscal year 2022] budget?
    Answer. We are not intending to close any units and are carefully 
evaluating several future missions in which the Air Force needs to 
bring on. Most units will retain a flying mission, but not all. Some 
squadrons will experience a one-for-one replacement of flying missions 
(KC-10, KC-135, F-15C), some will be replaced with a mixture of flying 
and non-flying missions (A-10, E-8), and some flying missions are going 
away and will be replaced with a non-flying mission (C-130). As we 
continue to invest in our future force, it is imperative that Air Force 
manpower be appropriately aligned with new, higher priority, missions 
or the Air Force cannot modernize against the emerging threat.
                                 ______
                                 
            Questions Submitted by Senator Richard J. Durbin
                  tactical airlift aircraft requestors
    Question. I have been concerned about Air Force reductions in 
Tactical Airlift Aircraft inventory. The fiscal year 2022 Budget 
Request divests 8 C-130H aircraft, without funding for any new C-130Js, 
which would bring the total tactical airlift fleet down to 279 
aircraft. This is despite the fact that the fiscal year 2021 NDAA 
requires a minimum inventory of 287 aircraft, and the most recent 
mobility capabilities and requirements study recommended at least 300 
such aircraft to meet National Defense Strategy requirements. These 
cuts may disproportionately impact the Air National Guard, which 
provides half of the Air Force's tactical and mobility airlift while 
also supporting a number of critical domestic priorities--COVID-19, 
civil unrest, and natural disaster response. The 182nd Airlift Wing in 
my home state for example, has a strong history of outstanding 
performance, including among the highest mission capability rates in 
the Air National Guard over the past 10 years.
    What would such a reduction have on the Air Force's ability to 
conduct overseas operations?
    Answer. The proposed reduction in aircraft would have no 
significant impact on the Air Force's ability to conduct overseas 
operations. We continue to carefully analyze our tactical airlift fleet 
size and posture to ensure the nation's needs are met, and that this 
fleet does not take on a level of risk that is out of line with the 
other fleets in our Air Force. With a total tactical airlift aircraft 
inventory of 255, we believe 163 C-130Js and 92 C-130Hs, supported by 
222 C-17s, are capable of executing the required level of tactical 
lift.
    Question. Have any decisions been made about where such cuts may 
take place?
    Answer. These decisions are ongoing. Over the next few years the 
Air Force goal is to reduce the C-130 fleet to 255 aircraft, contingent 
on our ability to find mutually agreeable replacement missions for any 
C-130 unit we would remission.
    Retaining additional aircraft that are not required to compete and 
win in the future fight diverts limited resources from higher priority 
National Defense Strategy focused recapitalization and modernization 
efforts across the Air Force enterprise, weakening our military's 
competitive advantage. Incremental reduction of the fleet will allow 
the Air Force to refocus personnel and resources toward emerging 
mission requirements.
                        f-15 upgrades requestors
    Question. The fiscal year 2022 Air Force budget request includes 
funding for 12 F-15EX aircraft, and the Unfunded Priorities List 
includes a funding request for an additional 12 F-15EX aircraft. The 
request also includes a divestment of 48 F-15C/Ds. The F-15C/D fleet is 
aging, with high sustainment costs, and many of these aircraft are 
expected to run out of service life within the next decade.
    Can you explain why it's faster, cheaper, and more critical to 
upgrade to these new F- 15s instead of investing in other aircraft?
    Answer. With a majority of the F-15C fleet flying beyond designed 
service life, it is critical that we recapitalize units with modern 
fighters as quickly as possible. The F-15EX was developed from a 
provided design, with significantly upgraded systems, using funds from 
Foreign Military Sales customers. The purchase of these aircraft 
offered the Air Force an opportunity to augment F-35 purchases and 
quickly recapitalize these units.
                                 ______
                                 
              Questions Submitted by Senator Patrick Leahy
                    air force readiness improvements
    Question. Given the administration's priority of taking care of our 
people, and the important role that unit cohesion plays in improving 
readiness, it is crucial that the Air Force take a fresh look at 
policies and practices that may not support all service members. To 
that end, please outline what changes, if any, the Air Force has made, 
is making, plans to make, or is considering in order to:
    Improve diversity in leadership positions;
    Answer. To improve diversity in leadership positions, the 
Department of the Air Force has taken a holistic review of potential 
barriers to development and inclusion. Adjustments have been made to 
uniform and appearance policies and several adjustments have been made 
to help improve deliberate development of diverse leaders. One such 
area was the DAF establishment of diversity requirements for Key 
Developmental Slates. The purpose of this initiative is to promote 
greater opportunity and consideration among qualified candidates, who 
offer diverse perspectives and represent diverse backgrounds and 
experience. This initiative will require that the pool of Airmen 
considered for key military developmental positions and nominative 
assignments (e.g. Aide-de-Camp, Military Assistant, Executive Officer, 
Career Field Manager, Senior Enlisted Advisor, Commander's Action Group 
member) include qualified, diverse candidates based on gender, race 
and/or ethnicity.
    Question. Improve diversity retention at all levels;
    Answer. To assist with improving diversity retention the Department 
of the Air Force has identified and began removing disparate policies, 
procedures, barriers and other cultural practices that may be unfairly 
impacting the retention of Airmen and Guardians. These changes include 
revisions to dress and appearance regulations, expanding child/career 
balancing options such as deferring the decision to separate 12 months 
post birth, expanding parental leave, and continued utilization of the 
Career Intermission Program (CIP). Since CIPs establishment in 2014, 54 
percent of all participants have been female and 99 percent of the 
Airmen who completed the program have returned to service. The 
Department of the Air Force acknowledges that diverse, resilient, and 
ready Airmen and Guardians (both military and civilian) are the core of 
the Department's present and future readiness and lethality.
    Question. Improve trainings, including sexual assault prevention, 
with input from women, LGBTQ service members, BIPOC service members, 
and sexual assault survivors;
    Answer. The Department of the Air Force is committed to improving 
training that improves the lives all of our diverse Airmen and 
Guardians while promoting a sense of belonging to the DAF. The DAF is 
working hard to ensure our training is evidenced based and includes 
considerations of and input from many vulnerable populations including 
women, LGBTQ service members, BIPOC service members, and both male and 
female sexual assault survivors. We are working closely with the DoD 
Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military and the 
DAF Interpersonal Violence Taskforce; and we have developed a 
prevention plan of action to improve prevention efforts that provide a 
foundation for concrete actions to address interpersonal and self-
directed violence. We are committed to providing a respectful, 
inclusive environment for all Airmen and Guardians, and taking all 
appropriate steps to improve.
    Question. Increase availability and accessibility of mental health 
support services for Service members and their families, including 
services tailored specifically toward minority service members;
    Answer. To maximize the availability of our mental health services, 
the Department of the Air Force (DAF) has sought to create mental 
health clinic workflows to match patient needs and increase 
efficiencies. Through the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown period, the DAF 
expanded its tele-mental health services 3600 percent compared to 2019. 
As a result, the DAF mental health enterprise was able to sustain 90 
percent of its 2019 care operations levels during this period.
    Furthermore, in order to improve readiness and support of Airmen 
who are minority service members, the Air Force Surgeon General 
established an Office of Diversity and Inclusion. This office is 
actively working with the Defense Health Agency to evaluate and 
intentionally address any identified disparities in healthcare 
delivery.
    Question. Improve outreach to and support for minority service 
members facing discrimination from within their units; and
    Answer. The Department of the Air Force continues to evaluate and 
refine the Out and About outreach program used to gather equal 
opportunity and human relations information that may impact service 
members.
    The Installation Equal Opportunity Director is responsible for 
scheduling Out and About Assessments in coordination with unit 
leadership and ensures unit leadership receives a summary of 
observations following the assess. Observations and discussions focus 
on EO, human relations and organizational effectiveness factors that 
impact morale and mission readiness to include, but are not limited to: 
Interpersonal communication/interaction/polarization (break rooms, work 
areas, recreation/entertainment facilities, etc.); Accessibility to 
unit leadership; Bulletin board and public display items (individual/
group recognition, policy letters/posters, etc.); Workplace conditions/
environment; Dormitory conditions/environment; Graffiti; Personal 
display of pictures, posters, artifacts, etc.; and overall general 
impressions. Information gathered throughout the assessment is used as 
part of the overall Organizational Climate Assessment Program.
    Question. Improve medical care for transgender service members, 
women, and Black parents, particularly for transition care, pregnancy, 
and post-partum care.
    Answer. In order to improve readiness and support of Airmen, the 
DAF established a Transgender Health Medical Evaluation Unit (THMEU) at 
Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The THMEU operates under a patient-
centered care model that ensures compliance with Department of Defense 
(DoD), DAF, and Defense Health Agency policies and transgender 
healthcare clinical guidelines, regardless of where patients are 
located.
    In addition to the THMEU, the Air Force Surgeon General established 
an Office of Diversity and Inclusion Office to improve readiness and 
support of Airmen who are minority service members. This office is also 
working with the Defense Health Agency to evaluate and intentionally 
address disparities in healthcare delivery, which would include 
pregnancy and postpartum care.
    On top of these efforts, the DAF is also focused on improving the 
pregnancy and postpartum care provided to Airmen, particularly with a 
focus on return to duty and readiness. For example, Air Force 
Instruction on Duty Limiting Conditions (48-133) was updated to allow 
fitness assessment exemptions following perinatal loss (miscarriage and 
stillbirth). A parallel update regarding convalescent leave after such 
losses is currently pending revisions to Air Force Manual on Tricare 
Operations and Patient Administration (41-210). Additionally, updates 
were made to breast feeding policies (AFGM2020-36-01) to improve Airmen 
and Guardians access to breast pumping resources and milk storage, as 
well as increase flexibility in scheduling pumping time during the duty 
day.
    Furthermore, in order to better address the needs of Airmen 
following pregnancy and birth of a newborn, the DAF is working on a 
multidisciplinary approach to comprehensive postpartum care and 
reintegration. At select locations (currently Nellis AFB, expanding to 
Seymour Johnson AFB and Joint Base Langley-Eustis), DAF Units are 
piloting a program facilitating comprehensive Airmen and Guardian 
fitness during pregnancy and in postpartum. This program includes 
fitness classes, lactation support, mental health, wellness screening 
and access to services such as physical therapy and nutrition.
    In addition to the efforts mentioned above, the Air Force Medical 
Service and the Defense Health Agency are working together on 
implementing the latest evidence-based perinatal care services at 
military treatment facilities. Across the Military Health System, 
postpartum bleeding procedures were established to improve maternal and 
neonatal outcomes. New guidance was also developed to standardize 
ultrasound examinations to improve the identification of abnormal 
findings. Moreover, a Defense Health Agency review board was 
established to review cases of severe maternal harm in order to 
identify areas of improvement. Finally, a working group was established 
to identify and address any racial disparities in obstetric outcomes, 
unconscious bias education, and cultural competency in maternity care.
                                 ______
                                 
               Questions Submitted by Senator John Hoeven
                      rq-4 global hawk requestors
    Question. The budget request proposes to divest the Block 30 
version of the Global Hawk but continues to fund operations for the 
Block 40 version.
    Do you forecast operating the Block 40 Global Hawk throughout the 
five year budget window?
    Answer. Yes, upon retirement of 20 RQ-4 Block 30s in fiscal year 
2022, the Air Force plans to operate and sustain the remaining 10 RQ-4 
Block 40s through the fiscal year 2021 FYDP (fiscal year 2021-fiscal 
year 2026).
                 minot afb weapons generation facility
    Question. [full context provided on p. 38-39 of the transcript]
    When will Minot AFB Weapons Generation Facility construction start?
    Answer. While we can't commit to a specific year when we will 
request funding, the AF is committed to replace the Weapons Storage 
Area (WSA) at Minot with a Weapons Generation Facility (WGF). Since the 
weapons generation facilities are new designs that incorporate current 
safety and surety standards, they are complex structures. Minot's is 
even more complex because it will house assets for multiple weapon 
systems--both for missiles and assigned bombers. We are learning 
valuable lessons from the two facilities currently awarded, which will 
help us design and build the more complex facility at Minot 
effectively. These lessons learned will incorporate cost effectiveness 
in the Minot WGF.
                                 ______
                                 
             Questions Submitted to General John W. Raymond
              Questions Submitted by Senator Patrick Leahy
                   space force readiness improvements
    Question. Given the administration's priority of taking care of our 
people, and the important role that unit cohesion plays in improving 
readiness, it is crucial that the [Space] Force take a fresh look at 
policies and practices that may not support all service members. To 
that end, please outline what changes, if any, the [Space] Force has 
made, is making, plans to make, or is considering in order to:
    Improve diversity in leadership positions;
    Answer. To improve diversity in leadership positions, the United 
States Space Force (USSF) is taking intentional steps in the following 
areas:
  --Leveraging the platform of Selection Boards to increase diverse 
        representation, including:
    --Senior Enlisted Leader Development Teams (SEL DT) for Command 
            Chief Boards (CCB)
    --Development Teams for Squadron Command and Director of Operations 
            Boards
    --Command Screening Boards for Delta and Garrison Command positions
    These efforts have begun to yield positive results such as 75 
        percent of the new Chiefs from the SEL DT and 32 percent of the 
        new Commanders from the CSB are of diverse representation.
  --Increasing diversity and inclusion acumen among USSF leadership 
        through education improving diversity and enhancing team 
        performance skills. Current courses include:
    --Pre-Command Course
    --Squadron Command Course
    --Senior Leadership Officer Course
  --Expanding Project Aristotle across the Force rather than for just 
        one targeted Guardian population.'' Project Aristotle is a 
        homegrown USSF program that has two distinct goals: (1) Match 
        USSF General Officers (Development Coaches) with every O-6 
        Guardians (Mentees) to grow USSF senior leaders into strategic 
        leaders that can lead brilliantly across a dynamic 
        environment--deliberately focusing on human and soft skills 
        growth; (2) Assist with placement of an extremely capable and 
        diverse O-6 candidate pool into the right USSF assignment at 
        the right time. Currently, all of my O-6 and O-6 (Select) 
        Guardians are matched with a general officer. Moving forward, 
        the USSF plans to expand the program more broadly across the 
        force.
  --Revising the entire O-6 management process to handle the 
        development and assignment of each officer individually.
    Question. Improve diversity retention at all levels;
    Answer. The United States Space Force is fostering a culture that 
is resilient and inclusive. Through the integration of evidence-based 
best practices and benchmarks, we aim to create a work environment that 
is cohesive and collaborative. The following have been implemented:
  --Recently signed policy to establish diverse pool for candidates on 
        non-statutory boards. This initiative develops our Guardians, 
        enhances retention, and serve as a developmental experience 
        helping prepare members for future Senior Leadership 
        opportunities.
  --Space Force Chief Human Capital Officer co-leads the Department of 
        the Air Force Barrier Analysis Working Groups, alongside the 
        Air Force's Office of Diversity and Inclusion (SAF/ODI) and 
        Manpower, Personnel and Services (AF/A1). These senior leaders 
        provide oversight of various affinity groups to include but not 
        limited to the Women's Initiative Team, Hispanic Empowerment 
        Action Team and the Black Employment Strategic Team. These 
        groups provide an environment conducive to networking, 
        enhancing belonging, and raising concerns or issues affecting 
        these populations to Senior Departmental leadership for 
        awareness, guidance, and actions.
  --Initiated formal intern programs, expanding access to new talent, 
        supporting Space Force's contributions to National Defense, 
        while growing Space-related competencies and retaining diverse 
        talent. Two programs being used are:
    --Premier College Intern Program. These interns are college majors 
            in Computer Science, Cyber, and Information Systems 
            programs.
    --Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings Intern Program, which 
            provides Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets the 
            opportunity to conduct their summer intern program within 
            USSF. The objective is to allow access to the cadets to 
            learn new skills and increase their knowledge on the space 
            mission and contributions to National Defense.
  --Executed Space Force's first-ever Sword Athena titled ``Women In 
        Space.'' Sword Athena provides female Guardians a professional 
        development forum and networking mechanism. It was deliberately 
        designed to inform, inspire and motivate Guardians.
  --Partnered with Air Force Recruiting Service (AFRS) to establish a 
        dedicated cadre of recruiters to conduct targeted Guardian 
        recruitment in underrepresented communities. These dedicated 
        recruiters will brand the USSF, while educating and informing 
        potential applicants, influencers, and civic leaders about the 
        benefits of becoming a Guardian, and why the USSF should be 
        considered a premium career choice.
  --Established the University Partnership Program (UPP), promoting 
        diversity through partnerships with diverse institutions, 
        including Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) 
        and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Under UPP, the USSF 
        will provide educational scholarships and commissioning 
        opportunities to underrepresented members attending select 
        universities. Additionally, the USSF is establishing Junior 
        Reserve Officer Training Corps units at selected high schools 
        to seed opportunities in underrepresented communities.
  --Focused Space Force military and civilian recruitment initiatives 
        on expanding the pool of potential STEM applicants from a 
        diverse cross-section of our nation by leveraging partnerships 
        with academia, industry, and other government agencies that 
        promote and provide opportunities for underrepresented groups 
        to pursue science and technology-focused degrees and career 
        opportunities.
    Question. Improve trainings, including sexual assault prevention, 
with input from women, LGBTQ service members, BIPOC service members, 
and sexual assault survivors;
    Answer. The Space Force is committed to improving training that 
improves the lives all of our diverse Airmen and Guardians while 
promoting a sense of belonging to the Space Force. The Space Force is 
working hard to ensure our training is evidenced based and includes 
considerations of and input from many vulnerable populations including 
women, LGBTQ service members, BIPOC service members, and both male and 
female sexual assault survivors. We are working closely with the DoD 
Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military and the 
Interpersonal Violence Taskforce; and we have developed a prevention 
plan of action to improve prevention efforts that provide a foundation 
for concrete actions to address interpersonal and self-directed 
violence. We are committed to providing a respectful, inclusive 
environment for all Airmen and Guardians, and taking all appropriate 
steps to improve.
    Question. Increase availability and accessibility of mental health 
support services for Service members and their families, including 
services tailored specifically toward minority service members;
    Answer. To maximize the availability of our mental health services, 
the Department of the Air Force (DAF) has sought to create mental 
health clinic workflows to match patient needs and increase 
efficiencies. Through the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown period, the DAF 
expanded its tele-mental health services 3600 percent compared to 2019. 
The DAF mental health enterprise was able to sustain 90 percent of its 
2019 care operations levels during this period.
    Furthermore, in order to improve readiness and support of 
Guardians, the Air Force Surgeon General established an Office of 
Diversity and Inclusion. This office is actively working with the 
Defense Health Agency to evaluate and intentionally seek to correct 
disparities in healthcare delivery.
    Question. Improve outreach to and support for minority service 
members facing discrimination from within their units; and
    Answer. The Space Force continues to evaluate and refine the Out 
and About outreach program used to gather equal opportunity and human 
relations information that may impact service members.
    The Installation Equal Opportunity Director is responsible for 
scheduling Out and About Assessments in coordination with unit 
leadership and ensures unit leadership receives a summary of 
observations following the assessments. Observations and discussions 
focus on EO, human relations and organizational effectiveness factors 
that impact morale and mission readiness to include, but are not 
limited to: Interpersonal communication/interaction/polarization (break 
rooms, work areas, recreation/entertainment facilities, etc.); 
Accessibility to unit leadership; Bulletin board and public display 
items (individual/group recognition, policy letters/posters, etc.); 
Workplace conditions/environment; Dormitory conditions/environment; 
Graffiti; Personal display of pictures, posters, artifacts, etc.; and 
overall general impressions. Information gathered throughout the 
assessment is used as part of the overall Organizational Climate 
Assessment Program.
    Question. Improve medical care for transgender service members, 
women, and Black parents, particularly for transition care, pregnancy, 
and post-partum care.
    Answer. In order to improve readiness and support of Guardians, the 
DAF established a Transgender Health Medical Evaluation Unit (THMEU) at 
Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The THMEU operates under a patient-
centered care model that ensures compliance with Department of Defense 
(DoD), DAF, and Defense Health Agency policies and transgender 
healthcare clinical guidelines, regardless of where the Guardian is 
assigned.
    In addition to the THMEU, the Department of the Air Force Surgeon 
General established an Office of Diversity and Inclusion Office to 
improve readiness and support of Guardians who are minority service 
members. This office is also working with the DHA to evaluate and 
intentionally address disparities in healthcare delivery, which would 
include pregnancy and postpartum care.
    On top of these efforts, the DAF is also focused on improving the 
pregnancy and postpartum care provided to Guardians, particularly with 
a focus on return to duty and readiness. For example, Air Force 
Instruction on Duty Limiting Conditions (48-133) was updated to allow 
fitness assessment exemptions following perinatal loss (miscarriage and 
stillbirth). A parallel update regarding convalescent leave after such 
losses is currently pending revisions to Air Force Manual on Tricare 
Operations and Patient Administration (41-210). Additionally, updates 
were made to breast feeding policies (AFGM2020-36-01) to improve 
Guardians' access to breast pumping resources and milk storage, as well 
as increase flexibility in scheduling pumping time during the duty day.

                          SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS

    Senator Tester. Next week, the full Appropriations 
Committee will hear testimony from the Secretary of Defense and 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. That will be on June 
17th at 10 a.m.
    This Defense Subcommittee will reconvene on Tuesday, June 
22 at 10 a.m. to hear from the Army leadership on the fiscal 
year 2022 Army budget request.
    And with that, this committee stands in recess.
    [Whereupon, at 3:31 p.m., Tuesday, June 8, the subcommittee 
was recessed, to reconvene at 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 22.]