Reports
House Armed Services Committee Hearing: “FY25 Strategic Forces Posture”
U.S. House Armed Services Committee
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Hearing
“FY25 Strategic Forces Posture”
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Introduction
The U.S. House Armed Services (HASC) Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a hearing entitled “FY25 Strategic Forces Posture” on Thursday, March 21, 2024. The purpose of the hearing was to review the United States’ strategic forces posture for FY 2025 and assess the related programs, capabilities, and priorities. During the hearing, the witnesses provided an overview of the current U.S. nuclear, space, and missile defense, as well as advancements made by adversaries, particularly the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia. Specifically, the witnesses discussed deterrence strategies, the role of the commercial space industry, and the importance of spectrum management and electromagnetic interference.
Key Highlights
- Witnesses cited Russia and the PRC as key pacing threats, noting that the U.S. must modernize its current strategic capabilities to keep pace with the rapid development and modernization of potential adversaries’ warfighting capabilities.
- The U.S. commercial space industry was mentioned as a key strategic asset for the U.S. in the space domain, especially pertaining to rapid capability development.
Witnesses
- The Honorable John Plumb, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
- USAF General Anthony Cotton, Commander, U.S. Strategic Command
- USSF General Stephen Whiting, Commander, U.S. Space Command
- USAF General Gregory M. Guillot, Commander, U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command
Opening Statements
Subcommittee Chairman Doug Lamborn (R-CO)
In his opening statement, Chairman Lamborn emphasized the critical timing of the hearing, given the rapid pace of development by adversaries. He specifically noted ‘growing threats posed to U.S. space assets and the joint force by Chinese and Russian space weapons.’ A classified hearing followed the public hearing. Given time constraints, Chairman Lamborn submitted his opening statement for the record. Read the Full Statement.
Subcommittee Ranking Member Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Ranking Member Moulton submitted his opening statement for the record, given the time constraints of the hearing. Ranking Member Moulton noted that ‘Russia is developing a space weapon that would violate the Outer Space Treaty, and would target critical national security satellites in orbit,’ and that the PRC is ‘launching satellites that have concerning military utility, putting U.S. systems at risk.’ Ranking Member Moulton acknowledged the continued classification in the space domain, expressing a desire to appropriately classify space programs to better explain budgetary investments in space capabilities. Read the Full Statement.
Witness Testimony
The Honorable John Plumb, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
In his testimony, Dr. Plumb stated that the U.S. is in a highly dynamic and challenging security environment, with competitors that are rapidly fielding space and counterspace capabilities. Dr. Plumb noted that the president’s FY25 budget request makes critical investments in the DoD’s Strategic Forces posture, with 33.7 billion for space capabilities. In this portfolio, the DOD is also investing in its network of allies and partners. Dr. Plumb also stated that space capabilities are critical to deterrence capabilities and the ability to prevail in conflict. Read the Full Statement.
USAF General Anthony Cotton, Commander, U.S. Strategic Command
In his testimony, General Cotton noted that the United States is confronting two nuclear peers: the PRC and Russia. Legacy systems keep potential adversaries at risk, but modernization is required to keep pace. Modernization will continue to be a strategic priority. Read the Full Statement.
USSF General Stephen Whiting, Commander, U.S. Space Command
In his testimony, General Whiting noted that strategic competitors threaten U.S. and allied capabilities and that actions taken by the PRC and Russia have transformed space into a contested warfighting domain. He stated that USSPACECOM’s moral responsibility to the joint force, the nation, and its allies is to provide space capabilities through all levels of competition and conflict. General Whiting noted that the U.S. military services are sized with the assumption of continuous access to space, which makes protecting and defending space systems against growing threats strategically critical. A component of this responsibility is protecting the joint force from space-enabled attacks. General Whiting stated that it is vital that the command delivers improved capability and capacity by 2027 to attain an enduring advantage over adversaries. Read the Full Statement.
USAF General Gregory M. Guillot, Commander, U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command
In his testimony, General Guillot stated that NORAD and USNORTHCOM depend on robust space-based capabilities to execute critical missions. General Guillot referenced the national defense strategy, which states that the PRC remains the pacing challenge for the U.S., as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) grows and modernizes at a rapid pace. General Guillot also noted that Russia is “an immediate concern” due to its nuclear stockpile and its capacity to strike inside North America. General Guillot also identified North Korea and Iran as strategic risks. Upon taking command, General Guillot began a 90-day assessment of NORAD and USNORTHCOM’s ability to execute assigned tasks. The findings will be shared with the DOD, the Joint Force, and Congress once complete. Read the Full Statement.
Question & Answer
In response to a question by Ranking Member Moulton, Dr. Plumb stated that the Strategic Posture Commission has released a bipartisan report that examines the issue of having two nuclear adversaries. Dr. Plumb states that deterrence is sufficient now, but adjustments will have to be made in the future due to the rapid modernization of the PRC.
In response to a question by Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA), General Whiting stated that the commercial space industry is one of the U.S.’s principal advantages. General Whiting stated that the American commercial space industry is outpacing commercial industry from the rest of the world. General Whiting noted several means of partnership with the commercial industry, including information sharing through the Commercial Integration Cell at Vandenberg Space Force Base and the leveraging of services provided by commercial companies.
In response to a question by Rep. Carbajal (D-CA), General Whiting stated that the biggest challenge in the space domain today is the speed at which the PRC is developing its space and counterspace capabilities. In particular, General Whiting noted the development of counterspace weapon systems and the use of space to enable terrestrial forces. To respond to these challenges, General Whiting asked Congress to continue to invest in USSF and other services that provide capabilities to USSPACECOM. General Whiting noted several key actions to make current satellite constellations more resilient: developing systems that protect and defend constellations, developing capabilities to protect the joint force from space-enabled capabilities of other actors, and creating a testing and training environment for space systems.
In response to a question by Rep. Carbajal, Dr. Plumb reinforced the importance of launching quickly, citing Victus Nox as an exercise in tactically responsive launches. Dr. Plumb called the U.S. commercial space industry an “economic engine that we should all be proud of.” Dr. Plumb then noted the work of the Space Development Agency (SDA), which is ‘trying to get the government to move faster’ and ‘trying to build on the best of what is currently available’, and recommended Congress to continue to encourage these efforts, even in instances of setbacks.
Rep. Carbajal (D-CA) entered a question into the record on responsible behavior and deterring dangerous behavior, in space.
In response to a question by Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Dr. Plumb stated that the value of spectrum in warfighting and the ability to operate in reserved bands will continue to grow in importance, especially when focusing on the PRC as a pacing threat.
In response to a question by Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), General Whiting noted the importance of the EW spectrum in satellite communications. General Whiting noted that a joint EM office has been set up in USSPACECOM, which assesses the impact of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and jamming.