Hearing of the House Armed Services Committee on the Budget Request for the Army

Federal News Service

HEADLINE: HEARING OF THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE ARMY

CHAIRED BY: REPRESENTATIVE DUNCAN HUNTER (R-CA)

LOCATION: 2118 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D.C.

WITNESSES: ACTING ARMY SECRETARY LES BROWNLEE; ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF GENERAL PETER SCHOOMAKER

BODY:
REP. HUNTER: The committee will come to order. This morning the committee will continue its review of the fiscal year 2005 defense budget requests with a look at the Department of the Army. Our witnesses today are the Honorable Les Brownlee, acting secretary of the Army, and General Peter J. Schoomaker, United States Army chief of staff of the Army. Welcome to the committee, gentlemen.

This year's defense budget requests is $98.5 billion for the Department of the Army, which is $5.2 billion more than the fiscal year 2004 peacetime budget. Unlike similar hearings in the past, today we don't have to theorize about how the Army is doing or will do in the field of battle. Today's Army has been and continues to be on the front lines in the war on terror.

As we speak, Army forces are hunting down terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq, rebuilding these nations from the devastating effects of years of tyrannical rule while, at the same time, undertaking fundamental reforms in order to better defend our interests well into this century. While our troops are deployed around the world, it's our responsibility back home to give them all of our support and every tool they need to accomplish the mission. Since the attacks of September -- 9/11 -- I believe it's fair to say that we have all worked towards that end no matter our politics or districts. This year must be no different.

We can start by, at a minimum, fully funding the president's budget request for the next fiscal year. That does not necessarily mean accepting it as is or without scrutiny, but we should agree that no matter what debate follows as part of our normal process, we must make sure that our troops in the field-fighting-receive all the resources they need to carry out their mission as effectively and safely as possible. Funding the president's requested defense budget top line is an essential start point toward that goal.

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REP. JEB BRADLEY (R-NH): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, General Schoomaker, Secretary Brownlee.

Secretary Brownlee, in particular I want to applaud you for your work over the last few months and your effort to protect our troops from shoulder-fired infrared missiles in Iraq. There have been a number of incidents in which helicopters have been lost in Iraq and many of us here on the Hill are watching with great interest what the Army's reaction to these losses is going to be. And I'm particularly pleased with your statement this morning that it is going to be your highest priority for force protection.

My questions-I have three of them-it's my understanding the helicopter anti-missile program, ATIRCM-which means Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures System-will provide the Army helicopter crews with the next generation of protection, utilizing a laser jammer to defeat missiles. Given what the Army has learned in Iraq, what are your plans to accelerate that production effort?

SEC. BROWNLEE: Yes sir. We have-definitely have plans to accelerate it, sir. You should know also that we call-I had another meeting for industry, for anybody involved in aircraft survivability equipment of this nature. We brought them in and we told-asked them also, "Please leave your proprietary interests at the door. We want to get this problem fixed. It's for our aviators, and we've got to fix it quickly." Everybody pitched in. It has resulted in the acceleration of that program.

What-what General Schoomaker and I have proposed with the-the revitalization of army aviation will provide additional resources to accelerate that and broaden that in scope. Right now, our first priority is, of course, aircraft in theater, and we're working very hard on that.

The ATIRCMS program is dependent on some technology with a multi- band laser that is being worked on, and we hope it comes to fruition very soon. In the meanwhile, we're going ahead and wiring aircraft in advance to take the new warning system, the CMAWS, which I'm sure you're familiar with, which will give us additional warning, fewer false alarms, we believe, and enable the ATIRCMS to function better.

This is clearly, sir, a game where-it's not a game-but it's-but it's-there are actions where the enemy adapts to what we do, and we have to adapt to what they do, and we're trying to get ahead of that curve.

Pete, you could probably --

GEN. SCHOOMAKER: No, I-I don't have anything to add. I think that you had it right on.

REP. BRADLEY: Let me press on with this for a moment.

SEC. BROWNLEE: Okay, sir.

REP. BRADLEY: It's my understanding the preferred solution for the aircraft is an ATIRCM with a multi-band laser. And last year I supported a $7 million budget enhancement for the continued development of MBL for ATIRCM. Now, I understand the funding will help ensure that this next generation of lasers is inserted in the second lot of ATIRCM. So, what's the status of that effort and the timeline for implementation?

SEC. BROWNLEE: Sir, if I could take that for the record, I'll get back to you and lay it out for you, because-the reason I don't have it on my fingertips-because we have been revising it in real time. Let me see if I've got it here.

REP. BRADLEY: If you want to take that for the record, that's fine.

SEC. BROWNLEE: Okay, let me do that.

REP. BRADLEY: Why don't-let me ask my last question, if I might. It's also my understanding that there may be an effort to take one part of an aircraft countermeasures program, specifically a multi- band laser, and insert it in the current ATIRCM program, thus mixing components of two manufacturers and products. Would this not be more difficult, more risky, thereby also being more costly and time consuming than completing the funding on the MBL specifically designed for ATIRCM?

SEC. BROWNLEE: You sound almost like me, sir. I asked the same questions, but there are those who believe this might be doable. In this meeting that I described to you, where I had people from various aerospace firms in who are involved in these businesses-the two companies involved decided they would sit down and see if they could work together on that, and they are doing that as we speak. So, we'll see what the result of that is. If it results in a better defensive system faster, then we're going to do it. If it doesn't, then we won't.

REP. BRADLEY: But that's your priority, is the soonest possible implementation --

SEC. BROWNLEE: Yes sir.

REP. BRADLEY: -- and the best way to protect American soldiers?

SEC. BROWNLEE: The soonest, most effective protection, sir.

REP. BRADLEY: Great. Thank you very much.