Hearing of the House Defense Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee - Fiscal Year 2016 Defense Appropriations bill

Hearing

Chairman Frelinghuysen, Ranking Member Visclosky, and other Members of this
Subcommittee:

Thank you for providing me with this opportunity to share my thoughts on matters that I believe
the Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) Department of Defense Appropriations Act should thoroughly
consider. The work of this subcommittee is no small task, and I am grateful for your steadfast
dedication to fulfilling the most important Constitutional responsibility of Congress, to provide
for our common defense.

Firstly, I would like to discuss the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program and Condition Based
Maintenance capabilities. As described by the Navy, LCS "is a fast, agile, focused-mission
platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean
operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric "anti-access' threats such as mines, quiet diesel
submarines and fast surface craft." Funding through the Rapid Innovation Fund program has
been utilized by the Navy for the development and testing of an advanced Condition Based
Maintenance and distance support capability for the LCS. This capability will increase combat
readiness, streamline LCS' ability to perform combat system element advance maintenance
planning and execution, and enable reliable and secure transmission of combat system data to
meet current and future Navy cybersecurity advancements. I urge the subcommittee to ensure
continued funding for this program and technology.

Secondly, on a recent visit to MacDill Air Force Base, I had the opportunity to meet with
military personnel at U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and U.S. Central Command
(CENTCOM). Mr. Chairman, I know that you understand and appreciate the work and security
that these Commands provide to the American people. This has been evident through the
support you've provided SOCOM and CENTCOM over the years. I wholeheartedly thank you
and the subcommittee for that. On this occasion, I would like to draw your attention to the
importance of SOCOM's Special Operations Forces Acquisition, Technology and Logistics
(SOF AT&L) Science and Technology (S&T) Accounts. SOCOM SOF AT&L's aim is to apply
and invest resources to provide asymmetric advantage for our Special Operations Forces (SOF).

During the past few years, S&T accounts have provided capabilities of decisive importance that
directly support SOF missions, to include: 4 major types of tags/taggants; unattended ground
sensors; 8 communications/dissemination capabilities; 1 portable biometrics/forensics rapid
DNA device; 2 technical support systems; Military Information Support Operations (MISO)
program projects; and 5 Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT)/Signals Intelligence (SIGINT)
payloads/devices. It's of the utmost importance that we provide adequate resources to ensure our
men and women in uniform maintain the technological advantage on the battlefield, and for this
reason I urge the subcommittee's continued support of SOCOM Science and Technology
programs.

Thirdly, with the sophistication behind cyber threats growing on a daily basis, it is critical that
we provide our Armed Forces with the capabilities and resources necessary to maintain effective
cyber defenses. Sufficient resources are necessary for maintaining and improving CENTCOM's
cyber operations, which include cybersecurity technical support, Computer Network Defense
products and solutions, Identity Management, and Cyber Situational Awareness/Common
Operating Picture (SA/COP) capabilities. Throughout the CENTCOM Theater, any shortfalls in
cybersecurity will hinder the Commander's ability to detect adversarial activity and maintain
real-time situational awareness, which is a necessity for posturing and maneuvering cyber
forces. I urge the subcommittee to consider this issue when finalizing Department of Defense
funding.

In closing, I would like to express my appreciation for this opportunity to provide testimony as to
what I believe our FY2016 Defense Appropriations bill should encompass. I look forward to
working with you and the other members of the subcommittee during the 114th Congress to
ensure that our nation's defense spending is thoroughly debated and is carried out in the most
responsible way to protect our nation and her people.

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