00:00Thank you, Senator King. Senator Rounds.
00:04Thank you, Madam Chair. Once again, thank you all for your service to our country.
00:11General Boussier, the B-21 program is critical to the future bomber leg of the triad.
00:20Based on what you know of the current and projected demand commensurate to a great power competition paradigm
00:25with two near-peer nuclear adversaries.
00:30How many B-21s do you believe would be optimally needed to support U.S. war plans and deterrence?
00:37And what do you think the key drivers are going to be with regard to managing the procurement and sustainment
00:43right now based on what you're seeing and recognizing that I think there's a lot of us
00:50who would like to see these B-21s come on at a higher rate than what they're currently planned for.
00:55But this is probably one of the best examples of a system which is working.
00:59It's on time. It's on budget.
01:01Can you share with us a little bit about what you think the needs are for this particular platform?
01:05Senator Rounds, I'm very pleased with the progress so far of the B-21 radar platform.
01:11As the committee is aware, we've had first flight.
01:14We have one aircraft T-1 as in testing, developmental testing out at Edwards Air Force Base.
01:20And we have a classified number on the production line.
01:25Ellsworth Air Force Base is the first installation we'll field to B-21.
01:29And our construction projects to bed down that weapon system are going very well.
01:33Also, as well as the repair to the runway to field that capability.
01:38As the committee is aware, the program of record currently is at least 100.
01:42The Air Force back in 2018 and 19, I believe, testified before Congress that the right number at that time potentially could be as high as 145.
01:53And I understand General Cotton testified that to that effect this year.
01:58I support assessing the increase of the production from 100 to 145.
02:03But I think the real question for the department and for the nation is what's the right mix of long-range strike platforms versus other strike platforms?
02:13It's a reasonable question the nation has asked several times in the last year or two.
02:20And there are ongoing efforts, I believe, both on the Hill and in the Department of Defense to assess what the correct number of long-range strike platforms are in the Department of the Air Force.
02:29And I think part of that also goes back to what exactly will the threat be.
02:35And part of what we're asking to be developed based on the NDAA last year was a study anyway as to how we handle two different theaters at the same time.
02:43Because there's a general consensus out there that if we're going to have a significant problem with one of our near-period adversaries in one theater,
02:51a very high probability that we'd have a similar threat develop in a second theater.
02:56Thus, putting the demand out there to be able to respond in both locations with appropriate platforms.
03:03I'm going to come over to Dr. Vann for just a second.
03:06Can you share a little bit about the direction that you see the approach taking?
03:11And I know that either we talk about a new defense strategy, we look at revising somehow our current one.
03:21Can you share with us a little bit about the direction that you see in terms of our strategic response and what we can expect from the administration?
03:31Sure.
03:31Yes, sir.
03:33Secretary Hegseth, of course, approved an interim national defense strategic guidance classified document,
03:40which really goes into some details about how the DOD is going to implement President Trump's peace through strength kind of agenda.
03:49And in there, there was some discussion about the prioritizing, excuse me, planning, resourcing decisions
03:59that will be kind of entered into with a full national defense strategy.
04:04And as you know, the NDS requires a review of our force, size, shape, posture, considerations,
04:11and all of the detailed prioritization of the threats, missions, and major investments.
04:17And we do anticipate an in-depth look in the NDS on our nuclear strategy and our posture,
04:26especially in this kind of new geopolitical environment.
04:32And I would anticipate broadly nuclear strategy and posture will be leveraging the work of things like the Strategic Posture Commission's analysis,
04:42as well as some of the updated information that we have about the geopolitical threat environment.
04:48Do you have a timeline?
04:48Sir, it is just begun, and it is just underway, and our policy colleagues are working on pulling that together as we speak.
05:00Thank you, Madam Chair.
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