Officers with the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Space Force testified in a Senate subcommittee hearing that their services are ready and capable, but that budget challenges remain.
U.S. Air Force Deputy Chief for Operations Lt. Gen. Adrian Spain, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, and U.S. Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein testified before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support that the Air Force and Space Force are ready to defend the United States, but they are doing so with budgetary constraints, especially if Congress passes a Continuing Resolution to keep the government from shutting down.
“Today’s Airmen will do so with the oldest airplanes, the smallest force and with fewer monthly flying hours than at any point in our history,” Spain said. “Airmen have, and always will, get the job done, but today they do so at elevated risk.”
Space Force, the five-year-old newest member of the U.S. Armed Forces, has been “purpose built,” Guetlein said, and is “accelerating our transformation as a warfighting service.” However, he said, more is needed as Space Force is under-resourced to meet the growing demand for space capabilities.
“We must increase investment to deter the threat and, if necessary, decisively defeat challenges to U.S. space superiority,” Guetlein said. “The strategic choices we make today will determine whether space remains a domain for peace and progress or becomes a contested battleground for future conflict,” he added.
Space and its rapidly changing circumstance require Space Force and the rest of the country to adapt faster to maintain a strategic advantage.
“As access to, and use of, space grows, the strategic landscape in space is becoming increasingly complex and perilous,” Guetlein said. “What were once theoretical threats are now daily occurrences. I have observed our adversaries’ actions, and they are employing new capabilities to counter our advantage. Our competitors are jamming GPS signals, spoofing and disrupting satellite communications, and developing advanced anti-satellite weapons. Unfortunately, these behaviors have become the norm rather than the exception, creating an increasingly hostile environment and putting at risk our continued freedom in the space domain.”
Both said the prospect of a continuing resolution to extend the budget from last fiscal year, may prevent a government shutdown, but will hamper the military’s ability to operate, as it restricts how the funds can be used. Continuing Resolutions only provide funding for existing programs and would not be available for new technology and modernization. Additionally, Continuing Resolutions do not adjust for inflation, meaning the forces’ buying power is reduced. Spain testified the financial hit was close to $14 billion.
Guetlein said the ban on “new starts” is of particular concern.
“We are seeing an enormous amount of threats emerging every single year and it is very hard to get after those threats when you have to wait two to four years to get the budget,” Guetlein said. “We need budget flexibility for new start authority, (and) the ability to move money between programs would be hugely beneficial.”