Today, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following opening statement, as prepared for delivery, at the Full Committee's hearing entitled, "Space Warfighting Readiness: Policies, Authorities, and Capabilities." For testimony and other information and to watch the hearing click here.
"Last month when Secretary Mattis testified on the new National Defense Strategy, he said 'our competitive edge has eroded in every domain of warfare - air, land, sea, space, and cyber.'
That statement has two relevant points to today's hearing. First, space is a domain of warfare, not just an enabler. Second, we are falling behind where we should be when it comes to space. Today's hearing will discuss how we can catch up.
As we refocus our defense efforts on strategic rivals, it is clear that they are putting significant effort into space. I believe that the American people still do not fully realize how dependent our country is on space, not just for military and intelligence purposes, but in our every day lives as well. That dependence creates a vulnerability, which, like in the other domains, we must count on the American military to protect.
This Committee has focused a lot on readiness and rebuilding our military. When it comes to space, there are a number of questions that need answers. Where should we be making our investments? Are we attracting and then developing the right kind of space warfighters? Perhaps most crucially, are we putting the appropriate intellectual effort into space as a warfighting domain? We look forward to insights that our witnesses today can give us.
Finally, I would point out that this committee has been very active in trying to prepare the military and the nation for the challenges of space. We have streamlined Air Force acquisition authorities, eliminated red tape, empowered a single accountable organization for space forces within the Air Force, and empowered the Deputy Secretary of Defense to oversee Air Force space reform efforts, among other things. But we will not relax our effort. This topic is just too important."
