"Our continued success is contingent upon predictable, adequate, sustained & timely funding" @DeptofDefense SecDef @EsperDoD tells #SASC re FY2021 budget, asking for on-time passage of $705.4 billion budget which "does not keep pace w/inflation"
Per @EsperDoD, the proposed budget contains "significant investments" in #hypersonics #microelectronics #5G autonomous systems &#ArtificialIntelligence
#Russia #OpenSkies treaty - "They have been cheating for many years" per @EsperDoD
"We need to speak out more clearly abt Russian non-compliance...I have a lot of concerns"
"We need to speak out more clearly abt Russian non-compliance...I have a lot of concerns"
#SASC ranking member @SenJackReed asks about vacancies at senior level @DeptofDefense positions
@EsperDoD says of 60 slots, 39 are filled, 2 nominees waiting for floor vote, 4 nominees in committee, 2 intents to nominate and others behind them, leaving 6 slots with no nominee
@EsperDoD says of 60 slots, 39 are filled, 2 nominees waiting for floor vote, 4 nominees in committee, 2 intents to nominate and others behind them, leaving 6 slots with no nominee
"I don't think the situation is as dire as some may think" pr @EsperDoD "We have very capable people in the positions"
.@SenJackReed asks about @POTUS decision to pull the nomination of Elaine McCusker
"Elaine is a very capable & dedicated public servant but the president has the right choose his members" per @EsperDoD
"Elaine is a very capable & dedicated public servant but the president has the right choose his members" per @EsperDoD
"You should have a critical voice in all these nominations" @SenJackReed tells @EsperDoD "If you didn't have it in this case, I think that is a problem which I hope we can address"
Billions of defense dollars for the #BorderWall - "Explain to me how we can feel comfortable w/raiding the defense budget at a time when you're telling us you have needs & are expecting shortfall?" @SenatorShaheen asks @EsperDoD
"If you can divert that kind of money for the border wall ... we should give you additional funding to address other areas of need?" per @SenatorShaheen
"The southwest border was declared a nat'l emergency by the president" per @EsperDoD
"The southwest border was declared a nat'l emergency by the president" per @EsperDoD
"The larger issue is w/modernizing the force. We're talking about some big investments" per @EsperDoD "The demands there pale in comparison to what is being used to support DHS on the wall"
#NorthKorea ballistic missile threat "becoming increasingly complicated as they seek to modernize" per @EsperDoD at #SASC
#Hypersonics soonish
"I'm very confident that in the next few years we'll be deploying hypersonic weapons as the commanders need them..in the #IndoPacific theater in particular" @EsperDoD tells #SASC
"I'm very confident that in the next few years we'll be deploying hypersonic weapons as the commanders need them..in the #IndoPacific theater in particular" @EsperDoD tells #SASC
#Afghanistan - "We have a historic opportunity here" @EsperDoD tells #SASC days after US signed agreement w/#Taliban & as Taliban violence suddenly surges
"The result so far have been mixed" per Esper
"The result so far have been mixed" per Esper
NEW: #Afghanistan agreement - "The #Taliban are honoring their piece of it in terms of not attacks US & coalition forces" per @EsperDoD "...but not in terms of sustaining the reduction in violence"
"There were a variety of attacks in the last 24-48 hours. They were all beaten back" per @thejointstaff Chairman Gen Mark Milley "They were at small, little outposts"
#Afghanistan
#Afghanistan
"We're on Day 4" per Gen Milley "This was a small, lower level attacks"
"Of significance, there's no attacks in 34 provincial capitals. There's no attacks in #Kabul. There's no high-profile attacks. There's no suicide bombers" per Milley
"Of significance, there's no attacks in 34 provincial capitals. There's no attacks in #Kabul. There's no high-profile attacks. There's no suicide bombers" per Milley
"Of significance there's no attacks in 34 provincial capitals. There's no attacks in #Kabul. There's no high-profile attacks. There's no suicide bombers..." per Gen Milley "There's a whole laundry list of these things that aren't happening"
"Keeping that group of people on board is a challenge" @EsperDoD say of #Taliban ability to control its fighters "They've got their range of hardliners & softliners and they're wrestling with that too, I think"
re #Afghanistan
re #Afghanistan
US strike vs #Iran Qods Force Commander Qassem #Soleimani "Taking him off the battlefield has set back the #IRGC & the Iranian gvt in regards to spreading their malign activity" per @EsperDoD "We have restored deterrence to a degree"
"I still believe it was the right call"
"I still believe it was the right call"
"Absolutely think it was the right call" per @thejointstaff's Gen Mark Milley
"I second the idea that we reestablished deterrence" Milley adds, saying he would be happy to explain why he thinks that in a classified setting
"I second the idea that we reestablished deterrence" Milley adds, saying he would be happy to explain why he thinks that in a classified setting
"I believe the intelligence was compelling" Gen Milley adds of need to carry out strike vs #Iran's #Soleimani to stop attack on US targets
"I believe that I, Sec Esper, the president & many many others would have been culpably negligent had we not taken the action we did"
"I believe that I, Sec Esper, the president & many many others would have been culpably negligent had we not taken the action we did"
"...many Americans would have died as a result" if US had NOT taken out #Iran's Qassem #Soleimani, per Gen Milley
