Senate Armed Services committee what this is just under two hours. [inaudible] good morning. Testimony from gregory and commander north American Aerospace temp command and richardson. Evacuate nonessential personnel. This involves both of your commands to various degrees and resources in support to responda National Security as principal command. The first priorities outlined in the National Defense strategy is defending the homeland, thats posed by theple china. As we see threats from other competitors, unconfident the common defense evolved. The defense policy guidance this challenge and whensked for a update and how it will transform the department from of the urgency estimates over the past year with the chinese surveillance balloons and other unidentified phenomena inhis case. These events raise concerns they may have an awarenessnd it must be secured to protect citizens technologies to provide protection. Id be no caps and what additional tools and resources are needed to overcome them. The u. S. Law enforcement for cartels engaged h■puman trafficking success Security Cooperation and the harm he had navy and working supporting the home and secury. Turning to southern command, there going challenges from china and russia america. The political and economic instability present a situation adversaries are white. China in particular is expanding network. Im interested in your assessment challenge with your latin america. ■n heco support transnational they are■ contravening to Overdose Deaths each year. The nations and other in these efforts and resources. You know security throughout his economic instability among violence and corruption continues to be a major source and security in the regi triangle, guatemala and el salvador. Id like to know your views what can be done and prove the situation. Thank you to our witnesses and i look forward to your a remindere a closed session following this hearing. Thank you and i want to thank our witnesses for being with us here. She clearly china and russia for these vulnerabilities at home and the western hemisphere in the 2022 National Defense strategy defense is a top priority a year end a half ago the Biden Administration has no matched that goal. Year after year the Biden Administration declined to punch the request for the radars for proper air defense and they remain unable togainst small drones. This presents a clear and significant vulnerability. Wargames to ignore resilience problems that arise in a potential coli the Biden Administration is to learn from its mistakes. Last year chinese blimp labs for last years defenses and a senior at Biden Administration officials congrel oversight ossified informationweek. They declined to production this defense value they finally did so with this committee mandating it and presided over distinguished chair. The spy balloon was a most prese crisis is the one of the southwest border. And the supply texaco using chinese precursor chemicals and mexicos criminal cartel, the worsen. The cartels areficking operatior open border and it is lucrative charging thousands and it is severe and so is the risk ofq . T terrorist infiltration. Cnn reported Human Smuggling Network with ties toped more than a dozen individuals enter our country illegally. In october, twohreat list were t as they cross the border from mexico. General, i recognize agencies responsibility of the southwest border and the dod is one of them. Explain the contributions included. We have■ challenges concerns about the chinese but in central and south america the Chinese Communist party using this playbook that predatory t gover. Simultaneously it enhances its military presence and limits access. Its happening right here and we cannot ignore it. Two quick examples two underscore making latin america dependent for Communications Technology something tried to do an hour entry incentives economic influence camping. I look forward to hearing how they directly impact stability of the region the threat they pose during National Security. How important is it . There other influences, maduro asserted provocative extraterritorialla sovereignty over a large portion of the neighboring nation of iona. This is so close is struggling troubling is the mismatch the requirements and resources received. We need to find ways to exert influence. For example, lets explore Strategic Capital i look forward general assessment of the most pressing and immediate to learn what congress can do to help. I note your name rhymes with cuba, is that right . G we expect both of you to live up to these. Thank you. Distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. It is my honor to represent the men and women of the Aerospace Defense command. As we, Canadian Military and personnel are dependent, events for multiple doctors and all domains. Only been in command a few weeks, it is clear the United States and of partners based extraordinarily complex strategic environment. Editors advanced kinetic systems designed for civilian and military infrastructure in north america and threshold. Competitors probably advanced these capabilitiesinfrastructur. Threats present in all domains and they include the arctic region. He remains a challenge and modernizes and grows the modern submarine of Hypersonic Weapons presenting challenges for Homeland Defense. While capabilities are a capability, its an immediate nationstate concern. Significant capacity to strike inside north and sea lost conventional weapons. Despite having lost and forces in ukraine pressing in systems that can threaten the United States and advanced submarines, hypersonic vehicles, icbms as well as cyber and undersea capabilities as well as development of systems for Nuclear Power cruise missile. Meanwhile north korea continues frederick while test launching longrange expanding ties with china and russia. Currently lack and capable district north america with longrange missiles investing i2 the capability and iran supports militant groups in the middle east and maintains Worldwide Network of operational surrogates. The most prevalent growing threats include cyber small Unmanned Aerial Systems employed until the u. S. Andanada against military infrastructure in ways not possible a few years ago. defense well beyond north america. Both commands are working in congress to awareness to detect, track and defeat threats systems. North america is an endeavor that requires to campaign against threats and all domains these approaches that requires exchange of information conventional operations f commun interagency and international partners. The importance of this c be overstated and a support the departments work to advance the joint command and control concepts as we seek to share information as quickly as possible with operators and decisionmakers around the world. A 90 day assessment through the Department Joint force and congress tocute a task and make recommendations on where commands could or should do more. Look forward to sharing findings on how they will best see the mission of, defense. Enges are rt there should be no doubt about the result to deter aggression and if necessary, defeat threats to our citizens. Ank you for theo appear before you this morning and am happy to answer your questions. Distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to be with you today. Im honored to represent the dedicated men and women with our neighbors in the caribbean. National Security Strategy recognizes the link between this security and our own security. We are harnessing the power of partnership from team usa in pport of democracy leveraging all instruments of national power. The clumsy, information, military and economics are partnering nations addressing the challenges that impact our collective security. Our shared neighborhood remains in crosscutting and challenges that are homeland. A call to action. Years ive made it my priority to meet partners where they are and listen and understand wt affects us all. Partners in the western hemisphere whom we are bonded by trade and valued, democratic traditions and family ties increasingly impacted by coercion. Im■■ learned our presence matters. The peoples republic of china and democracy i secret, intellectual property and Research Related to agriculture and healthcare. The scope and scale is unprecedented. An initiative aimed at power ane world democracies. The potential to fuel the world. Theyve already and is already extracting and exploiting. C predatory investment practices construction of these facilities and summer activities for a few of the activities that jeopardize the safety of the region. Russia remains an acute threat and bolstering regimes and cuba, nicaragua and venezuela. Iran ie their presence diplomatically and militarily in the region and these undermine democracies and challenge their credibility. China and russia exploit the presence of Transnational Criminal Organizations and amplify destabilizing governments. The topic weapons, drugs and people counterfeit goods judy to the surge of functional related deaths here at home. Th gds working with partners leading to the best defense all available levers to strengthen partnership with the 28 likeminded democracies in the hemisphere to understand the power of working together share. United states remains preferred most trusted Security Partner in the region. We trust investment and Security Cooperation programs to train and equip our partners in military security versus prograd interoperability and Development Employment of emerging technology. We maximize resources allocated by the States International military education and Training Programs for military financing and building interoperability and counterbalance military engagement and investment. The National Defense strategy states immense benefits from a stable, peaceful and democratic western hemisphere a threats toe homeland. Continuing to innovate and adapt puttin d everyday. Committed to working across allies and partners, combatant command, joint force and nonfederal agencies and u. S. Congress. His safety, security and prosperity in the western hemisphere. This is the work promised as part of team usa and Team Democracy and resourcing this team. And the power of our United States i look forward to your question. After all, in the record. [applause] let me say gaseous we have unmanned vehicles, cost cod developed procedure commanders dealing with these . They could show upinutes form the would penetrate the space. A system deal with them . Shortly after command, i realize the challenge of the largease something that would drive in command because of a number. The services do have authorities but will remains to be done to ensure resources are equipped and standardized operating procedures toddress the threats and what remains to be done to use safely without interfering with our airspace structure. At this time there is not aed rd of the 90 days i will show ways that it could and should play that role. That would involve other agencies such as the department of justice and fbi, Homeland Security. Working at the agency level. They havut now and we would need to bring them together so we bring each capability threats. 0 we sent ine agency and there is0w■ the secretary of defense for securie common, could you give us your sense of the implications the United States and the region . Thank you for the question certainly the u. S. Outcomes have a lot of widege or whatever is required for the department of defense sohe conducted commissions theyve been widely publicized the actio t would take place for disease across the globe in the situationasn deteriorating so the announcement will in the political initiations the past couple days so the political solution working and hopefully that continues on a positive path but if not, contingency plans are ready to respond. Pointed out mayo by china and russia, one of the leading edges of China Economic ports and getting underway there willingness or eagerness to quire more interest and i understand they passed legislation to authorize United States to buy the shares. The chinese speed is, problem . That would be a problem in the american prosperity of partnership for Economic Prosperity and where they hosted the heads of state and this would be andnv infrastructure for the American Development bank and the finance corporation so to purchase those shares is been established in 1959 in the region. We dont move, the chinese will. Exactly right. Lets jus say venezuelan president nicholas mindoro established control over the contested region in this lien and the region accounts for two thirds of the territory, how has this impacted the security of the region the fact that venezuela has armored carriers . And activities that are taking against this democracy with an unjustified claim. And so our support for guyana were shown that from the u. S. Government, and through all the instruments of national power, the diplomacy, the military and certainly o you have directions from the white house, from their superiors in the department as to what we should do . So as we work my engagements and what we do with Security Cooperation, we have a very robust plan with guyana and we nt on the plan and thats been coordinated with our u. S. Government. Can you briefly describe the plant . It consists of visits by folks within my command, and the engagements that we do, the exercises, the subject matter exchanges. We continue with all of those, not trying to exacerbate the situation but path with our regular engagement that a been scheduled, and we have not halted any of that. Is the International Community assisting us in that regard . The International Community is very much assisting, and i was a our allies, part of a western hemisphere framework that we cited u. S. South,h a allies that work in the region, the uk, canada, the netherlands and also france. So as a Work Together to coordinate our activity they also have activities and engagement they do in the region and are doing in guyana of those also coordinated. Thank you very much. Let me switch the general guillot. Deployment of National Guard troops on the border. I think maybe a lot of americans dont understand how often we do this. But its worsen considerably. The program is that the lead agency but it has deployed troops there in in in 18e previous 21 theyre called temporary deployments but its beginning to look like permanent. There is a difference in the way we do deploy and notify these units, is there not, in the sense that if its a temporary deployment, thicket 180 days notice in advance. If its a regular employment it is a year and half. So could you discuss that with us . Is my understanding1r correct . Unison is correct. The primary difference that we see in Northern Command is we are in sport as you mentioned so, therefore, we wait for the this case customs and Border Protection, and request for assistance that is reviewed and then has boldly been approved by the department of defense at that point we can start trying to match to the joint staff and the National Guard, the Quick Connect to support that based on the needs that are in that request for assistance. As you alluded to would itul if we treated it as a permanent deployment . ■. Senator, i think more than treating it as a permanent deployment would be early notification of the requirements dixons those changed that allows us to tailor the National Guard force to meet the changing requirements of the customer Border Protection. Where as if we had a permanent force the wrong type of unit to support. However, to your point, what we established and we must maintain is having a permanent commandandcontrol structure over there so we have continuity and predictability and how we present the forces and work with the customs and Border Protection. Do we need to give you different authority in that regard, or is it just a matter of the department . Senator, im sorry. Senator, with the authorities we need come to thing that we would most benefit from as you,l alluded to is time, time to pick and train and prepare the National Guard units that are going to down there and support the cbp. To both of you, tell us what you need, will try to get it for you. Thank you, sir. Thank you very much, senator wicker. Senator king it. Thank you, mr. Chairman. In my notes since you been talking ive written the word gap about five times some going to talk about gaps. General guillot, do you have a sensor gap at norad . We learn