▶ 0:15:13>> good morning, everyone. Admiral, good morning. Everyone welcome to smarty and senate are welcome to the senate armed consider the nomination of vice admiral richard a. Correll, to the appointment to admiral and to be the commander of the united states strategic command.
▶ 0:15:39Admiral correll is here with his wife, samantha. Thank you for being here. Vice admiral correll is a career submariner. Throughout his career, he has led many different commands and organizations, their success during and after their time with him is a testament to his leadership. Since 2022, vice admiral correll has served as the deputy commander of stratcom.
▶ 0:16:10His leadership, knowledge and direct command will be invaluable to the men and women who serve at stratcom and to the secretary chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and the commander-in-chief. Stratcom will continue to need great leadership in the next several years. The united states faces to adversarial nuclear powers in russia and china.
▶ 0:16:36It is stratcom's responsibility to ensure they remain deterred and never believe they can attack the united states or our allies and not risk their own annihilation. Russia is concluding a significant modernization effort of its nuclear forces. Russia now wields a modern, diverse and capable nuclear forces and they continue to test novel weapons including their new missile earlier this week.
▶ 0:17:06They have long held an advantage in tactical nuclear weapons. Chun has also modernizing nuclear forces but with far less transparency. They have improved their launchers, missiles and warheads by simultaneously ramping up warhead production to potentially triple at stockpile by 2035. They are moving breathtakingly fast.
▶ 0:17:33For our own forces, everyday our sailors and airmen operate the missiles, submarines and aircraft that carry it nuclear weapons research, continuously deterring any would-be aggressor but they will not last forever. The icbms representing the land-based leg of the triad has been in operation for 60 years.
▶ 0:17:56Each year the average age of our submarines that provide the most survivable lead of the nuclear triad gets closer to 40. Although it is a testament to the brave men and women serving that we have been able to maintain and modernize our fleet of bombers over the decades, they are also aging and must be replaced with newer and stealth ier aircraft to remain lethal.
▶ 0:18:29The sentinel icv system, columbia class submarines and the be 21 bombers are all progressing but we see too many delays. While it is up to each of the services to properly sustain their legacy systems while fielding the new capabilities, it is the responsibility of the commanders of the U.S.
▶ 0:18:47Strategic command to mitigate any risks caused by those delays, always ensuring our nuclear forces never experienced a collapse in their 24/7 mission. The stratcom commander also has the responsibility to provide the president a broad array of options and to prevent gaps in our deterrence posture.
▶ 0:19:12One gap identified by the 28th two nuclear review is an adversary's potential use of a taxability -- tactical nuclear weapon based on the believe the U.S. does not have an adequate response to such a strike and therefore would not or could not respond, a theory known as "escalated to de-escalate."'s our adversaries must know that the U.S. will have a response.
▶ 0:19:40I look forward to hearing admiral correll's thoughts to address the capability gaps during this hearing. I also look forward to hearing admiral correll's thoughts and recommendations with respect to the command, control and communication of our nuclear forces. What senator king and I referred to as the fourth leg of the triad.
▶ 0:20:06Mc three underpins all aspects of nuclear deterrence and is vital to ensuring our nuclear deterrent remains effective and reliable. The current stratcom commander, general cotton, developed a roadmap to layout the past had four mc three technology development and the next stratcom commander will need to continue these efforts.
▶ 0:20:30Again, I say thank you to admiral camero -- correll and to his family for the years of service to the country and for being here today. We are truly grateful to have such a uniquely suited individual sitting before us today. With that, I would ask unanimous consent to enter at senator wicker's opening statement into the record. With no objections, so moved. Senator reed you are recognized for your opening.
▶ 0:20:58Sen. Reed: Thank you very much, madam chairman. Good morning, admiral correll and congratulations on your nomination. I would like to welcome you and your wife, samantha, to the hearing today and thank you for the long career of service to the nation.
▶ 0:21:19Sen. Reed: Admiral, if confirmed, you would be the principal adviser to the president for all nuclear deterrence missions during an incredibly challenging period of time. Russia is modernizing all three legs of the nuclear triad while developing asymmetric weapons from long-range nuclear tornadoes and cruise missiles.
▶ 0:21:47Sen. Reed: China has built a complete nuclear triad constructed three new missiles and deployed hypersonic systems capable of attack trajectories for they are designed to challenge and deter our presence in the end of pacific. -- the indo pacific.
▶ 0:22:12Sen. Reed: I would like to know your views on whether our current strategy and capabilities can meet this challenge and how you will ensure stratcom is equipped to do so. Equally important is our own nuclear modernization.
▶ 0:22:27Sen. Reed: After decades of, the nuclear command and control systems and warhead production at the national nuclear security administration, all the while rebuilding their manhattan project era infrastructure.
▶ 0:22:48Sen. Reed: The modernization activities are limited both by the enormous cost and the scale of execution should for example, the leadership of our columbia class ballistic submarine program which will replace our current ohio class fleet is more than a year behind schedule.
▶ 0:23:06Sen. Reed: We need more than 100 b 21 bombers to replace our fleet of b-52s which were last built in 1962 an hour decades old arsenal of minuteman icbms must be replaced, though the sentinel program faces major cost overruns. Given the simultaneously -- simultaneous challenges, I would like to know how you propose to safely extend the service life of systems already well past their intended five times.
▶ 0:23:40Sen. Reed: Finally, the systems, called to use, depend on people interacting with complex hardware under extreme stress and extreme stress is probably an understatement, to address high-level exercises under the stressful scenarios and review of nuclear weapons safety and security.
▶ 0:24:03Sen. Reed: I would ask for your commitment to continue realistic exercises and to personally review the safety and security of the reports. Thank you, again, admiral for your distinguished service to the nation and I look forward to your testimony.
▶ 0:24:18Chair Fischer: Thank you senator reed you're welcome, admiral. We are ready for your opening statement please.
▶ 0:24:25Vadm. Correll: Good morning senator fischer, ranking member lee and distinguish I'm very grateful to president trump, secretary hegseth, and our chairman of the joint sheets of staff for their trust and confidence in me for this nomination.
▶ 0:24:51Vadm. Correll: I would like to recognize the current commander and his wife for their 40 years of selfless service to our great nation and publicly express my personal gratitude to general cottony for his mentorship to me -- general cotton for his mentorship to me. Joining me as my wife samantha, my best friend and life partner for over 34 years.
▶ 0:25:15Vadm. Correll: Service is in her dna for born and raised in washington, home to one of our navy's largest and most capable ship yards, her grandfather, grandmother, father, brother, and multiple relatives all worked in the shipyard, repairing and maintaining our navy's frontline combatants for generations, a tradition that continues today.
▶ 0:25:40Vadm. Correll: A university of maryland graduate and former accountant, samantha is a merkel advocate for military men and women and families. She is an incredible source of strength and inspiration for me and for our family. Not with us today but always in our hearts and minds are our three children, who after completing college are pursuing their passions. We are very proud of our children for the paths they have taken.
▶ 0:26:06Vadm. Correll: I would be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity to thank my father, who also served our nation as a submarine sailor, retiring as a navy chief yeoman after 22 years of service. A few years back I had the privilege of a his ashes at sea per his wishes from the bridge of the virginia class submarine uss north carolina off the coast of norfolk, virginia. I know he is looking down with great pride on these proceedings.
▶ 0:26:35Vadm. Correll: My mom, patricia, who is soon to be 88, is watching us from her home in indiana. Growing up, she was the center of gravity for me, my brother and my sister, instilling in each of us the value of hard work and service. She is the hardest working and most generous human being I've ever met and continues to inspire me. Lastly, I want to think the woman of U.S. -- men and women of U.S. strategic command for their dedication and mission.
▶ 0:27:06Vadm. Correll: It remains essential to our nation security here to face the most complex and dynamic security environment in my lifetime and it is both are conventional and nuclear capabilities along with crucial support from our allies and partners that underpins our strategic deterrence. Our nation's nuclear force continues to be safe, secure, effective and credible.
▶ 0:27:27Vadm. Correll: As we bring the be 21 bomber aircraft, the columbia class ballistic submarine, the sentinel, intercontinental ballistic missile system, the long a standoff and the sealants cruise missile nuclear online, we will continue to ensure the credibility of deterrence for decades to come.
▶ 0:27:50Vadm. Correll: Underpinning all of this is our nuclear command and control and communication system, while the current system is secure and resilient, modernization and sustainment of this capability is important -- just as important as the weapon systems and platforms. If confirmed, I lose my authorities to ensure the nc three system continues to outpace the threat.
▶ 0:28:14Vadm. Correll: The mission of your strategic deterrence command is to deter adversaries and employ force to guarantee the security of our nation and our allies. If confirmed, I worked -- will work with relevant agencies across the government in the department to collaborate closely with civilian leaders and directly with my fellow combat and command officers as we monitor the global threats and execute operations in accordance with the national defense strategy.
▶ 0:28:43Vadm. Correll: I commit to commanding a resilient joint force capable of multi-domain operations, focused on deterring aggression and, if necessary, defending our nation. I look forward to working with congress and the members of this committee to address the strategic challenges of our great nation.
▶ 0:29:00Vadm. Correll: Senator fischer, ranking member read, distinguished members of this -- ranking member to exercise its legislative abilities possibilities for this committee and other appropriate committees -- be able to receive testimony
▶ 0:29:25Chair Fischer: At this time, I would ask you some standard questions that we give to all military nominees and a yes or no answer is appropriate. Have you adhere to applicable laws and regulations governing the conflicts of interest?
▶ 0:29:41Vadm. Correll: Yes, senator.
▶ 0:29:43Chair Fischer: Do you agree, when asked, to give your personal views even if those differ from the administration power?
▶ 0:29:51Vadm. Correll: Yes, I do.
▶ 0:29:53Chair Fischer: Have you assumed any duties or undertaking any actions which would appear to presume the outcome of the confirmation process?
▶ 0:30:02Vadm. Correll: No, senator.
▶ 0:30:04Chair Fischer: We make sure your staff complies with deadlines for communication, including questions for the record in hearings?
▶ 0:30:12Vadm. Correll: Yes, I will.
▶ 0:30:14Chair Fischer: We will cooperate in response to prefers and requests?
▶ 0:30:19Vadm. Correll: Yes, I will.
▶ 0:30:21Chair Fischer: Willow's witnesses be protected from reprisal?
▶ 0:30:27Vadm. Correll: Yes, senator.
▶ 0:30:31Chair Fischer: Do you agree to provide documents, including copies of electronic forms of communication in a timely manner when requested by the duly constituted committee or to consult with the committee regarding the basis for any good-faith delay or denial and providing such documents? >> yes, senator. I will begin questions.
▶ 0:30:59Chair Fischer: We will have a five minute round. I appreciated our discussion on modernization and appreciate the comments in the opening statement on that. We all know that the president is unable to command, control or communicate with nuclear forces in any circumstance, then we have lost our deterrence. Modernizing this fourth leg of the triad is just as important, if not more so, than the other three legs of our triad.
▶ 0:31:30Chair Fischer: If confirmed, will you also be the department's nc3 enterprise lead and can you speak to the importance of modernizing our nc3 systems, including missile warning and tracking systems and the new aircraft?
▶ 0:31:46Adm. Correll: Yes, senator, I can speak to that. Thank you for the time in your office. I appreciated the conversation. With respect to nc three, I would like to agree with the statement you made. It is every bit as important. You can think of it as the fourth leg of our triad.
▶ 0:32:07Adm. Correll: We have to have assured command and control for broad threats that have to be addressed, they are addressed today and need to continue to be addressed going forward. Those are cyber, contested U.S. space.
▶ 0:32:24Adm. Correll: By that I mean the ability of china or russia to attack our space capabilities and degrade what we deliver from space, very important for command and control. We have an increasingly contested environment and we have a variety of novel missile systems that challenge our threat detection and missile defense capabilities.
▶ 0:32:50Adm. Correll: We need to address all four of those with the architecture going forward we have a roadmap that we are executing along those lines in partnership with secretary duffy at ans with his department and team.
▶ 0:33:09Adm. Correll: And the attributes we will continue to provide with that command control are resilient, and diversity of waveforms and platforms and mobility so that we address all four of those threats.
▶ 0:33:25Chair Fischer: You are also going to have to work collaboratively with services, industry partners, and also our labs. Do you have any ideas in the short amount of time here, on how you can improve on that? I note in the past there has been a good relationship, but what do you see as possible improvements?
▶ 0:33:54Vadm. Correll: General cotton will often use the term and I agree that we have a strong relationship with the air force, providing two thirds of command and control systems and the navy is the other third. We will continue to work very closer -- closely in partnership with them.
▶ 0:34:18Vadm. Correll: Our lead for the enterprise center is a senior executive named amanda kato with deep, deep express in nc3 as a professional in the air force. She continues to work very closely with the services to deliver future capabilities to provide that assured command and control.
▶ 0:34:37Chair Fischer: Thank you. The current programs of record for our nuclear forces, those were decided and set up back in 2010. Obviously, the geopolitical landscape has changed tremendously since that time. The first time we have two competitors in adversaries.
▶ 0:34:59Chair Fischer: Given the new threats we face, does it make sense for us to maintain that plan force posture or to reassess some of those underlying assumptions and to look at future threats that we have their? That is a roundabout way of asking you about the b 21 bombers. >> thank you, senator.
▶ 0:35:28Chair Fischer: If approved as the stratcom commander, I have a responsibility to continue to evaluate the threat environment. You talked in your opening statement and senator reed as well, about that nuclear threat. The security environment is the most dynamic and complex in my lifetime.
▶ 0:35:51Chair Fischer: We continue to look at that closely and provide best military advice in terms of options that we can use for policymakers to consider that could provide more capability or capacity with respect to the nuclear deterrent.
▶ 0:36:06Chair Fischer: Thank you. I appreciated your comments on -- and keep it not for an auction going into the future thank you very much. It senator reed -- senator reed, your recognize.
▶ 0:36:25Sen. Reed: Last evening president trump said because of other testing programs I have instructed the department of war to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately. It is not exactly clear what he means by testing nuclear weapons, but I take it at face value it means nuclear explosive testing. I would like to note some facts. Between 1945 in 1992, the U.S.
▶ 0:36:54Sen. Reed: Conducted 1054 tests above and below ground and 900 28 were in nevada. Russia contested 715 in china conducted 45, however pakistan has conducted six in north korea six, all of which were -- we have sophisticated modeling codes based on this test data.
▶ 0:37:24Sen. Reed: Further we are spending many tens of billions of dollars building new production capabilities at los alamos and the savannah river site and we conduct specialized plutonium pit tests underground in nevada for verification.
▶ 0:37:41Sen. Reed: Finally, every two years, the three directors of our nuclear weapons labs and stratcom produce a classified report to certify our nuclear stockpile, the last one being sent out by president trump in january. In your military, do you believe the presumption of their testing by the U.S.
▶ 0:38:04Sen. Reed: And very likely by russia and china would open the door for pakistan, india, and north korea to start nuclear testing again, and with that be destabilizing for nuclear deterrence?
▶ 0:38:16Admiral Correll: Thank you for the question. If confirmed, I will provide military advice on any discussions on the way it had with respect to testing and you have my assurance that I will do that to the best of my ability together with the team of subject matter experts to provide this committee and policymakers the best informed analysis from a military
▶ 0:38:48Admiral Correll: Perspective on any adjustments to our testing. They nation is -- did the supply and ratify the test ban treaty of 1963 which prohibits atmospheric underwater and outerspace testing and was signed by the U.S., and the soviet union at the time and the u.k..
▶ 0:39:16Sen. Reed: But not by china?
▶ 0:39:19Admiral Correll: Not by china. It appears the most obvious and most rational reason to conduct explosives testing is if you serve along with the directors of nuclear labs that you cannot ensure the safety of the nuclear stockpile. You just did that in january, correct?
▶ 0:39:45Admiral Correll: That's correct, senator.
▶ 0:39:48Sen. Reed: Do you have any additional information from january that would suggest that certification is no longer active?
▶ 0:39:55Admiral Correll: That, as you highlighted, that certification occurs on an annual basis. The stratcom commander's role and that is to provide subject matter expertise from the operational military perspective of the stewardship program for the stockpile.
▶ 0:40:22Admiral Correll: The administrator for the national nuclear security administration administrator also provides their subject matter expertise in each of the lab directors and that occurs on an annual basis and is ongoing. As you indicated, that was most recently certified in january of this year and I would expect that process to continue going forward.
▶ 0:40:49Sen. Reed: Thank you. The issue of failsafe, which was quite a front page story in the 60's, 70's and 80's is getting renewed attention.
▶ 0:41:07Sen. Reed: One thing I did mention, we require that very high level of dod personnel participate in a regular exercises in which they have to confront the possibility of a pending nuclear strike and our response.
▶ 0:41:27Sen. Reed: In addition, and mandates that we review the safety, security and reliability of our arsenal that there are no deficiencies that would cause an unintended launch. Are you confident we are in a great failsafe position now?
▶ 0:41:47Vice Adm. Correll: Senator, I am confident we are in a good position.
▶ 0:41:53Sen. Reed: What about russia or pakistan or north korea, which is a much less robust failsafe?
▶ 0:42:04Admiral Correll: It is not a matter of subject matter expertise for me. I pay close attention to the intel associated with that and will be happy to work with the subject matter experts to arrange a classified briefing for you or committee members.
▶ 0:42:26Sen. Reed: Thank you very much.
▶ 0:42:29Chair Fischer: Sen. cotton you are recognized.
▶ 0:42:38Sen. Cotton: Thank you for you and your wife and your decades of service to the nation. I thought nuclear discussion might be a hot button this morning. In general, tests of all kinds, whether nuclear or conventional, don't just provide those benefits but can send a strong message of resolve and deterrence.
▶ 0:43:04Sen. Cotton: We saw the exact opposite effect at times during the last administration when president biden canceled routine tests of our minutemen three missiles to avoid it supposedly escalating tensions with china or russia. Could you speak to me in your best military advice about the impact of a successful weapons test, whether nuclear or conventional, on our adversaries in maintaining the regular testing schedule?
▶ 0:43:35Vice Adm. Correll: Thank you for the question, senator. If confirmed, the stratcom commander is responsible for the requirements associated with with accuracy and effectiveness of the weapons and that drives the services and other subject matter experts analysis of the testing required to meet those
▶ 0:44:05Vice Adm. Correll: Objectives. So I agree fully with you it is a really important aspect of demonstrating the reliability, and credibility of our nuclear deterrent and that is an essential attribute for deterrence versus particularly in this era.
▶ 0:44:30Sen. Cotton: Nuclear critics often claim it costs too much and we never use them. I would like to adjoin that we use the nuclear weapons every single day and we have for 80 years, although we have not detonated a nuclear weapon in combat for 80 years, the very existence of them and at their height state of readiness every day 80 years has deterred the kind of major conflict we saw twice in less than 20 years in
▶ 0:45:01Sen. Cotton: The 20th century. Do you agree with me, admiral, and the absolute necessity of maintaining it modernizing our arsenal to preserve this deterrent effect?
▶ 0:45:12Vice Admiral Correll: I agree, senator.
▶ 0:45:18Sen. Cotton: Given this remarkable run of 80 years without a general global war, after having two of them in 20 years that we don't actually spend all that much money on our nuclear forces?
▶ 0:45:34Vice Admiral Correll: I agree with you, senator and I would echo and foot stump your point with respect to our nation's deterrence gets exercised every day and the credibility associated with that prevents or.
▶ 0:45:53Sen. Cotton: I think we spend about 5% of our total military budget all in on our nuclear arsenal, it may be a little more at the height of modernization and maybe a little less outside of that. Is that a fair estimate?
▶ 0:46:09Vice Admiral Correll: That's a fair estimate, senator.
▶ 0:46:14Sen. Cotton: Do you think 5% little bit is a reasonable expenditure to avoid global world war?
▶ 0:46:21Vice Admiral Correll: I agree, senator.
▶ 0:46:25Sen. Cotton: I agree, too. Another thing that is remarkable over the last 80 years is that there are more nuclear states, especially nuclear states and regions that have detentions in the nations often with daggers drawn, do you believe our nuclear arsenal in the extended deterrent we provide to our allies has contributed to the relative lack of nuclear proliferation since 1945?
▶ 0:46:55Vice Admiral Correll: I agree and I would say it is an essential element of our nuclear proliferation strategy for those partnerships.
▶ 0:47:07Sen. Cotton: In modernizing our nuclear weapons is an essential element of our counter proliferation strategy.
▶ 0:47:13Vice Admiral Correll: Yes, senator.
▶ 0:47:17Sen. Cotton: And it is a good thing we don't have dozens of nations, I better get nukes before the people that hate me across the border get nukes.
▶ 0:47:23Vice Admiral Correll: Yes, senator.
▶ 0:47:26Sen. Cotton: Thank you, admiral.
▶ 0:47:30Chair Fischer: Thank Sen.
▶ 0:47:34Cotton: . Senator hirono, you are recognized.
▶ 0:47:37Sen. Hirono: Congratulations on your nomination. I want to start with two initial questions I ask of every nominee to ensure their fitness to serve so I will ask you, since you became a legal adult come have ever made unwanted -- unwarranted requests for sexual favors or committed any verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature?
▶ 0:47:56Vice Admiral Correll: No, senator.
▶ 0:47:59Sen. Hirono: Have ever faced -- for this conduct?
▶ 0:48:05Vice Admiral Correll: No, senator.
▶ 0:48:09Sen. Hirono: The president made what I think was a surprise announcement when he was going to meet with president xi jinping. This has to do with saying that we should resume nuclear testing. The last time the U.S. conducted a nuclear test was in 1992. Wood resumption of the kind of testing he is talking about, apparently require an eis?
▶ 0:48:35Vice Admiral Correll: I am not familiar with the term?
▶ 0:48:41Sen. Hirono: Environmental impact statement.
▶ 0:48:42Vice Admiral Correll: That is not a matter of expertise for me, senator.
▶ 0:48:47Sen. Hirono: I think under the national environmental policy act, the resumption of nuclear testing because of environmental concerns, health concerns, long-term impacts of such testing that it would require an eis, which means that there is a comment period before such testing can resume. Let me ask you this, we are told the cost of recapitalizing the nuclear triad over the next 10 years is $946 billion.
▶ 0:49:21Sen. Hirono: That is a huge cost, just to recapitalize the triad. Given the huge cost, and do you think what we should do is resume nuclear testing which experts have estimated would cost 125 to 150 million per test?
▶ 0:49:40Vice Admiral Correll: Supple, it -- senator, if confirmed, my role would be to provide military advice and I would look forward to working with the committee and policy members to inform the way ahead with respect to any testing, whether that is testing of our missile systems or surety associated
▶ 0:50:12Vice Admiral Correll: With that.
▶ 0:50:12Sen. Hirono: I think that is going to be very important, because it appears -- I don't know what thought processes the president went through and who he talked to before he made this what I would consider a very consequential announcement and how our adversaries, russia and china would regard our resumption of and may push them to do more testing from their
▶ 0:50:43Sen. Hirono: Standpoint. We have a stockpile stewardship program to ensure the safety and reliability of power nuclear weapons without testing. It relies on supercomputer innovations, nonexplosive experiments and technology. We have a lot of technology that keeps us ahead of our adversaries in terms that ensuring our nuclear stockpile is reliable.
▶ 0:51:12Sen. Hirono: Do you think resumption of testing on our part would spur china, north korea, russia to do more testing from their standpoint?
▶ 0:51:28Vice Admiral Correll: Senator, thank you for the question. I wouldn't presume to predict a response on the part of russia or china. I look forward to supporting the president's priorities and working with this committee if confirmed.
▶ 0:51:45Sen. Hirono: Don't you think we should really contemplate and consider what the impact might be and what the response might be by china, russia, north korea? I am not saying we shouldn't but those are considerations that should be assessed, wouldn't you agree?
▶ 0:52:08Vice Admiral Correll: I would agree that matter expertise with how the countries might respond to any changes in a test regimen but would not presume that the president's words meant nuclear testing.
▶ 0:52:31Sen. Hirono: Well, that is not what he said.
▶ 0:52:33Vice Admiral Correll: I believe the quote was "start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis through neither china nor russia has conducted a nuclear explosive test. I am not reading anything into it or out of it.
▶ 0:52:50Sen. Hirono: What kind of thought process the president went through, I was a consequential announcement. Thank you, madam chair.
▶ 0:53:01Chair Fischer: Thank you senator hirono. Senator rounds, you are recognized.
▶ 0:53:07Sen. Rounds: Admiral, thank you for your service. Thank you for your family for their sacrifice as well as you had deployed on multiple occasions and we appreciate your offer to continue that service. In my office we talked about spectrum, and I warned you that would be an item I was going to, to no surprise to the committee, that I will follow up on now.
▶ 0:53:33Sen. Rounds: Forcing the department to vacate or share in the sub optimal manner, and the 7.4 to 8.4 gigahertz bands of the spectrum would have a very negative impact on our were fighting capabilities, including homeland defense, protection for troops overseas and strategic communications, how important is spectrum to U.S. nuclear deterrence?
▶ 0:54:00Vice Admiral Correll: Senator, it is vitally important. I recall words that an admiral used in his testimony when asked about this we can from the navy in the department perspective, and he said the impact of vacating -- the quote was 200 billion, he said infinity, so much greater than that and more than a hundred years.
▶ 0:54:30Vice Admiral Correll: I'm obviously embellishing but the point being that it is a vital area of the spectrum for military capabilities, and that includes command and control and missile defense.
▶ 0:54:40Sen. Rounds: Let's follow up on that. The admiral's comments were that the cost of moving the navy assets out of those protected bands might as will be infinity, because the physics are not replicable in other bands. And clearly you agree with his analysis on it. Your professional opinion, how it might forcing commercial high-power wireless providers into the department's x-band impact our early warning radars?
▶ 0:55:11Vice Admiral Correll: Senator, that would have a negative impact, and I would be happy to follow up with you and the committee and a classified setting to discuss the details associated with that.
▶ 0:55:27Sen. Rounds: I recognize a lot of this we are talking about is classified, but the public needs to understand, and this is the only way we can do it, is to have folks that have the ability to share it, how critical it is that we protect certain parts of the spectrum that some people would prefer to release for commercial operation. I just simply want your analysis of how serious that is.
▶ 0:55:51Vice Admiral Correll: It's incredibly serious, to the point of significantly, dramatically increasing the risk with the ability to provide assured command and control and the operation of our missile defense systems. For the nuclear mission.
▶ 0:56:15Sen. Rounds: If confirmed, will you let your chain of command and congress know if you believe in her inner agency decisions regarding spectrum will have a negative impact on war fighting capabilities and nuclear deterrence?
▶ 0:56:25Vice Admiral Correll: Yes, senator.
▶ 0:56:28Sen. Rounds: It would be speaking truth to power.
▶ 0:56:30Vice Admiral Correll: Yes, senator.
▶ 0:56:35Sen. Rounds: There was testimony that 145 e-21's are needed to support stratcom. Do you agree with this assessment?
▶ 0:56:41Vice Admiral Correll: I agree with general cotten's assessment and I believe he has been on the record saying between 140 and 150 b 21 and the services position has been at least 100. I'm happy to continue the conversation.
▶ 0:56:58Sen. Rounds: Recognize that some parts of capabilities take a long time to get established and they in a lot of cases go over budget, is it still true that the b 21 is not only on, on budget as well?
▶ 0:57:10Vice Admiral Correll: The b 21 is one of the strongest performing large acquisition programs we have, and I agree it is on-time and on budget.
▶ 0:57:22Sen. Rounds: Given the growing potential for conflict, if we get into it with china, we will have russia right there as well or the other way around. Given the potential for that conflict in adversaries, what steps would you take to prepare strategic command to deterred two nuclear adversaries?
▶ 0:57:50Vice Admiral Correll: If confirmed, I would continue the emphasis on our exercise program . I wish every american citizen could see our professionals in execution, both civilian and military professionals. But as senator cotton referred to our strategic deterrent is in execution and practiced every day.
▶ 0:58:16Vice Admiral Correll: To that end, we conduct somewhere north or south of a proximally 400 command and control exercises per year. I personally participated in more than 100, and we will continue to do that to assure our capabilities and the ability it, job one, for the stratcom commander is to preserve decisions for national command authority and together with all combatant commanders and the trim and provide options should they be required.
▶ 0:58:44Sen. Rounds: . Thank you.
▶ 0:58:51Sen. Kaine: Congratulations on your nomination. I enjoyed our visit yesterday. Before I have a question, I want to put on the records for colleagues, the deep concerns of the news that broke yesterday that the pentagon was briefing senate republican colleagues about action in the caribbean specific and potentially in venezuela without inviting democrats to that briefing.
▶ 0:59:19Sen. Kaine: That, in my mind, is starting to amount to a troublesome pattern. At the beginning of the year, most of us were denied the opportunity to meet with the nominee for secretary of defense before his confirmation hearing. Many of us have directed inquiries to the pentagon asking basic questions that are appropriate for the oversight of this committee and on the democratic side, we don't get answers.
▶ 0:59:44Sen. Kaine: On the 10th of september, 25 of us directed questions to the pentagon about basic questions regarding the strikes that have been in the news, legal authority and evidence they work not go traffickers. We have not been given answers to those questions. The news followed recent news that pentagon officials have been instructed not to communicate directly with members of the congress except for through the liaison office.
▶ 1:00:13Sen. Kaine: That is not been the case in the past and her husband news that military coup officials connected to the strikes are being asked to sign nondisclosure agreements. This is troubling for this committee is a nonpartisan and bipartisan committee. I have been on it for 12 years. Lish of the vote was 26-1 and that is usually what it is virtually every year. We are not democrats and republicans on this committee.
▶ 1:00:42Sen. Kaine: We support the military in a nonpartisan and bipartisan way to the best of our ability. If we are going to provide that support and a nonpartisan way, we need to be respected in a nonpartisan and deep politicized -- de-politicized weight. I represent -- way.
▶ 1:01:08Sen. Kaine: I represent the military and I -- in order to de-politicized, we should be treated with respect in terms of answering questions and providing answers and it should not be an easy pass for some and an obstacle for others. I wanted to stay fit and I hope my colleagues will support me and that going forward.
▶ 1:01:37Sen. Kaine: I want to ask you this, you have had a pretty unique set of experiences before being nominated for this position and you know the position very well. But in particular, we have had significant experience on the intel site our military operation. Given your experience working with the intelligence enterprise and especially under title 50 authorities, how would you leverage that intel back on to enhance stratcom's ability for strategic planning?
▶ 1:02:07Vice Admiral Correll: Think of, senator. I very much enjoyed our office call in enjoyed her time. I guess the way I would interest -- answer that is to emphasize the importance of the insights that the intel community provides across our government. If confirmed as the stratcom commander, I would continue to pay very close attention to those insights.
▶ 1:02:42Vice Admiral Correll: As part of my operational experience, you reference I do have a lot of deep experience working with the intel community and I think combining the capabilities of the intel community with the military can provide much more effective and a broader range of options back to writing options to national command authority where the risk is increasing.
▶ 1:03:12Vice Admiral Correll: That is where I would say it would be a pretty important aspect where my background is helpful.
▶ 1:03:23Sen. Kaine: I asked you about intelligence and now I will ask you about artificial intelligence. -- you can get a data advantage which leads to a decision and a war fighting advantage. Could you elaborate?
▶ 1:03:39Vice Admiral Correll: We need to be very deliberate. The ability to manage vast quantities of data and provide decision ready information will provide a significant war fighting advantage to the country that gets that most right and takes the best advantage of it.
▶ 1:04:02Sen. King: -- chair fischer: senator turberville, you are recognized.
▶ 1:04:13Sen. Tuberville: Thank you to you and your family for years of service. As part of the one big beautiful bill that was passed into law, 24 billion was given to the department to fund the initial phase of president trump's ambitious and needed initiative of the golden dawn. We will hopefully put out -- play a large part in this.
▶ 1:04:35Sen. Tuberville: While stratcom has no formal role in the development of the system, it will undoubtedly be affected by this new architecture. In your opinion, what capabilities does a golden building -- golden dawn system bring?
▶ 1:04:50Vice Admiral Correll: -- golden dome system bring?
▶ 1:04:56Vice Admiral Correll: I fully support golden dome. His where it leads with golden dome is threat assessment and shares that with the other geographic command -- combat and command directors.
▶ 1:05:23Vice Admiral Correll: My role if confirmed in providing the best military advice, I would be working with the general and space come commander to inform the architecture.
▶ 1:05:43Vice Admiral Correll: One of the important aspects of that is the space sensor at layer and the ability to detect and track those novel missile systems I referred to before, for actual orbital bombardment capabilities, advanced cruise or hypersonic missiles in hypersonic light vehicles.
▶ 1:06:04Sen. Tuberville: Nuclear systems , and see3 -- nc3s have not been updated in decades. In the new role, the entire enterprise belongs to you. Where does this modernization list on your priority list and how you plan on accomplishing this mission?
▶ 1:06:26Vice Admiral Correll: The priority is right up there as number one with transitioning from the capabilities we have to the capabilities we need going forward. That is all three legs of the triad plus nuclear command and control their general cotton has been laser focused on that and I will continue that focus going forward.
▶ 1:06:51Vice Admiral Correll: There is a solid roadmap for delivering capabilities over the next three years and will continue to execute that roadmap and we just offered to any member of the committee, I would be happy to provide in a classified setting details specific details associated with that.
▶ 1:07:13Sen. Tuberville: With cyber attacks been one of the greatest threats to not only our national security but our nation nc3, do believe that the is efficiently protected?
▶ 1:07:33Vice Admiral Correll: It is protected but we cannot take our eye off of the ball. We have to continue to invest in capabilities and match the threat as it advances. Senator kaine referred to ai and that is one of the areas where ai can be very helpful in terms of big data and analyzing patterns of traffic flow on any particular network can give you insights into where the traffic might not be occurring as you
▶ 1:08:05Vice Admiral Correll: Expect it and alert an operator to take a look for follow an action. But the sensing and monitoring of detecting sophisticated activity on that is really important and we will continue to say focused on that.
▶ 1:08:22Sen. Tuberville: You mentioned how important the acquisition and strengthening the defense industrial base. Can you describe ways to inform the system for developing and procuring weapon system while positioning our defense industry base to compete with our nuclear adversaries?
▶ 1:08:41Vice Admiral Correll: If confirmed as the stratcom director, my responsibility is to speak about challenges and then unleash the innovation that is in our economy to combat with recommended solutions. Our deputy secretary has talked about how we advance the ecosystem to encourage innovation and more rapid delivery of capabilities.
▶ 1:09:12Vice Admiral Correll: And I'm not an acquisition expert but I fully support the initiatives that he has embarked with the department to advance that, and I would anticipate working closely with the services so that we have a common view of the challenges in terms of those challenges and possible innovative solutions, along with secretary duffy's team which is acquisition and sustainment within the department.
▶ 1:09:39Chair Fischer: I would remind my colleagues on this committee that we put into place the framework to get the wheels turning on what was then later named golden dome.
▶ 1:09:58Chair Fischer: We have been supportive of that on this committee and in congress before we got the term golden dome. Thank you senator. Senator king, you are recognized.
▶ 1:10:14Sen. King: Admiral, welcome to the committee. Several times you have talked about the exercises that go on at stratcom in terms of a potential or hypothetical nuclear strike. I participated in two of those exercises, one of the most profound experiences of my life. My understanding is that no president since ronald reagan has participated in one of those exercising -- exercises. Is that a fact?
▶ 1:10:41Vice Admiral Correll: Senator, I will follow-up with you but I believe it is since president carter in 1977.
▶ 1:10:49Senator King: But still, a lot of president since that time. I don't understand why that doesn't occur. If I were president, I wouldn't want the first time I was in that room to be real and I hope, use the national command authority, that is the president. I hope you might pass up the line that this is an experience that any president should have early on in their term.
▶ 1:11:19Senator King: Secondly, we have been talking about this phrase the president used yesterday because other -- because of other testing programs, if instructed department of war to start testing weapons on an equal basis. Are any other countries doing explosive testing of nuclear warheads?
▶ 1:11:43Vice Admiral Correll: Senator, I want to thank you for the time in your office. I appreciated your time and the conversation. To my knowledge, the explosive testing, the last explosive nuclear testing was by north korea or dprk and that was in 2017.
▶ 1:12:08Sen. King: Russia and china have not done explosives that we know of?
▶ 1:12:11Vice Admiral Correll: No, for china the last publicly acknowledged test was in 1996.
▶ 1:12:19Sen. King: He says this process will begin immediately. It could be that when he is talking about is delivery systems. Is that not correct? Just recently we learned about the new sky fall russian missile. Is that a reasonable interpretation of what he is saying rather than explosive testing of weapons?
▶ 1:12:40Vice Admiral Correll: I don't have insight into the president's intent. I agree that could be an interpretation.
▶ 1:12:48Sen. King: We hope that is clarified in the coming days. Nc three, a lot of discussion about any of talked about how important it is good I can guarantee at this very moment, there are attacks underway on our nc3 system. My question is, not only are we defending, do you do a regular red team kind of exercise?
▶ 1:13:12Sen. King: Do we hire people to try to break into our nc3 system to tell us our vulnerabilities? My expense is cios will tell you every thing is fine, boss, until somebody shows that it isn't. Is red teaming part of the process here?
▶ 1:13:28Vice Admiral Correll: It is part of the process in a classified setting, I would be happy to follow up with you. I agree that is a really important aspect of challenging ourselves and making sure we are -- assume the adversary is as capable as we are and then are we accounting for that?
▶ 1:13:54Vice Admiral Correll: That is an important aspect of understanding our vulnerabilities.
▶ 1:13:59Sen. King: Thank you. One of the lesser-known responsibilities of stratcom is electronic warfare. Talk to me about where we stand in terms of the responsibilities, analysis. My sense is this is an area where we perhaps aren't where we ought to be.
▶ 1:14:17Vice Admiral Correll: Senator, my experience is the joint forces laser focused on electronic warfare. General cotton as the commander of stratcom, is responsible for reporting on training and understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum capabilities within the joint force developing
▶ 1:14:47Vice Admiral Correll: Electromagnetic spectrum capabilities. There is a rich body of lessons learned associated with the russia-ukraine conflict that is being applied within the joint force, and needs to continue to inform the way ahead. We are not where we need to be but we are focused on it, making progress.
▶ 1:15:05Sen. King: One final question. The whole nuclear enterprise as we have discussed today is based on the principle of deterrence, that is the cornerstone of our entire defense strategy. It strikes me that we need to be taking account of new weapons systems, for example, a warhead that could be in space over washington which makes the time instead of 26 or 30 minutes, five minutes.
▶ 1:15:36Sen. King: Is that part of the strategic analysis? That could change our calculus it seems to me in some fundamental ways.
▶ 1:15:41Vadm Correll: That is part of the strategic analysis and part of the requirement to ensure our command and control for our strategic systems. The three legs of the triad are complementary and collectively contribute to the overall deterrent effect. One of the really important aspects of that is assured capability to respond. That has not been put at risk.
▶ 1:16:09Sen. King: I am out of time. I appreciate your answers. For the record, we will talk further about sentinel and where that stands. Thank you, admiral.
▶ 1:16:19Chair Fischer: Thank you, senator king. Senator sheehy, you are recognized.
▶ 1:16:26Sen. Sheehy: Thank you, senator king, those questions were right on target. How old is the design for the minuteman missile systems?
▶ 1:16:36Vadm Correll: Initially fielded in the 1960's.
▶ 1:16:43Sen. Sheey: Older than most of us.
▶ 1:16:47Vadm Correll: Not me, senator.
▶ 1:16:49Sen. Sheey: You look young. [laughter] how often do we test new airplanes?
▶ 1:16:56Vadm Correll: All new airplanes undergo a rigorous testing program before they are certified for flight operation.
▶ 1:17:03Sen. Sheey: How often are we testing our submarines and spacecraft?
▶ 1:17:08Vadm Correll: In essence, we operate them every day. Think about that as reinforcing our capabilities.
▶ 1:17:16Sen. Sheehy: After we put a plane or summer into a relatively routine maintenance period, do we conduct sea trials on that vessel afterward?
▶ 1:17:25Vadm Correll: Absolutely.
▶ 1:17:27Sen. Sheehy: Essentially we are constantly testing our submarines, aircraft, submarines, infrastructure.
▶ 1:17:34Vadm Correll: I would agree with that characterization.
▶ 1:17:36Sen. Sheehy: When was the last time we conducted a full-scale test of our nuclear capability?
▶ 1:17:42Vadm Correll: We have a rigorous testing program with our nuclear capabilities. That occurs by with and through the services, and every leg of the triad is tested rigorously. I have absolute confidence that those systems will perform if we ever need them to perform.
▶ 1:18:07Sen. Sheehy: When was the last time we tested a nuclear weapon?
▶ 1:18:12Vadm Correll: An actual nuclear weapon? I would have to take that as a look and get back to you. We have not tested one since we ratified, at least since we ratified the limited test ban treaty in 1963.
▶ 1:18:28Sen. Sheehy: Which is a good thing. I am glad that we ratified that treaty, and I agree with it. But we essentially test every other system we have constantly in a full-scale test environment. Models are great, software systems are fantastic, but as you well know as a submariner, king neptune is a very unforgiving lord. Things go wrong at the bottom of the ocean coming at the edge of space come in the air. Models always tell us things will go great.
▶ 1:18:59Sen. Sheehy: Experts tell us opinions. Unfortunately, sometimes physics tells us otherwise. I think much to do is being made about the president's comments yesterday which are simply saying a lot of other countries are conducting nuclear tests of various kinds. Whether they be a delivery vehicle test, aircraft test, or full-scale explosions. On an equal basis, a constructive department of war to test our nuclear weapons.
▶ 1:19:25Sen. Sheehy: That doesn't mean that we are going to start blowing up nukes outside of las vegas every day, dropping nukes over fiji, it means that we are testing on an equal basis. I don't think that is an unreasonable position to take for the commander-in-chief with the largest military in the world operating 60-year-old mission systems in my state against an adversary that is innovating hypersonic vehicles, drones, and perhaps orbiting nukes that we hopefully don't think they are there but they will absolutely test the very
▶ 1:19:56Sen. Sheehy: Fabric of our nuclear infrastructure. I understand the concerns of we don't want to provoke a nuclear war, but we also have trusted, and everyone else has, that we would abide by a treaty that we signed 60 years ago. As we have seen, at the time people don't abide by them and they are focus on undermining us every way that they can.
▶ 1:20:20Sen. Sheehy: Testing every component of our nuclear triad, which we do to a certain extent, but to ensure that we are testing on an equal basis is an extremely reasonable ask of our military. I think it is the least that we can do. Spectrum is going to be the trenches of the 21st-century battlefield. Space is the ultimate high ground. What will be your ultimate strategy as commander here to ensure that we have spectrum dominance both domestically and in any battlefield in the 21st century?
▶ 1:20:48Vadm Correll: We have to continue along all efforts to advance our spectrum capabilities. That includes world-class test ranges, modeling and simulation, and testing ourselves against the most exquisite capabilities that are out there. That is where the joint force is heading. With respect to your comments on testing, I agree with how you frame that, the sentiment that you express.
▶ 1:21:19Vadm Correll: If confirmed as the stratcom commander, I would continue to look to support the president's directives and work with this committee in a very transparent way on the way ahead.
▶ 1:21:37Chair Fischer: Thank you, senator sheehy. Senator kelly, you are recognized.
▶ 1:21:45Sen. Kelly: Thank you, madam chair. Admiral, great to see you again. Enjoyed our talk in my office yesterday. The strategic environment is evolving rather rapidly. We are seeing some novel missile systems such as hypersonic vehicles, reentry vehicles that can maneuver at hypersonic and other speeds drastically.
▶ 1:22:13Sen. Kelly: These systems will drastically compress decision timelines and challenge some of the traditional early warning systems that we currently have in place. It also challenges the ability to track and intercept. These technologies are altering not just how quickly a strike could unfold but how we think about deterrence, how we think about escalation control in a crisis.
▶ 1:22:43Sen. Kelly: Admiral, how do you assess the future of these novel missile threats, and if confirmed, how would you posture you posture U.S. strategic command to adapt and deter in an environment where speed, maneuverability, and ambiguity increasingly defines strategic competition?
▶ 1:23:02Vadm Correll: Thank you, senator. I enjoyed our time and discussion as well. I guess the way I would answer that is, we are safe, secure, effective, credible today. As you highlight, the security environment is advancing. Those novel missile systems represent a threat that we have to account for.
▶ 1:23:29Vadm Correll: I mentioned previously, one of the ways I think about it is, make a targeting problem too hard so that operational approaches and tactics techniques and procedures that we can use with existing capabilities to maximize our effectiveness in that environment. Ultimately, we need to advance our space-based sensor capability, other sensing capabilities to detect and track those systems.
▶ 1:24:01Vadm Correll: But today, as it stands today, I have absolute confidence in our ability to survive any kind of preemptive attack from those systems and be ready to provide the president with options for response, working together with fellow combatant commanders and the chairman from conventional up to strategic.
▶ 1:24:24Sen. Kelly: How well postured are we, without sharing anything that could be classified, to handle a icbm over the softball with a hypersonic vehicle?
▶ 1:24:37Vadm Correll: Detection.
▶ 1:24:40Sen. Kelly: At this point, we are talking about not the ability to intercept it, just to detect it.
▶ 1:24:47Vadm Correll: I would be happy to follow up in a classified setting. Thank you for the question.
▶ 1:24:53Sen. Kelly: Also want to touch briefly on electronic warfare and the electromagnetic spectrum. We talked about that in my office. We are seeing ukraine, how both sides are employing jamming, spoofing signal denial to disrupt communications position targeting and command and control often in real time.
▶ 1:25:17Sen. Kelly: Given that reality, what lessons should we draw from ukraine about fighting and surviving in a degrading or denied electromagnetic environment, and more specifically if confirmed, how do you see the future of electronic warfare and counter electronic warfare evolving under your command at strategic command? How do you take what we are seeing in ukraine, our adversaries can apply some of those techniques to strategic forces. What are your thoughts on that?
▶ 1:25:46Vadm Correll: My thoughts are, it is an incredibly rich learning environment for what we have seen, and the pace, the agility needed, the move and counter move with respect to contesting the electromagnetic spectrum, is occurring on and almost daily basis. It really challenges the ability to take and hold territory.
▶ 1:26:19Vadm Correll: That is part of the conversation going on within the joint force. What capabilities for the future , what operational concepts are going to be successful in that kind of environment?
▶ 1:26:32Sen. Kelly: Thank you, madam chair.
▶ 1:26:35Chair Fischer: Thank you, senator kelly. Senator cramer, you are recognized.
▶ 1:26:43Sen. Cramer: Thank you, madam chair, admiral, for your service. You and your wife. Your willingness to continue it. We need you badly. Like everyone else, I very much enjoyed the discussion yesterday in my office. Since we are talking about old missiles, and new ones, and we are excited for the new ones, for sure, in north dakota.
▶ 1:27:09Sen. Cramer: As you know, mine is also the last of the basis to receive the sentinel. As we transition from minuteman three to sentinel, what incentives are being made to ensure we have continuous alert coverage, personal readiness, all of that, while sentinel is being constructed.
▶ 1:27:36Vadm Correll: Thank you, senator. I, too, enjoyed our conversation, he appreciated your time. If confirmed as stratcom commander, one of my most important responsibilities that I see with respect to the transition from what we have two what we need in the future is understanding where the risks are within the portfolio and we additional risks may manifest themselves.
▶ 1:28:06Vadm Correll: Communicating that with position together with the services, to make sure we are accounting for it. That is as we transition. The other factor associated with that is the strategic environment. As the strategic environment involves -- evolves, any kind of adjustment to our strategic posture that would be required to provide advice with respect to that.
▶ 1:28:33Vadm Correll: So understanding the margin in the system of what we have, where the risks might come from, and then making sure that we have, we account for it across the entire triad of capabilities. I would be happy to follow up in a classified setting with the details associated with that. But I am comfortable with where we are. We need to continue to keep the pressure on, to pull new capabilities to the left and deliver sooner.
▶ 1:29:05Vadm Correll: But the services are very focused on understanding where the margin is and how our systems are operating, and stratcom is come as well.
▶ 1:29:13Sen. Cramer: Along the same lines, would it be acceptable in any situation to reduce the nations icbm count below 400? There is a lot of talk about that. What would be the downside, what are the benefits of all 400?
▶ 1:29:28Vadm Correll: Based on the strategic environment, my military advice would be not to reduce the numbers. In a classified setting, happy to have that conversation. It really comes back to this componentry nature. The whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. Each leg of the triad has unique attributes that are really important.
▶ 1:29:54Vadm Correll: With respect to our minuteman three system, its availability since the 1960's, 24/7, 365, ability to be target and hold at risk what is required, again, for that operational flexibility in providing the max range of options to the president, is really important, together with the other legs of the triad.
▶ 1:30:18Sen. Cramer: Not to be outdone by the age of missiles, we have some really old airplanes, too. We have two of the three legs of the triad. The b-52 has been around longer than you and senator sheehy. The b-52 are due for modernization as well. The engines, as you know. We appreciate the new helicopters coming to replace the very old ones as well. Modernization is very important.
▶ 1:30:52Sen. Cramer: You talked earlier with senator rounds about the b-21, we talked about the number above 100, becoming pretty common speak obviously. Maybe you could speak to the b-52, why don't we get to replace them someday with b-21's. Not on the docket now. Or the importance of that machine, again, through this transition of modernization.
▶ 1:31:16Vadm Correll: Thank you, senator. Absolutely agree with your point with respect to the b-2 and its essential nature to our strategic deterrent. In a classified setting, I can get into details. That modernization is really important. The new engines associated with that are ongoing with that are world-class coming from rolls-royce. Essentially it is an old airplane but it is a new airplane.
▶ 1:31:47Vadm Correll: Every piece internal to the aircraft has been replaced over time. That is part of the modernization for the avionics and the engines. There is some incredible technology being applied by rolls-royce in terms of data for those engines that is almost certainly going to improve the readiness rate of those aircraft going forward.
▶ 1:32:10Sen. Cramer: Appreciate that. I would just add, the thing that encourages me about the b-21, it has a frame that is durable, has multiple opportunities. I'm a little tired of building only one airplane that can do with just one thing and then building the next one. Anyways. Thank you.
▶ 1:32:30Chair Fischer: Thank you, senator cramer. Senator rosen, you are recognized.
▶ 1:32:38Sen. Rosen: Thank you for holding this hearing. Admiral correll, your wife is here today, to your family, thank you to your service to our nation and your willingness to serve. I want to talk about nuclear testing in nevada. As everyone knows, the nevada test site now known as in the russian national securities test site, was ground zero for the majority of the united states explosive nuclear testing from 1951 to 1992.
▶ 1:33:06Sen. Rosen: During this era, which we must not return to, millions of people and acres of land were contaminated by radiation. And my state of nevada is still suffering the consequences. Since president george h.w.
▶ 1:33:23Sen. Rosen: Bush signed the testing moratorium in 1992, nevada national security site has safely conducted nonexplosive experiments to certify the reliability, safety, effectiveness of our nuclear stockpile. So let me be clear. What we are doing in nevada is working. For decades, directors of our national laboratories, commander of U.S.
▶ 1:33:49Sen. Rosen: Strategic command, secretaries of defense and energy including through the entire time of the first trump administration and again this year have certify the military effectiveness of our stockpile. Nonetheless, president trump last night took the reckless, irresponsible, and dangerous step to declare that we will resume explosive nuclear testing despite no evidence, no evidence supporting the need to do so.
▶ 1:34:15Sen. Rosen: If this resumption happens, the amount of radiation exposure and destruction would be felt across the country and around the world. Make no mistake, this would be devastating and catastrophic. I'm going to be crystal clear. I will not let this happen, not on my watch. I will do everything it I can in my power as a senator, as a united states citizen to put a stop to this and protect families in my state of nevada.
▶ 1:34:43Sen. Rosen: So, admiral correll, can you clarify what you told the committee earlier this morning and clearly tell us in your expert opinion, are explosive nuclear tests necessary, yes or no?
▶ 1:34:57Vadm Correll: Senator, I would be happy to schedule a follow on with you in a classified setting. Cannot have a discussion about testing. Stratcom commanders, role, it confirmed, my role would be to provide the requirements --
▶ 1:35:19Sen. Rosen: Do you think then that we are not meeting -- you do not feel confident with the tests that our national labs and what we are doing at the test site, that the tests we have been doing since 1992, when we stop to that above and below ground nuclear testing, have not been adequate enough to ensure the integrity of our nuclear arsenal?
▶ 1:35:42Vadm Correll: The adequacy and efficacy of the nuclear weapons stockpile is certified on an annual basis.
▶ 1:35:51Sen. Rosen: You trust those tests?
▶ 1:35:53Vadm Correll: It was certified satisfactorily. I do trust that assessment.
▶ 1:35:58Sen. Rosen: Would you counsel the president on national security implications? Let me tell you, we like to say in nevada, what happens in las vegas stays in vegas. But if you start those nuclear tests, I can tell you this, every bit of air, every bit of ground water, every bit of soil across these united states will be contaminated with radiation, and everyone in this country will suffer, not just the people of nevada.
▶ 1:36:26Sen. Rosen: So how would you counsel the president on this issue of resuming explosive nuclear tests?
▶ 1:36:31Vadm Correll: Senator, I would provide my best military advice in a private setting, classified setting.
▶ 1:36:41Sen. Rosen: I know you are not there yet. You have had a career working in all of this, worked very hard, have so much knowledge. I look forward to really working with you, working to move all of these issues forward.
▶ 1:36:59Sen. Rosen: I just want to be sure that you agree with the data-informed assessments and that there is not a technical or strategic justification for resuming what might be a great photo op of a mushroom cloud over the western united states.
▶ 1:37:17Vadm Correll: Senator, I've always been driven by data. To the best of my ability, provide forthright and candid advice. I commit that will not change going forward. Thank you for the question.
▶ 1:37:36Sen. Rosen: I look forward to setting up that meeting in the scif to discuss this further.
▶ 1:37:42Chair Fischer: Thank you. Senator warren, you are recognized.
▶ 1:37:48Sen. Warren: I want to say thank you to senator rosen. I want to follow up but it is clear you are not going to answer much here in an open setting. But I would like to join you when the meeting goes to the scif to understand the seriousness of this moment and what it means for our nation.
▶ 1:38:05Sen. Warren: Last night, the president may have launched us on a path of a new arms race when he announced that we should base our testing of nuclear weapons on what other countries, including states like north korea, do to terrorize the world. At the same time, the trump administration is cracking down on independent oversight and reporting at the pentagon.
▶ 1:38:30Sen. Warren: This should be a flashing red light for this committee and for our constitutional oversight duties. This is billions, even trillions of taxpayer dollars we are talking about, and the safety and security of the people, and the land of the united states itself. We need independent assessments for what is happening here.
▶ 1:38:55Sen. Warren: We need somebody who will be candid with us about both their assessment and the facts about what is going on. If I can, I will ask some other questions that I think we can answer appropriately in this setting. I want to say congratulations on your nomination. As the commander of the U.S. strategic command, it will be your job to manage our current and future nuclear arsenal.
▶ 1:39:22Sen. Warren: The congressional budget office estimates our plans to build new nuclear weapons will cost $946 billion just over the next 10 years. That is almost a trillion dollars, and that is just an estimate. Systems like sentinel, the land-based nuclear missile program, have turned out to cost almost double their original estimates given to congress. And that doesn't just cost taxpayers, it jeopardizes our national security.
▶ 1:39:52Sen. Warren: Ballooning costs have forced the air force to consider postponing and scaling back its next-generation tanker air lifter and next-generation air dominance fighter programs. The military services are responsible for acquisition programs, but as the stratcom commander, member of the nuclear weapons council, you are responsible for overseeing the nuclear weapons program. And your military advice here will be very influential.
▶ 1:40:22Sen. Warren: Vice-admiral correll, would you agree it's important for military planning to have an accurate estimate of how much a new nuclear weapon will cost and when it will be delivered?
▶ 1:40:32Vadm Correll: Yes, senator.
▶ 1:40:36Sen. Warren: You agree, we need those basic facts. We need to know how much things will cost. But the air force provided congress with a rosy cost estimate for sentinel which turned out to cost an extra $60 billion over their estimate.
▶ 1:40:53Sen. Warren: And they did this while declaring "there was no more margin to extend minuteman three, the program that sentinel is replacing, past 2036." turns out that was not true either. As the government accountability revealed last month, the military believes we can extend minuteman three through 2050.
▶ 1:41:18Sen. Warren: So here we have this crucial program, the dollar figure was wrong, and the time was wrong on it. We need to take an honest look at these programs and not shielded them from independent oversight. The admiral carl, do you commit to ensuring that stratcom will not stand in the way of any independent studies or independent recommendations on sentinel or any other program moving forward?
▶ 1:41:47Vadm Correll: Senator, I commit to providing my best military advice in a candid and forthright manner within the department and to this committee.
▶ 1:41:55Sen. Warren: I appreciate that. It is sorely needed. Think tanks influential with the administration want to add to the sentinel program by making it mobile. They claim it will save money but history and other analysts indicated it is much more likely it will increase cost and complexity. What do we get for wasting billions of dollars? Nuclear weapons being driven through american cities and towns.
▶ 1:42:27Sen. Warren: Vice-admiral correll, if you were told to consider a mobile sentinel option again, and your military analysis showed it would add cost or complexity, will you commit to sharing those results as a part of your military advice with congress?
▶ 1:42:43Vadm Correll: I would commit to that. That would be by with and through the department.
▶ 1:42:48Sen. Warren: I appreciate that. It is more critical now than ever before that we have military leaders who are willing to be honest with congress about our national security. Thank you, madam chair.
▶ 1:43:00Chair Fischer: Thank you, senator warren. Senator slotkin.
▶ 1:43:07Sen. Slotkin: Thank you, senator. Congratulations on the nomination, to you and your family. You are getting a little preview of how dicey your job will be with the president's announcement, 18 hours before you came up here. I can imagine your poor staff there, in their briefs changed from last night to d from last night to today.
▶ 1:43:32Sen. Slotkin: Anyone coming up here to take a position like the head of stratcom, in charge of 40,000 people, it's an extreme a big deal. Out of a military of 1.3 million people, we have only 38 four-star generals. It's a very rare thing to be a four-star in the U.S. military. It is hard to notice that we are losing four stars, three, even two stars in a pretty unusual way over the last nine months.
▶ 1:44:03Sen. Slotkin: Just in those months, we have lost the chairman of the joint chiefs, chief of staff of the air force, vice chief step of the air force, vice chief of staff of the army, chief of naval operations, director of nsa, commander of south cobb, commandant of the coast guard, the sma to the second death, director of dia, naval special warfare's commander, the top army lawyer, top air force lawyer, represented to need to,
▶ 1:44:33Sen. Slotkin: Joint staff director for j5, a joint staff j3, and the chief of naval research. By my count, that is 17 general officers who have been removed from their positions or retired early in nine months. I'm a former c.I.a. Officer, so we used to look at other foreign militaries and make assessments on that.
▶ 1:44:58Sen. Slotkin: If I saw 17 general officers removed from their positions in a foreign military, we would call that a purge. That is the technical definition when a new leader comes in and just cleans house. The places where we have looked at these kinds of things are places like china, where they remove large numbers of officers at one time. I used to work on iraq, they used to do the same thing.
▶ 1:45:25Sen. Slotkin: It is very clear the secretary of defense is trying to reshape the department in ways that are very different than previous administrations, and he is critical of anyone who takes issue with him, his leadership, or decision-making of him or the president.
▶ 1:45:43Sen. Slotkin: You have repeated many times rightly that your job will be to give best military advice, but what we are seeing over and over in black-and-white, is that when people in similar positions give their best military advice, they get removed. If that military advice is somehow not in line with the thinking of this president and the secretary, you get fired. They will come a moment -- I don't know when it will be. I hope you never have it.
▶ 1:46:11Sen. Slotkin: But there will be a moment behind closed doors, not when the lights are on or the hearing is going on, when you will have that really existential decision you will have to make. Do I give my best military advice and tell people news they don't want to hear, information they don't want to hear, or will I just go along to get along, to make sure my bosses are happy and I don't rock the boat?
▶ 1:46:40Sen. Slotkin: You swore an oath over and over, your whole career, to the constitution, not to any one man, one president, but the constitution of the united states. Can you say with conviction, when you're moment comes -- because it is coming -- you are behind closed doors and you have the moral and professional obligation to make, that you come at risk of knowing that your job is at risk coming that you will say the right and best military advice based on facts and not just on what secretary
▶ 1:47:11Sen. Slotkin: Hegseth wants you to say?
▶ 1:47:12Vadm Correll: Senator, over the course of my career, I have adhered to the principal, and I will adhere to the principle going forward consistent with my oath to the constitution.
▶ 1:47:24Sen. Warren: We are counting on it. We have had every civil nominee come up and say the same thing. I've asked the same question to pretty much everything a nominee that has come up before me. But those moments are happening. I think we can see just by the sheer number -- 17 general officers removed in nine months -- that you will have that career-defining moment.
▶ 1:47:52Sen. Warren: Because your job involves nuclear weapons, there couldn't be a more important set of issues to work on when it comes to moral decision-making. We are counting on you. The young folks who work for you, those 41,000 people are counting on you to make the right decision when the doors are closed. Thank you. I encourage you all, godspeed.
▶ 1:48:15Chair Fischer: Thank you, senator slotkin. Admiral, seeing no other colleagues here, thank you for being here today. Thank you for responding to the questions as they were presented to you. With that, I declare the hearing closed.