28 September, 2023
Speakers:
-Honorable Frank Kendall III, Secretary of the Air Force, U.S. Department of Defense
-General James H. Dickinson, Commander, U.S. Space Command
-General Chance Saltzman, USSF Opening Statement, Chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force
Secretary Kendall:
Opening Statement:
Thank you, Chairman. We submitted a statement for the record, but I'll summarize briefly. Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Smith and other distinguished members of the House Armed Services Committee, I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to testify this morning. Any basing decision involves a balancing of different and often competing factors. In my judgment, the two most important factors in this basing action ultimately proved to be one the cost to the taxpayer of constructing and operating a new permanent headquarters facility at any of the six reasonable alternative locations, and two, the operational risk associated with any transition from the provisional headquarters in Colorado to another location. President Biden exercised his authority as commander in chief and chief executive to make the final decision to locate the permanent headquarters of US Space Command in Colorado. I fully support the President's decision. I'd like to summarize how this decision came about. When I became the Secretary of the Air Force in July 2021, the preliminary designation of Huntsville, Alabama, as a preferred alternative was under review by the Defense Department of Defense Inspector General and the General Accountability Office, the Government Accountability Office. I took no action while these reviews were under way. The DOD, IG and GAO completed their reviews in the May 2022 timeframe. While neither review found any fundamental flaw in the identification of the preferred alternative of Huntsville, both found deficiencies in the process by which that decision was reached.
The Secretary of Defense directed me on May 4th, 2022, to conduct a review of concerns expressed by senior military leaders regarding full operational capability for US Space Command. Subsequently, I directed the Department of the Air Force Strategic Basing Team to conduct a thorough reevaluation of its basing analysis. There have been three core assumptions underpinning this basing action the need for a 460 400 zero square foot facility, a workforce of 1350 people, and new construction of a permanent headquarters building. The results of the reevaluation were consistent with earlier results. All six locations were reasonable alternatives, but Huntsville was lower cost, while Romanian Colorado posed the lowest operational risk under any circumstances. The Usspacecom would achieve its final operational capability, its full operational capability, in its current provisional location of Colorado Springs. As a result, the time to achieve FOC was not a major consideration, but the disruption associated with moving the headquarters became a factor to consider. There would be some operational risk associated with moving the provisional headquarters in Colorado to any other location. General Dickinson expressed the view that the operational risk was significant. The Department of the Air Force Strategic basing team believed that potential mitigation measures were available, and I concurred with that conclusion.
In early April 2023, General Dickinson stated that he anticipated declaring full operational capability in the late summer of 2023, earlier than previous estimates, and he would do so without the construction of a new permanent headquarters building. I then asked General Dickinson to reconfirm SpaceX's current basing needs and whether there had been any changes. I also asked the chief of Space operations, General Saltsman, to provide his perspective on the basing action. The committee has been provided with General Dickinson's response. General Dickinson stated in part that Space.com requirements have not changed and will soon be fulfilled at the command, as the command estimates declaring full operational capability in August 2023. That date has since slipped based on the accelerated threat in space and the progress in the command. Selecting a final headquarters location other than Colorado Springs would greatly reduce readiness, levy significant costs and impose high risk to mission and force. And finally, considering the threat, the US Space Command commands pending full operational capability and the situation as a whole, Colorado Springs should be the permanent location for US Space Command headquarters. General Saltzman also provided his perspective on the basing action which he has shared with the committee. I then sent a basing team to Colorado Springs to assess whether the Space Command headquarters could remain in its current configuration of leased and government owned facilities.
The team concluded that a new headquarters building was still necessary. Over the course of the Department of the Air Force's extensive reevaluation of the basing process, I have kept the defense, the Secretary of Defense and the National Security Council staff informed regarding the status of the basing team's analysis. After being informed that our president would make the final decision, I briefed the Secretary of Defense and the national security adviser on the results of the Department of the Air Force's review in June of 2023. Ultimately, my view was that the decision came down to a judgment about the operational risk associated with relocating versus the reduced cost of the leading alternative of Huntsville, Alabama. My assessment was that the projected cost savings, together with the availability of potential mitigation measures, outweighed the operational risks that have been identified. As a combatant commander, however, for Space.com, General Dickinson assessed these considerations quite differently. On July 31st, 2023, the President announced his decision. I fully support the President's judgment in this matter. Given the intensifying threat and with a final decision now having been made by the president, we are preparing. We are prepared to move forward with the implementation of this basing decision. Thank you.
[End of statement]
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On Non-standard Process and Combatant Command
-No, Congressman, this is a very unusual, non-standard in many ways. It's a combatant command, first of all, and we rarely do a combatant command.
-So this started out very non-standard. And then we had the DOD and IG investigation. So this is nothing like a normal basing decision as far as I'm concerned.
On Operational Decisions and Responsibility
-The committee has a copy of my briefing which went to the Secretary of Defense and National Security Advisor and fully communicates my views.
-The president's the commander in chief. I'm not. General Dickinson is a commander of a combatant command.
-General Saltzman shares with me the responsibility to provide ready forces. They have a different perspective and they have the authority to make this decision based on their assessment of risk.
On Huntsville Decision Factors: Location and Criteria
-Full operational capability in the time to achieve that was a major factor that was added late in that process to the decision-making process.
-There was a reason based on those criteria that my recommendation would have been Huntsville, but there were operational reasons why Colorado would have been a preferred location.
On the Non-Involvement of Social Issues in Decision Making
-Let me be clear. I know in general that abortion is more restrictive in Alabama than Colorado, but I don't know any of the details of that.
-This is the basing decision, to my knowledge, was never affected in any way by considerations about abortion.
On the Changes in Process and Administration Influence
-We started out with the standard Air Force basing process. But Secretary Esper and the previous administration changed that process rather fundamentally.
-And then and the Trump administration again, there was a decision which involved the meeting in the Oval Office with the president.
On Respect for Authority and Decision-Making
-While I might have come to a different conclusion, there was an adequate basis in the whole record going all the way back to when President Trump made the earlier decision.
-And I respect that.
Kendall Q&A:
Questions on Huntsville:
Q: Secretary Kendall, when you spoke to the Alabama delegation on May 23rd, you said unequivocally that you had been given the decision authority for Space.com. On June 8th, you wrote me a letter, quote, "I am committed to making a decision. This is the best long term interest of the Department of Defense." According to your testimony, you were told that, quote, "the president would make the final decision," close quote, at some point between June 8th and June 30th. We know from your testimony that you preferred sending the Space.com headquarters to Huntsville. When were you told that the president would be making a decision instead of you?
A: Secretary Kendall: The reason is the one that the president has publicly stated that concerns about readiness and the readiness manifests itself in the transition process of moving to another location. And as General Dickinson indicated, losing civilian workforce and then having to reestablish a trained workforce at the new location.
Q: Secretary Kendall, how many basing decisions does the Air Force make in a given year?
A: Secretary Kendall: I don't have the exact number, but we make several.
Q: How do you know approximately how many have been made since you've been secretary?
A: Secretary Kendall: I would say at least a dozen.
Q: Secretary Kendall, you said early on or after your assessment that Huntsville was the best location. You chose that when you had the authority to do so, right?
A: Secretary Kendall: Um, the basic process that I ran. And my judgment was that when I weighed operational considerations versus costs and other factors, that Huntsville was the preferred location. And so Atkinson did not agree with that. Both of our positions were made clear, I believe, to the White House.
Q: Did he know that five times Huntsville was chosen over Colorado?
A: Secretary Kendall: I Congressman, and all due respect, I don't think that's accurate. The IG and GAO reviewed the actions of others. Those weren't separate selections.
Q: Was Secretary Austin the one who informed you of this change or did it come from the White House?
A: Secretary Kendall: It came through the chain of command.
Q: Can you say who?
A: Secretary Kendall: The secretary of Defense's office.
Q: And what did they say to you?
A: Secretary Kendall: Uh, nothing more than that. The president would be making the decision.
Q: Were you informed that the White House would be the ultimate decision-maker before or after they learned of your preference for Huntsville over Colorado Springs?
A: Secretary Kendall: I'm not going to go into the details of the decision-making process and how it played out. But as I said in my testimony, I kept the national security adviser, the national security staff at the White House, and the secretary of defense's office, both fully informed throughout this process.
Q: Is it true that construction in Alabama is easily 30% or more cost-effective than Colorado? Is that true?
A: Secretary Kendall: That's approximately what our data shows.
Q: Do you support the decision of the president, General Saltzmann, or General Secretary Kendall?
A: Secretary Kendall: Yes, I do.
A: Gen Saltzman: I can support the implementation of the president's decision.
A: Gen Dickinson: Yes, I do. I support his decision.
Q: And secondly, did the president have the authority to make this basing decision, Secretary Kendall?
A: Secretary Kendall: Yes, he did.
Q: Did Space Command ever consider these mitigation efforts in the risk assessment?
A: Secretary Kendall: Um, in their initial assessment, no. You've been provided with some of those documents, I believe. But in conversations with my staff, they were discussed.
Q: Is it also true that maintenance of facilities in Alabama are approximately the same savings, too, for maintenance of buildings in Alabama versus Colorado?
A: Secretary Kendall: I believe that's roughly correct.
Q: Out of the six locations considered for Space Command, which one had the higher construction cost estimated? Which one had a higher construction cost estimated in Colorado?
A: Secretary Kendall: Colorado Springs was the highest.
Q: Secretary Kendall, the last couple of weeks, we've been talking in the subcommittee for tactical land and air and air and land, rather, about the next-generation air dominance and what it will take, of course, to win moving forward. And we're going to need to be if we're going to stay number one, you would agree that we need to have these fifth-generation fighters so we can have air superiority, right?
A: Secretary Kendall: We have a large number of modernization programs that we need to move forward with. The next-generation air dominance is one of them.
Q: If Secretary, if we got into a conflict with China with, say, the fourth best fighter aircraft, would that be problematic?
A: Secretary Kendall: I think any disadvantage relative to China or any other adversary would be problematic.
Gen Dickinson:
Opening Statement:
Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Smith, Ladies and gentlemen of the committee, it is, as always, my honor, to appear before you to represent the 18,000 men and women of United States Space Command. These patriots perform a vital mission on behalf of the American people. Vital because space enables our modern way of life and is critical to defending our nation. As I testified before the Strategic Forces Subcommittee in March, threats to a safe, secure, stable and sustainable space domain are increasingly rapidly. Our strategic competitors, China and Russia, are fielding counter space capabilities designed to diminish US influence and military effectiveness. Beijing and Moscow are fully aware of our advancements in space and the enormous benefits to be gained by advancing their own space capabilities while holding ours at risk. Since the US Space Command's establishment in August of 2019, readiness has been our priority. When I took command in the summer of 2020, then Defense Secretary Esper directed me to focus on operational readiness. And we responded to this direction by establishing a 24 over seven joint operations center publishing the first ever SecDef approved operational plan for space and conducting our first Tier one exercise with us Indopacom and validating our headquarters as a synchronized team of professionals.
And this is just some of the achievements that we've accomplished. The US Space Command headquarters basing decision has been realized following a deliberate and robust selection process. My role in this process was to identify the original headquarters requirements for the permanent location as we awaited that decision. Our command remained focused on our primary directive to be ready to fight and win in space whenever called upon. And we met our Unified Command Plan directives to deliver space effects to the warfighter, protect and defend the space domain and conduct trans regional missile defense planning and operations support. By our second anniversary in August of 2021, we achieved initial operational capability at our provisional headquarters. And due to the diligent work and professionalism of our staff and components, we will soon reach full operational capability based on the command's ability to first execute our unified command plan missions and in conjunction with conducting global campaigning exercises and response to crisis. Secondly, hold the requisite number of skills across our human capital. Third, leverage essential infrastructure to enable command and control across our mission and business functions. Fourth, execute necessary command processes, functions, and finally, set conditions and requirements for the future fight. Over the past four years, US Space Command's growth and focus on readiness has translated into the accomplishments of significant tasks and milestones.
Us Space Command works very closely with the Department of the Air Force, our designated Combatant Command Support agency, to meet our obligations and initiate actions necessary to build our operational readiness. On July 31st, the President announced his decision for Colorado Springs, Colorado as the permanent location for US Space Command headquarters. I support the president's decision, which I believe will further enable the command to maintain mission readiness at the highest levels while imposing the least disruption to the force. In my view, selecting Colorado Springs as the permanent basing location for US Space Command best sustains our human capital investments and ultimately maintains our readiness at the highest levels, while imposing the least disruption to the mission and workforce. This is especially important as our pacing challenge. The PRC is working to accelerate its modernization and develop the capabilities it assesses are needed to compel unification with Taiwan and counterbalance the United States by 2027. Our competitors are advancing swiftly with adversarial intent. Us Space Command will not slow down. We will meet that advance and we really have no time to lose. Thank you.
[End of statement]
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On Physical Infrastructure and Transition Concerns
-And thank you again for coming out and seeing the great folks working in the US Space Command during your visit and for the brick and mortar piece of it that we talked about building the physical building itself to the standards that we need.
-We won't have a direct impact on readiness in Colorado Springs until we look at the transition of the workforce and the mission sets from Colorado Springs, in this case to Huntsville, which could be five years out if that's what it's determined to be.
-I have an operating command right now in the provisional facilities in Colorado Springs."
"Congressman on Peterson Space Force Base next to building one, which is where my headquarters is. We have some mobile facilities that are being utilized as skiffs. But those mobile facilities are inside the security of Peterson.
On Workforce Composition and Reliability
-The way the headquarters is organized right now, 60% of them are civilians. In this case, they're the Department of the Air Force civilians, 40% are military.
-The contractors help us in terms of the shortage we may have in the workforce on the civilian side in terms of being able to do those types of functions for us.
-So I would answer that by saying that the number of contractors is a function of how many people you're trying to recruit and hire and train.
On Growing Threat Landscape
-So what we've seen over the last four years and the command just turned four years in August, we have seen a rapid growth in capability and capacity in particular by the PRC.
-We have seen electromagnetic electromagnetic interference by the Russians.
On Operational Readiness and Responsibilities
-The need to accelerate and move quickly towards FOC so that the strategic level command of US Space Command was trained and ready.
-But in terms of the workforce, I can't emphasize enough how important it is that we have a trained and ready workforce.
-As a combatant commander, my job is to make sure that I am able to conduct and execute the missions given by the President of the United States.
-So operational readiness and our ability to do those functions is what I do as a combatant commander.
On Personal Accountability and Perspective
-What I did is I provided my best military advice to Secretary Kendall, which I've provided to the committee as well.
-I would offer that I think the American people would trust me in the execution of the duties that I've been given by the president.
-My viewpoint is a little bit different in the sense that I'm executing these operational types of missions that have risks that are associated with it.
On Concerns about Staff Retention
-As we get ready for that move, there will probably be 60% of the headquarters that civilians where folks will start making decisions that they no longer want to work there and seek employment elsewhere. Given the predictability and their personal desire that they would not want to go to Huntsville.
On Operational Risks Associated with Relocation
-And so moving that would create that operational risk that we were talking about today in that you would take a trained and ready workforce and then have to move them to another geographic location, which would create risk risk that I have as a combatant commander in the performance of the missions I've been given by the president.
On the Relationship with Senior Leadership and Decision-making
-What I did is I provided my best military advice to Secretary Kendall, which I've provided to the committee as well.
On Public Trust and Duty
-I would offer that I think the American people would trust me in the execution of the duties that I've been given by the president.
On the Evolution and Progress of the Command
-So what we've seen over the last four years and the command just turned four years in August, we have seen a rapid growth in capability and capacity...
General Dickinson Q&A:
On Infrastructure and Transition
-Q: Thank you again for coming out and seeing the great folks working in the US Space Command during your visit. Regarding the physical building itself, how will the brick and mortar piece impact readiness in Colorado Springs, especially considering the potential transition to Huntsville?
A: Gen Dickinson: "We'll won't have a direct impact on readiness in Colorado Springs until we look at the transition of the workforce and the mission sets from Colorado Springs, in this case to Huntsville, which could be five years out if that's what it's determined to be."
-Q: Can you describe the current operating conditions in Colorado Springs?
A: Gen Dickinson: "I have an operation operating command right now in the provisional facilities in Colorado Springs."
-Q: Can you provide insights on the facilities at Peterson Space Force Base?
A: Gen Dickinson: "On Peterson Space Force Base next to building one, which is where my headquarters is, we have some mobile facilities that are being utilized as skiffs. But those mobile facilities are inside the security of Peterson."
On Workforce Composition and Contractors
-Q: How is the headquarters workforce structured in terms of civilians and military?
A: Gen Dickinson: "So the way the headquarters is organized right now, 60% of them are civilians. In this case, they're the Department of the Air Force civilians, 40% are military."
-Q: How do contractors fit into this structure?
A: Gen Dickinson: "The contractors help us in terms of the shortage we may have in the workforce on the civilian side in terms of being able to do those types of functions for us. Ideally, you eventually wean yourself off the contractor force as you fill out."
-Q: How do you view the role of contractors in relation to recruiting and hiring?
A: Gen Dickinson: "The number of contractors is a function of how many people you're trying to recruit and hire and train. And they are a little bit more mobile, if you will, in terms of their functions and the ability to bring them on the team."
On Growing Threat Landscape
-Q: Over the past few years, have there been significant changes in the threat landscape from countries like the PRC and Russia?
A: Gen Dickinson: "We have seen a rapid growth in capability and capacity in particular by the PRC over the last four years. We've seen increases in counter space capabilities by the Chinese dual-purpose satellites, direct satellites. We have seen electromagnetic interference by the Russians."
On Operational Readiness and Relocation Concerns
-Q: How do you view the challenges and risks of potentially relocating the command?
A: Gen Dickinson: "In terms of the workforce, I can't emphasize enough how important it is that we have a trained and ready workforce... Moving that would create that operational risk... in that you would take a trained and ready workforce and then have to move them to another geographic location."
On Advice to Senior Leadership
-Q: How did you contribute to the decision-making processes at higher levels?
A: Gen Dickinson: "What I did is I provided my best military advice to Secretary Kendall, which I've provided to the committee as well."
On Public Trust and Duties
-Q: How do you view your responsibility to the public and the nation?
A: Gen Dickinson: "I would offer that I think the American people would trust me in the execution of the duties that I've been given by the president. My viewpoint is a little bit different in the sense that I'm executing these operational type of missions that have risks associated with them."
Gen Saltzman:
Opening Statement:
Ranking Member Smith, distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. As the chief of space operations, I am the service chief responsible for the US Space Force. The military service that secures our nation's interests into and from space, along with the service chiefs from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. I am also a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and as the Chairman has stated, the Space Force is a separate and distinct organization from US Space Command, which is the Combatant command tasked with planning, coordinating, integrating, synchronizing, assessing, and when directed by the president, executing global offensive and defensive space operations. As the Chief of space Operations, I am the senior uniformed officer responsible for the organizing, training and equipping of all space Force forces serving in the United States and overseas. I am responsible for the generation of ready forces which are presented to combatant commanders in order to execute missions on behalf of the joint force. At this time, the overwhelming majority of US Space Force operational units are presented to US Space Command through the Space Force service component called Space Operations Command. Space Operations Command consists of a headquarters element at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs and subordinate organizations at a number of locations which generate ready forces for missions in space.
Domain awareness. Electromagnetic warfare, missile warning, command and control, cyberspace Operations, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, satellite communications. Position navigation and timing and orbital warfare. As the Space Force Service chief, I am typically only involved in the Department of the Air Force strategic basing process when US Space Force units are under consideration because this basing action related to a joint headquarters for US Space Command. I had only peripheral engagement in this matter as described in my September 13th, 2023, letter to the committee. I thank the Congress for their continued support of the US Space Force. The Space Force Mission, our guardians and their families. Thank you.
[End of statement]
On Responsibilities and Locations of Space Force
-I have the responsibility to generate readiness for the space Force forces assigned to US Space
-They are in a number of locations, including Colorado Springs, and are not moving.
On Collaboration with Commercial Partners and the Department of Commerce
Q: General Saltzman, regarding the collaboration with commercial partners for space location data, can you explain how Space Force has been working with them, especially considering that Space Policy Directive three transferred responsibility for civilian space situational awareness from Space Force to the Department of Commerce? Additionally, given the transfer's behind schedule and it seems like the Office of Space Commerce's new system is replicating what Space Force did before, how is this collaboration affecting Space Force's tracking responsibilities? Is it interfering or enhancing?
A: Gen Saltzman: "Well, I certainly don't think it's interfering. We're working closely with the Department of Commerce to make sure they have the capabilities, the training, the expertise, the procedural aspects to make sure they can do the space traffic management piece of that space domain awareness mission. So far, I think they are on track. And we have we've had good conversations. We're just still early in the process. And so, therefore, we have to, as the Space Force, keep track of all those objects on orbit."
Q: How long do you estimate the transition to the Department of Commerce will take?
A: Gen Saltzman: "I don't have a good timeline for you, Congressman."
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